Eplivanserin (SR-46,349; planned trade name Ciltyri) was an experimental drug for the treatment of insomnia which was being developed by Sanofi Aventis.[1]
Sanofi Aventis announced in December 2009 that it was withdrawing its application for approval of eplivanserin from both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.[2]
Eplivanserin is an inverse agonist on the serotonin receptor subtype 5-HT2A. In contrast to older sedating drugs acting on 5-HT2A receptors (e.g., mirtazapine, clozapine, risperidone), eplivanserin has practically no affinity to dopamine, histamine and adrenergic receptors.[3]
In a placebo controlled Phase II clinical trial with 351 subjects, eplivanserin reduced the sleep latency by 39 minutes (versus 26 minutes under placebo).
The condensation between 2'-Fluoroacetophenone [445-27-2] (5) & 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde [123-08-0] (6) give a chalcone intermediate (also an enone), i.e. CID:53982926 (7).
(2-chloroethyl)dimethylamine (CDMA) & acetone oxime are reacted together to give dimethylaminoacetoxime (DMA acetoxime), CID:16641114 (3).
Convergent synthesis gives the product as a mixture of isomers.