HBL20016 is a non-selective serotonin receptor agonist and serotonergic psychedelic.
It acts as an agonist of the serotonin 5-HT<sub>1A</sub>, 5-HT<sub>2A</sub>, 5-HT<sub>2B</sub>, and 5-HT<sub>2C</sub> receptors. Its activational potencies () are 645nM for the serotonin 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> receptor, 1.64nM for the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> receptor, 3.42nM for the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2B</sub> receptor, and 8.37nM for the serotonin 5-HT<sub>2C</sub> 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 obsessiveâÂÂcompulsive disorder.