MEAI

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MEAI, also known as 5-methoxy-2-aminoindane (5-MeO-AI), is a monoamine-releasing agent of the 2-aminoindane family. [1] [2] It specifically acts as a selective serotonin releasing agent (SSRA). [2] The drug is under development for the treatment of alcoholism, cocaine use disorder, metabolic syndrome, and obesity under the developmental code name CMND-100. [3] MEAI has been encountered as a novel designer drug. [4] [5]

Contents

MEAI
5-Methoxy-2-indanamine.svg
Clinical data
Other names5-MeO-AI; 5-MeO-2-AI; 5-Methoxy-2-aminoindane; 5-Methoxy-2-aminoindan; Chaperon; CMND-100; CMND100
Routes of
administration 		Oral, Intranasal [4]
Drug class Serotonin–norepinephrine releasing agent; Entactogen
ATC code
  • None
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability High[ citation needed ]
Metabolism Acetyl-aminoindane [6]
Elimination half-life Non-linear[ citation needed ]
Identifiers
  • 5-Methoxy-2-aminoindane
CAS Number
PubChem CID
ChemSpider
UNII
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
Chemical and physical data
Formula C10H13NO
Molar mass 163.220 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • COC1=CC2=C(CC(C2)N)C=C1
  • InChI=1S/C10H13NO/c1-12-10-3-2-7-4-9(11)5-8(7)6-10/h2-3,6,9H,4-5,11H2,1H3
  • Key:HLXHCNWEVQNNKA-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Use and effects

When used recreationally, MEAI is reported to produce mild to moderate psychoactive effects, including stimulation and euphoria. [2] [4] Its dose is said to be 100 to 250 mg orally and 30 to 60 mg intranasally, [4] (in North America) almost always used as an alcohol substitute or aid. [4] [7]

Clinical Research

In July 2025 Clearmind Medicine announced the FDA approval of their international multi-center phase I clinical trial (first in human) for MEAI [8] .

On February 3, 2026 MEAI was presented before Congress as part of the "Emerging Therapies Bill to Expand Veteran Access to Innovative Treatments” [9] [10] [11]

On May 26, 2022, MEAI was prepared for FDA registration by Clearmind Medicine Inc.; [12] [13] [14] Clearmind Medicine's MEAI related intellectual property holdings are patents by Ezekiel Golan [15] [16] [17] [18] . In March 2022 Clearmind Medicine announced supportive evidence from animal studies in mice attesting to suppression of alcohol consumption. [19] In June 2022 Clearmind Medicine announced promising results from animal studies that showed promise for treating cocaine addiction with MEAI. [20] [21]

MEAI is under development by Clearmind Medicine for the treatment of alcoholism, cocaine use disorder, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. [3] In October 2024, it was in the preclinical stage of development for these indications [3] , whereas (currently) in 2026 Clearmind is completing the screening of human volunteers for efficacy (Phase II) studies for the treatment of AUD using MEAI [22] [23] .

History

MEAI appears to have been first synthesized in 1956. [2] [4] Its molecular structure was first mentioned implicitly in a markush structure schema appearing in a patent from 1998. [24] It was later explicitly and pharmacologically described in a peer reviewed paper in 2017 by David Nutt and Ezekiel Golan et al. [25] followed by another in February 2018 which detailed the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and metabolism of MEAI by Shimshoni, David Nutt, Ezekiel Golan et al. [26] One year later it was studied and reported on in another peer reviewed paper by Halberstadt et al. [27] The aminoindane family of molecules was, perhaps, first chemically described in 1980. [28] [29] The drug was encountered as a novel designer drug in Europe in 2018. [4]

MEAI was an early candidate of alcohol replacement drugs that came to market during a late 2010s movement to replace alcohol with less-toxic alternatives spearheaded by British psychopharmacologist David Nutt [30] [31] [32] rippling to the rest of Europe. [33]

In an act of gonzo journalism, Michael Slezak writing for New Scientist, tried and reported on his experience with MEAI [5] after being provided with it by Doc Zee (Ezekiel Golan) [34] following an interview. [5] Golan claimed that he invented the method of using MEAI as medicine and originally intended for it to be sold as a legal high but changed his mind, indicating plans to work with Nutt and his company DrugScience. The goal was to develop MEAI further based on Golan's patents as a "binge behaviour regulator" [35] and "alcoholic beverage substitute". [36]

In 2018, a company named Diet Alcohol Corporation of the Americas (DACOA) began openly marketing an MEAI-based drink called "Pace" for sale in the USA and Canada. Pace was described as a 50ml bottle containing 160 mg of MEAI in mineral water. Distribution halted after Health Canada released a warning indicating the substance was considered illegal to market for consumption in Canada due to structural similarity to amphetamine. [37] [38] In a December 2018 article by CBC News, Doc Zee (Ezekiel Golan) was interviewed and publicly came out as the "lead scientist" of Pace claiming "tens of thousands" of bottles were already sold in Canada. [39] Golan claimed the MEAI featured in Pace was "manufactured in India" and "bottled in Delaware". [39] Health Canada provided a statement to CBC News stating "Pace is an illegal and unauthorized product in Canada."

