Umeclidinium (used as a bromide salt) is a long-acting, antimuscarinic antagonist, often referred to as an anticholinergic, developed for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (alone and in combination with Vilanterol - long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist). Umeclidinium has similar affinity to the subtypes of muscarinic receptors M1 to M5 with Ki values of 0.16 nM, 0.15 nM, 0.06 nM, 0.05 nM and 0.13 nM for M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5, respectively. Umeclidinium is selective against mAChR over other unrelated receptors or channels such as κ and σ opiod receptors, Na+ channel and dopamine transporter. In the airways, it exhibits pharmacological effects through the inhibition of M3 receptor at the smooth muscle leading to bronchodilation. There is potential for an additive interaction with concomitantly used anticholinergic medicines.

Flutemetamol F 18 is a radioactive molecular agent that is intended for use with PET imaging of the brain in adults being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia. Flutemetamol F 18 consists of flutemetamol, a thioflavin derivative of Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) labeled with the radioisotope fluorine F18 and it selectively binds to cerebral fibrillar beta-amyloid, a peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease.

Bazedoxifene acetate (WAY-140424; TSE-424) is an oral, nonsteroidal, indole-based selective estrogen-receptor modulator developed by Ligand Pharmaceuticals in collaboration with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (NJ, USA) (now Pfizer) . It was developed using raloxifene as a template with the benzothiophene core substituted by an indole ring in order to obtain favorable effects on the skeleton and lipid metabolism with the additional improvement of a neutral effect on hot flushes and without stimulating the uterus or the breast. The drug is approved as a monotherapy for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and in combination with conjugated estrogens for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and prevention of osteoporosis. Bazedoxifene binds to both ERalpha and ERbeta with high affinity. Bazedoxifene acts as both a receptor agonist and/or antagonist, depending upon the cell and tissue type and target genes. Bazedoxifene decreases bone resorption and reduces biochemical markers of bone turnover to the premenopausal range. These effects on bone remodeling lead to an increase in bone mineral density (BMD), which in turn contributes to a reduction in the risk of fractures. Bazedoxifene functions primarily as an estrogen-receptor antagonist in uterine and breast tissues.

Triheptanoin (also known as C7 oil) is an investigational medical food or supplement. Triheptanoin is thought to have an anaplerotic role, meaning that it can replenish substances involved in the tricarbolic acid cycle, a pathway used by cells to produce energy, providing an alternative source of energy to the brain. It supplies the body with heptanoate which can either be oxidized to propionyl-CoA directly or is metabolized by the liver to the“C5 ketones”, β-ketopentanoate and/or β-hydroxypentanoate, which are released into the blood. After one month of triheptanoin use, the level of energy production in the brain during visual stimulation had become normal in Huntington’s patients. Triheptanoin was anticonvulsant in two chronic mouse models and increased levels of anaplerotic precursor metabolites in epileptic mouse brains. Despite the unknown mechanism of triheptanoin’s anticonvulsant action, the fact that triheptanoin has been used safely in several animals and for various metabolic diseases in children and adults should expedite the ethical and regulatory approval processes for a clinical trial in medically refractory patients with epilepsy. Triheptanoin is phase II clinical trial for the treatment of glycogen storage disease type V, Huntington's disease, Rett syndrome and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Pomalidomide is a derivative of thalidomide marketed by Celgene, an analogue of thalidomide, is an immunomodulatory agent with antineoplastic activity. In in vitro cellular assays, pomalidomide inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of hematopoietic tumor cells. Additionally, pomalidomide inhibited the proliferation of lenalidomide-resistant multiple myeloma cell lines and synergized with dexamethasone in both lenalidomide-sensitive and lenalidomide-resistant cell lines to induce tumor cell apoptosis. Pomalidomide enhanced T cell- and natural killer (NK) cell-mediated immunity and inhibited production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α and IL-6) by monocytes. Pomalidomide demonstrated anti-angiogenic activity in a mouse tumor model and in the in vitro umbilical cord model.

