Verinurad (RDEA3170) is a selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitor in clinical development for the treatment of gout and asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Verinurad specifically inhibits URAT1 with a potency of 25 nM. High affinity inhibition of uric acid transport requires URAT1 residues Cys-32, Ser-35, Phe-365 and Ile-481. Unlike other available uricosuric agents, the requirement for Cys-32 is unique to verinurad. Verinurad doses as low as 2.5 mg produce significant sUA lowering in humans, and this greater reduction in sUA may lead to improved outcomes and medical benefits for patients with gout. Verinurad in monotherapy studies has been associated with increased urinary uric acid concentrations and low rates of serum creatinine (sCr) elevation. Verinurad combined with febuxostat decreased sUA dose-dependently while maintaining uric acid excretion similar to baseline. All dose combinations of verinurad and febuxostat were generally well tolerated.

Mallinckrodt (previously Sucampo Pharmaceuticals) is developing nobiprostolan (RK 023), a topical therapy for male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) and hypotrichosis. The drug is a physiologically active fatty acid derivative. Nobiprostolan is in Phase IIa clinical trials for the treatment of male pattern baldness.

Merck was developing MK 8245, an orally active inhibitor of stearoyl CoA desaturase for the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus. MK-8245 is a liver-targeting inhibitor of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) with IC50 of 1 nM for human SCD1 and 3 nM for both rat SCD1 and mouse SCD1, with anti-diabetic and anti-dyslipidemic efficacy. It is in Phase 2 clinical studies for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1-(4-methylphenyl)ethyl ester is an choleretic agent.

Buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) is a selective inhibitor of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS), the rate-limiting enzyme in glutathione (GSH) synthesis. In cancer cells, glutathione depletion significantly increased cytotoxicity via oxidative stress. In addition, in neuroblastoma cells susceptible to Buthionine sulfoximine treatment, DNA damage and cell apoptosis occurred via ROS production. Buthionine sulfoximine plus melphalan was effective in treatment for patients with recurrent/refractory neuroblastoma. Buthionine sulfoximine may also be used to increase the sensitivity of parasites to oxidative antiparasitic drugs. Buthionine sulfoximine has been shown to increase the efficacy of nifurtimox against T. cruzi and has also been shown to be an effective modulator of GSH-mediated chemoresistance by increasing the in vitro cytotoxicity of alkylating agents and radiation. Buthionine sulfoximine has been tested in animal studies and in human phase I trials for adults with solid tumors, with documented clinical responses in patients with melanoma, ovarian carcinoma and small cell carcinoma of the lung treated with the combination of Buthionine sulfoximine and melphalan.

Veledimex is an oral activator ligand for a proprietary gene therapy promoter system, and a moderate inhibitor of and substrate for CYP3A4/5. Veledimex controls the expression of the target gene. The amount of gene product produced by the system and the duration of the effect is dependent on veledimex dose level and duration of dosing. Nonclinical studies demonstrated that intratumoral administration of Ad-RTS-IL12 along with oral administration of veledimex elicited dose-dependent anti-tumor effects in murine melanoma, breast cancer and glioma models which correlated with increased plasma exposure of veledimex. The FDA granted Fast Track designation for Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex for the treatment of recurrent or progressive glioblastoma multiforme in adults. Ad-RTS-hIL-12 is an inducible adenoviral vector encoding human pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12), which is under the transcriptional control of the RheoSwitch Therapeutic System. Veledixmex is an oral activator ligand. Data previously presented suggest that Ad-RTS-hIL-12 with 20 mg veledimex improves the median overall survival from 6 to 9 months seen with available therapies to 12.7 months, with further improvement in median overall survival to 17.8 months in a subset of subjects with reduced cumulative steroid exposure during the active dosing period of veledimex. Veledimex has been used in trials studying the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, metastatic breast cancer, and anaplastic oligoastrocytoma.