Interactions

Pharmacology

MEAI is a monoamine releasing agent (MRA). [2] It is a selective serotonin releasing agent (SSRA), with 6-fold preference for induction of serotonin release over norepinephrine release and 20-fold preference for induction of serotonin release over dopamine release. [2] In addition to inducing monoamine neurotransmitter release, MEAI has moderate affinity for the α2-adrenergic receptor. [2] Based on these findings, MEAI might produce MDMA-like entactogenic and sympathomimetic effects but may be expected to have reduced misuse liability in comparison. [2]

Activities of 2-aminoindanes and amphetamine relatives
Compound Monoamine release (EC50 Tooltip half-maximal effective concentration, nM)Ref
Serotonin Norepinephrine Dopamine
2-AI >10,00086439 [2]
MDAI 1141171,334 [2]
MMAI 313,101>10,000 [2]
MEAI1348612,646 [2]
d-Amphetamine 698–1,7656.6–7.25.8–24.8 [40] [41] [42] [43] [44]
MDA 160–16247–108106–190 [45] [42] [46]
MDMA 50–8554–11051–278 [40] [47] [48] [45] [46]
3-MA ND58.0103 [42]
Notes: The smaller the value, the more strongly the compound produces the effect. The assays were done in rat brain synaptosomes and human potencies may be different. See also Monoamine releasing agent § Activity profiles for a larger table with more compounds. Refs: [2]

