Vinpocetine
| Evidence Level: L5 | Predicted Indications: 7 |
Table of Contents
Vinpocetine: From Dementia to Coronary Artery Disease
One-Sentence Summary
Vinpocetine is a drug originally used for dementia and cerebrovascular and cognitive disorders. The TxGNN model predicts it may be effective for Coronary Artery Disease, but no clinical trials and only 2 loosely related publications (neither specific to coronary disease) currently support this prediction. The evidence is essentially computational.
Quick Overview
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Original Indication | Dementia |
| Predicted New Indication | Coronary artery disease |
| TxGNN Prediction Score | 0.9990 |
| Evidence Level | L5 |
| India Market Status | Listed in a compiled Indian medicine price dataset (13 of 13) – CDSCO approval status is not included in this data |
| Number of Listed Products | 13 (valid: 13) |
| Recommended Decision | Hold |
Why is This Prediction Reasonable?
Detailed mechanism-of-action data is not available in the data compiled for this report. Based on known pharmacology, vinpocetine inhibits phosphodiesterase 1 (PDE1A and PDE1C are listed as targets), which raises cyclic nucleotide levels and promotes vasodilation. It is also described as a voltage-gated sodium channel blocker with anti-inflammatory activity (for example, IKK inhibition).
Its established uses are in cerebrovascular disorders and age-related memory impairment, where it is thought to increase cerebral blood flow and provide neuroprotection. Coronary artery disease is also a vascular disease, so a vasodilatory and anti-inflammatory drug could plausibly be relevant.
This link is indirect. The available literature covers cerebrovascular disease and hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodelling, not coronary artery disease. The high TxGNN score is a computational prediction only.
Related preclinical work exists for a neighbouring indication, myocardial ischemia (ranked second). Two animal studies report cardioprotective effects of vinpocetine, one in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats (2019) and one in mouse ischemia/reperfusion injury (2026). This supports a cardiovascular signal, but only in animals.
Clinical Trial Evidence
Currently no related clinical trials registered.
Literature Evidence
| PMID | Year | Type | Journal | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17631470 | 2007 | Review | Orvosi Hetilap | Reviews human studies of vinpocetine in cerebrovascular disease. Increasing cerebral blood flow may help patients with chronic hypoperfusion. Not specific to coronary disease. |
| 15377497 | 2005 | Preclinical | Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol | cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors potentiate prostacyclin analogs in hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodelling. Indirect, non-coronary evidence. |
India Market Information
| Authorization Number | Product Name | Dosage Form | Approved Indication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35786 | COGNITOL 5 MG TABLET (Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd) | Strip of 10 tablets | Not specified |
| 40975 | Cogvin 10mg Tablet (Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd) | Strip of 10 tablets | Not specified |
| 36214 | Cogvin 5mg Tablet (Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd) | Strip of 10 tablets | Not specified |
| 150661 | Neurovin Tablet (Micro Labs Ltd) | Strip of 10 tablets | Not specified |
| 28592 | Brainpro 10mg Tablet (Vatican Life Sciences Pvt Ltd) | Strip of 10 tablets | Not specified |
There are 13 valid single-ingredient registrations in total, all oral tablets.
Safety Considerations
- Drug Interactions: The interaction query completed with 2 entries. Both are pharmacological target relationships rather than drug-drug interactions: vinpocetine acts on phosphodiesterase 1A (PDE1A) and phosphodiesterase 1C (PDE1C). No interaction severity levels are available.
Please refer to the package insert for warnings and contraindications.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Decision: Hold
Rationale: The coronary artery disease prediction rests only on a computational score. There are no clinical trials, and the supplied literature does not address coronary disease. Animal data for the related indication of myocardial ischemia are encouraging but preclinical.
To proceed, the following is needed:
- Package insert warnings and contraindications from the Indian regulatory sources, which is a blocking gap for safety screening
- Detailed mechanism-of-action data (for example, from DrugBank)
- Direct evidence in coronary artery disease, such as targeted literature searches or preclinical models
- Further evaluation of myocardial ischemia as a more evidence-supported research question
- Human cardiac safety and efficacy data before any clinical development
Disclaimer
This content is for research purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical validation is required before any clinical application.