Eltoprazine was first described in thescientific literature by 1987.[5][6] It is or was under development for the treatment ofaggression,attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),cognitive disorders, and drug-induceddyskinesia, but no recent development has been reported for these indications as of February 2022.[1] It was also under development for the treatment ofpsychotic disorders, but development for this indication was discontinued.[1] Eltoprazine is said to have shown signs of effectiveness for treatment of aggression, but was rejected for marketing authorization on the basis of the fact that aggression is a symptom rather than a disorder.[7][8] The drug was originated bySolvay and was developed by Elto Pharma, PsychoGenics, and Solvay.[1]
^abde Boer SF, Koolhaas JM (December 2005). "5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptor agonists and aggression: a pharmacological challenge of the serotonin deficiency hypothesis".Eur J Pharmacol.526 (1–3):125–39.doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2005.09.065.PMID16310183.
^Olivier, B., Mos, J., Heyden, V. D. J. A., Zethof, T., Aken, V. H., Oorschot, V. R., & Ramirez, J. M. (1987). Effects of DU 28853, a new serenic drug, in several experimental models for aggression. Research on Aggression, 93.https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cluster=5474933454486255245
^Schipper, J., Olivier, B., Mos, J., Tulp, M. T. M., Sijbesma, H., & Bevan, P. (1987). Eltoprazine (DU 28853): Effects on aggressive behaviour and its serotonergic properties. In International Conference on the Behavioral Pharmacology of [...].https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cluster=17685819389699199278
^Nutt DJ (March 2025). "Drug development in psychiatry: 50 years of failure and how to resuscitate it".Lancet Psychiatry.12 (3):228–238.doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00370-5.PMID39952266.Marketing authorisations are awarded for diagnoses, whereas in clinical practice psychiatrists and primary care physicians commonly treat symptoms, such as insomnia, which occurs in many different disorders as well as being a disorder itself.72 A good example of the discrepancy that thus arises was the development of the serotonin agonist eltoprazine, which proved effective for aggression in people with learning disabilities.53 EMA marketing authorisation was denied on the grounds that aggression was a symptom, not a diagnosis. Perversely, 18 years later, the dopamine–serotonin antagonist antipsychotic risperidone was approved for the same indication.73 [...] 53 de Koning P, Mak M, de Vries MH, et al. Eltoprazine in aggressive mentally handicapped patients: a double-blind, placebo- and baseline-controlled multi-centre study. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 1994; 9: 187–94.
^de Koning P, Mak M, de Vries MH, Allsopp LF, Stevens RB, Verbruggen R, Van den Borre R, van Peteghem P, Kohen D, Arumainayagam M (September 1994). "Eltoprazine in aggressive mentally handicapped patients: a double-blind, placebo- and baseline-controlled multi-centre study. The Eltoprazine Aggression Research Group".Int Clin Psychopharmacol.9 (3):187–194.PMID7814828.
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