The premise to the design of atracurium and several of its congeners stemmed from the knowledge that a bis-quaternary structure is essential for neuromuscular-blocking activity: ideally, therefore, a chemical entity devoid of this bis-quaternary structure via susceptibility to inactive breakdown products by enzymic-independent processes would prove to be invaluable in the clinical use of a drug with a predictable onset and duration of action.
The basis for atracurium and its congeners' design was the recognition that a bis-quaternary structure is necessary for neuromuscular-blocking activity: ideally, such a chemical entity without this structure due to susceptibility to inactive breakdown products by enzymatic-independent processes would be highly beneficial in clinical use with predictable onset and duration of action.