A-40174
A nitrogen-containing synthetic cannabinoid from Abbott, studied in animals in the 1970s, never marketed.
Harm-reduction warning
No characterised human dose: animal / in vitro data only. Effect profile, safety margin and acute toxicity are not documented in human clinical practice. Extremely potent compound: severe effects, seizures and deaths reported in the literature.
C₂₆H₃₇NO₂
CAS 26685-57-4
- Family
- Synthetic CB receptor agonistResearch ligand or medicine
- Molar mass
- 395.60 g/mol
Updated on
In plain terms
A-40174 is a laboratory molecule, created in the 1970s by the American laboratory Abbott from the chemical skeleton of cannabis. It is not found in the plant and was never sold as a medicine. Everything known comes from old animal studies; no study in humans was found.
Receptors and activity
Target network
- Activates
The lower the cited value, the closer the target sits to A-40174: one ring per factor of 100. A target with no measured value stays on the edge.
Where these targets live
Where each target has been found in humans, according to the cited studies. The map shows the target, not an effect of A-40174.
CB1CB1 found in 7 regions of the body
- Basal gangliadenseMost dense in basal ganglia outflow nuclei1
- CerebellumdenseVery dense in the cerebellum1
- HippocampusdenseVery high concentrations in the hippocampus2
- AmygdaladenseHigh concentrations in the amygdala2
- CortexpresentPresent throughout the neocortex2
- Adipose tissuepresentExpressed in adipose tissue3
- GutpresentColonic epithelium, smooth muscle and plexus4
Map sources
- Herkenham M et al. Cannabinoid receptor localization in brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1990 (new tab)
- Glass M et al. Cannabinoid receptors in the human brain: a detailed anatomical and quantitative autoradiographic study in the fetal, neonatal and adult human brain. Neuroscience, 1997 (new tab)
- Engeli S et al. Activation of the peripheral endocannabinoid system in human obesity. Diabetes, 2005 (new tab)
- Wright K et al. Differential expression of cannabinoid receptors in the human colon: cannabinoids promote epithelial wound healing. Gastroenterology, 2005 (new tab)
Cited values
- CB1Agonistno measured value cited
Agonism presumed from the cannabinoid-like in vivo profile and the structural kinship with THC; no binding or activity measurement at CB1 was found
Pharmacology
A-40174 is an azacannabinoid: the tricycle of tetrahydrocannabinol is kept, but one carbon of the third ring is replaced by a nitrogen carrying a propargyl group (a chromeno[4,3-c]pyridine nucleus), and the pentyl chain of THC gives way to a 1,2-dimethylheptyl chain, that of dimethylheptylpyran. The work published by Abbott between 1976 and 1983 describes for this series of nitrogen analogues a cannabinoid-type pharmacological activity in animals (analgesic, tranquilliser, antihypertensive, hypnotic, antisecretory; Winn et al. 1976), the N-propargyl derivatives being strongly depressant of the central nervous system (Zaugg and Kyncl 1983). Cannabinoid receptors were not identified at the time: no affinity or functional activity at CB1 or CB2 was found for this molecule, nor any metabolic data or trial in humans.
Key sources.
- Winn M et al. Drugs derived from cannabinoids. 5. Δ6a,10a-Tetrahydrocannabinol and heterocyclic analogs containing aromatic side chains. J Med Chem, 1976 (new tab)PMID 817021
- Lee CM et al. Cannabinoids. Synthesis and central nervous system activity of 8-substituted 10-hydroxy-5,5-dimethyl-5H-[1]benzopyrano[4,3-c]pyridine and derivatives. J Med Chem, 1977 (new tab)PMID 915915
- Osgood PF, Howes JF, Razdan RK, Pars HG. Drugs derived from cannabinoids. 7. Tachycardia and analgesia structure-activity relationships in Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and some synthetic analogues. J Med Chem, 1978 (new tab)PMID 691006
- Zaugg HE, Kyncl J. New antihypertensive cannabinoids. J Med Chem, 1983 (new tab)PMID 6827538
- Lee CM et al. New azacannabinoids highly active in the central nervous system. J Med Chem, 1983 (new tab)PMID 6681843
- ANSM, decision of 22/05/2024 amending the list of substances classified as narcotics (generic family of the benzo[c]chromene nucleus) (new tab)
- PubChem, A-40174, CID 99040 (identifiers and properties) (new tab)
History
- Source
- An entirely synthetic molecule from a medicinal chemistry programme at Abbott Laboratories on analogues of the cannabinoid nucleus in the 1970s. It is known neither in hemp nor in any living organism.
