alpha-adrenergic receptor Agonists
16 drugsAbout alpha-adrenergic receptor
The alpha-adrenergic receptor binds catecholamines like norepinephrine and epinephrine, playing a key role in the sympathetic nervous system's fight-or-flight response. As part of a larger family of adrenergic receptors, they influence various physiological processes throughout the body.
Genetic evidence offers moderate support for alpha-adrenergic receptors as therapeutic targets, with associations to hypothyroidism (score 0.53) and coronary artery bypass (score 0.49). Strong eQTL/pQTL signals further support the therapeutic rationale.
Sixteen FDA-approved small molecule drugs target alpha-adrenergic receptors, including ADRENALIN, SYMJEPI and NEFFY (approved in 2024). These drugs are used across a range of therapeutic areas.
alpha-adrenergic receptor Genetic Evidence Moderate
Genetic evidence provides moderate support, with a max score of 0.53 linking ADRA1A to hypothyroidism.
Further investigation of the genetic associations could refine patient selection strategies.
Evidence Across Diseases
5 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link ADRA1A to 5 diseases.
🔗 Colocalization Evidence 4 strong
max H4: 1.00eQTL/pQTL signals for ADRA1A colocalize with these GWAS traits, providing causal evidence that gene expression changes drive disease risk.
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 alpha-adrenergic receptor Drugs
Thirteen companies have approved drugs, with ADAMIS PHARMS CORP, Fresenius Kabi, and PH HEALTH among the top players.
The presence of multiple players suggests a competitive market with moderate entry barriers.
| Drug | Company | Approved | Indications |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPINEPHRINE (AUTOINJECTOR) | Teva | 2018 | 2 |
| ADRENACLICK | IMPAX LABS | 2003 | 2 |
| NEFFY | ARS PHARMS OPERATION | 2024 | 2 |
| EPIPEN | Viatris | 1987 | 2 |
| EPIPEN JR. | Viatris | 1987 | 2 |
| SYMJEPI | ADAMIS PHARMS CORP | 2017 | 2 |
| NOREPINEPHRINE BITARTRATE IN 0.9% SODIUM CHLORIDE | LONG GROVE PHARMS | 2021 | 1 |
| NOREPINEPHRINE BITARTRATE | Novartis | 2003 | 1 |
| EMERPHED | NEXUS | 2020 | 1 |
| LEVOPHED | Pfizer | 1950 | 1 |
| NOREPINEPHRINE BITARTRATE IN 5% DEXTROSE | SAGENT | 2021 | 1 |
| CORPHEDRA | PH HEALTH | 2017 | 1 |
| AKOVAZ | EXELA PHARMA | 2016 | 1 |
alpha-adrenergic receptor Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
alpha-adrenergic receptor is druggable by small molecules, though no oral formulations are currently approved.
Exploring alternative modalities like antibodies or peptides could offer differentiation.
alpha-adrenergic receptor Clinical Trials 683 trials
Phase 1-4 trials started in 2008 or later that test an FDA-approved drug acting on alpha-adrenergic receptor. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. How we count
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Stopped | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 85 | 57 | 17 | 11 | 77% |
| Phase 2 | 154 | 96 | 26 | 31 | 79% |
| Phase 3 | 110 | 77 | 9 | 23 | 90% |
| Phase 4 | 334 | 235 | 49 | 49 | 83% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Top Drugs
alpha-adrenergic receptor Drug Approval Timeline (1950 - 2024)
The first drug was approved in 1948, with the most recent approval in 2024, spanning 77 years.
The continued approvals suggest sustained interest, but market saturation may be a concern.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 14 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 16 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 16-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Sponsors: 443 (45 companies)
- • Completion rates by condition
Full summary • All drugs • Genetic evidence • Trials • Timeline
How We Count Trials
- Trials: phase 1-4 interventional trials on ClinicalTrials.gov that started in 2008 or later and test an FDA-approved drug acting on alpha-adrenergic receptor. A trial counts if an approved drug acting on alpha-adrenergic receptor is in any arm, including as a comparator, and a trial that tests two such drugs counts once. Trials that test only unapproved drugs are not counted. A trial listed as phase 1/2 counts as phase 1, and phase 2/3 as phase 2.
- Active: recruiting, not yet recruiting, enrolling by invitation, or active and no longer recruiting.
- Completion rate: of the trials that have ended, the share marked Completed rather than Terminated or Withdrawn. Completed means the trial ended as planned; it does not mean the drug worked. Suspended trials are not counted as ended.
- Stopped: terminated or withdrawn. Trials stop for many reasons, including slow enrolment and business decisions, not only safety or efficacy.
- Sponsors: the lead sponsor of each trial. Companies are the sponsors ClinicalTrials.gov classes as industry; the rest are universities, hospitals, cooperative groups, government bodies and individuals.