Product Name: Rapastinel (GLYX-13)
CAS : 117928-94-6
Mechanism: NMDA receptor modulator
Status: Phase III
Developer: Allergan
Rapastinel (formerly GLYX-13) is a drug developed by Allergan (and tested by Naurex prior to the acquisition of Allergan) as an adjunctive intervention for treatment-resistant depression (or depression that is refractory to 2 or more first-line interventions). This drug is inactive when taken orally and is specifically designed to be administered intravenously. It acts as a selective, modest local agonist (mixed antagonist/agonist) at the altered site of the glycine subunit of the NMDA receptor complex.
Preliminary evidence suggests that Rapastinel acts rapidly and produces a long-term antidepressant response. In addition, Rapastinel appears to enhance cognitive function by inhibiting and enhancing NMDA receptor-mediated signaling. Administration of Rapastinel to animals, regardless of age, enhances memory and learning and also promotes neuroprotective effects.
Rapastinel is classified as a glyxin compound derived from a structural modification of a monoclonal antibody that modulates the NMDA receptor, called “B6B21”. Based on preliminary trial data, Rapastinel is one of the most promising treatments for refractory depression.