AK-1402

AK-1402 (2-O-salvinorin B benzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxylate) is a synthetic C(2)-fused-heteroaromatic ester analogue of salvinorin A, a neoclerodane diterpene naturally found in *Salvia divinorum*. Developed by researchers at the University of Mississippi and the Universidade Federal de Goiás, AK-1402 is being investigated for its potential antinociceptive, anxiolytic-like, and antidepressant-like properties. Unlike salvinorin A, which is a highly selective kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist with strong hallucinogenic and anxiogenic side effects, AK-1402 is designed to elicit therapeutic effects with improved pharmacological profiles. Preclinical studies in mice suggest that its antinociceptive and anxiolytic-like activities involve the modulation of opioid receptors (specifically KOR and potentially mu-opioid receptors) and the benzodiazepine binding site of GABA-A receptors, while its antidepressant-like effects are mediated through monoaminergic pathways.

Other names

2-O-salvinorin B benzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxylate