Quipazine: Classical hallucinogen? Novel psychedelic?

Quipazine, a compound discovered in the 1960s, has been studied in over 1,000 papers and shows properties in laboratory tests that resemble classical hallucinogens or psychedelics, which are being explored for treating neuropsychiatric disorders. However, no human studies have been conducted, so it cannot be classified as a psychedelic agent in humans. Quipazine also activates 5-HT3 receptors, which can cause vomiting, potentially complicating future human trials. Research into modified versions of quipazine with different pharmacological effects may still be valuable.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Quipazine, first identified in the 1960s, has been the topic of >1000 published papers. On the basis of available 5-HT2 serotonin receptor radioligand binding data and various preclinical studies, it might be thought that quipazine bears the hallmarks of a classical hallucinogen or psychedelic agent – agents currently being examined for their potential use in treating certain neuropsychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, by definition, such agents require the availability of human data, which, in the case of quipazine, are lacking. Because quipazine is also a 5-HT3 receptor agonist, future human studies with this agent might prove problematic because 5-HT3 agonists are known to produce emesis. Nevertheless, continued investigation of novel quipazine analogs with modified pharmacological profiles might prove worthwhile.