Cytarabine is a pyrimidine nucleoside analog. Cytarabine or cytosine arabinoside (Cytosar-U or Depocyt) is a chemotherapy agent used mainly in the treatment of cancers of white blood cells such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It also has antiviral and immunosuppressant properties. Cytarabine is an antimetabolite antineoplastic agent that inhibits the synthesis of DNA. It is a cell cycle phase-specific, affecting cells only during the S phase of cell division. Intracellularly, cytarabine is converted into cytarabine-5-triphosphate (ara-CTP), which is the active metabolite. The mechanism of action is not completely understood, but it appears that ara-CTP acts primarily through inhibition of DNA polymerase. Incorporation into DNA and RNA may also contribute to cytarabine cytotoxicity. Cytarabine is cytotoxic to a wide variety of proliferating mammalian cells in culture.The drug has a short plasma half-life, low stability and limited bioavailability. Overdosing of patients with continuous infusions may lead to side effects. Thus, various prodrug strategies and delivery systems have been explored extensively to enhance the half-life, stability and delivery of cytarabine. Alternative, delivery systems of cytarabine have emerged for the treatment of different cancers. The liposomal-cytarabine formulation has been approved for the treatment of lymphomatous meningitis.

Elacytarabine (CP-4055 or araC-5'elaidic acid ester) is a lipid-conjugated derivative of the nucleoside analog cytarabine. Elacytarabine blocks cell division and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of antimetabolite. It was studied in clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors. In preclinical and clinical studies, elacytarabine has demonstrated both safety and efficacy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with noteworthy activity among the cytarabine-refractory AML population. Elacytarabine was granted orphan drug designation status from the European Commission in 2007 and from the US FDA in 2008, with a fast-track approval designation from the FDA in 2010. Elacytarabine development has been discontinued.

m-Chlorophenylpiperazine (meta-chlorophenylpiperazine or mCPP) is a psychoactive substance, which is illegal in many countries but can be found on the black market. It induces endocrine, neurological and psychiatric effects. mCPP is a partial agonist at the 5-HT2C receptor but antagonized the 5-HT2B and 5-HT3 receptors. mCPP is also an active metabolite of the drug trazodone, which is used as an effective antidepressant drug with a broad therapeutic spectrum, including anxiolytic efficacy. It is known, that mCPP induces migraine attacks and that the decrease of food intake induced by the mCPP depends on its ability to act as a serotonin agonist is a brain.