bicifadine

Bicifadine is a non-opioid, non-narcotic analgesic developed as a treatment for pain. It acts primarily as an inhibitor of norepinephrine and serotonin transporters, with additional activity at the dopamine transporter, making it a triple reuptake inhibitor (serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor or SNDRI). Bicifadine does not act on opioid receptors and lacks anti-inflammatory or prostaglandin synthetase inhibitory activity. Its mechanism of action involves enhancing and prolonging the actions of norepinephrine and serotonin by inhibiting their respective transport proteins; dopaminergic pathways also contribute to its antihyperalgesic effects. The drug was originally discovered at American Cyanamid, later licensed to DOV Pharmaceutical after American Cyanamid's acquisition by Wyeth, and subsequently developed by XTL Biopharmaceuticals for pain indications including chronic lower back pain and diabetic neuropathy. Clinical development was discontinued after failure in Phase III trials for chronic lower back pain and Phase IIb trials for diabetic neuropathic pain[1][2][3][6][7].

Other names

bicifadine hydrochloride