Tetrandrine, isolated from the root of Stephania tetrandra S Moore, is a traditional Chinese clinical agent for silicosis, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Tetrandrine is a potent MDR-reversing agent and is an ABCB1/ABCC1 inhibitor. Tetrandrine (CBT-1) is being developed by CBA Pharma, as an adjunctive therapy to chemotherapy in various cancer types with multiple drug resistance (MDR), including acute myelogenous leukemia , Breast, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, Gallbladder, Pancreatic, Gastrointestinal Tract, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Bladder, Head & Neck, and Sarcoma.

Rilmenidine (brand names Albarel, Hyperium, Iterium and Tenaxum) is an imidazoline derivative used for the treatment of hypertension. Rilmenidine, an oxazoline compound with antihypertensive properties, acts on both medullary and peripheral vasomotor structures. Rilmenidine shows greater selectivity for imidazoline receptors than for cerebral alpha2-adrenergic receptors, distinguishing it from reference alpha2-agonists. Rilmenidine is as effective in monotherapy as all other first line classes of drugs, including diuretics, beta-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and calcium antagonists. It is well tolerated and can be taken in combination for greater efficacy. Sedation and dry mouth are not prominent side effects and withdrawal hypertension is not seen when treatment is stopped abruptly. In addition to a reduction in blood pressure, Rilmenidine has been shown to improve glucose tolerance, lipid risk factors, and insulin sensitivity.

Melperone is an antipsychotic drug which is used in Europe for the treatment of sleep disorders, agitation and confusion states. The exact mechanism of melperone action is unknown.

Evocalcet (MT-4580, KHK7580) is an allosteric calcium-sensing receptor agonist. Evocalcet directly acts on calcium receptors on parathyroid cells to suppress synthesis and secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH), and it consequently decreases serum PTH and serum calcium. ORKEDIA® TABLETS (generic name: evocalcet, code name: KHK7580) has been listed on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Drug Price List and launched for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients on maintenance dialysis in Japan.

Talinolol (brand name Cordanurn) is the cardioselective beta-receptor antagonist which has been used for a long time in the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases and in tachyarrhythmia. The mean dosage is 10-20 mg intravenously administered over a period of 3-5 minutes, while the chronic oral dosage for this patient group amounts to 300mg/day. Cordanum eliminates the stimulating effect of catecholamines on the heart for physical and psychoemotional stress. The hypotensive effect is stabilized by the end of 2 weeks of course treatment. Reduces the frequency and severity of angina attacks; Contributes to the limitation of the heart attack zone and reduces the risk of arrhythmia in the presence of myocardial infarction, resulting in a decrease in mortality and the frequency of relapses. In average therapeutic doses, it has a less pronounced effect on the smooth muscles of the bronchi, myometrium, and peripheral arteries compared to non-selective beta-blockers. Talinolol is used in supraventricular (atrial fibrillation and flutter with high ventricular rate, paroxysmal supraventricular 1 tachycardia, sinus tachycardia) as well as ventricular extrasystoles and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Patients with an increased tonus of the sympathetic nervous system related to sinus tachycardia, exercise-induced arrhythmias, hypertension, hyperthyroidism and coronary heart disease show a particularly positive reaction.

Naphthoquine is an antimalarial drug first synthesized in China in 1986 but which was not developed for clinical use until the late 1990s. This drug now is used in combination for treatment of Plasmodium Falciparum and Malaria. The use of anti-malarial drug combinations with artemisinin or with one of its derivatives is now widely recommended to overcome drug resistance in falciparum as well as vivax malaria. The fixed oral dose artemisinin-naphthoquine combination (ANQ, ARCO™) is a newer artemisinin-based combination (ACT) therapy undergoing clinical assessment.

Ebastine is an antihistamine which blocks H1-receptors through its carboxylic acid metabolite. Ebastine is indicated for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and chronic idiopathic urticaria.

