BN201, a chemical compound, actively crosses the blood-brain barrier and activates the IGF-1 pathway, which is associated with stress response and neuron survival. It facilitates neuronal differentiation and the maturation of precursor cells into oligodendrocytes with an EC50 of 6.3 μM, in addition to promoting the myelination of new axons with an EC50 of 16.6 μM in vitro. BN201 exhibits potent neuroprotective effects[1].

BN201 promotes the survival of cultured neural cells when subjected to oxidative stress or when deprived of trophic factors[1]. BN201 (10 μM; 0.5-4 hours; Hela cells) treatment induces the phosphorylation of NDGR1 in Hela cells in a time-dependent manner[1].

BN201 (12.5-150 mg/kg; intraperitoneal injection; daily; for 30 days; female C57BL/6 mice) treatment shows less axonal loss and neuron loss in both the spinal cord and in the optic nerve than the animals that received placebo[1].