AZD-8330 is a potent, selective, orally active MEK inhibitor that blocks signal transduction pathways implicated in cancer cell proliferation and survival. AZD-8330 has shown tumor suppressive activity in multiple preclinical models of human cancer including melanoma, pancreatic, colon, lung, and breast cancers. AZD-8330 specifically inhibits mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK or MAP/ERK kinase1), resulting in inhibition of growth factor-mediated cell signaling and tumor cell proliferation. MEK is a key component of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway that regulates cell growth; constitutive activation of this pathway has been implicated in many cancers. AZD-8330 had been in phase I clinical trials by AstraZeneca for the treatment of malignancies. However, this research has been discontinued.

Sepantronium bromide (YM155) is a selective survivin suppressant that exhibits potent antitumor activities by inducing apoptosis and autophagy in various types of cancer. Sepantronium bromide inhibited the growth of various human cancer cell lines in vitro with GI50 values in the low nM range. Sepantronium bromide blocked the growth of 119 human cancer cell lines, with the greatest inhibition in lines derived from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, hormone-refractory prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, sarcoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, and melanoma, with an average GI50 of 15 nM. Sepantronium bromide inhibited the growth of tumor cell lines regardless of their p53 status and demonstrated significant antitumor activity in 5 mice xenograft models. It also caused tumor regressions in vivo, possibly by its effects in reducing intratumoral survivin expression levels and increasing apoptosis. Sepantronium Bromide had been in phase II clinical trials by Astellas for the treatment of prostate cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast cancer, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other solid tumors. This compound had also been in clinical trials by National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the treatment of solid tumors (phase I) and advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (phase II). However, all these researches about this compound for all indications were discontinued.

LX-1031, being developed by Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, is an oral, small-molecule tryptophan 5-hydroxylase (TPH) inhibitor that reduces 5-HT synthesis peripherally. LX-1031 is being developed for the potential treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), which is characterized by excess 5-HT. In preclinical studies, LX-1031 dose-dependently reduced expression of 5-HT in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, but had no effect on brain 5-HT levels. It was in Phase 2 clinical trial, but later development of LX-1031 was discontinued.

Apitolisib, a dual inhibitor of mTOR and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), was being developed by Roche and Genentech as an orally administered therapy of cancer. Apitolisib is a selective, potent, orally bioavailable inhibitor of Class I PI3 kinase (PI3K) and mTOR kinase (TORC1/2) with excellent pharmacokinetic and pharmaceutical properties. Apitolisib displayed excellent potency against class I PI3K isoforms (IC50 PI3K-α, β, δ and γ = 4.8, 27, 6.7 and 14 nM) and mTOR kinase (IC50 = 17 nM) and selectivity against a large panel of other kinases. Apitolisib is in phase II trials by Genentech for the treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometrium cancer, kidney cancer. However, no recent development has been reported. It is also in phase I trials by Genentech for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Sapitinib is an oral, reversible and equipotent inhibitor of EGFR, HER2 and HER3 signalling. The drug was tested in phase II of clinical trials in patients with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer and NSCL carcinoma, however its development for breast cancer therapy seems to be terminated. Sapitinib absorption is rapid and the drug is totally cleared by metabolism with the major routes being oxidation and amine or ether cleavage around the piperidine ring with subsequent glucuronide or sulphate conjugation.

Pictilisib is an oral potent inhibitor of class I PI3K with nanomolar activities against p110alpha, p110beta, p110delta, and p110gamma. The drug was developed for the treatment of solid tumors and reached phase II in patients with breast cancer and lung carcinoma, however its development was terminated.

ZSTK474 is a new PI3K inhibitor with strong antitumor activity against human cancer xenografts without toxic effects in critical organs. Specifically, ZSTK474 is an ATP-competitive inhibitor of class I phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase isoforms. ZSTK474 blocks VEGF-induced cell migration and the tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and inhibits the expression of HIF-1α and secretion of VEGF in RXF-631L cells, exhibiting potent in vitro antiangiogenic activity. ZSTK474 demonstrated prophylactic efficacy in a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through inhibition of T cell and FLS functions.

Epofolate (BMS-753493) is a folate conjugate of the epothilone analog BMS-748285 that was designed to selectively target folate receptor expressing cancer cells. In Phase I/IIa pharmacokinetic and safety studies epofolate was generally tolerable and toxicities known to be associated with epothilone class of anticancer agents were common, although peripheral neuropathy and neutropenia appear to have been less frequent and less severe as compared to epothilones. Antitumor activity was not demonstrated and further development of BMS-753493 has been discontinued.

Neosaxitoxin is a site-1 specific sodium channel blocker which acts synergistically with local anesthetics to provide surgical anesthesia by peripheral nerve blocks or local infiltration and markedly increases the duration of post-operative analgesia. Saxitoxin and neosaxitoxin, small molecules synthesized by marine dinoflagellates and freshwater cyanobacteria. Neosaxitoxin, one of the saxitoxin analogs, differs from saxitoxin by the addition of one oxygen atom, wherein the hydrogen (-H) at Nitrogen 1 in saxitoxin is replaced by a hydroxyl group (-OH) in neosaxitoxin. Neosaxitoxin has shown greater potency than saxitoxin and its analogs and is also more potent than tetrodotoxin in in vitro and in vivo animal studies.Neosaxitoxin showed an effective local anesthetic effect when injected in the subcutaneous plane. The efficacy of a 50-ug dose of neosaxitoxin was shown. Neosaxitoxin has poor affinity for the cardiac isoform of the sodium channel and does not cross the blood–brain barrier, thus this compound is virtually devoid of cardiac and central nervous system toxicity—the limiting toxicities of traditional local anesthetics.

Navitoclax (ABT-263) is an oral selective inhibitor of B-cell leukemia 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins with potential antineoplastic activity. Navitoclax is a small molecular with the formula of C47H55ClF3N5O6S3 and Molecular Weight of 974. As a Bad-like Bh3 minetic, ABT-263 binds to Bcl-2 family proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and Bcl-w, disrupts the interaction between Bcl-2/Bcl-xl /Bcl-w and pro-apoptotic proteins such as Bim, Bad and Bak, which trigger the caspases-initiated cell death pathway to induce apoptosis. Navitoclax has been in phase II clinical trials by Abbvie for the treatment of prostate cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and lymphoma. However, this research has been discontinued.