Edaglitazone have a clear PPAR-gamma agonist profile, with predominant PPAR-gamma activity and little PPAR-alpha activity. Edaglitazone was reported to significantly improve insulin sensitivity and enhance the rate of glucose oxidation in both the presence and absence of insulin. Additional studies have shown that edaglitazone affects muscle glucose metabolism by additional mechanisms other than PPAR-gamma activation. Phase I clinical studies have revealed that edaglitazone is well-tolerated and capable of significantly improving glucose homeostasis. Edaglitazone had been in phase II clinical trials for the treatment if type 2 diabetes. However, this research has been discontinued.

Dimesna is a prodrug of mesna (dimer of mesna). Dimesna is reduced to mesna in the kidneys. Dimesna does not prevent cellular damage by metabolites of ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide in the renal tubular cell line LLC-PK1. Dimesna is a mucolytic agent used to alleviate toxic side effects of antitumor drugs. The organic acid transporter OAT4 on the luminal side of the proximal renal tubule facilitates the reabsorption of dimesna, and therefore its reduction to mesna, whereas the multidrug and toxin extrusion protein MATE1, the multidrug resistance protein MRP2, and P glycoprotein facilitate the efflux of mesna and/or dimesna back into the lumen; dimesna may also be excreted unchanged by MRP4. It has therefore been suggested that polymorphism of these renal transport proteins or transporter-mediated drug-drug interactions may reduce the efficacy of mesna and dimesna.

Sitravatinib (MGCD516) is a receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) inhibitor that blocks a wide array of RTKs known to be amplified/overexpressed in sarcomas, which are key regulators of signaling pathways that lead to cell growth, survival and tumor progression. It is involved in driving sarcoma cell growth with IC50 of 3980 nM and is superior to other multi-kinase inhibitors in inhibiting cell proliferation, RTK phosphorylation, and phosphorylation of downstream effectors. The efficacy of sitravatinib was tested using a wide panel of sarcoma cell lines, including malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), Ewing sarcoma (A673), osteosarcoma (Saos2), and liposarcoma (DDLS, LS141). Both in vitro and in vivo efficacy sitravatinib was significantly better that the other two multi-kinase inhibitors, imatinib and crizotinib. Sitravatinib treatment not only inhibits tumor cell proliferation at low nanomolar concentrations in vitro but also results significant tumor growth suppression in vivo in mouse xenograft models. Sitravatinib is being evaluated in a Phase 1b dose expansion cohort in selected patients with specific genetic alterations that are drivers of tumor growth, with an initial focus on Non-Small-Cell Lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and in other solid tumors where sitravatinib may confer a benefit. Its efficacy and safety is also being tested in Phase II clinical trials in patients with advanced liposarcoma as a monotherapy and NSCLC in combination with nivolumab.

Taprostene (also known as CG 4203), a stable prostacyclin (PGI2) analog was developed by Gruenenthal as a selective agonist of the prostanoid receptor IP1. Taprostene was studied in a clinical trial in patients with acute myocardial infarction, where it was shown that the drug could be a useful adjuvant to thrombolytic agents in acute myocardial infarction. In addition, taprostene participated in a clinical trial for the treatment of critical limb ischemia, where the drug was safe and effective. Besides taprostene was studied in patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease. However, further development of the drug was discontinued.

18-Methoxycoronaridine (18-MC) is a derivative of ibogaine invented in 1996 by the research team around the pharmacologist Stanley D. Glick from the Albany Medical College and the chemist Martin E. Kuehne from the University of Vermont. In animal studies it has proved to be effective at reducing self-administration of morphine, cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine and sucrose. 18-MC is a α3β4 nicotinic antagonist and, in contrast to ibogaine, has no affinity at the α4β2 subtype nor at NMDA-channels nor at the serotonin transporter, and has significantly reduced affinity for sodium channels and for the σ receptor, but retains modest affinity for μ-opioid receptors where it acts as an antagonist, and κ-opioid receptors. The sites of action in the brain include the medial habenula, interpeduncular nucleus, dorsolateral tegmentum and basolateral amygdala. Unlike ibogaine and its principal metabolite noribogaine, 18-MC does not increase expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in a dopaminergic–like cell line. 18-Methoxycoronaridine is a potent leishmanicide effect against Leishmania amazonensis, a causative agent of cutaneous and diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis in the New World.

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.

S-(+)-niguldipine is a more active enantiomer and is a selective antagonist for the and α1A-adrenoceptor. In addition, it can be used for discriminating of alpha 1A- from alpha 1B-adrenoceptors. There were made attempts to investigate the antidepressant action of S-(+)-niguldipine on rats, but that studies were unsuccessful.

T-817 is a thiophenylalkyl derivative patented by Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd. as a neuroprotectant for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. T-817MA protects neurons against amyloid-b peptide- and hydrogen peroxide-induced neurotoxicity and promoted neurite outgrowth in hippocampal slice cultures and neuronal reaggregation culture. T-817MA protected against nitric oxide-induced neurotoxicity in cultured primary neurons. In a preclinical model of Alzheimer's disease, T-817 increases decreased dopamine levels and tyrosine hydroxylase immunostaining in mice's substantia nigra (SNc) and striatum. Systemic administration of T-817 rescues tau-induced synaptic abnormalities.