Elvitegravir is a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase strand transfer inhibitor used in combination with cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamid (GENVOYA®) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in antiretroviral treatment-experienced adults. Because integrase is necessary for viral replication, inhibition prevents the integration of HIV-1 DNA into the host genome and thereby blocks the formation of the HIV-1 provirus and resulting propagation of the viral infection.

Florbetapir (18F) (trade name AMYViD; also known as florbetapir-fluorine-18 or 18F-AV-45) is a PET scanning radiopharmaceutical compound containing the radionuclide fluorine-18, recently FDA approved as a diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's disease. Florbetapir, like Pittsburgh compound B (PiB), binds to beta-amyloid, however fluorine-18 has a half-life of 110 minutes, in contrast to PiB's radioactive half life of 20 minutes. Wong et al. found that the longer life allowed the tracer to accumulate significantly more in the brains of people with AD, particularly in the regions known to be associated with beta-amyloid deposits. A negative Amyvid scan indicates sparse to no neuritic plaques, and is inconsistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of AD at the time of image acquisition; a negative scan result reduces the likelihood that a patient’s cognitive impairment is due to AD. A positive Amyvid scan indicates moderate to frequent amyloid neuritic plaques; neuropathological examination has shown this amount of amyloid neuritic plaque is present in patients with AD, but may also be present in patients with other types of neurologic conditions as well as older people with normal cognition. Amyvidis an adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations

Vismodegib (trade name Erivedge) is a drug for the treatment of basal-cell carcinoma (BCC). It was approved by FDA on January 30, 2012 and by the European Commission on 12 July 2013, for the treatment of adult patients with symptomatic metastatic BCC, or locally advanced BCC inappropriate for surgery or radiotherapy. The drug is also undergoing clinical trials for metastatic colorectal cancer, small-cell lung cancer, advanced stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, medulloblastoma and chondrosarcoma as of June 2011. The substance acts as a cyclopamine-competitive antagonist of the smoothened receptor (SMO) which is part of the hedgehog signaling pathway. The Hedgehog signaling pathway plays an important role in tissue growth and repair; aberrant constitutive activation of Hedgehog pathway signaling and uncontrolled cellular proliferation may be associated with mutations in the Hedgehog-ligand cell surface receptors PTCH and SMO. SMO inhibition causes the transcription factors GLI1 and GLI2 to remain inactive, which prevents the expression of tumor mediating genes within the hedgehog pathway. This pathway is pathogenetically relevant in more than 90% of basal-cell carcinomas.

Pasireotide is a synthetic long-acting cyclic hexapeptide with somatostatin-like activity. It is marketed as a diaspartate salt called Signifor, indicated for the treatment of adult patients with Cushing’s disease for whom pituitary surgery is not an option or has not been curative. SIGNIFOR is an injectable cyclohexapeptide somatostatin analogue. Pasireotide exerts its pharmacological activity via binding to somatostatin receptors (ssts). Pasireotide binds and activates the hsst receptors resulting in inhibition of ACTH secretion, which leads to decreased cortisol secretion.

Avanafil is a PDE5 inhibitor approved for erectile dysfunction by FDA and by EMA. Avanafil is known by the trademark names Stendra and Spedra and was developed by Vivus Inc. Avanafil selectively inhibits PDE5, thus inhibiting the degradation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) found in the smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosa of the penis. The physiologic mechanism of erection of the penis involves release of nitric oxide (NO) in the corpus cavernosum during sexual stimulation. NO then activates the enzyme guanylate cyclase, which results in increased levels of cGMP, producing smooth muscle relaxation in the corpus cavernosum and allowing inflow of blood. Avanafil has no direct relaxant effect on isolated human corpus cavernosum, but enhances the effect of NO by inhibiting PDE5, which is responsible for degradation of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum. Because sexual stimulation is required to initiate the local release of nitric oxide, the inhibition of PDE5 has noeffect in the absence of sexual stimulation. The advantage of avanafil is that it has very fast onset of action compared with other PDE5 inhibitors. It is absorbed quickly, reaching a maximum concentration in about 30–45 minutes. About two-thirds of the participants were able to engage in sexual activity within 15 minutes.