ASR-2001, also known as 2CB-5PrO or as 4-bromo-2-methoxy-5-propoxyphenethylamine, is 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 ...

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 ...

of the

phenethylamine Phenethylamine (PEA) is an organic compound, natural monoamine alkaloid, and trace amine, which acts as a central nervous system stimulant in humans. In the brain, phenethylamine regulates monoamine neurotransmission by binding to trace ami ...

, 2C, and TWEETIO families which is under development for the treatment of

psychiatric disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

s. It is the TWEETIO analogue of

2C-B 2C-B, also known as 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine or by the slang name Nexus, is a synthetic psychedelic drug of the 2C family, mainly used as a recreational drug. It was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin in 1974 for use in psychoth ...

in which the 5-

methoxy group In organic chemistry, a methoxy group is the functional group consisting of a methyl group bound to oxygen. This alkoxy group has the formula . On a benzene ring, the Hammett equation classifies a methoxy substituent at the ''para'' position a ...

is replaced with a 5- propoxy group. The drug is a non-hallucinogenic

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_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 ...

and is orally active, highly potent, and has high

selectivity Selectivity may refer to: Psychology and behaviour * Choice, making a selection among options * Discrimination, the ability to recognize differences * Socioemotional selectivity theory, in social psychology Engineering * Selectivity (radio), a ...

over the serotonin 5-HT_2B receptor (94-fold in terms of activational potency). It is also a highly potent agonist of the serotonin 5-HT_1B receptor, whereas its activity at the serotonin

5-HT_1A receptor was very weak and its activity at the serotonin 5-HT_2C receptor was not described. ASR-2001 showed no significant activity at a variety of other sites, including 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 and 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. The drug is said to have low

efficacy Efficacy is the ability to perform a task to a satisfactory or expected degree. The word comes from the same roots as '' effectiveness'', and it has often been used synonymously, although in pharmacology a distinction is now often made betwee ...

in terms of serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor activation, and this is said to be responsible for its lack of hallucinogenic effects. According to its developers, ASR-2001 has no overt

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 ...

effects, but instead produces a "focusing-type" "state of mental clarity" without the frank

psychostimulant Stimulants (also known as central nervous system stimulants, or psychostimulants, or colloquially as uppers) are a class of drugs that increase alertness. They are used for various purposes, such as enhancing attention, motivation, cognition ...

effects of drugs like

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from Alpha and beta carbon, alpha-methylphenethylamine, methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, an ...

and

methylphenidate Methylphenidate, sold under the brand names Ritalin ( ) and Concerta ( ) among others, is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. It may be taken Oral adm ...

. It is said to affect mood,

concentration In chemistry, concentration is the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Several types of mathematical description can be distinguished: '' mass concentration'', '' molar concentration'', '' number concentration'', ...

, and

focus Focus (: foci or focuses) may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in East Australia Film *Focus (2001 film), ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based on the Arthur Miller novel *Focus (2015 ...

, to not disturb but to potentially facilitate detailed work, and to capture the effects that are being sought with

psychedelic microdosing Psychedelic microdosing is a form of microdosing, drug microdosing in which sub-hallucinogenic doses of serotonergic psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin are taken for claimed cognitive and emotional benefits. Uses, research, and effects A vari ...

but with less risk. As an example of its better

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

profile, there is a ceiling effect with ASR-2001 such that pushing the dose will not result in an accidental psychedelic experience. In addition, the drug has strong selectivity over the

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

serotonin 5-HT_2B receptor, in contrast to classical psychedelics like

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...

and

psilocybin Psilocybin, also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (4-PO-DMT), is a natural product, naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid and Investigational New Drug, investigational drug found in more than List of psilocybin mushroom ...

. ASR-2001 is said to have a dose range of 10 to 40mg, an onset of 1 to 1.5hours, and a duration of 8 to 10hours. Its

psychoactive A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, mind-altering drug, consciousness-altering drug, psychoactive substance, or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that alters psychological functioning by modulating central nervous system acti ...

effects are described as "subtle". ASR-2001 is under development by Nicholas V. Cozzi and Paul F. Daley and colleagues at the Alexander Shulgin Research Institute (ASRI). It was first described in 2023 and 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 in 2024. As of early 2025, ASR-2001 is in the

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 ...

stage of development. Potential applications of ASR-2001 are said to include treatment of

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...

(ADHD) and self-betterment in healthy individuals, depending on what regulatory agencies may allow.

References

External links

ASRI Expands Global Reach with Patent Filings for Innovative Empathogens, Tryptamines and Phenylalkylamines (May 28, 2024) - Alexander Shulgin Research Institute - PR Newswire
{{Phenethylamines 5-HT1B agonists 2C (psychedelics) Bromobenzene derivatives Experimental non-hallucinogens Non-hallucinogenic 5-HT2A receptor agonists Propoxy compounds Serotonin receptor agonists Stimulants TWEETIO (psychedelics)

See also

References

External links