Ilepcimide, a piperine derivative, was studied in China as an anticonvulsant agent for the treatment of seizures in epilepsy children patients. However, this study was discontinued.

Piperine is a simple and pungent alkaloid found in the seeds of black pepper (Piper nigrum). Following its isolation and full characterization, the biological properties of piperine have been extensively studied, and piperine-like derivatives have shown an interesting range of pharmacological activities. Piperine is currently paving its way to become a privileged scaffold for the development of bioactive compounds with therapeutic application in multiple human diseases. In particular, piperine derivatives were shown to modulate the activity of several targets related to neurological disorders, including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, depression and pain related disorders. Moreover, the efflux pump inhibitory ability of piperine and its analogues tackles important drug resistance mechanisms and may improve the clinical efficacy of antibiotic and anticancer drugs. Piperine has been found to have immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant, anti-asthmatic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, and anti-amoebic properties.