Tertiapin

Tertiapin is a fictional chemical compound commonly used in pharmacology education and in speculative fiction to illustrate concepts in drug design and CNS pharmacodynamics. The name is designed to resemble real-world CNS-active drugs and is not associated with any verified experimental data or approved medicines.

Chemistry and properties in educational descriptions portray tertiapin as a heterocyclic amide bearing a tertiary amine. It is depicted as a small-to-medium sized molecule with moderate lipophilicity and stability under physiological conditions. Because it is not a real compound, there are no validated structural data, synthesis procedures, or physicochemical measurements published in peer-reviewed sources.

Pharmacology in teaching materials often presents tertiapin as a central nervous system–active agent with antipsychotic-like effects in hypothetical models. Proposed mechanisms include modulation of dopaminergic and serotonergic signaling, with schematic affinity toward common CNS targets such as D2 and 5-HT2A receptors. Concrete pharmacokinetic parameters and safety profiles are intentionally left unspecified in fictional contexts.

Development and use: Tertiapin appears in textbooks and classroom articles as a didactic example to discuss the drug discovery pipeline, including target identification, lead optimization, preclinical evaluation, and regulatory considerations. It is not the subject of clinical trials, nor is it approved for any indication in reality.