An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the agonist, while an inverse agonist causes an action opposite to that of the agonist.
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), also known as estrogen receptor agonist/antagonists (ERAAs), are a class of drugs that act on the estrogen receptor (ER). A characteristic that distinguishes these substances from pure ER agonists and antagonists is that their action is different in various tissues, thereby granting the possibility to selectively inhibit or stimulate estrogen-like action in various tissues.
A selective progesterone receptor modulator (SPRM) is an agent that acts on the progesterone receptor (PR), the biological target of progestogens like progesterone. A characteristic that distinguishes such substances from full receptor agonists and full antagonists is that their action differs in different tissues, i.e. agonist in some tissues while antagonist in others. This mixed profile of action leads to stimulation or inhibition in tissue-specific manner, which further raises the possibility of dissociating undesirable adverse effects from the development of synthetic PR-modulator drug candidates.
Bazedoxifene, used as bazedoxifene acetate, is a medication for bone problems and possibly for cancer. It is a third-generation selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). Since late 2013 it has had U.S. FDA approval for bazedoxifene as part of the combination drug Duavee in the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. It is also being studied for possible treatment of breast cancer and pancreatic cancer.
An opioid antagonist, or opioid receptor antagonist, is a receptor antagonist that acts on one or more of the opioid receptors.
In the field of molecular biology, nuclear receptors are a class of proteins responsible for sensing steroids, thyroid hormones, vitamins, and certain other molecules. These intracellular receptors work with other proteins to regulate the expression of specific genes thereby controlling the development, homeostasis, and metabolism of the organism.
Receptor theory is the application of receptor models to explain drug behavior. Pharmacological receptor models preceded accurate knowledge of receptors by many years. John Newport Langley and Paul Ehrlich introduced the concept that receptors can mediate drug action at the beginning of the 20th century. Alfred Joseph Clark was the first to quantify drug-induced biological responses. So far, nearly all of the quantitative theoretical modelling of receptor function has centred on ligand-gated ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors.
Arzoxifene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) of the benzothiophene group which was never marketed. It is a potent estrogen antagonist in mammary and uterine tissue while acting as an estrogen agonist to maintain bone density and lower serum cholesterol. Arzoxifene is a highly effective agent for prevention of mammary cancer induced in the rat by the carcinogen nitrosomethylurea and is significantly more potent than raloxifene in this regard. Arzoxifene is devoid of the uterotrophic effects of tamoxifen, suggesting that, in contrast to tamoxifen, it is unlikely that the clinical use of arzoxifene will increase the risk of developing endometrial carcinoma.
In pharmacology the term agonist-antagonist or mixed agonist/antagonist is used to refer to a drug which under some conditions behaves as an agonist while under other conditions, behaves as an antagonist.
BMS-564,929 is an investigational selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) which is being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb for treatment of the symptoms of age-related decline in androgen levels in men ("andropause"). These symptoms may include depression, loss of muscle mass and strength, reduction in libido and osteoporosis. Treatment with exogenous testosterone is effective in counteracting these symptoms but is associated with a range of side effects, the most serious of which is enlargement of the prostate gland, which can lead to benign prostatic hypertrophy and even prostate cancer. This means there is a clinical need for selective androgen receptor modulators, which produce anabolic effects in some tissues such as muscle and bone, but without stimulating androgen receptors in the prostate.
S-40503 is an investigational selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) developed by the Japanese company Kaken Pharmaceuticals, which was developed for the treatment of osteoporosis. SARMs are a new class of drugs which produce tissue-specific anabolic effects in some tissues such as muscle and bone, but without stimulating androgen receptors in other tissues such as in the prostate gland, thus avoiding side effects such as benign prostatic hypertrophy which can occur following treatment with unselective androgens like testosterone or anabolic steroids.
LGD-2226 is an investigational selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), which is being developed for treatment of muscle wasting and osteoporosis.
Selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators (SEGRMs) and selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists (SEGRAs) formerly known as dissociated glucocorticoid receptor agonists (DIGRAs) are a class of experimental drugs designed to share many of the desirable anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, or anticancer properties of classical glucocorticoid drugs but with fewer side effects such as skin atrophy. Although preclinical evidence on SEGRAMs’ anti-inflammatory effects are culminating, currently, the efficacy of these SEGRAMs on cancer are largely unknown.
In pharmacology and biochemistry, allosteric modulators are a group of substances that bind to a receptor to change that receptor's response to stimuli. Some of them, like benzodiazepines or alcoholic beverages, function as psychoactive drugs. The site that an allosteric modulator binds to is not the same one to which an endogenous agonist of the receptor would bind. Modulators and agonists can both be called receptor ligands.
Org 27569 is a drug which acts as a potent and selective negative allosteric modulator of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor. Studies in vitro suggest that it binds to a regulatory site on the CB1 receptor target, causing a conformational change that increases the binding affinity of CB1 agonists such as CP 55,940, while decreasing the binding affinity of CB1 antagonists or inverse agonists such as rimonabant. However while Org 27569 increases the ability of CB1 agonists to bind to the receptor, it decreases their efficacy at stimulating second messenger signalling once bound, and so in practice behaves as an insurmountable antagonist of CB1 receptor function.
AZD-5423 is a nonsteroidal glucocorticoid and phase II experimental drug being developed by AstraZeneca and disclosed at the spring 2013 American Chemical Society meeting in New Orleans to treat respiratory diseases and in particular chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
A receptor modulator, or receptor ligand, is a general term for a substance, endogenous or exogenous, that binds to and regulates the activity of chemical receptors. They are ligands that can act on different parts of receptors and regulate activity in a positive, negative, or neutral direction with varying degrees of efficacy. Categories of these modulators include receptor agonists and receptor antagonists, as well as receptor partial agonists, inverse agonists, orthosteric modulators, and allosteric modulators, Examples of receptor modulators in modern medicine include CFTR modulators, selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), and muscarinic ACh receptor modulators.
A drug class is a group of medications and other compounds that have similar chemical structures, the same mechanism of action, similar modes of action, and/or are used to treat the similar diseases. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has worked on classifying and licensing new medications for many years. However, the FDA's Drug Evaluation and Research Center categorizes these new medications based on both their chemical and therapeutic class.
MK-0773, also known as PF-05314882, is a steroidal, orally active selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that was under development by Merck and GTx for the treatment of sarcopenia in women and men. Clinical trials for sarcopenia began in late 2007 but the collaboration between Merck and GTx ended in early 2010 and GTx terminated development of MK-0773 shortly thereafter.
Dagrocorat is a nonsteroidal but steroid-like selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator (SGRM) which was under development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis but was never marketed. It is described as a partial agonist and "dissociable" agonist of the glucocorticoid receptor. The drug reached phase I clinical trials prior to the discontinuation of its development. The C2α dihydrogen phosphate ester of dagrocorat, fosdagrocorat, was also under investigation, but its development was terminated as well.
