JNJ-39393406 is a positive allosteric alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor modulator. It was under development for the treatment of smoking cessation, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, but development for these indications was discontinued.

(R)-Mequitazine or V0162 (10-[(3R)-1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-3-ylmethyl]-10H-phenothiazine) is an anticholinergic enantiomer of mequitazine, an existing oral racemic antihistamine commercialized for over 30 years. (R)-Mequitazine was found to be an antagonist at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors behaving as an inverse agonist. (R)-Mequitazine was investigated in clinical trials for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and urinary incontinence.

Batefenterol, previously known as GSK961081, a bifunctional muscarinic (M2 and M3 receptors) antagonist β2-agonist that is developed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The drug has successfully completed phase II clinical trials with clinically significant improvements in lung function. No new or unexpected safety signals were observed in this COPD population. The conclusion from the trial was following that batefenterol 300 µg might represent the optimal dose for Phase III studies.

PF-03635659 is a potent, very long dissociative half-life (slow off-rate, >1440 min) muscarinic M3 antagonist. Spirometry data from healthy volunteers in phase I clinical studies illustrate that PF-03635659 provides efficacious 24 h bronchodilation from a single inhaled dose, thus confirming the suitability of PF-03635659 as a novel once-daily inhaled muscarinic M3 receptor antagonist for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Safety (tachycardia) and toleration (dry mouth) data from the multidose phase I studies indicate an adverse event profile that is at least noninferior to tiotropium bromide. PF-03635659 had been in phase II clinical trial for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Encenicline (EVP-6124; MT-4666) acts as a potent partial and selective agonist at alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Encenicline significantly improved memory function in animal models. FORUM Pharmaceuticals (formerly EnVivo Pharmaceuticals) is developing encenicline for the treatment of cognition disorders such as schizophrenia and for Alzheimer's disease.

AZD0328, a spirofuropyridine, is a selective alpha7 nicotinic receptor agonist. This drug participated in clinical trials phase II in patients with schizophrenia. However, studies were terminated because the drug didn’t meet the current target product profile. Besides AZD0328 has been studied in phase I for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.