Adrogolide is a chemically stable prodrug of the dopamine D1 receptor agonist A-86929. Adrogolide is rapidly converted in plasma to A-86929. A-86929 has high affinity and functional selectivity for the dopamine D1 receptor. Adrogolide has been in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and cocaine abuse. However, this research has been discontinued. The adverse events associated with its use of adrogolide were of mild-to-moderate severity and included injection site reaction, asthenia, headache, nausea, vomiting, postural hypotension, vasodilitation, and dizziness.

Aplindore (DAB-452) is a small molecule that displays potent dopamine D2 receptor partial agonist activity in in vitro and in vivo assays and is predicted to have antipsychotic efficacy without motor side effects. Aplindore had been in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome. Aplindore was generally well tolerated and there were no withdrawals due to adverse events and no serious adverse events.

LY404039 [(-)-(1R,4S,5S,6S)-4-amino-2-sulfonylbicyclo[3.1.0]-hexane-4,6-dicarboxylic acid] is an agonist of orthosteric metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)2/3. In addition, it acts as an agonist at dopamine D2 receptors. LY404039 demonstrated broad antipsychotic and anxiolytic efficacy across multiple animal models. LY-2140023 is a methionine amide prodrug of LY-404039 being developed by Eli Lilly & Co for the potential oral treatment of schizophrenia.

Adrogolide is a chemically stable prodrug of the dopamine D1 receptor agonist A-86929. Adrogolide is rapidly converted in plasma to A-86929. A-86929 has high affinity and functional selectivity for the dopamine D1 receptor. Adrogolide has been in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and cocaine abuse. However, this research has been discontinued. The adverse events associated with its use of adrogolide were of mild-to-moderate severity and included injection site reaction, asthenia, headache, nausea, vomiting, postural hypotension, vasodilitation, and dizziness.

Mazapertine (RWJ-37796) is an arylpiperazine antipsychotic with high affinity to dopamine D2 and D3, serotonin 5-HT1A and alpha 1A-adrenergic receptors. It was being studied in the treatment of schizophrenia.

PNU-96391A (known as OSU6162) is a weak dopamine (DA) D(2) receptor antagonist with behavioral stabilizing properties. OSU6162 seem to act as stabilizers not only on dopaminergic, but also on serotonergic brain signaling (partial agonist on 5-HT2A receptor). OSU6162 in a phase II European clinical trial in treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. One of the isomer of OSU 6162, has promise for treating Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and schizophrenia, but both enantiomers of OSU 6162 had dual effects on behavior, stimulating locomotor activity in 'low activity' animals and inhibiting locomotor activity in 'high activity' animals.

Quinpirole (LY 171,555) is a psychoactive drug and research chemical which acts as a selective D2 and D3 receptor agonist. Quinpirole is the most widely used D2 agonist in in vivo and in vitro studies. Specific quinpirole binding in rat brain was saturable, and dependent on temperature, membrane concentration, sodium concentration and guanine nucleotides. Saturation analysis revealed high affinity binding characteristics (KD = 2.3 nM) which were confirmed by association-dissociation kinetics. The regional distribution of [3H]quinpirole binding sites roughly paralleled the distribution of [3H]spiperone binding sites, with greatest densities present in the striatum, nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercles. A variety of drugs, most notably monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOls), inhibit the binding of [3H]quinpirole, but not [3H]spiperone or [3H](-)N-n-Propylnorapomorphine, in rat striatal membranes by a mechanism that does not appear to involve the enzymatic activity of MAO. Clinically antidepressant MAOIs exhibited selectivity between sites labeled by [3H]quinpirole and [3H]spiperone as did a number of structurally related propargylamines and N-acylethylenediamine derivatives and other drugs such as debrisoquin and phenylbiguanide. Quinpirole has been shown to increase locomotion and sniffing behavior in mice and induces compulsive behavior symptomatic of obsessive compulsive disorder in rats.

DL-Tetrahydropalmatine (dl-THP), an active component isolated from Corydalis species (a Chinese herbal medicine). dl-THP has inhibitory effects on liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice. The drug demonstrated anxiolytic and anti-nociceptive effects in animal models. dl-THP may act through inhibition of amygdaloid dopamine release to inhibit an epileptic attack – it is a very effective anti-epileptogenic and anticonvulsant agent. dl-THP has been found to have antihypertensive effects. It acts through the 5-HT2 and/or D2-receptor antagonism in the hypothalamus to induce hypotension and bradycardia in rats.