science

Ulotaront

Ulotaront is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ulotaront rather than just read about it. In short: Ulotaront (INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name; developmental codes SEP-363856, SEP-856) is an investigational antipsychotic that is undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease psychosis. The medication was discovered in collaboration between PsychoGenics Inc. and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals (which was subsequently merged into Sumitomo Pharma) using PsychoGenics' behav…

Key takeaways

Ulotaront belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ulotaront to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ulotaront from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ulotaront (INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name; developmental codes SEP-363856, SEP-856) is an investigational antipsychotic that is undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease psychosis. The medication was discovered in collaboration between PsychoGenics Inc. and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals (which was subsequently merged into Sumitomo Pharma) using PsychoGenics' behavior and AI-based phenotypic drug discovery platform, SmartCube. Ulotaront is in phase III clinical trial for schizophrenia, phase II/III for generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, and discontinued for narcolepsy and psychotic disorders. Research has shown that ulotaront results in a greater reduction from baseline in the PANSS total score than placebo. Treatment with ulotaront, as compared with placebo, was also associated with an improvement in sleep quality. Ulotaront was awarded a Breakthrough Therapy designation due to its increased efficacy and greatly reduced side effects compared to current treatments.

Adverse effects Some adverse events reported in preliminary clinical trials are somnolence, agitation, nausea, diarrhea, and dyspepsia. The adverse effect profile of ulotaront differs from that of other antipsychotics because its mechanism of action does not involve antagonism of dopamine receptors in the brain, which is responsible for the drug-induced movement disorders (like akathisia) that may occur with those agents.

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics The mechanism of action of ulotaront in the treatment of schizophrenia is unclear. However, it is thought to be an agonist at the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors. This mechanism of action is unique among available antipsychotics, which generally antagonize dopamine receptors (especially dopamine D2 receptor). Ulotaront is a full agonist of the human TAAR1 with an EC50Tooltip half-maximal effective concentration of 140 nM and an EmaxTooltip maximal efficacy of 101.3%. It is also a partial agonist of the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor (EC50 = 2,300 nM; Emax = 74.7%) and of the serotonin 5-HT1D receptor (EC50 = 262 nM; Emax = 57.1%). Conversely, its activities at various other targets, such as various other serotonin receptors as well as adrenergic and dopamine receptors, are much less potent. TAAR1 agonism is known to reduce the firing rate of dopaminergic neurons. The inhibitory effects of TAAR1 agonists on dopaminergic neurotransmission are most pronounced in hyperdopaminergic states. Ulotaront decreases basal locomotor activity in rodents and this effect was absent in TAAR1 knockout mice. It prevented the hyperlocomotion induced by the NMDA receptor antagonist phencyclidine (PCP). Conversely, ulotaront did not affect dextroamphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion. Similarly, it did not reverse apomorphine-induced climbing behavior.

Pharmacokinetics The precise pharmacokinetic profile of ulotaront has not been reported, though the developer has suggested that the pharmacokinetic data supports once daily dosing.

Research As of 2018, Sunovion, the maker of another antipsychotic called lurasidone (Latuda), is conducting clinical trials on ulotaront in partnership with the preclinical research company PsychoGenics. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted ulotaront the breakthrough therapy designation. In addition to schizophrenia, ulotaront is also being studied for the treatment of psychosis associated with Parkinson's disease. The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) has been used to assess the effect of Ulotaront on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. In July 2023, the pharmaceutical company behind the drug announced that the drug had failed to outperform placebo in the treatment of acutely psychotic patients with schizophrenia, as measured by the PANSS.

See also List of investigational antipsychotics Ralmitaront

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ulotaront

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ulotaront claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ulotaront before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ulotaront ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ulotaront

In research: Ulotaront appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ulotaront in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ulotaront is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 5-HT1A agonists, 5-HT1D agonists, Antipsychotics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ulotaront outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ulotaront in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ulotaront means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ulotaront out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ulotaront in simple terms?

Why does Ulotaront matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ulotaront?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ulotaront.