Oxymetazoline is an adrenergic alpha-agonist, direct acting sympathomimetic, used as a vasoconstrictor to relieve nasal congestion The sympathomimetic action of oxymetazoline constricts the smaller arterioles of the nasal passages, producing a prolonged (up to 12 hours), gentle and decongesting effect. Oxymetazoline elicits relief of conjunctival hyperemia by causing vasoconstriction of superficial conjunctival blood vessels. The drug's action has been demonstrated in acute allergic conjunctivitis and in chemical (chloride) conjunctivitis. Oxymetazoline is self-medication for temporary relief of nasal congestion associated with the common cold, hay fever, or other upper respiratory allergies. Oxymetazoline is available over-the-counter as a topical decongestant in the form of oxymetazoline hydrochloride in nasal sprays such as Afrin, Operil, Dristan, Dimetapp, oxyspray, Facimin, Nasivin, Nostrilla, Sudafed OM, Vicks Sinex, Zicam, SinuFrin, and Mucinex Full Force. Due to its vasoconstricting properties, oxymetazoline is also used to treat nose bleeds and eye redness.

Dexchlorpheniramine, the d-isomer of the racemic compound chlorpheniramine, is two times more active than chlorpheniramine. Dexchlorpheniramine does not prevent the release of histamine, but rather, competes with free histamine for binding at the H1-receptor sites, and competitively antagonizes the effects of histamine on H1-receptors in the GI tract, uterus, large blood vessels, and bronchial muscle. Blockade of H1-receptors also suppresses the formation of oedema, flare, and pruritus that result from histaminic activity. Since dexchlorpheniramine binds to central and peripheral H1-receptors, sedative effects are likely to occur. H1-antagonists are structurally similar to anticholinergic agents and therefore possess the potential to exhibit anticholinergic properties of varying degrees. They also have antipruritic effects. Dexchlorpheniramine has high antihistaminic activity, moderate anticholinergic effects and minimal sedative effects. The drug does not possess antiemetic properties.

Dextromethorphan is a non-narcotic morphine derivative widely used as an antitussive for almost 40 years. It has attracted attention due to its anticonvulsant and neuroprotective properties. It is a cough suppressant in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines. In 2010, the FDA approved the combination product dextromethorphan/quinidine for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect. Dextromethorphan suppresses the cough reflex by a direct action on the cough center in the medulla of the brain. Dextromethorphan shows high-affinity binding to several regions of the brain, including the medullary cough center. This compound is an NMDA receptor antagonist and acts as a non-competitive channel blocker. It is one of the widely used antitussives and is used to study the involvement of glutamate receptors in neurotoxicity. Dextromethorphan (DM) is a sigma-1 receptor agonist and an uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist. The mechanism by which dextromethorphan exerts therapeutic effects in patients with pseudobulbar affect is unknown. Dextromethorphan should not be taken with monoamine oxidase inhibitors due to the potential for serotonin syndrome. Dextromethorphan is extensively metabolized by CYP2D6 to dextrorphan, which is rapidly glucuronidated and unable to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Isopropanolamine (1-Amino-2-propanol) is a colorless to yellowish liquid with an amine-like odor. It is miscible in water. Intermediate used in the production of dyes, lubrification oils, corrosion inhibitor, detergents, cutting fluids.

Menthyl lactate is derived from menthol, a compound that comes from peppermint oil, or is made synthetically. Menthol has a natural cooling effect, which makes it useful as a topical analgesic to treat skin irritation, pain, itching or sunburn. Despite its cooling benefits, menthol can be a skin irritant. Like menthol, menthyl lactate is cooling, but it causes less skin irritation than menthol. Menthyl lactate also has a refreshing, minty taste. For this reason, some manufacturers use it as a flavoring ingredient. The compound is recommended for use as a flavor in concentrations of 0.005% to 0.2% and in cosmetic and other external products in concentrations ranging from 0.2% to 2.0%. Menthyl lactate is a known compound available e.g. from Haarmann & Reimer GmbH (Germany) under the name FRESCOLAT, Type ML.

Tartaric acid is found in many plants such as grapes, tamarinds, pineapples, mulberries and so on. Wine lees (called mud in the US), the sediment collected during the fermentation of grapes, contains potassium bitartrate (potassium hydrogen tartrate) as its major component. L-(+)-tartaric acid is an enantiomer of tartaric acid. Twenty five years before the tetrahedral structure for carbon was proposed in 1874 to explain the optical activity and other properties of organic compounds, Louis Pasteur discovered the existence of enantiomerism in tartaric acid. L-(+)-tartaric acid is widely used in food and beverage as acidity regulator with E number E334.

Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Aspirin is unique in this class of drugs because it irreversibly inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2 activity by acetylating a serine residue (Ser529 and Ser516, respectively) positioned in the arachidonic acid-binding channel, thus inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins and reducing the inflammatory response. The drug is used either alone or in combination with other compounds for the treatment of pain, headache, as well as for reducing the risk of stroke and heart attacks in patients with brain ischemia and cardiovascular diseases.

TIC10 (TIC10 isomer or ONC201 isomer) is a potent, orally active, and stable small molecule and is an efficacious antitumor therapeutic agent that acts on tumor cells and their microenvironment to enhance the concentrations of the endogenous tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). The isomeric structure of TIC10/ONC201 is critical to its activity: anti-cancer activity is associated with the angular structure and not the linear TIC10 isomer. TIC10 transcriptionally induces a sustained up-regulation TRAIL in tumors and normal cells in a p53-independent manner. TIC10 inactivates kinases Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), leading to the translocation of Foxo3a into the nucleus, where it binds to the TRAIL promoter to up-regulate gene transcription. TIC10 crosses the blood-brain barrier. TIC10 treatment caused tumor regression in the HCT116 p53−/− xenograft, RKO human colon cancer xenograft–bearing mice and human triple-negative breast cancer xenografts and significantly prolonged the survival of Eμ-myc transgenic mice, which spontaneously develop metastatic lymphoma from weeks 9 to 12 of age by 4 weeks.

Thiorphan is the first potent synthetic inhibitor of enkephalinase. Thiorphan displays antinociceptive activity after systemic administration. Thiorphan also inhibits to a lesser extent the widely distributed angiotensin-converting enzyme, a carboxydipeptidase implicated in blood pressure regulation. Thiorphan failed to potentiate allergen-induced airway responses in asthma. Thiorphan significantly reduced the castor oil-induced diarrhea in rats when administered intravenously but not when administered intracerebroventricularly. Racecadotril, via its active metabolite thiorphan, was consistently effective in animal models and patients with various forms of acute diarrhea by inhibiting pathologic (but not basal) secretion from the gut without changing gastro-intestinal transit time or motility.

Etanidazole (also known as Radinyl) is a 2-nitroimidazole with radiosensitizing properties. Etanidazole exerts its therapeutic action by depleting glutathione and inhibiting glutathione S-transferase, thus enhancing the anticancer effects of radiation therapy. Etanidazole was tested in Phase III clinical trials in patients with advanced head and neck cancer, however, its development was stopped. A fluorinated etanidazole (EF5) may also be useful as an imaging agent for identification of hypoxic, drug-resistant regions of primary tumors and metastases.