Sofinicline

Sofinicline
Clinical data
Other names	ABT-894; ABT894; A-422894.0
Routes of; administration	Oral
Drug class	α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist
ATC code	None;
Pharmacokinetic data
Onset of action	2–4 hours (TmaxTooltip time to peak levels)
Elimination half-life	4–6 hours
Identifiers
	IUPAC name (1S,5S)-3-(5,6-dichloro-3-pyridinyl)-3,6-diazabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane;
CAS Number	799279-80-4;
PubChem CID	10131048;
DrugBank	DB12527;
ChemSpider	8306563;
UNII	SQC232V4YY;
KEGG	D09382;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL238465;
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C10H11Cl2N3
Molar mass	244.12 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES C1[C@H]2CN(C[C@H]2N1)C3=CC(=C(N=C3)Cl)Cl;
	InChI InChI=1S/C10H11Cl2N3/c11-8-1-7(3-14-10(8)12)15-4-6-2-13-9(6)5-15/h1,3,6,9,13H,2,4-5H2/t6-,9+/m0/s1; Key:MBQYQLWSBRANKQ-IMTBSYHQSA-N;

Sofinicline (INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name, USANTooltip United States Adopted Name; developmental code names ABT-894 and A-422894.0) is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist which was under development for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cognition disorders, and diabetic neuropathies but was never marketed.^[1]^[3]^[2] It is taken orally.^[1]^[2]

The drug acts as a highly selective full agonist of the α₄β₂ nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.^[2] It has been found to enhance cognition and memory in rodents.^[2] Sofinicline's affinity for the receptor is approximately 0.1 nM.^[2] The time to peak levels of sofinicline is 2 to 4 hours and its elimination half-life is 4 to 6 hours.^[2] Other pharmacokinetic data for sofinicline have also been reported.^[2] Side effects of sofinicline in humans include increased heart rate, nausea, dizziness, headache, and fatigue.^[2]

Sofinicline was under development by Abbott Laboratories and NeuroSearch.^[1]^[3] It reached phase 2 clinical trials for ADHD and neuropathic pain and the preclinical research stage of development for cognition disorders prior to the discontinuation of its development.^[1]^[3]

References

1 2 3 4 5 "Sofinicline". AdisInsight. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Fleisher C, McGough J (August 2014). "Sofinicline: a novel nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder". Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs. 23 (8): 1157–1163. doi:10.1517/13543784.2014.934806. PMID 24965900.
1 2 3 "Delving into the Latest Updates on Sofinicline with Synapse". Synapse. 16 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.