Unifi nootropics from the lab to the web: a story of academic (and industrial) shortcomings

J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem. 2016;31(2):187-94. doi: 10.3109/14756366.2015.1021252. Epub 2015 Apr 1.

Abstract

This paper is a review of the work of my former academic group of research in the past 15 years, in the field of cognition enhancers (also called nootropics) that identified two very potent molecules: Unifiram and Sunifiram that for a variety of reasons were not protected by a patent. Some 12 years after their disclosure (2000) I casually found that on the web, there were dozens of sites offering Unifiram and Sunifiram as drugs that improve cognition in healthy individuals even if only few preclinical studies were done and their long-term toxicity was unknown.

Keywords: Cognition enhancers; Sunifiram; Unifiram; online drug market.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cognition / drug effects
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Humans
  • Internet
  • Nootropic Agents / chemistry
  • Nootropic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Patents as Topic
  • Piperazines / chemistry*
  • Piperazines / pharmacology
  • Pyrroles / chemistry*
  • Pyrroles / pharmacology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Nootropic Agents
  • Piperazines
  • Pyrroles
  • DM 235
  • DM 232