SB-205384 is an

anxiolytic An anxiolytic (; also antipanic or antianxiety agent) is a medication or other intervention that reduces anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiogenic agents which increase anxiety. Anxiolytic medications are used for the treatment of anxi ...

drug. It has similar effects to

benzodiazepine Benzodiazepines (BZD, BDZ, BZs), sometimes called "benzos", are a class of depressant drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. They are prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety disorders, ...

drugs, but is structurally distinct and so is classed as a

nonbenzodiazepine Nonbenzodiazepines (), sometimes referred to colloquially as Z-drugs (as many of their names begin with the letter "z"), are a class of psychoactive drugs that are very benzodiazepine-like in nature. They are used in the treatment of sleep proble ...

anxiolytic. SB-205384 is a GABA_A

positive allosteric modulator In pharmacology and biochemistry, allosteric modulators are a group of substances that bind to a receptor to change that receptor's response to stimulus. Some of them, like benzodiazepines, are drugs. The site that an allosteric modulator binds to ...

, which binds preferentially to α3, α5, and α6 subunit containing subtypes. It has a novel mechanism of action, prolonging the duration of GABA-mediated chloride flux but without increasing the intensity of the response, and this may give it an unusual pharmacological profile, with tests showing that it alters the firing of some populations of neurons while leaving others unaffected. Animal studies have shown it to produce both anxiolytic and anti-aggressive effects, but with little sedation or other behavioural changes.

References

Anxiolytics Alkyne derivatives Carboxylate esters Secondary alcohols GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators {{Anxiolytic-stub