Chemistry

MEAI, also known as 5-methoxy-2-aminoindane, is a substituted 2-aminoindane derivative. [49] It is the 2-aminoindane analogue of the amphetamine 3-methoxyamphetamine. [49]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ekhlasi M, Frytz A, Bassir Nia A (2 December 2025). "The Potential Therapeutic Effects of MEAI in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder" . Current Addiction Reports. 12 (1) 88. doi:10.1007/s40429-025-00700-4. ISSN   2196-2952 . Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Halberstadt AL, Brandt SD, Walther D, Baumann MH (March 2019). "2-Aminoindan and its ring-substituted derivatives interact with plasma membrane monoamine transporters and α2-adrenergic receptors". Psychopharmacology. 236 (3): 989–999. doi:10.1007/s00213-019-05207-1. PMC   6848746 . PMID   30904940.
  3. 1 2 3 "Revolutionary Psychedelics for Treating Addiction & Mental Health". Clearmind. 16 December 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "5-MeO-AI". АИПСИН (in Russian). Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Slezak M (30 December 2014). "High and dry? Party drug could target excess drinking". New Scientist. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  6. ↑ [17]
  7. ↑ Diet Alcohol Company, of the Americas (April 20, 2015). "Pace Legendary Marketing Video". Zeetox.Substack.com. Retrieved February 3, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ↑ "Clearmind Medicine Announces Initiation of First in Human Clinical Trial with CMND-100 in Alcohol Use Disorder Patients" . Retrieved 3 February, 2026.{{cite news}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, UNITED STATES (February 3, 2026). "Form 6-K". www.sec.gov (in ENGL|SH). UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. Retrieved 2026-02-04. Excellent Achievements for Clearmind's Proprietary MEAI{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ NEWSWIRE), Clearmind Medicine Inc-(GLOBE (2026-02-03). "Excellent Achievements for Clearmind's Proprietary MEAI that was Included in U.S. Congress' ..." Caledonian Record. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  11. ↑ Brownley, Julia (2026-02-03). "Brownley Applauds House Passage of Legislation to Expand Mental Health Access for Veterans and Families". Congresswoman Julia Brownley. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  12. ↑ "Clearmind Medicine". www.clearmindmedicine.com.
  13. ↑ "Clearmind Medicine Inc". CSE:CMND.
  14. ↑ וינרב ג (16 February 2022). "החברה שמנסה להפוך סם פסיכדלי למוצר נגד התמכרות" [The company trying to turn a psychedelic drug into an anti-addiction product]. Globes (in Hebrew).
  15. ↑ US 10137096,Golan E,"Binge behavior regulators",published 2018-11-27
  16. ↑ EP 3230256,Golan E,"Alcoholic beverage substitutes",published 2019-11-13
  17. ↑ EP 3230255,Golan E,"Binge behavior regulators",published 2017-10-18
  18. ↑ "The Science and IP Behind our Treatments". Clearmind.
  19. ↑ "Clearmind Medicine". www.clearmindmedicine.com.
  20. ↑ "Clearmind Medicine". www.clearmindmedicine.com. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  21. ↑ "Clearmind Medicine". www.clearmindmedicine.com. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  22. ↑ "Clearmind Completes Second Cohort Enrollment for CMND-100 Trial". intellectia.ai. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  23. ↑ "Clearmind Medicine". www.clearmindmedicine.com. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  24. ↑ US 5708018,Haadsma-Svensson SR, Andersson BR, Sonesson CA, Lin CH, Waters RN, Svensson KA, Carlsson PA, Hansson LO, Stjernlof NP,"2-aminoindans as selective dopamine D3 ligands",published 1998-01-13, assigned to Pharmacia & Upjohn Co.
  25. ↑ Shimshoni JA, Winkler I, Edery N, Golan E, van Wettum R, Nutt D (March 2017). "Toxicological evaluation of 5-methoxy-2-aminoindane (MEAI): Binge mitigating agent in development". Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 319: 59–68. Bibcode:2017ToxAP.319...59S. doi:10.1016/j.taap.2017.01.018. PMID   28167221. S2CID   205304106.
  26. ↑ Shimshoni JA, Sobol E, Golan E, Ben Ari Y, Gal O (March 2018). "Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation of 5-methoxy-2-aminoindane (MEAI): A new binge-mitigating agent". Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 343: 29–39. Bibcode:2018ToxAP.343...29S. doi:10.1016/j.taap.2018.02.009. PMID   29458138. S2CID   3879333.
  27. ↑ Halberstadt AL, Brandt SD, Walther D, Baumann MH (March 2019). "2-Aminoindan and its ring-substituted derivatives interact with plasma membrane monoamine transporters and α2-adrenergic receptors". Psychopharmacology. 236 (3): 989–999. doi:10.1007/s00213-019-05207-1. PMC   6848746 . PMID   30904940.
  28. ↑ Sainsbury PD, Kicman AT, Archer RP, King LA, Braithwaite RA (2011). "Aminoindanes--the next wave of 'legal highs'?". Drug Testing and Analysis. 3 (7–8): 479–482. doi:10.1002/dta.318. PMID   21748859.
  29. ↑ Cannon JG, Perez JA, Pease JP, Long JP, Flynn JR, Rusterholz DB, Dryer SE (July 1980). "Comparison of biological effects of N-alkylated congeners of beta-phenethylamine derived from 2-aminotetralin, 2-aminoindan, and 6-aminobenzocycloheptene". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 23 (7): 745–749. doi:10.1021/jm00181a009. PMID   7190613.
