Saccharin

Summary

Saccharin (CHEMBL310671) is a phase-3 clinical-stage small-molecule sweetening agent targeting TAS2R31 and TAS2R43; indicated across 1 condition including epilepsy.

At a glance

• Status: Max clinical phase 3 (not approved)
• Modality: Small molecule
• Targets: 2 (TAS2R31, TAS2R43)
• Indications: 1 condition
• Clinical trials: 9
• Chemistry: 183.19 Da · C7H5NO3S

Identifiers

Drug identity and classification

Field	Value
ChEMBL ID	CHEMBL310671
Name	Saccharin
Type	Small molecule
Max phase	3
FDA approved	no
PubChem CID	5143
ChEBI	CHEBI:32111
Molecular formula	C7H5NO3S
Molecular weight	183.19
InChIKey	CVHZOJJKTDOEJC-UHFFFAOYSA-N

SMILES: C1=CC=C2C(=C1)C(=O)NS2(=O)=O

IUPAC name: 1,1-dioxo-1,2-benzothiazol-3-one

ChEBI definition: A 1,2-benzisothiazole having a keto-group at the 3-position and two oxo substituents at the 1-position. It is used as an artificial sweetening agent.

Pharmacological roles (ChEBI): sweetening agent.

Other ChEBI roles (chemical / environmental): xenobiotic, environmental contaminant.

Also known as: E-954(I), E954, INS NO.954(I), INS-954(I), NSC-5349, Saccharin, Saccharinum, saccharin, SID26748529, SID26753733, SID85267858, SID144204911

Parent form; salt/anhydrous children: CHEMBL2447917

Patent coverage: 75,784 distinct patent families (216,311 SureChEMBL compound mentions), from 4 matched compound structure(s). One matched structure accounts for 209,395 (97%) of the total. Mentions count patents naming the compound (not distinct inventions), so promiscuous / reference molecules inflate the mention figure — families are the dedup metric.

Targets

Targets

Primary targets (GtoPdb curated mechanism): the Cancer dependency column is the DepMap CRISPR fitness signal (% of screened cell lines dependent on the target).

Gene	Target	Action	pAffinity	Cancer dependency	UniProt
TAS2R31	TAS2R31	Agonist	2.96	0%	P59538
TAS2R43	TAS2R43	Agonist	2.77	0.9%	P59537

Broader ChEMBL bioactivity targets: 19 (assay-derived). Sample: Lysine-specific demethylase 4E, Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 2, Prelamin-A/C, Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2A, Cholinesterase, Carbonic anhydrase 2, Carbonic anhydrase 7, Carbonic anhydrase 1, Carbonic anhydrase 6, Carbonic anhydrase 12, Carbonic anhydrase 14, Carbonic anhydrase 9, Carbonic anhydrase 4, Carbonic anhydrase 5B, mitochondrial, Carbonic anhydrase 5A, mitochondrial, Carbonic anhydrase, Beta-carbonic anhydrase 1, Carbonic anhydrase, Carbonic anhydrase 2.

Bioactivity

ChEMBL activities: 74 potent at pChembl ≥ 5 of 107 total. Top 100 by potency (10 = 0.1 nM, 6 = 1 µM):

Target	pChembl	Type	Value	Unit	Activity ID
LMNA	8.25	Potency	5.6	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_3622068
CA7	8	Ki	10	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14567644
CA7	8	Ki	10	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19149343
CA7	8	Ki	10	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19404857
CA9	7	Ki	100	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18126226
CA9	7	Ki	100	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18407152
CA9	6.99	Ki	103	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_12667898
CA9	6.99	Ki	103	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_13945816
CA9	6.99	Ki	103	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14567645
CA9	6.99	Ki	103	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16460074
CA9	6.99	Ki	103	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18097063
CA9	6.99	Ki	103	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19149366
CA9	6.99	Ki	103	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19404839
CA9	6.99	Ki	103	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2090950
CA9	6.99	Ki	103	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_25873097
CA12	6.2	Ki	633	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_13945785
CA12	6.2	Ki	633	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14567657
CA12	6.2	Ki	633	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16460103
CA12	6.2	Ki	633	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18097078
CA12	6.2	Ki	633	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19149389
CA12	6.2	Ki	633	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19404869
CA12	6.2	Ki	633	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2090964
CA12	6.19	Ki	650	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18126224
Q5AJ71	6.13	Ki	736	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2684037
CA14	6.11	Ki	773	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14567658
P9WPJ9	6.1	Ki	792	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2943543
CA6	6.03	Ki	935	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14567643
CA6	6.03	Ki	935	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_5131597
BCHE	5.44	IC50	3600	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14995516
CA2	5.29	Ki	5180	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_8061147
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_12161323
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_12655972
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_12667899
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_13286720
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_13865734
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_13945847
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14567628
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14661468
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_15108421
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_15170049
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_15177704
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_15674572
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16390803
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16415184
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16451230
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16460045
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16478449
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16519999
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_17997782
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18097048
CA2	5.22	Ki	6000	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18126228
CA2	5.22	Ki	6000	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18407148
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19149297
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19404814
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2090936
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2421915
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2494437
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2525228
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_25873095
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2684143
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2917444
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2943507
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_3400263
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_5131556
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_5297083
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_6320724
CA2	5.22	Ki	5950	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_8024635
CA2	5.22	Ki	5959	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_8061135
CA5B	5.14	Ki	7210	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14567642
CA2	5.13	Ki	7470	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_8061159
CA4	5.1	Ki	7920	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14567640
CA4	5.1	Ki	7920	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19149320
P9WPJ7	5.1	Ki	7960	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2525229
CA5A	5	Ki	10060	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14567641

