List of investigational obsessive–compulsive disorder drugs
This is a list of investigational obsessive–compulsive disorder drugs, or drugs that are currently under development for clinical use in the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) but are not yet approved.
Chemical/generic names are listed first, with developmental code names, synonyms, and brand names in parentheses. The format of list items is "Name (Synonyms) – Mechanism of Action [Reference]".
This list was last comprehensively updated in September 2025. It is likely to become outdated with time.
Under development
Phase 2
- BP-1.4979 (BP-1.4979; BP-14979; BP14979) – dopamine D3 receptor partial agonist[1]
- Psilocybin (SYNP-101; synthetic psilocybin) – non-selective serotonin receptor agonist and psychedelic hallucinogen [1][2]
Phase 1
- Carbidopa/oxytriptan (EVX-101; carbidopa/5-HTP) – combination of carbidopa (aromatic L-amino-acid decarboxylase (AAAD) inhibitor) and oxytriptan (5-HTP; serotonin precursor) [2]
- Psilocybin (MLS-101) – non-selective serotonin receptor agonist and psychedelic hallucinogen [3][2]
Preclinical
Research
- Research programme: obsessive-compulsive disorder therapeutics - Serenatis Bio – dopamine modulators and glutamate modulators [4]
Not under development
No development reported
- Agomelatine (AGO-178; AGO178C; Alodil; Melitor; S-20098; S-20098-F55; Thymanax; Valdoxan; Vestin) – melatonin MT1 and MT2 receptor agonist and weak serotonin 5-HT2C receptor antagonist [5]
- Ketamine (AWKN-001; AWKN-P-001) – ionotropic glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist [6]
- Research programme: Cannabidiol therapeutics - Phytecs (4'-F-CBD; fluorinated cannabidiol; HUF-102; HUF-103) – cannabinoid receptor modulators [7]
- Research programme: cannabis extract therapeutics - Cannabis Science (CBIS compounds) – cannabinoid receptor modulators [8]
- Research programme: central nervous system therapeutics - AbbVie/Rugen – undefined mechanism of action [9]
- Research programme: GPCR modulators - Nxera Pharma – various actions [10]
- Research programme: orexin receptor antagonists - Rottapharm (CR-5542) – orexin receptor antagonists [11]
- Research programme: serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin 1A receptor antagonists - Pfizer (SSA-426; SSRI/5HT1A receptor antagonist; WAY-163426; WAY-211612; WAY-253752; WAY-426) – serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin 5-HT1A receptor antagonists [12]
- Risperidone (JNJ-410397-AAA; R-64766; R064766; Risperdal; Risperdal Consta; Risperdal Depot) – atypical antipsychotic (non-selective monoamine receptor modulator [13]
Discontinued
- Bitopertin (DISC-1459; R-1678; RG-6178; RG1678; RO-4917838) – glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitor and glycine reuptake inhibitor [14]
- Cycloserine (D-cycloserine; TIK-101) – ionotropic glutamate NMDA receptor partial agonist and other actions [15]
- DSP-1181 – serotonin 5-HT1A receptor agonist [16] [17][4]
- F-14258 – serotonin 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptor antagonist [18]
- Mavoglurant (AFQ-056; STP-7) – metabotropic glutamate mGlu5 receptor antagonist [19]
- Minocycline (NPL-2003) – various actions and "glutamate modulator" [20][5]
- Naltrexone/fluoxetine (fluoxetine/naltrexone; OREX-004) – combination of naltrexone (opioid receptor antagonist) and fluoxetine (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)) [21]
- Ondansetron (Setrodon; TO-2061) – serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist [22]
- Ro-600175 (Ro600175) – serotonin 5-HT2C receptor agonist [23]
- Roxindole (EMD-49980) – non-selective monoamine receptor modulator [24]
- SB-200646 (SB-200646A) – serotonin 5-HT2B and 5-HT2C receptor antagonist [25]
- Secretin (INN-329; RG-1068; SecreFlo; synthetic human secretin) – secretin receptor agonist and medical imaging enhancer [26] [27][6]
- Troriluzole (BHV-4157; Dazluma; FC-4157; trigriluzole) – various actions (riluzole prodrug) [28][7][8]
Formal development never or not yet started
- Antiandrogens (e.g., flutamide, cyproterone acetate, triptorelin)[9]
- Cannabinoids (e.g., nabilone, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabis)[10]
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (e.g., celecoxib, naproxen)[10]
- Rituximab (Rituxan) – monoclonal antibody against CD20[10]
- Serotonin 5-HT6 receptor agonists (e.g., WAY-181187, WAY-208466)[11]
- Tolcapone (Tasmar) – catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor[10][12]
Clinically used drugs
Approved drugs
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Escitalopram (Cipralex; Entact; Lexapro; LU-26054; MLD-55; (S)-citalopram; Seroplex; Sipralex; Sipralexa) – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) [29]
- Fluoxetine (LY-110140; Prozac; Prozac Weekly; Reneuron; Sarafem) – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) [30]
- Fluoxetine – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) [31]
