Ditiocarb, the sodium salt of diethyldithiocarbamate, is a drug with strong antioxidant capacity and chelating activities. It improves the depressed immune responses of newborn and aged mice and mice that are treated with chemotherapy or irradiation. Ditiocarb prevents cisplatin nephrotoxicity in animals without reducing the drug's antitumor activity. Ditiocarb has therapeutic activity in the LP-BM5 murine retrovirus-induced immunodeficiency disease. In that AIDS model, it reduces lymphadenopathy and hypergammaglobulinemia, restores immunocompetence, and prolongs survival. Ditiocarb was safe and reduced the incidence of opportunistic infections in patients with symptomatic HIV infection but ditiocarb had no positive effect on HIV patients. The administration of ditiocarb did not induce any major adverse clinical or biological reactions. Sixty-four patients with nonmetastatic high-risk breast cancer were randomized in a double-blind trial of adjuvant immunotherapy with sodium ditiocarb (DDC) versus placebo. At 6 years, overall survival was 81% in DDC group versus 55%.

IRDABISANT is a histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist with potential therapeutic utility in cognition enhancement.

Cethromycin is a ketolide antibiotic derived from erythromycin A being investigated for use in community-acquired pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections. Cethromycin possesses reliable activity against the bacteria most commonly associated with community-acquired pneumonia including S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, M. pneumoniae, C. pneumoniae, and L. pneumophila. Unlike fluoroquinolones, cethromycin has a narrower spectrum of activity against gram-negative bacteria, which may reduce the risk of collateral damage and the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection. It offers an advantage over telithromycin in that hepatotoxicity does not seem to be a concern. The FDA denied approval of cethromycin for the treatment of CAP in 2009, requesting more efficacy data.

CI 1040 is an inhibitor of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signal transduction pathway and has been shown to specifically inhibit MAP kinase kinase (MEK). CI 1040 was being developed by Parke-Davis (formerly a division of WarnerLambert, Now Pfizer) as an anticancer agent. It was the initial MEK inhibitor to undergo clinical evaluation based on promising preclinical activity. However, its development has been discontinued.

Lomeguatrib is a O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyl-transferase inhibitor which was developed by AstraZeneca for the treatment of cancer. It was tested in phase I and II of clinical trials for the treatment of colorectal cancer, melanoma and other solid tumors.

Dotarizine was developed as antimigraineur. Dotarizine inhibited the 5-HT2A response in a concentration-dependent manner. The mechanism of blockade by dotarizine of cerebral vessels contractility has three components: (i) presynaptic inhibition of noradrenaline release; (ii) blockade of postsynaptic vascular 5-HT receptors; (iii) blockade of Ca(2+)entry into the vascular smooth muscle cell cytosol. The compound does not affect the vascular receptors for noradrenaline, angiotensin II or prostaglandin F(2alpha). Dotarizine had a pronounced protective effect against electric seizures.

Safingol, the synthetic L-threo-stereoisomer of endogenous (D-erythro-) sphinganine, is an inhibitor of protein kinase C and sphingosine kinase in vitro, and in some cell types has been implicated in ceramide generation and induction of apoptosis. Safingol inhibits enzymatic activity and 3H-phorbol dibutyrate binding of purified rat brain PKC (IC50 = 37.5 uM and 31uM, respectively). Inhibits human PKCα, the major overexpressed isoenzyme in MCF-7 DOXR cells (IC50 = 40 uM). Safingol enhances the cytotoxic effect of the chemotherapeutic agent Mitomycin C (MMC) in gastric cancer cells by promoting drug-induced apoptosis. Safingol is an inhibitor of SphK (Sphingosine kinase). Safingol has been shown to act synergistically with other chemotherapeutic agents and may potentiate chemotherapy drug-induced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.

LECOZOTAN, a benzodioxanylpiperazine derivative, is a selective serotonin 1A receptor antagonist. It was in development for the symptomatic treatment of cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease.

Pipendoxifene (ERA-923) is a selective estrogen receptor modulator with a distinct profile compared with tamoxifen. In particular, unlike tamoxifen, ERA-923 is devoid of uterotropic activity and does not stimulate the growth of endometrial tumors in the EnCa-101 (human endometrial adenocarcinoma that is continuously passaged in animals in the presence of estrogen) experimental mice model. These data may indicate that, in patients, ERA-923 will not increase the incidence of endometrial hyperplasia or cancer. ERA-923 inhibits estrogen-stimulated ER-alpha-dependent tumor growth with equal effects compared with tamoxifen in models sensitive to tamoxifen. ERA-923 partially or completely overcomes tamoxifen resistance. In vivo combination of temsirolimus and ERA-923 at certain doses and schedules completely inhibited breast carcinoma growth, while individual agents were only partially effective. Pipendoxifene had been in phase II clinical trial for the treatment of refractory metastatic breast cancer. However, this research has been discontinued.

Cadazolid is a new antibiotic in development for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Cadazolid is active against all (including linezolid- and moxifloxacin-resistant) Clostridium difficile strains. In phase I and II clinical trials, cadazolid was shown to be safe, well tolerated, and efficacious positioning itself as a potential future viable therapeutic option for CDI. Using a series of macromolecular labeling, in vitro transcription/translation, and topoisomerase studies, it was determined that protein synthesis inhibition via the oxazolidinone moiety is the primary mechanism of action of cadazolid. Cadazolid is in phase III clinical trials by Actelion Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection. The US FDA has designated cadazolid as both a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and a Fast Track development program for this indication.