Origin
Laboratory synthesis
No known biological pathway. A-40174 is produced by no plant or animal: it is a synthetic compound built on a chromeno[4,3-c]pyridine nucleus, unrelated to the cannabigerolic acid pathway that gives rise to hemp cannabinoids.
Legal framework
- European Union
The substance is not listed in the Annex to Council Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA (consolidated version of 12 January 2026), which lists the new psychoactive substances controlled at European Union level; control is a matter for national law. No marketing authorisation was found; the compound is described only in the research literature.
- France
Not classified: A-40174 is not named on the ANSM consolidated list of narcotics (updated 16/02/2026). On a literal reading, it falls neither within the tetrahydrocannabinols entry (annex III) nor within the generic benzo[c]chromene ring family (annex IV, decisions of 22 May and 3 June 2024), which presupposes a carbocyclic ring A: here, that ring is replaced by an N-propargylated tetrahydropyridine (chromeno[4,3-c]pyridine nucleus). No other generic family of annex IV (indole, indazole, pyrrole, cyclohexylphenol…) covers it. No marketing authorisation was found.
Sources: EUR-Lex, UNODC, CND, ANSM, IUPHAR/BPS, ChEBI, EUDA. Our method.
Classification
Family, origin and source verification
- Family
Synthetic CB receptor agonist › Research ligand or medicine
- Class
classical
- Verification
Classification, sources and binding values checked on 20 October 2026; text read against its sources and Wikipedia.
- Wikipedia (English)
Article paired by the molecule's structure (InChIKey), revision read on 19 October 2026. Read as a second opinion, never cited as a source.
References
- Winn M et al. Drugs derived from cannabinoids. 5. Δ6a,10a-Tetrahydrocannabinol and heterocyclic analogs containing aromatic side chains. J Med Chem, 1976 (new tab)PMID 817021
- Lee CM et al. Cannabinoids. Synthesis and central nervous system activity of 8-substituted 10-hydroxy-5,5-dimethyl-5H-[1]benzopyrano[4,3-c]pyridine and derivatives. J Med Chem, 1977 (new tab)PMID 915915
- Osgood PF, Howes JF, Razdan RK, Pars HG. Drugs derived from cannabinoids. 7. Tachycardia and analgesia structure-activity relationships in Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and some synthetic analogues. J Med Chem, 1978 (new tab)PMID 691006
- Zaugg HE, Kyncl J. New antihypertensive cannabinoids. J Med Chem, 1983 (new tab)PMID 6827538
- Lee CM et al. New azacannabinoids highly active in the central nervous system. J Med Chem, 1983 (new tab)PMID 6681843
- ANSM, decision of 22/05/2024 amending the list of substances classified as narcotics (generic family of the benzo[c]chromene nucleus) (new tab)
- PubChem, A-40174, CID 99040 (identifiers and properties) (new tab)
Identifiers
Names
- IUPAC name
- 5,5-dimethyl-8-(3-methyloctan-2-yl)-2-prop-2-ynyl-3,4-dihydro-1H-chromeno[4,3-c]pyridin-10-ol
- Other names
- Abbott 40174 · A 40174 · SP-1 · NSC-167790
Identifiers
- Formula
- C₂₆H₃₇NO₂
- CAS
- 26685-57-4
- PubChem CID
- 99040(new tab)
- InChIKey
- PNEYWTKVWJBOMD-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- SMILES
- CCCCCC(C)
C(C) C1= CC2= C(C3= C(CCN(C3) CC#C) C(O2) (C) C) C(= C1) O
LLM ingestion format: a structured superset of the entry (identifiers, binding, versioned legal status). Full corpus.