Target pathways

Aggregated over 2 target gene(s): TAS2R31, TAS2R43.

Top Reactome pathways

9 total, by targets touching each:

Pathway	Targets	Genes
Signal Transduction	2	TAS2R31, TAS2R43
Signaling by GPCR	2	TAS2R31, TAS2R43
GPCR downstream signalling	2	TAS2R31, TAS2R43
G alpha (i) signalling events	2	TAS2R31, TAS2R43
Class C/3 (Metabotropic glutamate/pheromone receptors)	2	TAS2R31, TAS2R43
GPCR ligand binding	2	TAS2R31, TAS2R43
Sensory Perception	2	TAS2R31, TAS2R43
Sensory perception of taste	2	TAS2R31, TAS2R43
Sensory perception of sweet, bitter, and umami (glutamate) taste	2	TAS2R31, TAS2R43

Dominant GO biological processes

GO term	Targets
detection of chemical stimulus involved in sensory perception of bitter taste	2
signal transduction	2
G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway	2
sensory perception of taste	2

Indications & clinical

Indications

1 disease in clinical trials (phase 1–3, investigational — not approved indications). Highest ChEMBL trial phase per disease; a non-cancer approved use is occasionally logged at phase 3 here.

Disease (in trials)	Phase	MONDO	EFO
epilepsy	3	MONDO:0005027	EFO:0000474

Clinical trials

Total trials: 9.

Phase distribution

Phase	Trials
Not specified	8
PHASE3	1

Top trials by phase / activity

NCT	Phase	Status	Title
NCT02318446	PHASE3	UNKNOWN	Efficacy Study of Folic Acid Supplementation in Adolescent Epileptics
NCT07124585	Not specified	NOT_YET_RECRUITING	Short-Term Effects of Sucralose and Saccharin on Blood Sugar and Gut Microbiota in Type 2 Diabetes
NCT07377097	Not specified	NOT_YET_RECRUITING	Effects of Sweetener Consumption on Risk Factors for Heart Disease in Prediabetic Subjects
NCT02459535	Not specified	COMPLETED	Immediate and Long-term Induction of Incretin Release by Artificial Sweeteners 1
NCT02580110	Not specified	COMPLETED	On the Impact of Common Sweetening Agents on Glucose Regulation, Cognitive Functioning and Gut Microbiota
NCT02835859	Not specified	COMPLETED	Intestinal Sweet Taste Receptor Function and Adaptation to Dietary Sugars and Sweeteners
NCT03708939	Not specified	COMPLETED	Microbiome and Non-caloric Sweeteners in Humans
NCT04578431	Not specified	COMPLETED	Artificial Sweeteners in Breast Milk
NCT05229380	Not specified	UNKNOWN	Pretympanoplasty Assessment of Patency and Mucociliary Function of Eustachian Tube

Clinical evidence (CIViC)

No CIViC predictive evidence (expected for non-precision-medicine drugs).

Pharmacology

Pharmacogenomics

No PharmGKB pharmacogenomic data curated for this drug.

Related molecules

Related molecules

Molecules sharing ≥1 of this drug’s curated primary targets, merged from two biobtree sources and ranked by shared-target count, then clinical phase: ChEMBL clinical-stage candidates (development phase ≥2) and PubChem drug-class bioactivity (approved / known drugs acting on the target). Deduplicated by drug name; the drug’s own salt forms are excluded. Note: for a drug with few primary targets a shared-target match can reflect off-target / promiscuous binding rather than the same therapeutic mechanism — the phase ordering surfaces bona-fide therapeutics first.

1 molecules share ≥1 primary target. Top 1 by shared-target count:

Molecule	Source	Status	Shared targets
ISOPROTERENOL	ChEMBL	Phase 4 (approved)	TAS2R31, TAS2R43