R13 (drug)
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
R13, also known as BrAD-R13 or as Braegen-01, is a small-molecule flavonoid and orally active, potent, and selective agonist of the tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), the main signaling receptor for the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is under development for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), depressive disorders, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia.[1][3][4][5][2][6][7] It is taken orally.[1]
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| Other names | R-13; BrAD-R13; BrADR13; Braegen-01; Braegen01; 4-Oxo-2-phenyl-4H-chromene-7,8-diyl bis(methylcarbamate) |
| Routes of administration | Oral[1][2] |
| Drug class | TrkB agonist |
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| Metabolites | Tropoflavin[2] |
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| Formula | C19H16N2O6 |
| Molar mass | 368.345 g·mol−1 |
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The drug is a structural modification and prodrug of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF; tropoflavin) with improved potency and pharmacokinetics, namely oral bioavailability and duration.[4][5][2] The compound is a replacement for the earlier tropoflavin prodrug R7 and has similar properties to it.[2][8] It was developed because while R7 displayed a good drug profile in animal studies, it showed almost no conversion into tropoflavin in human liver microsomes.[2] In contrast to R7, R13 is readily hydrolyzed into tropoflavin in human liver microsomes.[2]
R13, under the synonym and developmental code name BrAD-R13, is being developed by Braegen Pharmaceutical in China.[1][3][7] As of August 2025, it is in phase 1 clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and the preclinical research stage of development for all other indications.[1][3]