APINACA

APINACA (AKB48, N-(1-adamantyl)-1-pentyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide) is a drug that acts as a reasonably potent agonist for the cannabinoid receptors. It is a full agonist at CB₁ with an EC₅₀ of 142 nM and K_i of 3.24 nM (compared to the K_i of Δ-THC at 28.35 nM and JWH-018 at 9.62 nM), while at CB₂ it acts as a partial agonist with an EC₅₀ of 141 nM and K_i of 1.68 nM (compared to the K_i of Δ-THC at 37.82 nM and JWH-018 at 8.55 nM). Its pharmacological characterization has also been reported in a discontinued patent application.

It had never previously been reported in the scientific or patent literature, and was first identified by laboratories in Japan in March 2012 as an ingredient in synthetic cannabis smoking blends, along with a related compound APICA. It was deliberately being sold named after a popular girl band called AKB48.

Structurally, it closely resembles cannabinoid compounds from a 2003 University of Connecticut patent, but with a simple pentyl chain on the indazole 1-position, and APINACA falls within the claims of this patent despite not being disclosed as an example.