Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the "saffron crocus". Crocin is a water-soluble carotenoid pigment of saffron,that has been used as a spice for flavoring and coloring food preparations, and in Chinese traditional medicine as an anodyne or tranquilizer. Saffron is now used worldwide in folk medicine and is reputed to be useful in treating various human disorders such as heart and blood disorders. Stroke and heart attack are involved in reputed folkloric uses of saffron. Saffron is orally administrated as a decoction. Saffron extract exerts a protective effect on renal ischemia reperfusion induced oxidative damage in rats. Crocin suppresses tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha-induced apoptosis of pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells by modulating mRNA expressions of Bcl-2 family proteins, which trigger downstream signals culminating in caspase-3 activation followed by cell death. Depriving cultured PC12 cells of serum/glucose causes a rapid increase in cellular ceramide levels, followed by an increase in the risk of cell death. The accumulation of ceramide was found to depend on the activation of neutral sphingomyelinase (nSMase). Crocin prevented the activation of nSMase by enhancing the transcription of gamma-glutamylcysteinyl synthase, which contributes to a stable glutathione supply that blocks the activity of nSMase.

Tetradium ruticarpum (Evodia rutaecarpa) is a plant, which belongs to a genus of 9 species of trees. It is known as Euodia or Bee bee tree in the west because it was classified to the genus Euodia in the ancient literature. The volatile oil of Tetradium ruticarpum (Evodia rutaecarpa) fruits contains evodene, evodol, and limonin. Fruits contain evodiamine, rutaecarpine, evocarpine, Hydroxyevodiamine, wuchuyine, ocimene, evodione, evogin, rutaevin, aspartic acid, tryptophan, threonine, serine, cystine, and so on. The fruit of Tetradium ruticarpum which is also known as Wu zhu yu (Wu Zhu Yu) or Evodia Fruit, is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine at doses of 3-9 grams (of the berries) thrice a day for the purposes of warmth, intestinal comfort (specifically; to alleviate abdominal pain, acid regurgitation, nausea and diarrhea), dysmenorrheal, and fighting inflammation and infections. It is frequently used in a combination supplement called Wu Zhu Yu Tang, which consists of Evodia fruit with Jujube Fruit and Panax Ginseng (1:1:1 ratio) and Ginger root (twice the amount of any one other ingredient) which is a decoction used for hypertension or as Zuo jin wanwhich is used for gastrointestinal distress alongside Rhizoma Coptidis at a 1:6 ratio (Evodia:Coptidis). Another decoction exists called Fan zuo jin wan, which is Rhizome Coptidis and Evodia in the inverse ratio. Tetradium ruticarpum fruit has also being shown to possess antitumor activity.

Arimoclomol citrate is an experimental drug developed by a biopharmaceutical company CytRx Corporation. In 2011 the worldwide rights to arimoclomol were bought by Danish biotech company Orphazyme ApS. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug designation to arimoclomol as a potential treatment for Niemann-Pick type C in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Arimoclomol is believed to function by stimulating a normal cellular protein repair pathway through the activation of molecular chaperones. Since damaged proteins, called aggregates, are thought to play a role in many diseases, CytRx believes that arimoclomol could treat a broad range of diseases.

Arimoclomol citrate is an experimental drug developed by a biopharmaceutical company CytRx Corporation. In 2011 the worldwide rights to arimoclomol were bought by Danish biotech company Orphazyme ApS. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug designation to arimoclomol as a potential treatment for Niemann-Pick type C in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Arimoclomol is believed to function by stimulating a normal cellular protein repair pathway through the activation of molecular chaperones. Since damaged proteins, called aggregates, are thought to play a role in many diseases, CytRx believes that arimoclomol could treat a broad range of diseases.

