CAS: 110958-19-5
Molecular Formula:C10H16N2O2
Fasoracetam is a research chemical of the racetam family.[3] It is a putative nootropic that failed to show sufficient efficacy in clinical trials for vascular dementia. It is currently being studied for its potential use for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.[2][4]
Fasoracetam appears to agonize all three groups of metabotropic glutamate receptors and has improved cognitive function in rodent studies.[5] It is orally bioavailable and is excreted mostly unchanged via the urine.[6]
Fasoracetam was discovered by scientists at the Japanese pharmaceutical company Nippon Shinyaku, which brought it through Phase 3 clinical trials for vascular dementia, and abandoned it due to lack of efficacy.[5][7]
Scientists at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia led by Hakon Hakonarson have studied fasoracetam’s potential use in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.[5] Hakonarson started a company called neuroFix Therapeutics to try to bring the drug to market for this use; neuroFix acquired Nippon Shinyaku’s clinical data as part of its efforts.[7][8] neuroFix was acquired by Medgenics in 2015.[8] Medgenics changed its name to Aevi Genomic Medicine in 2016.[9] Clinical trials in adolescents with ADHD who also have mGluR mutations started in 2016.[8] While Fasoracetam may be effective in the treatment of ADHD in people with specific mGluR mutations, these represent around 10% of total ADHD cases, and Fasoracetam is likely ineffective in all other cases.[10][11] Studies showing improvements in cognitive function from Fasoracetam have exclusively been done on rodents.[12]
