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Other names | PH94B; Aloradine; 4-Androstadienol; 3β-Androsta-4,16-dien-3-ol, Androsta-4,16-dien-3β-ol; Androstadienol |
Routes of administration | Intranasal |
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Formula | C19H28O |
Molar mass | 272.432 g·mol−1 |
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Fasedienol (INN ; developmental code names PH94B and Aloradine), also known as 4-androstadienol or as 4,16-androstadien-3β-ol, is a pherine which is under development by VistaGen Therapeutics[1][2] in a nasal spray formulation (PRN) for the acute treatment of social anxiety disorder.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] It is also being investigated by VistaGen Therapeutics for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[10][11] The pherine is a positional isomer of the endogenous pheromone androstadienol (5-androstadienol or 5,16-androstadien-3β-ol). As of 2020, it is in phase III clinical trials for social anxiety disorder.[12]
Fasedienol lacks affinity for steroid hormone receptors and has instead been found to directly activate isolated human vomeronasal receptor cells at nanomolar concentrations (EC50 = 200 nM).[8]
The pheromone androstenol has been found to act as a potent positive allosteric modulator of the GABAA receptor, and it has been proposed that this action may mediate its pheromone effects.[13] It produces anxiolytic-like effects in animals.[13] Androstadienol, androstadienone, and androstenone, all of which are also pheromones, have been found to be converted into androstenol, and as such, it may be responsible for their pheromone effects.[13] As fasedienol is very closely related structurally to androstadienol, it might be converted into androstenol similarly and hence potentiation of the GABAA receptor could contribute to its mechanism of action.[13]