Alseres Pharmaceuticals is developing an 123I-labelled imaging agent, Altropane®, as a diagnostic aid in Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. Altropane is a molecular-imaging agent that specifically binds to the dopamine transporter (DAT) protein found on the surface of dopamine-producing neurons, making it visible during SPECT imaging. Since most forms of Parkinsonian Syndromes result in a decreased number of dopamine-producing cells, it would be expected that these patients also have fewer DATs than do patients without PS. Thus, it is believed that altropane used in conjunction with SPECT imaging could be a useful test to distinguish Parkinsonian Syndrome tremors from non-Parkinsonian tremor: non-Parkinsonian patients would have more altropane-binding visible in the SPECT image, while Parkinsonian patients would have less. The E isomer of (123)I-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-fluorophenyl)-N-(1-iodoprop-1-en-3-yl)nortropane (Altropane(R)) shows high affinity (IC(50) = 6.62 +/- 0.78 nmol) and selectivity (DA/5-HT = 25) for DAT sites in the striatum. Altropane is presently in Phase III clinical development for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Ravatirelin is a thiazolyl-alanine derivative patented by Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi & Co., Ltd. as a thyrotropin-releasing compound with improved central nerve activating effects such as sustained acetylcholine-releasing effect, and spontaneous motility increasing effect. Rovatirelin binds to the human thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor with nanomolar affinity and increases the spontaneous firing of action potentials in the acutely isolated noradrenergic neurons of rat locus coeruleus. In in vivo studies, oral administration of Ravatirelin increased both c-Fos expression in the LC and extracellular levels of noradrenaline in the medial prefrontal cortex of rats. Furthermore, Ravatirelin increased locomotor activity. The increase in noradrenaline level and locomotor activity by Ravatirelin was more potent and longer acting than those by taltirelin. In phase I studies in healthy adult males, Ravatirelin exhibited linear pharmacokinetics in a single-ascending dose (0.1 to 10 mg) and a benign safety profile supportive of once-daily oral administration. From results of Phase II and III studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ravatirelin in spinocerebellar degeneration patients, a daily dose of 1.6 to 3.2 mg of Ravatirelin has been considered to be dosage level intended for clinical use as once-daily oral administration.

Elbimilast or ronomilast (previously ELB 353) is a phosphodiesterase IV (PDE4) inhibitor. It has been investigated in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Neosaxitoxin is a site-1 specific sodium channel blocker which acts synergistically with local anesthetics to provide surgical anesthesia by peripheral nerve blocks or local infiltration and markedly increases the duration of post-operative analgesia. Saxitoxin and neosaxitoxin, small molecules synthesized by marine dinoflagellates and freshwater cyanobacteria. Neosaxitoxin, one of the saxitoxin analogs, differs from saxitoxin by the addition of one oxygen atom, wherein the hydrogen (-H) at Nitrogen 1 in saxitoxin is replaced by a hydroxyl group (-OH) in neosaxitoxin. Neosaxitoxin has shown greater potency than saxitoxin and its analogs and is also more potent than tetrodotoxin in in vitro and in vivo animal studies.Neosaxitoxin showed an effective local anesthetic effect when injected in the subcutaneous plane. The efficacy of a 50-ug dose of neosaxitoxin was shown. Neosaxitoxin has poor affinity for the cardiac isoform of the sodium channel and does not cross the blood–brain barrier, thus this compound is virtually devoid of cardiac and central nervous system toxicity—the limiting toxicities of traditional local anesthetics.

Swainsonine is an indolizidine alkaloid found in Australian Swainsona canescens, North American plants of the genera Astragalus and Oxytropis and also in the fungus Rhizoctonia leguminocola. It is competitive inhibitor of Golgi alpha-mannosidase II and lysosomal alpha-mannosidases. This compound has been reported to be a potent antiproliferative and immunomodulatory agent. However, no evidence of anti-tumor activity of swainsonine was seen in phase II clinical trial, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Adverse events such as fatigue, nausea and diarrhea were common but generally mild. Swainsonine is locoweed toxin. Locoweed poisoning is seen throughout the world and annually costs the livestock industry millions of dollars. Swainsonine inhibits lysosomal alpha-mannosidase and Golgi mannosidase II. Poisoned animals are lethargic, anorexic, emaciated, and have neurologic signs that range from subtle apprehension to seizures.

Nisterime is a dihydrotestosterone derivative. Nisterime acetate (ORF-9326) was shown to inhibit implantation in several species. It is also interrupts the postimplantation stage of gestation.

Metergotamine (MY-25 or 1-methyl-ergotamine-bitartrate) is a derivative of ergotamine and belongs to peptide alkaloids. It exerts a dampening effect on vessels, in that relaxation is brought about in contracted vessels, whereas contraction is brought in dilated vessels. Metergotamine was being studied in migraine prophylaxis.