Seletracetam

Seletracetam
Clinical data
Routes of
administration		Oral[1][2]
ATC code
  • none
Legal status
Legal status
  • AU: S4 (Prescription only)
  • US: Unscheduled
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability>90%[1][2]
Elimination half-life8 hours[1][2]
Identifiers
  • (2S)-2-[(4R)-4-(2,2-Difluoroethenyl)-2-oxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl]butanamide[1]
CAS Number
PubChem CID
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC10H14F2N2O
Molar mass216.232 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • F\C(F)=C/[C@H]1CC(=O)N([C@H](C(=O)N)CC)C1
  • InChI=1S/C10H14F2N2O2/c1-2-7(10(13)16)14-5-6(3-8(11)12)4-9(14)15/h3,6-7H,2,4-5H2,1H3,(H2,13,16)/t6-,7-/m0/s1 checkY
  • Key:ANWPENAPCIFDSZ-BQBZGAKWSA-N checkY
 ☒NcheckY (what is this?)  (verify)

Seletracetam (UCB 44212) is a pyrrolidone-derived[2] drug of the racetam family that is structurally related to levetiracetam (trade name Keppra).[2][3] It was under development by UCB Pharmaceuticals as a more potent and effective anticonvulsant drug to replace levetiracetam but its development has been halted.[1]

There are two main mechanisms of action for seletracetam. The first is its high-affinity stereospecific binding to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A).[2][3] Seletracetam has shown potent seizure suppression in models of acquired and genetic epilepsy,[3] and has been well tolerated by various animal models.[3] The second is its binding to N-type calcium channels and preventing influx of Ca2+ during high-voltage activation that is typical of epilepsy.[4][5][6]

While similar in structure to nootropic drugs, it is not expected to have cognitive enhancing properties.[7] Seletracetam was in Phase II clinical trials under the supervision of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but its production is on hold.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference Malykh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference Bennett was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e Pollard JR (January 2008). "Seletracetam, a small molecule SV2A modulator for the treatment of epilepsy". Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs. 9 (1): 101–107. PMID 18183537.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Martella was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pisani2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Custer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Matagne was invoked but never defined (see the help page).