  30. ↑ Nutt D (23 October 2013). "Decision making about illegal drugs: time for science to take the lead". Nobel Forum, Karolinska Institutet– via YouTube.
  31. ↑ Nutt DJ, King LA, Phillips LD (November 2010). "Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis". Lancet. 376 (9752): 1558–1565. Bibcode:2010Lanc..376.1558N. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61462-6. PMID   21036393. S2CID   5667719.
  32. ↑ Forster K (24 September 2016). "Hangover free alcohol is finally here". The Independent. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  33. ↑ Wermter B (29 April 2019). "Rauschmittel und gesellschaftliche Probleme" [Drug related societal issues]. Benedict Wermter (in German).
  34. ↑ Slezak M (9 August 2014). "An Interview with Dr Z" (PDF). New Scientist. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  35. ↑ US 10406123B2,Golan E,"Binge behavior regulators",issued 2019-09-10
  36. ↑ US 20170360067,Golan E,"Alcoholic beverage substitutes",issued 2017-12-21
  37. ↑ "Advisory - Health Canada warns consumers that Pace, promoted as an alcohol substitute, is unauthorized and may pose serious health risks". Health Canada. 21 December 2018 – via CISION.
  38. ↑ Brunet J (24 April 2019). "FACT CHECK: Is Pace, an "Alcohol Alternative," Legal in Canada?". The Walrus. Toronto, Ontario.
  39. 1 2 Wright J (8 December 2018). "Is this drink really a new 'alcohol alternative'?". Information Morning Saint John. pp. All. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  40. 1 2 Rothman RB, Baumann MH, Dersch CM, Romero DV, Rice KC, Carroll FI, Partilla JS (January 2001). "Amphetamine-type central nervous system stimulants release norepinephrine more potently than they release dopamine and serotonin". Synapse. 39 (1): 32–41. doi:10.1002/1098-2396(20010101)39:1<32::AID-SYN5>3.0.CO;2-3. PMID   11071707. S2CID   15573624.
  41. ↑ Baumann MH, Partilla JS, Lehner KR, Thorndike EB, Hoffman AF, Holy M, Rothman RB, Goldberg SR, Lupica CR, Sitte HH, Brandt SD, Tella SR, Cozzi NV, Schindler CW (March 2013). "Powerful cocaine-like actions of 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), a principal constituent of psychoactive 'bath salts' products". Neuropsychopharmacology. 38 (4): 552–562. doi:10.1038/npp.2012.204. PMC   3572453 . PMID   23072836.
  42. 1 2 3 Blough B (July 2008). "Dopamine-releasing agents" (PDF). In Trudell ML, Izenwasser S (eds.). Dopamine Transporters: Chemistry, Biology and Pharmacology. Hoboken [NJ]: Wiley. pp. 305–320. ISBN   978-0-470-11790-3. OCLC   181862653. OL   18589888W.
  43. ↑ Glennon RA, Dukat M (2017). "Structure-Activity Relationships of Synthetic Cathinones". Neuropharmacology of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences. Vol. 32. pp. 19–47. doi:10.1007/7854_2016_41. ISBN   978-3-319-52442-9. PMC   5818155 . PMID   27830576.
  44. ↑ Partilla JS, Dersch CM, Baumann MH, Carroll FI, Rothman RB (1999). "Profiling CNS Stimulants with a High-Throughput Assay for Biogenic Amine Transporter Substrates". Problems of Drug Dependence 1999: Proceedings of the 61st Annual Scientific Meeting, The College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Inc (PDF). NIDA Res Monogr. Vol. 180. pp. 1–476. PMID   11680410. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 5, 2023. RESULTS. Methamphetamine and amphetamine potently released NE (IC50s = 14.3 and 7.0 nM) and DA (IC50s = 40.4 nM and 24.8 nM), and were much less potent releasers of 5-HT (IC50s = 740 nM and 1765 nM). [...]
  45. 1 2 Setola V, Hufeisen SJ, Grande-Allen KJ, Vesely I, Glennon RA, Blough B, Rothman RB, Roth BL (June 2003). "3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") induces fenfluramine-like proliferative actions on human cardiac valvular interstitial cells in vitro". Molecular Pharmacology. 63 (6): 1223–1229. doi:10.1124/mol.63.6.1223. PMID   12761331. S2CID   839426.
  46. 1 2 Brandt SD, Walters HM, Partilla JS, Blough BE, Kavanagh PV, Baumann MH (December 2020). "The psychoactive aminoalkylbenzofuran derivatives, 5-APB and 6-APB, mimic the effects of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) on monoamine transmission in male rats". Psychopharmacology. 237 (12): 3703–3714. doi:10.1007/s00213-020-05648-z. PMC   7686291 . PMID   32875347.
  47. ↑ Baumann MH, Ayestas MA, Partilla JS, Sink JR, Shulgin AT, Daley PF, Brandt SD, Rothman RB, Ruoho AE, Cozzi NV (April 2012). "The designer methcathinone analogs, mephedrone and methylone, are substrates for monoamine transporters in brain tissue". Neuropsychopharmacology. 37 (5): 1192–1203. doi:10.1038/npp.2011.304. PMC   3306880 . PMID   22169943.
  48. ↑ Marusich JA, Antonazzo KR, Blough BE, Brandt SD, Kavanagh PV, Partilla JS, Baumann MH (February 2016). "The new psychoactive substances 5-(2-aminopropyl)indole (5-IT) and 6-(2-aminopropyl)indole (6-IT) interact with monoamine transporters in brain tissue". Neuropharmacology. 101: 68–75. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.09.004. PMC   4681602 . PMID   26362361.
  49. 1 2 Nichols DE, Marona-Lewicka D, Huang X, Johnson MP (1993). "Novel serotonergic agents". Drug Design and Discovery. 9 (3–4): 299–312. PMID   8400010.
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