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tramiprosate

Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)

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tramiprosate

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Also known as 3-amino-1-propanesulfonic acid, homotaurine, NC-531

Homotaurine, also known as tramiprosate (INN), 3-amino-1-propanesulfonic acid, or 3-APS, is a natural sulfonic acid found in seaweed. It is analogous to taurine, but with an extra carbon in its chain. It has GABAergic activity, apparently by mimicking GABA, which it resembles.

Chemical data

Formula
C3H9NO3S
Molecular weight
139.18 g/mol
IUPAC name
3-azaniumylpropane-1-sulfonate

via PubChem

Drug data · ChEMBL

Max clinical phase
Phase 3
Molecule type
Small molecule
Indications
Alzheimer disease

via ChEMBL · EBI

~2 min read

Encyclopedic overview

3 sections
Contents
  • Medical use
  • Biochemical properties
  • References

Homotaurine, also known as tramiprosate (INN), 3-amino-1-propanesulfonic acid, or 3-APS, is a natural sulfonic acid found in seaweed. It is analogous to taurine, but with an extra carbon in its chain. It has GABAergic activity, apparently by mimicking GABA, which it resembles.

Homotaurine was investigated in a Phase III clinical trial as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) that did not show efficacy. However, post-hoc analyses have shown positive and significant effects of homotaurine on secondary endpoints and subgroups of patients, including a reduction in hippocampal volume loss and lower decline in memory function in the overall cohort, as well as a reduction in global cognitive decline in APOE4 allele carriers, suggesting a disease-modifying effect. A study in cognitive impairment done in 2018 did show positive benefits.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “tramiprosate” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.