- Fluvoxamine (Depromel; Luvox; Luvox CR; SME-3110) – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and sigma σ1 receptor agonist [32]
- Paroxetine (Aropax; BRL-29060; Deroxat; Divarius; FG-7051; Frosinor; Motivan; NNC-207051; Paxil; Paxil CR; Seroxat; SI-211103; Tagonis) – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) [33]
- Paroxetine (Dropax; Dropaxin; Serestill) – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) [34]
- Sertraline (Aremis; Besitran; CP-51974; CP-51974-01; Gladem; J Zoloft; Lustral; Serad; Serlain; Tatig; Zoloft) – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) [35]
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
- Clomipramine (Anafranil) – tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) (non-selective monoamine reuptake inhibitor and receptor modulator) [36]
Off-label drugs
- Anticonvulsants (e.g., lamotrigine, topiramate)[13]
- Antipsychotics (non-selective monoamine receptor modulators) (e.g., aripiprazole, haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone)[14][15][13]
- Anxiolytics (e.g., benzodiazepines, buspirone)[16]
- Entactogens (e.g., midomafetamine/MDMA)[17]
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) (e.g., phenelzine, tranylcypromine, moclobemide)[16][18]
- NMDA receptor antagonists (e.g., memantine, ketamine)[14][13]
- Serotonergic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), dimethyltryptamine (DMT))[19][20][21][22][10][23]
- Serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (e.g., ondansetron, granisetron, tropisetron)[24][25][26][13]
- Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) (e.g., desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, venlafaxine)[27][28][29]
- Stimulants (e.g., dextroamphetamine)[30]
See also
References
- ^ BP 14979 - AdisInsight
- ^ a b "Psychedelics Drug Development Tracker". Psychedelic Alpha. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ^ Lerer B, Golding P, Brownstien M, Kozikowski A, Lifschytz T (December 2024). "ACNP 63rd Annual Meeting: Poster Abstracts P609-P914: P660. A Novel, Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelic for the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". Neuropsychopharmacology. 49 (Suppl 1): 418–594 (448–449). doi:10.1038/s41386-024-02013-y. PMID 39643635.
- ^ Sato, *Fumiaki; Nagano, Yusuke; Tachibana, Daiki; Ikeda, Hiroko; Imai, Hideaki; Yamashita, Tomomi; Okuyama, Makiko; Tajima, Junko; Asada, Reiko; Fukumoto, Kenichi (2025). "THE EFFICACY OF THE NOVEL 5-HT1A RECEPTOR AGONIST DSP-1181 ON OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER LIKE BEHAVIOR IN A MOUSE MODEL OF OPTOGENETIC NEURAL MODULATION". International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 28 (Supplement_1). Oxford University Press (OUP): i340–i341. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyae059.607. ISSN 1461-1457. PMC 11814988.
- ^ Rodriguez CI, Bender J, Marcus SM, Snape M, Rynn M, Simpson HB (September 2010). "Minocycline augmentation of pharmacotherapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open-label trial". J Clin Psychiatry. 71 (9): 1247–1249. doi:10.4088/JCP.09l05805blu. PMC 3923525. PMID 20923629.
- ^ "Update 2006: Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders". Drugs of the Future. 31 (3). Portico: 259–284. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ^ Grassi G, Scillitani E, Cecchelli C (October 2024). "New horizons for obsessive-compulsive disorder drug discovery: is targeting glutamate receptors the answer?". Expert Opin Drug Discov. 19 (10): 1235–1245. doi:10.1080/17460441.2024.2387127. PMID 39105546.
- ^ Read, 20 Min (2025-08-12). "Biohaven Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Recent Business Developments". BioSpace. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Nomani H, Mohammadpour AH, Moallem SM, YazdanAbad MJ, Barreto GE, Sahebkar A (2020). "Anti-Androgen Drugs in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review". Curr Med Chem. 27 (40): 6825–6836. doi:10.2174/0929867326666191209142209. PMID 31814547. S2CID 208956450.
- ^ a b c d e Grassi G, Cecchelli C, Vignozzi L, Pacini S (2020). "Investigational and Experimental Drugs to Treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". J Exp Pharmacol. 12: 695–706. doi:10.2147/JEP.S255375. PMC 7801912. PMID 33447096.
- ^ Schechter LE, Lin Q, Smith DL, Zhang G, Shan Q, Platt B, Brandt MR, Dawson LA, Cole D, Bernotas R, Robichaud A, Rosenzweig-Lipson S, Beyer CE (May 2008). "Neuropharmacological profile of novel and selective 5-HT6 receptor agonists: WAY-181187 and WAY-208466". Neuropsychopharmacology. 33 (6): 1323–1335. doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301503. PMID 17625499.
- ^ Grant JE, Hook R, Valle S, Chesivoir E, Chamberlain SR (September 2021). "Tolcapone in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial". Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 36 (5): 225–229. doi:10.1097/YIC.0000000000000368. PMC 7611531. PMID 34310432.
