Encenicline (EVP-6124; MT-4666) acts as a potent partial and selective agonist at alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Encenicline significantly improved memory function in animal models. FORUM Pharmaceuticals (formerly EnVivo Pharmaceuticals) is developing encenicline for the treatment of cognition disorders such as schizophrenia and for Alzheimer's disease.

Idalopirdine (Lu AE58054) is a Serotonin 6 receptor (5-HT6) antagonist. Idalopirdine exrets good oral bioavailability and robust efficacy in a rat model of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. In rats idalopirdine potentiates the effects of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil on two pharmacodynamic biomarkers associated with cognition, i.e. neuronal oscillations and extracellular ACh levels in the hippocampus. Such potentiation could contribute to the procognitive effects of idalopirdine observed in donepezil-treated Alzheimer's disease patients. The compound is being developed by Lundbeck as an adjunctive therapy with acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil, and is in phase III development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in multiple countries worldwide. A phase II trial for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia was conducted; however no recent reports of development for idalopirdine have been identified.

AE-37 (ANAVEX2-73, Tetrahydro-N, N-dimethyl-2, 2-diphenyl-3-furanemethanamine) is an orally available drug candidate developed to potentially modify Alzheimer’s disease rather than temporarily address its symptoms. It has a clean Phase 1 data profile and shows a reversal of memory loss (anti-amnesic properties) and neuroprotection in several models of Alzheimer’s disease. This drug is in Phase II trials for Alzheimer's disease, phase I trials for epilepsy, and in preclinical trials for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Rett syndrome, stroke. AE-37 may function as a pro-drug for ANAVEX19-144 and acts as a muscarinic receptor and a moderate sigma1 receptor agonist.

Encenicline (EVP-6124; MT-4666) acts as a potent partial and selective agonist at alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Encenicline significantly improved memory function in animal models. FORUM Pharmaceuticals (formerly EnVivo Pharmaceuticals) is developing encenicline for the treatment of cognition disorders such as schizophrenia and for Alzheimer's disease.

Tesofensine (also known as NS-2330) is a novel triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor with intrinsic inhibitory activity on norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), and dopamine (DA) transporter function. It was development by NeuroSearch as a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's diseases, but these efforts have been discontinued. In phase II clinical trials with tesofensine in obese individuals, dose-related reductions in body weight, body fat and waist circumference, as well as improvements in other obesity-related endocrine factors were observed and the FDA recently endorsed the phase III trial program for this agent.

LY2886721 is a BACE inhibitor used for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. LY2886721 did not inhibit other aspartyl proteases such as cathepsin D, pepsin, and renin, and reduced Aβ in a dose-dependent manner in HEK293Swe cells and in primary neurons from PDAPP transgenic mice. LY2886721 was the first BACE inhibitor to reach Phase 2 clinical research. Lilly completed six Phase 1 studies of LY2886721’s safety, tolerability, and pharmacology in a total of 150 healthy volunteers and people with Alzheimer’s disease at doses of 1–70 mg. Single and multiple ascending oral dosing was accompanied by repeat CSF sampling in the hours and days thereafter. This was done to assess CSF penetration and target engagement by way of measuring levels of the drug, BACE1 substrate, and BACE1 cleavage products. The compound lowered CSF Aβ40, Aβ42, and sAPPβ concentrations while increasing sAPPα, consistent with expectations for BACE1 inhibition. Fourteen days of daily dosing reduced BACE1 activity by 50–75 percent, and CSF Aβ42 by 72 percent. No safety concerns were apparent in dosing up to six weeks

Tesofensine (also known as NS-2330) is a novel triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor with intrinsic inhibitory activity on norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), and dopamine (DA) transporter function. It was development by NeuroSearch as a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's diseases, but these efforts have been discontinued. In phase II clinical trials with tesofensine in obese individuals, dose-related reductions in body weight, body fat and waist circumference, as well as improvements in other obesity-related endocrine factors were observed and the FDA recently endorsed the phase III trial program for this agent.

Conessine is a plant steroid alkaloid that acts as a potent and specific antagonist of histamine H3 receptors. Conessine displayed high affinity at both rat and human H3 receptors (pKi = 7.61 and 8.27) and generally high selectivity against other sites, including histamine receptors H1, H2, and H4. Conessine was found to efficiently penetrate the CNS and reach very high brain concentrations. Although the very slow CNS clearance and strong binding to adrenergic receptors discouraged focus on conessine itself for further development, its potency and novel steroid-based skeleton motivated further chemical investigation. Modification based on introducing diversity at the 3-nitrogen position generated a new series of H3 antagonists with higher in vitro potency, improved target selectivity, and more favorable drug-like properties. Conessine also has high affinity for the adrenergic receptors. Conessine has being shown to possess anti-malarial activity. In India conessine finds therapeutic use for treatment of dysentery and helminthic disorders.

Semagacestat (LY-450139) was a gamma secretase inhibitor being developed as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease by Eli Lilly. It was hoped that the drug would help to delay the onset of severe Alzheimer's disease, and thereby help preserve cognitive and executive functioning and in turn improve patient quality of life. Semagacestat (LY-450139) is designed to inhibit gamma secretase, an enzyme that is involved in the cleavage of APP to beta-amyloid. By decreasing production of beta-amyloid, it is hoped that gamma secretase inhibitors will exert a disease-modifying effect in Alzheimer's disease and thus slow or halt the destruction of nerve cells – the final stage in the amyloid cascade hypothesis. In March 2008 semagacestat (LY-450139) advanced to Phase III development, where it was evaluated in the IDENTITY (Interrupting Alzheimer's Dementia by EvaluatiNg Treatment of AmyloId PaThologY) trial, the first Phase III trial for this new anti-dementia drug. In August 2010, Eli Lilly announced its decision to halt the development of Semagacestat. The decision was taken after analysing the preliminary results of the second Phase III clinical trial of the drug, which indicated that semagacestat failed to slow disease progression. The drug, in fact, worsened cognition and the ability to perform day-to-day activities.

Igmesine is a sigma-1 receptor agonist. It was assayed in clinical trials targeting major depressive disorder. Igmesine is the only antisecretory agent that we have tested to date that inhibits both cholera toxin and the E. coli enterotoxins. Sigma receptors are known to be present on nerves in the enteric nervous system and this would seem to be a potentially useful class of drugs to pursue for the treatment of secretory diarrhoea in humans. It was shown that when Alzheimer's disease rats were submitted to the conditioned fear stress test, igmesine can significantly reduce the stress-induced motor suppression, indicating exogenous σ-1 receptor agonists may alleviate Alzheimer's disease-associated depressive symptoms.