Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid approved under the brand name cesamet for treatment of severe nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy. Nabilone is an orally active which, like other cannabinoids, has complex effects on the central nervous system (CNS). It has been suggested that the antiemetic effect of nabilone is caused by interaction with the cannabinoid receptor system, i.e. the CB (1) receptor, which has been discovered in neural tissues.

Imipenem is a beta-lactam antibiotic belongings to the subgroup of carbapenems. Imipenem has a broad spectrum of activity against aerobic and anaerobic Gram positive as well as Gram negative bacteria. It is particularly important for its activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the Enterococcus species. Imipenem is rapidly degraded by the renal enzyme dehydropeptidase when administered alone, and is always co-administered with cilastatin to prevent this inactivation. The bactericidal activity of imipenem results from the inhibition of cell wall synthesis. Its greatest affinity is for penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) 1A, 1B, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of Escherichia coli, and 1A, 1B, 2, 4 and 5 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The lethal effect is related to binding to PBP 2 and PBP 1B. Imipenem is marketed under the brand name Primaxin. PRIMAXIN I.M. (Imipenem and Cilastatin for Injectable Suspension) is a formulation of imipenem (a thienamycin antibiotic) and cilastatin sodium (the inhibitor of the renal dipeptidase, dehydropeptidase I). PRIMAXIN I.M. is a potent broad spectrum antibacterial agent for intramuscular administration.

Glyburide, a second-generation sulfonylurea antidiabetic agent, lowers blood glucose acutely by stimulating the release of insulin from the pancreas, an effect dependent upon functioning beta cells in the pancreatic islets. With chronic administration in Type II diabetic patients, the blood glucose lowering effect persists despite a gradual decline in the insulin secretory response to the drug. Extrapancreatic effects may be involved in the mechanism of action of oral sulfonyl-urea hypoglycemic drugs. The combination of glibenclamide and metformin may have a synergistic effect, since both agents act to improve glucose tolerance by different but complementary mechanisms. In addition to its blood glucose lowering actions, glyburide produces a mild diuresis by enhancement of renal free water clearance. Glyburide is twice as potent as the related second-generation agent glipizide. Sulfonylureas such as glyburide bind to ATP-sensitive potassium channels on the pancreatic cell surface, reducing potassium conductance and causing depolarization of the membrane. Depolarization stimulates calcium ion influx through voltage-sensitive calcium channels, raising intracellular concentrations of calcium ions, which induces the secretion, or exocytosis, of insulin. Glyburide is indicated as an adjunct to diet to lower the blood glucose in patients with NIDDM whose hyperglycemia cannot be satisfactorily controlled by diet alone. Glyburide is available as a generic, is manufactured by many pharmaceutical companies and is sold in doses of 1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg under many brand names including Gliben-J, Daonil, Diabeta, Euglucon, Gilemal, Glidanil, Glybovin, Glynase, Maninil, Micronase and Semi-Daonil. It is also available in a fixed-dose combination drug with metformin that is sold under various trade names, e.g. Bagomet Plus, Benimet, Glibomet, Gluconorm, Glucored, Glucovance, Metglib and many others.

Pindolol was developed at Sandoz at 1960s. Pindolol is a nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonist (beta-blocker) which possesses intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (partial agonist activity) in therapeutic dosage ranges but does not possess quinidine-like membrane stabilizing activity. The partial beta-adrenergic agonistic activity of pindolol in the heart appears to be completely restricted to the sinoatrial pacemaker. In standard pharmacologic tests in man and animals, Pindolol attenuates increases in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and cardiac output resulting from exercise and isoproterenol administration, thus confirming its beta-blocking properties. In addition to beta-adrenergic activity pindolol demonstrates mixed agonist-antagonist activity at central 5-HT receptors. Although in accordance with the hypothesis that pindolol increases the antidepressant effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors by antagonism of 5-HT at inhibitory 5-HT1A autoreceptors, pindolol possesses partial agonist activity at 5-HT1A receptors. Pindolol tablets are indicated in the management of hypertension.

2S,4R ketoconazole or levoketoconazole is the 2S,4R enantiomer of ketoconazole, purified from racemic ketoconazole. Both enantiomers exerts antifungal activity. Ketoconazole activates AhR in gene reporter cell line and dose-dependently induces CYP1A1 mRNA and CYP1A1 protein in HepG2 cells, with enantiospecific pattern, i.e. 2R,4S ketoconazole was much more active as compared to 2S,4R ketoconazole. Levoketoconazole was shown to be a more potent inhibitor than the 2R,4S enantiomer of several enzymes in the steroidogenic pathway (CYP11B1, CYP17 and CYP21). Levoketoconazole was tested for the treatment of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome (Phase III) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (Phase II).

