Blarcamesine (developmental code name ANAVEX 2-73) is an experimental drug which is under development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and a variety of other indications.

[clarification needed] Furthermore, stimulation of the M1 receptor activates AF267B, which in turn blocks β-secretase, which cleaves the amyloid precursor protein to produce the amyloid-beta peptide.

[3] The σ1 receptor is located on mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes and modulates the ER stress response and local calcium exchanges with the mitochondria.

Blarcamesine prevented Aβ25-35-induced increases in lipid peroxidation levels, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and cytochrome c release into the cytosol, which are indicative of elevated toxicity.

[1] In trials for Alzheimer's disease, Anavex Life Sciences reported that in patients with a fully functional SIGMAR1 gene, which encodes the σ1 receptor targeted by blarcamesine, the drug improved cognition as measured by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) by 14% after 70 weeks of treatment.

[2][9] The synthesis of Blarcamesine is via the following method:[10][11][12] (Precursor:[13][14]) The reaction between benzophenone [119-61-9] and succinic anhydride [108-30-5] in the presence of zinc chloride give 2,2-Diphenyloxolane-3-carboxylic acid, PC151808451 (1).

Strong reduction with lithium aluminium hydride both removes the amide carbonyl as well as reduces the butyrophenone moiety giving a diol and hence 2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-1,1-diphenylbutane-1,4-diol, PC15187448 (4).