TC-5619 is a drug developed by Targacept

Targacept

Targacept is a pharmaceutical company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that specializes in developing drugs which target the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors....

 that acts as a partial agonist

Partial agonist

Partial agonists bind and activate a given receptor, but have only partial efficacy at the receptor relative to a full agonist...

 at the α7

Alpha-7 nicotinic receptor

The alpha-7 nicotinic receptor, also known as the α7 receptor, is a type of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, consisting entirely of α7 subunits....

 subtype of the neural nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, or nAChRs, are cholinergic receptors that form ligand-gated ion channels in the plasma membranes of certain neurons and on the postsynaptic side of the neuromuscular junction...

s. It showed cognitive enhancing effects in animal studies, and is currently being developed through a collaboration between Targacept and AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca plc is a global pharmaceutical and biologics company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's seventh-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues and has operations in over 100 countries...

 as a potential treatment for schizophrenia

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...

. Phase I clinical trials have been completed successfully, and it is currently in Phase II trials.

In May 2011, AstraZeneca declined to exercise its right to license the compound.