Trazodone (brand name Oleptro, Desyrel, etc) is a serotonin uptake inhibitor that is used as an antidepressive agent. Trazodone binds to the 5-HT2 receptor, it acts as a serotonin agonist at high doses and a serotonin antagonist at low doses. Like fluoxetine, trazodone's antidepressant activity likely results from blockage of serotonin reuptake by inhibiting serotonin reuptake pump at the presynaptic neuronal membrane. If used for long time periods, postsynaptic neuronal receptor binding sites may also be affected. The sedative effect of trazodone is likely the result of alpha-adrenergic blocking action and modest histamine blockade at the H1 receptor. It weakly blocks presynaptic alpha2-adrenergic receptors and strongly inhibits postsynaptic alpha1 receptors. Trazodone does not affect the reuptake of norepinephrine or dopamine within the CNS. Because of its lack of anticholinergic side effects, trazodone is especially useful in situations in which antimuscarinic effects are particularly problematic (e.g., in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, closed-angle glaucoma, or severe constipation). Trazodone's propensity to cause sedation is a dual-edged sword. For many patients, the relief from agitation, anxiety, and insomnia can be rapid; for other patients, including those individuals with considerable psychomotor retardation and feelings of low energy, therapeutic doses of trazodone may not be tolerable because of sedation. Trazodone elicits orthostatic hypotension in some patients, probably as a consequence of α1-adrenergic receptor blockade. Mania has been observed in association with trazodone treatment, including in patients with bipolar disorder, as well as in patients with previous diagnoses of major depression. Compared to the reversible MAOI antidepressant drug moclobemide, significantly more impairment of vigilance occurs with trazodone.

Metoclopramide is a dopamine D2 antagonist that is used as an antiemetic. Metoclopramide inhibits gastric smooth muscle relaxation produced by dopamine, therefore increasing cholinergic response of the gastrointestinal smooth muscle. It accelerates intestinal transit and gastric emptying by preventing relaxation of gastric body and increasing the phasic activity of antrum. Simultaneously, this action is accompanied by relaxation of the upper small intestine, resulting in an improved coordination between the body and antrum of the stomach and the upper small intestine. Metoclopramide also decreases reflux into the esophagus by increasing the resting pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter and improves acid clearance from the esophagus by increasing amplitude of esophageal peristaltic contractions. Metoclopramide's dopamine antagonist action raises the threshold of activity in the chemoreceptor trigger zone and decreases the input from afferent visceral nerves. Studies have also shown that high doses of metoclopramide can antagonize 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors in the peripheral nervous system in animals. Metoclopramide is used for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It is also used in treating nausea and vomiting, and to increase gastric emptying.

Verapamil is a FDA approved drug used to treat high blood pressure and to control chest pain. Verapamil is an L-type calcium channel blocker that also has antiarrythmic activity. The R-enantiomer is more effective at reducing blood pressure compared to the S-enantiomer. However, the S-enantiomer is 20 times more potent than the R-enantiomer at prolonging the PR interval in treating arrhythmias. Verapamil inhibits voltage-dependent calcium channels. Specifically, its effect on L-type calcium channels in the heart causes a reduction in ionotropy and chronotropy, thuis reducing heart rate and blood pressure. Verapamil's mechanism of effect in cluster headache is thought to be linked to its calcium-channel blocker effect, but which channel subtypes are involved is presently not known.

Cyclobenzaprine is a centrally-acting muscle relaxant which boosts levels of norepinephrine and binds to serotonin receptors in the brain to reduce spasm. Cytochromes P-450 3A4, 1A2, and, to a lesser extent, 2D6, mediate N-demethylation, one of the oxidative pathways for cyclobenzaprine. Cyclobenzaprine relieves skeletal muscle spasm of local origin without interfering with muscle function. Drowsiness, fatigue and sedation (up to 40%) is the most common side effect of Cyclobenzaprine. It may have life-threatening interactions with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Postmarketing cases of serotonin syndrome have been reported during combined use of cyclobenzaprine and other drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), tramadol, bupropion, meperidine, verapamil, or MAO inhibitors.

Tamoxifen (brand name Nolvadex), is selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM) with tissue-specific activities for the treatment and prevention of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Tamoxifen itself is a prodrug, having relatively little affinity for its target protein, the estrogen receptor (ER). It is metabolized in the liver by the cytochrome P450 isoform CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 into active metabolites such as 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) (afimoxifene) and N-desmethyl-4-hydroxytamoxifen (endoxifen) which have 30–100 times more affinity with the ER than tamoxifen itself. These active metabolites compete with estrogen in the body for binding to the ER. In breast tissue, 4-OHT acts as an ER antagonist so that transcription of estrogen-responsive genes is inhibited. Tamoxifen has 7% and 6% of the affinity of estradiol for the ERα and ERβ, respectively, whereas 4-OHT has 178% and 338% of the affinity of estradiol for the ERα and ERβ. The prolonged binding of tamoxifen to the nuclear chromatin of these results in reduced DNA polymerase activity, impaired thymidine utilization, blockade of estradiol uptake, and decreased estrogen response. It is likely that tamoxifen interacts with other coactivators or corepressors in the tissue and binds with different estrogen receptors, ER-alpha or ER-beta, producing both estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects. Tamoxifen is currently used for the treatment of both early and advanced estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (ER+) breast cancer in pre- and post-menopausal women. Additionally, it is the most common hormone treatment for male breast cancer. Patients with variant forms of the gene CYP2D6 (also called simply 2D6) may not receive full benefit from tamoxifen because of too slow metabolism of the tamoxifen prodrug into its active metabolites. Tamoxifen is used as a research tool to trigger tissue-specific gene expression in many conditional expression constructs in genetically modified animals including a version of the Cre-Lox recombination technique. Tamoxifen has been shown to be effective in the treatment of mania in patients with bipolar disorder by blocking protein kinase C (PKC), an enzyme that regulates neuron activity in the brain. Researchers believe PKC is over-active during the mania in bipolar patients.