Higenamine HCl (norcoclaurine) is a plant-based alkaloid widely used as nutritional supplement in food and beverage industries. It exists in variety of plants including Tinospora crispa, Nandina domestica, Gnetum Parvifolium C.Y. Cheng, sarum Heterotropoides, Nelumbo nucifera. It was initially isolated from Aconitum and identified as the active cardiotonic component of this medicinal plant used as local and traditional medicines in many Asian regions for the treatment of various diseases such as collapse, syncope, painful joints, oedema, bronchial asthma etc. Various pharmacological properties and potentially multi-spectral medical applications of higenamine have been reviled in many in vitro and in vivo studies conducted in animals and humans. Pharmacological properties of higenamine include positive inotropic and chronotropic effect, activating slow channel effect, vascular and tracheal relaxation effect, anti-thrombotic, anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative effect, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect. Studies on higenamine showed potential therapeutic effects for diseases like heart failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), shock, arthritis, asthma, ischemia/reperfusion injuries and erectile dysfunction. Higenamine has been tested as a candidate of pharmacologic stress agent in the detection of coronary artery diseases (CADs) in human clinical studies in China. In animal models, higenamine has been demonstrated to be a β2 adrenoreceptor agonist. It partly exerts its actions by the activation of adenylate cyclase, responsible for boosting the cellular concentrations of the adrenergic second messenger, cAMP. Via a beta-adrenoceptor mechanism higenamine, induced relaxation in rat corpus cavernosum, leading to improved vasodilation and erectile function. Related to improved vasodilatory signals, higenamine has been shown to possess antiplatelet and antithrombotic activity via a cAMP-dependent pathway, suggesting it may contribute to enhanced vasodilation and arterial integrity. Anti-apoptotic and cardiac protective effects of higenamine were shown to be mediated by the β2-AR/PI3K/AKT cascade. Higenamine is marketed as a dietary supplement for weight loss and sport performance, and is added to many fat burning supplements. Along with many other β2 agonists, higenamine is prohibited by World Anti-Doping Agency for use in sports.

Raclopride is a salicylamide neuroleptic, that acts as a selective antagonist of D2 dopamine receptors both in vitro and in vivo. Tritium-labelled raclopride has properties that demonstrate its usefulness as a radioligand for the labelling of dopamine-D2 receptors : 3H-Raclopride has a high affinity for the rat and human dopamine-D2 receptors, the non-specific binding of 3H-raclopride is very low, not exceeding 5% of the total binding and the distribution of the 3H-raclopride binding sites in the brain closely correlates with the dopaminergic innervation. The binding of 3H-raclopride is blocked by dopamine-D2 agonists and antagonists, while the D1 agonist SKF 38393 and the Dl antagonist SCH 23390 have much less potency. The interaction of dopamine with 3H-raclopride binding results in a shallow competition curve, which suggests that 3H-raclopride, similar to other dopamine-D2 radioligands, labels both high and low agonist affinity states of the dopamine-D2 receptor. The in vivo receptor binding studies performed with 3H-raclopride also demonstrate its favorable properties as a dopamine-D2 receptor marker in vivo In contrast to some other compounds used as radioligands, raclopride enters the brain readily and binds with a low component of non-specific binding in all dopamine-rich brain areas. A saturation curve may be achieved in vivo binding studies since injections of increasing concentrations of 3H-raclopride appears to be saturated at concentrations above 25 mkCi (corresponding to approximately 5 nmol/kg). Raclopride antagonizes apomorphine-induced hyperactivity in the rat at low doses (ED50 = 130 nM/kg i.p.) but induces catalepsy only at much higher doses (ED50 = 27 mkM/kg i.p.). Radiolabelled raclopride has been used as a ligand for in vitro and in vivo autoradiography in rat and primate brains. Raclopride C 11 is used with positron emission tomography (PET) as a clinical research tool to determine dopamine type 2 (D 2) receptor density in the human brain under normal and pathological conditions. For example, raclopride C 11 used in PET studies has served to confirm the age-related decrease in striatal dopamine D2 receptor density, which may be associated with a decline in the motor as well as cognitive functions. In patients with Alzheimer's disease, raclopride C 11 may be used to examine neuroreceptor distribution and quantities, which may help in the analysis of degenerative alterations of neuron populations and neuroreceptor systems in patients with this disease. In Huntington's disease, in which degeneration of neostriatal interneurons occurs (postsynaptic to the dopaminergic input), specific binding of raclopride C 11 to D 2 receptors may serve as one of the parameters in predicting performance in cognitive tasks.

Bicyclol, also known as SY 801, is a hepatoprotective agent. Bicyclol upregulates transcription factor Nrf2, HO-1 expression and protects rat brains against focal ischemia. Bicyclol induces cell cycle arrest and autophagy in HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through the PI3K/AKT and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathways. Bicyclol attenuates tetracycline-induced fatty liver associated with inhibition of hepatic ER stress and apoptosis in mice. Bicyclol promotes toll-like 2 receptor recruiting inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase II to exert its anti-inflammatory effect. Phase Ⅰ~Ⅳ clinical trials and extensive application after market launch prove that, Bicyclol is suitable for the treatment of chronic viral and non-viral liver disease with elevated serum aminotransferase abnormalities, and is excellent in safety. This drug is recommended for liver protection and anti-inflammatory medication by Chinese Medical Association in Guidelines for Management of Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Guidelines for Management of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, The Guideline of Prevention and Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis B, Expert Consensus On Hepatic Inflammation and Its Prevention and other professional guidelines and consensus.