NMDA receptor Inhibitors
5 drugsAbout NMDA receptor
The NMDA receptor is a glutamate-gated ion channel protein in nerve cells crucial for synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. It plays a key role in the central nervous system by mediating excitatory neurotransmission. As such, it is an important target for drug development.
Human genetic studies provide strong validation for NMDA receptor targeting, with variants in GRIN1 linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (score 0.97). Loss-of-function variants are associated with increased disease risk, suggesting activation may be beneficial.
Five FDA-approved drugs target the NMDA receptor, including Felbamate, Nuedexta, and Ketamine Hydrochloride. All approved drugs are small molecules, spanning CNS and other therapeutic areas.
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- White space opportunity in Opioid Use with only 5 trials.
NMDA receptor Genetic Evidence Strong
Strong genetic evidence supports NMDA receptor's role in neurodevelopmental disorders (max score 0.97).
Strong genetic support increases confidence in clinical trials targeting neurodevelopmental disorders.
💡 Why activation?
- • Loss-of-function variants increase disease risk (OR > 1) — restoring function may help
- • 100% directional consistency across 3 traits
- • Strong signal in nervous system disease, genetic, familial or congenital disease pathways
Cross-Disease Effects
Trade-off: LowDirection of Effect
100% alignedEvidence Across Diseases
20 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link GRIN1 to 23 diseases.
Loss-of-function causes disease; activation may help
Loss-of-function causes disease; activation may help
Understanding these scores
Association Score (0-1): Combines all evidence types (genetic, literature, drugs, animal models). Higher = more evidence linking target to disease. This is a ranking heuristic, not a confidence score.
L2G Score: Open Targets uses a machine learning model (Locus-to-Gene) to predict which gene is causal at each GWAS locus. L2G=0.5 means ~50% probability of being the causal gene. Only associations with L2G > 0.05 are included.
Odds Ratio (OR): From gene burden studies (UK Biobank, AstraZeneca PheWAS). Measures how loss-of-function variants affect disease risk. OR<1 = protective (inhibiting target may help), OR>1 = risk (losing function causes disease).
Beta (β): Effect size for continuous traits. β<0 = protective, β>0 = risk.
Clinical Translation (~1.8x): Based on Nelson et al. 2015: drug targets with genetic evidence have ~2x higher success rates in clinical trials. We estimate: Strong support (score ≥0.7) → ~1.8x, Moderate (0.3-0.7) → ~1.3x, Weak → baseline.
Colocalization (H4): Tests whether a GWAS signal and an eQTL/pQTL signal share the same causal variant. H4 is the posterior probability that both traits are associated AND share a causal variant. H4 > 0.8 = strong evidence that gene expression/protein levels drive disease risk. This links genetic variation → gene expression → disease, supporting the target-disease connection.
Top NMDA receptor Drugs
Five companies have approved drugs targeting the NMDA receptor, including ANI PHARMS and AbbVie.
The presence of multiple players suggests a competitive but accessible market.
| Drug | Company | Approved | Indications |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAMZARIC | AbbVie | 2014 | 1 |
| NUEDEXTA | OTSUKA AMERICA | 2010 | 1 |
NMDA receptor Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
NMDA receptor is amenable to small molecule drugs, with oral options available for convenient dosing.
Exploring alternative modalities like antibodies or biologics could provide differentiation.
NMDA receptor Clinical Trials 602 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 153 | 111 | 22 | 17 | 83% |
| Phase 2 | 181 | 103 | 39 | 37 | 73% |
| Phase 3 | 72 | 33 | 19 | 20 | 63% |
| Phase 4 | 196 | 133 | 40 | 22 | 77% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Top Drugs
NMDA receptor Drug Approval Timeline (1996 - 2017)
Diagnostic procedures (not requiring muscle relaxation)
Pseudobulbar Affect
The first NMDA receptor drug was approved in 1996, with the most recent in 2017.
The approval timeline indicates a mature but not saturated market with potential for innovation.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 5 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 5 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 5-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Competition: High (15 sponsors)
- • White space: 4 underexplored indications
- • Success rates by condition
Full summary • All drugs • Genetic evidence • Trials • Timeline
How We Calculate These Metrics
Target Attractiveness Score
A 0-100 score based on trial activity, sponsor diversity, and completion rates. Calculated from 417 clinical trials targeting NMDA receptor.
Completion rate: Percentage of trials that reached their planned endpoint. Trials terminated early, withdrawn, or suspended are not counted—these often indicate safety issues, lack of efficacy, or strategic pivots.
- Highly Attractive (80+): High trial activity, many sponsors, strong completion rates
- Attractive (60-79): Good trial activity and validation
- Moderate (40-59): Moderate interest from sponsors
- Low (under 40): Limited trial activity or validation concerns
Strategic Insights
Auto-generated insights based on trial analytics including competition intensity, white space opportunities, modality shifts, and failure patterns. We analyze trial sponsors, phases, indications, and outcomes.
Risk Signals
- High Competition: Many sponsors competing for this target (may reduce market opportunity)
- High Failure Risk: Low trial completion rates suggest development challenges
- Low Validation: Limited trial activity or poor outcomes indicate uncertain viability
- White Space Available: Underexplored indications present opportunities