YM-348 is an indazole

Indazole

Indazole, also called benzpyrazole or isoindazone, is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound.Indazole derivatives display a broad variety of biological activities....

 derivative drug which acts as a potent and selective 5-HT_2C

5-HT2C receptor

The 5-HT2C receptor is a subtype of 5-HT receptor that binds the endogenous neurotransmitter serotonin . It is a G protein-coupled receptor that is coupled to Gq/G11 and mediates excitatory neurotransmission. HTR2C denotes the human gene encoding for the receptor, that in humans is located at the...

 receptor

Receptor (biochemistry)

In biochemistry, a receptor is a molecule found on the surface of a cell, which receives specific chemical signals from neighbouring cells or the wider environment within an organism...

 agonist

Agonist

An agonist is a chemical that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by that cell. Agonists often mimic the action of a naturally occurring substance...

, with an EC₅₀ of 1nM and 15x selectivity over 5-HT_2A

5-HT2A receptor

The mammalian 5-HT2A receptor is a subtype of the 5-HT2 receptor that belongs to the serotonin receptor family and is a G protein-coupled receptor . This is the main excitatory receptor subtype among the GPCRs for serotonin , although 5-HT2A may also have an inhibitory effect on certain areas such...

, although it only has moderate selectivity of 3x over the closely related 5-HT_2B

5-HT2B receptor

5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2B, also known as HTR2B, is a 5-HT2 receptor, but also denotes the human gene encoding it.-Function:...

 receptor. It has thermogenic and anorectic

Anorectic

An anorectic or anorexic , also known as anorexigenic or appetite suppressant, is a dietary supplement and/or drug which reduces appetite, food consumption, and as a result, causes weight loss to occur.-List of anorectics:Numerous pharmaceutical compounds are marketed as appetite suppressants.The...

 effects in animal studies, making it potentially useful for the treatment of obesity

Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...

.