- ^ a b c d Gautam M (2023). "Clinical Recommendations for Augmentation Agents in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Partially Responsive to Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors". J Clin Psychopharmacol. 43 (4): 369–377. doi:10.1097/JCP.0000000000001716. PMID 37335203.
- ^ a b Pittenger C (March 2023). "The Pharmacological Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". Psychiatr Clin North Am. 46 (1): 107–119. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2022.11.005. PMID 36740347.
- ^ Conti D, Girone N, Boscacci M, Casati L, Cassina N, Cerolini L, Giacovelli L, Viganò C, Conde MM, Cremaschi L, Dell'Osso BM (May 2024). "The use of antipsychotics in obsessive compulsive disorder". Hum Psychopharmacol. 39 (3) e2893. doi:10.1002/hup.2893. PMID 38340275.
- ^ a b Bandelow B (September 2008). "The medical treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety". CNS Spectr. 13 (9 Suppl 14): 37–46. doi:10.1017/s1092852900026924. PMID 18849910.
- ^ Saade Z, Keuroghlian AS (August 2025). "Transdiagnostic use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder". Br J Psychiatry. 227 (2): 522–524. doi:10.1192/bjp.2024.277. PMID 40001303.
- ^ Jenike MA (December 1992). "Pharmacologic treatment of obsessive compulsive disorders". Psychiatr Clin North Am. 15 (4): 895–919. PMID 1461804.
- ^ Moreno FA, Wiegand CB, Taitano EK, Delgado PL (November 2006). "Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of psilocybin in 9 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder". J Clin Psychiatry. 67 (11): 1735–1740. doi:10.4088/jcp.v67n1110. PMID 17196053.
- ^ Andersen KA, Carhart-Harris R, Nutt DJ, Erritzoe D (February 2021). "Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern-era clinical studies". Acta Psychiatr Scand. 143 (2): 101–118. doi:10.1111/acps.13249. PMID 33125716. S2CID 226217912.
- ^ Odland AU, Kristensen JL, Andreasen JT (March 2021). "Investigating the role of 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor activation in the effects of psilocybin, DOI, and citalopram on marble burying in mice". Behav Brain Res. 401 113093. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113093. PMID 33359368. S2CID 229690041.
- ^ Castro Santos H, Gama Marques J (2021). "What is the clinical evidence on psilocybin for the treatment of psychiatric disorders? A systematic review". Porto Biomed J. 6 (1) e128. doi:10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000128. PMC 8055489. PMID 33884324.
- ^ Owe-Larsson M, Kamińska K, Buchalska B, Mirowska-Guzel D, Cudnoch-Jędrzejewska A (October 2024). "Psilocybin in pharmacotherapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder". Pharmacol Rep. 76 (5): 911–925. doi:10.1007/s43440-024-00633-1. PMC 11387457. PMID 39088105.
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- ^ Eissazade N, Mosavari H, Eghdami S, Boroon M, Ashrafi F, Shalbafan M (November 2023). "Efficacy and safety of 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists in augmentation with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the treatment of moderate to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials". Sci Rep. 13 (1): 20837. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47931-x. PMC 10682036. PMID 38012263.
- ^ Hamanaka S, Kishi T, Sakuma K, Nishii Y, Hatano M, Iwata N (November 2023). "Serotonin 3 receptor antagonists for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review and pairwise meta-analysis". J Psychiatr Res. 167: 132–138. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.10.029. PMID 37866327.
- ^ Del Casale A, Sorice S, Padovano A, Simmaco M, Ferracuti S, Lamis DA, Rapinesi C, Sani G, Girardi P, Kotzalidis GD, Pompili M (2019). "Psychopharmacological Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)". Curr Neuropharmacol. 17 (8): 710–736. doi:10.2174/1570159X16666180813155017. PMC 7059159. PMID 30101713.
- ^ Pizarro M, Fontenelle LF, Paravidino DC, Yücel M, Miguel EC, de Menezes GB (July 2014). "An updated review of antidepressants with marked serotonergic effects in obsessive-compulsive disorder". Expert Opin Pharmacother. 15 (10): 1391–1401. doi:10.1517/14656566.2014.914493. PMID 24766145.
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Further reading
- Berlin HA, Hamilton H, Hollander E (2008). "Experimental therapeutics for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: translational approaches and new somatic developments". Mt Sinai J Med. 75 (3): 174–203. doi:10.1002/msj.20045. PMID 18704978.
- Marazziti D, Dell'Osso L (April 2015). "Why have early investigational therapies of obsessive-compulsive disorder failed to materialise?". Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 24 (4): 455–8. doi:10.1517/13543784.2015.1005735. PMID 25599971.
- Grassi G, Cecchelli C, Vignozzi L, Pacini S (2020). "Investigational and Experimental Drugs to Treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". J Exp Pharmacol. 12: 695–706. doi:10.2147/JEP.S255375. PMC 7801912. PMID 33447096.