Igmesine is a sigma-1 receptor agonist. It was assayed in clinical trials targeting major depressive disorder. Igmesine is the only antisecretory agent that we have tested to date that inhibits both cholera toxin and the E. coli enterotoxins. Sigma receptors are known to be present on nerves in the enteric nervous system and this would seem to be a potentially useful class of drugs to pursue for the treatment of secretory diarrhoea in humans. It was shown that when Alzheimer's disease rats were submitted to the conditioned fear stress test, igmesine can significantly reduce the stress-induced motor suppression, indicating exogenous σ-1 receptor agonists may alleviate Alzheimer's disease-associated depressive symptoms.

Brovanexine is a derivative of bromhexine used as an adjunct to antibacterials in preparations for the treatment of respiratory-tract infections. Oral administration of brovanexine hydrochloride (BR-222) caused a significant increase in the output volume of respiratory tract fluid. Brovanexine at 10 and 20 mg/kg showed a tendency to reduce the viscosity of respiratory tract fluid in anesthetized dogs. Brovanexine also showed a tendency to reduce the viscosity of sputum obtained from the SO2-exposed rabbits.

Deferitazole is an iron chelator, developed by the FerroKin BioSciences (later acquired by Shire, and then by Takeda). Deferitazole is a member of the desazadesferrithiocin class of siderophore-related tridentate chelators. It binds Fe(III) with very high affinity and selectivity over Fe(II) and other biologically important metals. Deferitazole was investigated in phase 2 clinical trials in patients with iron overload due to repeated red blood cell transfusion and beta-thalassemia, however, the development of the drug was discontinued. In preclinical models, deferitazole demonstrated efficacy for the treatment and prevention of malaria.

Afuresertib (GSK2110183 ) is an orally bioavailable inhibitor of the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt (protein kinase B) with potential antineoplastic activity. Afuresertib binds to and inhibits the activity of Akt, which may result in inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and tumor cell proliferation and the induction of tumor cell apoptosis. Activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is frequently associated with tumorigenesis and dysregulated PI3K/Akt signaling may contribute to tumor resistance to a variety of antineoplastic agents. Preclinically, AKT inhibition by afuresertib can reverse platinum resistance in ovarian cancer cell lines isolated from patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Afuresertib is well tolerated and demonstrates clinical activity as monotherapy in heavily pretreated MM patients. Is in phase II clinical trials for Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia; Haematological malignancies; Histiocytosis.

Meobentine is an antiarrhythmic agent. Meobentine significantly increases the electrical ventricular fibrillation threshold in animal models. Meobentine may prevent induction of ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, or reduce frequency of complex ventricular ectopy in selected patients refractory to other antiarrhythmic agents, but the response rate is relatively low.

Ecopipam (SCH-39166) is a selective D1 dopamine receptor antagonist both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, it exhibits saturable, high-affinity binding to D5 receptors. Ecopipam was studied clinically for a variety of indications, including schizophrenia, drug abuse, and obesity, but in each case undesirable effects were observed. Currently, ecopipam is in clinical trials for the treatment of Lesch-Nyhan and Gilles de la Tourette's syndromes.

Indorenate (TR3369, INDO) is a serotonin-like compound with high affinity for 5- HT1A receptors and a lower affinity for 5-HT1C and 5-HT1B receptors. Indorenate possesses antihypertensive and anxiolytic activity in animal behaviour tests. Similar to other serotonin receptor agonists, Indorenate also has anorectic activity; this effect was blocked by the administration of the 5-HT2A/2C receptor antagonists cinanserin, cyproheptadine, metergoline and methysergide. A unpublished clinical trial confirmed its antihypertensive activity in men.

Abexinostat (PCI-24781) is a novel, second-generation phenyl hydroxamic acid–based, orally bioavailable HDAC inhibitor that has previously been shown to have activity in vitro and in vivo against a broad array of cancers, including hematopoietic malignancies and bone and soft-tissue sarcomas. Abexinostat is a pan-HDAC inhibitor mostly targeting HDAC1 with Ki of 7 nM, modest potent to HDACs 2, 3, 6, and 10 and greater than 40-fold selectivity against HDAC8. Abexinostat exhibits potent antitumor activity against a variety of tumor cell lines with GI50 ranging from 0.15 uM to 3.09 uM. PCI-24781 also has an antiproliferative effect on HUVEC endothelial cells with GI50 of 0.43 uM. Abexinostat treatment causes dose-dependent accumulation of both acetylated histones and acetylated tubulin in HCT116 or DLD-1 cells, induces expression of p21, and leads to PARP cleavage and accumulation of the γH2AX. It has also shown good tolerability and activity in Phase I and II clinical trials against lymphoma, as well as against solid tumors in Phase-I trials. Additionally, it acts as a potent radiosensitizing agent and is synergistic with cytotoxic chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin in preclinical models.

Clazosentan is an endothelin receptor antagonist, developed by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Actelion, and licensed to its spin-off, Idorsia. The drug was designed to inhibit endothelin-mediated cerebral vasospasm and associated delayed ischaemic neurological deficit. The drug has been investigated in a phase III clinical trials in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Clazosentan at 5 mg/h had no significant effect on mortality and vasospasm-related morbidity or functional outcome. Clinical investigation of a higher dose of the drug is underway.