Alpha methyltryptamine (AMT) is a tryptamine (indole ethylamine) derivative, which was developed in the 1960's by Upjohn with the intention for use as an antidepressant. It was used in Russia under the trade name Indopan for the treatment of Bipolar disorder and some form of depression, but currently not being produced because of serious side effects. In the 1990's, alpha-methyltryptamine became regulated as a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States. Pharmacologically, AMT has high affinity for the serotonin (5-HT) transporter, a number of 5-HT receptors, and potently inhibits reuptake of monoamines dopamine, 5-HT, and norepinephrine reuptake. AMT is also a monoamine oxidase A inhibitor that conceivably could contribute to its pharmacological effect and this drug also the most potent inhibitor of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO).

Trequinsin is a potent PDE3 inhibitor that inhibits PDE4 and PDE2 at higher concentrations. Trequinsin can block platelet aggregation and also inhibit tissue factor expression in human endothelial cells. Trequinsin can enhance cellular cAMP content, forskolin-induced cAMP synthesis, and renin release in cells.

Salvinorin A has been reported to be the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen, with an effective dose in humans in the 200- to the 1,000-μg range when smoked; it has been reported to induce an intense hallucinatory experience in humans, with a typical duration of action being several minutes to an hour or so. Salvinorin A is a highly selective agonist of the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) with few off-target effects. It is a potent and selective dilator of the cerebral vasculature, exhibits rapid penetration through the blood-brain barrier, has potent anti-inflammatory properties, and has the ability to preserve neurovascular unit integrity. As such, salvinorin A is an ideal compound for the prevention and treatment of cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Apabetalone (RVX-208) is a small molecule BET bromodomain inhibitor selective for BRD4-BD2 undergoing clinical development as a potential therapy to enhance ApoA-I production and treat atherosclerosis and prevent cardiovascular disease events. Apabetalone increases apolipoprotein A-I and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Cholesterol) in vitro and in vivo which is believed to provide a new approach to treating atherosclerosis through the stimulation of reverse cholesterol transport. RVX-208 increased the Tm of all BET bromodomains, indicative of binding. RVX-208 competes for acetylated histone H4 peptide binding to both bromodomains of BRD4, similar to JQ-1, but with a preference for BD2 over BD1. RVX-208 also binds to the bromodomains of BRDs 2 and 3 with a similar preference for BD2 (Kd~5–30 nM) over BD1 (Kd~2–3 uM). Treatment of humans for 1 week with oral RVX-208 increased apoA-I, pre-beta-HDL, and HDL functionality. Resverlogix Corp. has commenced a Phase 3 clinical trial in cardiovascular disease patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with a primary endpoint of time to first occurrence of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE).

Licochalcone A (LicA) is a flavonoid isolated from the famous Chinese medicinal herb Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch and has a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities such as anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-cancer. However, its pharmacological mechanism is not well defined. The anti-Inflammatory effects of LicA on IL-1β-Stimulated human osteoarthritis chondrocytes was reached by activating Nrf2 signaling pathway. LicA showed anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects in breast cancer cells through regulating Sp1 and apoptosis-related proteins in a dose- and a time-dependent manner. In addition, the chemotherapeutic potential of LicA for treatment of human cervical cancer was achieved by inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling.

Pefcalcitol (previously known as M518101), an analog of vitamin D3 (VD3), is an antipsoriatic drug candidate that is designed to achieve much higher pharmacological effects, such as keratinocyte differentiation. This drug is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor and is being developed as a topical ointment formulation. Pefcalcitol was involved in phase III clinical trials in the USA and in Japan in subjects with plaque psoriasis and with palmoplantar keratoderma. In addition, it participated in phase II clinical trial for the warts treatment.

Ilorasertib (previously known as ABT-348), an orally bioavailable ATP-competitive inhibitor of Aurora kinases (A, B and C), as well as the VEGF and PDGF families of receptor tyrosine kinases, was developed by AbbVie as an antineoplastic agent. It is known that Aurora kinases A, B, and C play essential roles in mitotic checkpoint control and are overexpressed by a wide variety of tumor cell types. Both VEGFRs and PDGFRs may be upregulated in various tumor cell types. Ilorasertib alone or in combination with azacitidine demonstrated activity in preclinical models in various hematological malignancies, indicating that pan-Aurora kinase and multiple kinase inhibition may have preferential antileukemic activity. Ilorasertib participated in phase I clinical for patients with advanced hematologic malignancies. The result has shown that the drug could be further studied in acute myelogenous leukemia. Ilorasertib is also going to be studied in phase II clinical trials to learn if this drug can help to control CDKN2A-deficient cancer in patients with advanced cancers.

Oxi0-4503 (now known as combretastatin A1 phosphate), a diphosphate prodrug of combretastatin A1, was developed by Mateon therapeutics as a second-generation, dual-mechanism vascular disrupting agent from the combretastatin family. On November 21, 2012, Oxi-4503 has been granted orphan designation by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia. It is known that the orphan drug designation qualifies a company for several benefits, including the potential for market exclusivity, development grants, and tax credits. Oxi0-4503 is currently participating in phase I/II clinical trial the treatment of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. In addition, phase I clinical trial was successfully completed where was studied the safety of Oxi0-4503 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Cenisertib (also known as R763) is water-soluble, synthetic small molecule aurora kinase inhibitor with potential antineoplastic activity. Cenisertib is a potent adenine triphosphate-competitive inhibitor of Aurora kinase isoforms A–C, disrupting mitotic spindle activity, blocking cell separation, and leading to polyploidy and cell death. At low nanomolar concentrations, Cenisertib also inhibits other kinases involved in cell survival and proliferation including FLT3, BCR-ABL1, and BCR-ABL1 with T315I mutation. It also inhibits JAK2 kinase, but at higher concentrations. Preclinically, Cenisertib has demonstrated potent antitumor activity as a single agent and in combination treatment in leukemia cell lines, freshly isolated leukemia cells, and leukemia xenograft models. Toxicities appear to be related mainly to the gastrointestinal and hematopoietic systems. In animal models, activity and toxicity depend not only on dose but also on the schedule of administration.