HBL20016

HBL20016 is a non-selective serotonin receptor agonist and serotonergic psychedelic.

It acts as an agonist of the serotonin 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_2A, 5-HT_2B, and 5-HT_2C receptors. Its activational potencies (EC₅₀Tooltip half-maximal effective concentration) are 645 nM for the serotonin 5-HT_1A receptor, 1.64 nM for the serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor, 3.42 nM for the serotonin 5-HT_2B receptor, and 8.37 nM for the serotonin 5-HT_2C receptor. HBL20016 produces the head-twitch response (HTR), a behavioral proxy of psychedelic effects, in rodents, and hence would be expected to be hallucinogenic in humans. It has shown antiobsessional-like effects in rodents, for instance against obsessive self-grooming.

HBL20016 was first described in the scientific literature in December 2024. It was developed by Negev Labs and Parow Entheobiosciences. A related drug, HBL20017, which is a non-hallucinogenic agent with an otherwise mostly similar pharmacological profile, is under investigation for the potential treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder.