Discovery of a selective small-molecule melanocortin-4 receptor agonist with efficacy in a pilot study of sexual dysfunction in humans.

The relevance of the melanocortin system to sexual activity is well established, and nonselective peptide agonists of the melanocortin receptors have shown evidence of efficacy in human sexual dysfunction. The role of the MC4 receptor subtype has received particular scrutiny, but the sufficiency of its selective activation in potentiating sexual response has remained uncertain owing to conflicting data from studies in preclinical species. We describe here the discovery of a novel series of small-molecule MC4 receptor agonists derived from library hit 2.

Design and optimisation of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors with high synthetic accessibility: part 2.

A second wave of potential SSRIs with high ease of synthetic accessibility were designed based on the reported selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor litoxetine and our own previous work in this area. Preparation and subsequent optimisation yielded a range of potent and highly selective SSRIs.

Design and optimization of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors with high synthetic accessibility. Part 1.

The reported selective serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor Litoxetine was used as the starting point in the design of a range of potential SSRIs with high ease of synthetic accessibility. Preparation and subsequent optimization yielded a range of potent and highly selective SSRIs.