Zelquistinel Is an Orally Bioavailable Novel NMDA Receptor Allosteric Modulator That Exhibits Rapid and Sustained Antidepressant-Like Effects

Jeffrey S Burgdorf; Xiao-Lei Zhang; Patric K Stanton; Joseph R Moskal; John E Donello

doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyac043

Zelquistinel Is an Orally Bioavailable Novel NMDA Receptor Allosteric Modulator That Exhibits Rapid and Sustained Antidepressant-Like Effects

Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2022 Dec 12;25(12):979-991. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyac043.

Authors

Jeffrey S Burgdorf¹, Xiao-Lei Zhang², Patric K Stanton², Joseph R Moskal³, John E Donello¹

Affiliations

¹ Gate Neurosciences, Inc., Carmel, Indiana, USA.
² Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA.
³ Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.

Abstract

Background: The role of glutamatergic receptors in major depressive disorder continues to be of great interest for therapeutic development. Recent studies suggest that both negative and positive modulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) can produce rapid antidepressant effects. Here we report that zelquistinel, a novel NMDAR allosteric modulator, exhibits high oral bioavailability and dose-proportional exposures in plasma and the central nervous system and produces rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects in rodents by enhancing activity-dependent, long-term synaptic plasticity.

Methods: NMDAR-mediated functional activity was measured in cultured rat brain cortical neurons (calcium imaging), hNR2A or B subtype-expressing HEK cells, and synaptic plasticity in rat hippocampal and medial prefrontal cortex slices in vitro. Pharmacokinetics were evaluated in rats following oral administration. Antidepressant-like effects were assessed in the rat forced swim test and the chronic social deficit mouse model. Target engagement and the safety/tolerability profile was assessed using phencyclidine-induced hyperlocomotion and rotarod rodent models.

Results: Following a single oral dose, zelquistinel (0.1-100 µg/kg) produced rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects in the rodent depression models. Brain/ cerebrospinal fluid concentrations associated with zelquistinel antidepressant-like activity also increased NMDAR function and rapidly and persistently enhanced activity-dependent synaptic plasticity (long-term potentiation), suggesting that zelquistinel produces antidepressant-like effects by enhancing NMDAR function and synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, Zelquistinel inhibited phencyclidine (an NMDAR antagonist)-induced hyperlocomotion and did not impact rotarod performance.

Conclusions: Zelquistinel produces rapid and sustained antidepressant effects by positively modulating the NMDARs, thereby enhancing long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission.

Keywords: Antidepressant; NMDA receptor; depression; major depressive disorder; synaptic plasticity; zelquistinel.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
Depressive Disorder, Major* / drug therapy
Long-Term Potentiation / physiology
Mice
Phencyclidine / pharmacology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate*

Substances

Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
Antidepressive Agents
Phencyclidine