Nelotanserin (former developmental code name APD-125) is a drug developed by

Arena Pharmaceuticals Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an American biopharmaceutical company founded in 1997 and headquartered in San Diego, California. The company has small molecule drugs in development for possible clinical utility in multiple therapeutic areas. The ...

which acts as an inverse agonist on the serotonin receptor subtype 5-HT_2A and was under development for the treatment of

insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...

. It was shown to be effective and well tolerated in clinical trials, but development was halted in December 2008 because the substance did not meet the trial's effectiveness endpoints. Research continues on newer analogues which may potentially be more successful. More recently, nelotanserin has been repurposed for the treatment of

Lewy body disease Lewy body dementias are two similar and common subtypes of dementia—dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Both are characterized by changes in thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. The two conditions have sim ...

. As of 2017, it is in phase II

clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, diet ...

s for this indication.

References

5-HT2A antagonists Fluoroarenes Organobromides Phenol ethers Ureas {{nervous-system-drug-stub