Taurolidine [bis(1,1-dioxoperhydro-1,2,4-thiadiazinyl-4)-methane (TRD)], a product derived from the aminosulfoacid taurin, was first described as an anti-bacterial substance. Taurolidine is a small dimeric molecule with molecular weight 284. It comprises the semiconditional amino acid taurine. Taurolidine was originally designed as a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Taurolidine has a broad antimicrobial spectrum of activity that is effective against aerobes and anaerobes, Gram-negative and Gram-posi-tive bacteria as well as yeasts and moulds in vitro. Taurolidine is also effective against methicillin-resistant and vancomycin-resistant bacteria (MRSA, VISA and VRE). It was mainly used in the treatment of patients with peritonis as well as antiendoxic agent in patients with systematic inflammatory response syndrome. It has been shown to be an effective bactericidal agent against both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. It is currently licensed for intraperitoneal use in several European countries for the treatment of peritonitis. The compound appears to be nontoxic and has an excellent safety record since its initial introduction over 30 years ago. Taurolidine also possesses antiadherence properties and has been shown in vivo to reduce the extent and severity of postoperative peritoneal adhesions. It also possesses a strong anti-inflammatory action. This action appears, at least in part, to arise through its ability to inactivate endotoxin. Inflammation-induced tumor development is well described in the literature. Taurolidine’s anti-inflammatory and antiadherence properties prompted an investigation to examine whether it has a role in antitumor therapy. Taurolidine induces cancer cell death through a variety of mechanisms. It appears to act through enhancing apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis and tumor adherence, downregulating proinflammatory cytokine and endotoxin levels, and stimulating the immune system in response to surgically induced trauma. Taurolidine is currently in preclinical development for neuroblastoma. In February 23, 2018 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug designation to taurolidine for the treatment of neuroblastoma. Taurolidine is a key component in the Neutrolin®, a novel anti-infective solution for the reduction and prevention of catheter-related infections and thrombosis in patients requiring central venous cathers in end stage renal disease. Neutrolin contains a mix of Taurolidine, Citrate and Heparin. Neutrolin is designed to: 1) Aid in the prevention of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections (CRBIs) and 2) Prevent catheter dysfunction (due to blood clotting).

Mitapivat (AG-348; PKM2 activator 1020) is a novel, first-in-class oral small molecule allosteric activator of the pyruvate kinase enzyme. Mitapivat has been shown to significantly upregulate both wild-type and numerous mutant forms of erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (PKR), increasing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and reducing levels of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. Given this mechanism, mitapivat has been evaluated in clinical trials in a wide range of hereditary hemolytic anemias, including pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD), sickle cell disease, and the thalassemias. Mitapivat was approved for the treatment of hemolytic anemia in adults with pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency in the United States in February 2022, and in the European Union in November 2022.

Mitapivat (AG-348; PKM2 activator 1020) is a novel, first-in-class oral small molecule allosteric activator of the pyruvate kinase enzyme. Mitapivat has been shown to significantly upregulate both wild-type and numerous mutant forms of erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (PKR), increasing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and reducing levels of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. Given this mechanism, mitapivat has been evaluated in clinical trials in a wide range of hereditary hemolytic anemias, including pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD), sickle cell disease, and the thalassemias. Mitapivat was approved for the treatment of hemolytic anemia in adults with pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency in the United States in February 2022, and in the European Union in November 2022.

Vericiguat, discovered at Bayer, is the first soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator. Vericiguat is currently being studied in a Phase III clinical program for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Bempedoic acid (also known as ETC-1002) is a novel investigational drug being developed for the treatment of dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia and other cardio-metabolic risk factors. The hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-obesity, and glucose-lowering properties of ETC-1002, characterized in preclinical disease models, are believed to be due to dual inhibition of sterol and fatty acid synthesis and enhanced mitochondrial long-chain fatty acid β-oxidation. Investigations into the mechanism of action revealed that bempedoic acid-free acid activates AMP-activated protein kinase in a Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase β-independent and liver kinase β-1-dependent manner, without detectable changes in adenylate energy charge. In the liver, bempedoic acid is also converted to a coenzyme A (CoA) derivative (ETC-1002-CoA )which directly inhibits ATP citrate lyase (ACL), a key enzyme that supplies a substrate for cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis in the liver. Inhibition of ACL by ETC-1002-CoA results in reduced cholesterol synthesis and upregulation of LDL receptor activity in the liver. This promotes the removal of LDL-C from the blood.

Bempedoic acid (also known as ETC-1002) is a novel investigational drug being developed for the treatment of dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia and other cardio-metabolic risk factors. The hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-obesity, and glucose-lowering properties of ETC-1002, characterized in preclinical disease models, are believed to be due to dual inhibition of sterol and fatty acid synthesis and enhanced mitochondrial long-chain fatty acid β-oxidation. Investigations into the mechanism of action revealed that bempedoic acid-free acid activates AMP-activated protein kinase in a Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase β-independent and liver kinase β-1-dependent manner, without detectable changes in adenylate energy charge. In the liver, bempedoic acid is also converted to a coenzyme A (CoA) derivative (ETC-1002-CoA )which directly inhibits ATP citrate lyase (ACL), a key enzyme that supplies a substrate for cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis in the liver. Inhibition of ACL by ETC-1002-CoA results in reduced cholesterol synthesis and upregulation of LDL receptor activity in the liver. This promotes the removal of LDL-C from the blood.