C16 (PKRi) is a selective inhibitor of the enzyme double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). PKRi prevents striatal neurodegeneration and improves behavioral outcomes in a chemically induced mouse model of Huntington's disease, the efffect mediated by off-target inhibition of CDKs. PKRi restored memory deficit in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. In a mouse model of colon-26 adenocarcinoma, treatment with C16 lead to a significantly higher level of blood glucose and lower level of serum triglyceride compared with placebo group, which indicates potential use for alleviation of cachexia.

JNJ-7706621, developed by Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical, is pan-CDK inhibitor with the highest potency on cyclin-dependent kinases: CDK1/2. Inhibition of CDK1 kinase activity, altered CDK1 phosphorylation status, and interference with downstream substrates such as retinoblastoma was also shown in human tumor cells following drug treatment. It also potently inhibits Aurora A/B and has no activity on Plk1 and Wee1. In human cancer cells, treatment with JNJ-7706621 inhibited cell growth independent of p53, retinoblastoma, or P-glycoprotein status; activated apoptosis; and reduced colony formation. At low concentrations, JNJ-7706621 slowed the growth of cells and at higher concentrations induced cytotoxicity. JNJ-7706621 is a unique inhibitor regulating cell cycle progression at multiple points, suggesting that it could be useful for cell cycle analysis and therapy of various cancers, including Ewing's sarcoma.