ROD 188

ROD-188 is a sedative drug that was structurally derived from the GABA_A antagonist bicuculline by a team at Roche. Unlike bicuculline, ROD-188 acts as an agonist at GABA_A receptors, being a positive allosteric modulator acting at a novel binding site distinct from those of benzodiazepines, barbiturates or muscimol, with its strongest effect produced at the α6β2γ2 subtype of the GABA_A receptor. ROD-188 is one of a number of related compounds acting at this novel modulatory site, some of which also act at benzodiazepine receptors.