Tebanicline (ebanicline, ABT-594) is a potent synthetic nicotinic (non-opioid) analgesic drug developed by Abbott Laboratories, Abbott. It was developed as a less toxic analog (chemistry), analog of the potent poison dart frog-derived compound epibatidine, which is about 200 times stronger than morphine as an analgesic, but produces extremely dangerous toxic side effects. Like epibatidine, tebanicline showed potent analgesic activity against neuropathic pain in both animal and human trials, but with far less toxicity than its parent compound. It acts as a partial agonist at neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, binding to both the ganglion type nicotinic receptor, α3β4 and the Alpha-4 beta-2 nicotinic receptor, α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor#Subunits, subtypes. Tebanicline progressed to Phase II clinical trials in humans, but was dropped from further development due to unacceptable incidence of gastrointestinal side effects. However, further research in this area is ongoing, and the development of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists is ongoing. No agents from this class have successfully completed human clinical trials due to their unacceptable side effect profiles. Research in the area continues.

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{{Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor modulators Analgesics Pyridines Nicotinic agonists Stimulants Chloroarenes Phenol ethers Azetidines