TACT908, also known as -(indolizin-1-yl)ethylimethylamine (2ZEDMA), is a

serotonin receptor agonist A serotonin receptor agonist is an agonist of one or more serotonin receptors. They activate serotonin receptors in a manner similar to that of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), a neurotransmitter and hormone and the endogenous ligand of t ...

which is under development for the treatment of

cluster headache Cluster headache is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent severe headaches on one side of the head, typically around the eye, eye(s). There is often accompanying eye watering, nasal congestion, or swelling around the eye on the aff ...

s. It is an

positional isomer In chemistry, a structural isomer (or constitutional isomer in the IUPAC nomenclature) of a compound is a compound that contains the same number and type of atoms, but with a different connectivity (i.e. arrangement of bonds) between them. The ...

of the famous

tryptamine Tryptamine is an indolamine metabolite of the essential amino acid tryptophan. The chemical structure is defined by an indole—a fused benzene and pyrrole ring, and a 2-aminoethyl group at the second carbon (third aromatic atom, with the firs ...

serotonergic psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...

''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in which the

indole Indole is an organic compound with the formula . Indole is classified as an aromatic heterocycle. It has a bicyclic structure, consisting of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered pyrrole ring. Indoles are derivatives of indole ...

ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...

has been replaced with an

indolizine Indolizine is an heterocyclic compound with the formula C8H7N). It is an uncommon isomer of indole with the nitrogen located at a ring fusion position. The saturated analog is indolizidine, which is the core of a variety of alkaloids such as swa ...

ring. The drug acts as a

serotonin Serotonin (), also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a monoamine neurotransmitter with a wide range of functions in both the central nervous system (CNS) and also peripheral tissues. It is involved in mood, cognition, reward, learning, ...

5-HT_1B and 5-HT_2A receptor

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a Receptor (biochemistry), receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are Cell (biology), cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an R ...

. Its at the serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor is 52nM ( ≈ 30% of that of serotonin) and its at the serotonin 5-HT_1B receptor is 143nM. TACT908 is said to be a non-

hallucinogen Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelics, entheogens, or historically as psychotomimetics, are a large and diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mo ...

ic serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor agonist. It showed little or no activity at 45other screened

target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

s, including the serotonin 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_2B, and 5-HT₃ receptors as well as the

monoamine transporter Monoamine transporters (MATs) are proteins that function as integral Cell membrane, plasma-membrane Neurotransmitter transporter, transporters to regulate concentrations of extracellular monoamine neurotransmitters. The three major classes are se ...

s (MATs). Other

serotonin receptor 5-HT receptors, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors, or serotonin receptors, are a group of G protein-coupled receptor and ligand-gated ion channels found in multiple tissues including the central and peripheral nervous systems. They mediate both ex ...

s besides the preceding, such as the serotonin 5-HT_2C receptor, were not assessed. The drug was a weak

monoamine oxidase inhibitor Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are a drug class, class of drugs that inhibit the activity of one or both monoamine oxidase enzymes: monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). They are best known as effective antidepressa ...

(MAOI), specifically of

monoamine oxidase A Monoamine oxidase A, also known as MAO-A, is an enzyme ( E.C. 1.4.3.4) that in humans is encoded by the ''MAOA'' gene. This gene is one of two neighboring gene family members that encode mitochondrial enzymes which catalyze the oxidative dea ...

(MAO-A) ( = 7,252nM). TACT908 is under development by

Tactogen Tactogen is a public benefit corporation and start-up pharmaceutical company based in Palo Alto, California that is developing novel MDMA-like entactogens and psychedelics as medicines. Its stated goal is to develop new MDMA-like drugs with impr ...

. It was

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

ed by Matthew Baggott of Tactogen in 2023. As of January 2025, the drug is in

preclinical research In drug development, preclinical development (also termed preclinical studies or nonclinical studies) is a stage of research that begins before clinical trials (testing in humans) and during which important feasibility, iterative testing and dr ...

for cluster headaches. The α-

methyl In organic chemistry, a methyl group is an alkyl derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms, having chemical formula (whereas normal methane has the formula ). In formulas, the group is often abbreviated as ...

and ''N''-

desmethyl In chemical nomenclature, nor- is a prefix to name a structural analog that can be Derivative (chemistry), derived from a parent compound by the removal of one carbon atom along with the accompanying hydrogen atoms. The nor-compound can be derived ...

analogue of TACT908,

1ZP2MA 1ZP2MA, also known as -(indolizin-1-yl)propan-2-ylmethyl)amine or as 1-(indolizin-1-yl)-''N''-methylpropan-2-amine, is a monoamine releasing agent and an indolizine derivative. It is the analogue and positional isomer of the stimulant-like dru ...

( -(indolizin-1-yl)propan-2-ylmethyl)amine or 1-(indolizin-1-yl)-''N''-methylpropan-2-amine), has also been characterized and described. It is the indolizine analogue of α,''N''-dimethyltryptamine (α,''N''-DMT or ''N''-methyl-). 1ZP2MA was found to be a potent

dopamine releasing agent A dopamine releasing agent (DRA) is a type of drug which induces the release of dopamine in the Body (biology), body and/or brain. No binding selectivity, selective DRAs are currently known. However, non-selective DRAs, including norepinephrin ...

, with an of 62nM.

References

5-HT1B agonists Dimethylamino compounds Antimigraine drugs Experimental non-hallucinogens Indolizines Monoamine oxidase inhibitors Non-hallucinogenic 5-HT2A receptor agonists {{Psychoactive-stub

See also

References