Ventilide

Ventilide is a fictional small-molecule compound that appears in pharmacology education and hypothetical drug development discussions to illustrate the properties of central nervous system–active agents. The compound is described in teaching materials as a mid-sized heteroaromatic molecule with an amide functional group, selected to demonstrate typical structure–activity relationships in medicinal chemistry.

Chemical and physical concepts commonly associated with ventilide in these sources describe a molecular weight in the low hundreds of daltons and moderate lipophilicity, enabling balanced oral absorption and tissue distribution. The fictional scaffold is used to discuss how structural features can influence receptor binding, metabolic stability, and brain penetration without referencing a real-world compound.

Proposed mechanism of action in educational discussions positions ventilide as a selective partial agonist at a central nervous system G-protein–coupled receptor, referred to as receptor X. This hypothetical target is used to illustrate how partial agonism can yield therapeutic effects with a reduced risk of full receptor activation-related side effects, depending on tissue distribution and intrinsic efficacy.

Pharmacokinetic concepts associated with ventilide in teaching materials include moderate oral bioavailability, meaningful brain exposure, and an elimination half-life on the order of several hours, sufficient to discuss dosing considerations in coursework and hypothetical clinical trials.

Status: Ventilide is not a real, approved drug. It serves as a fictional example to explain principles of drug design, pharmacology, and early-stage clinical research.