5-FADB is a drug that has been used in research to study the effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine, or serotonin. It is also used to treat chronic pain, anxiety and nausea. In some cases, it has been known to cause seizures, but there are no common side effects.

5-FADB is taken orally as an over-the-counter drug. It can be taken in tablet form or as an oral liquid solution. The tablets are usually taken by mouth once daily with or without food but the dose may vary from one patient to another based on their age and condition being treated.

5-FADB is believed to modulate inflammatory responses through indirect activation of the innate immune system. Specifically, it increases the production of IL-10 and TNF-α by monocytes and macrophages, thereby inhibiting IL-1β and TNF-α production.

5-FADB is a potent inhibitor of the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), which catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid to 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE).

Inhibitors of 5-LOX are being developed for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

The discovery and development of 5-FADB was by Janssen Research & Development (Janssen) researchers in collaboration with researchers from Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is a large membrane bound protein complex composed of multiple copies of three key enzymatic subunits: malonyl coenzyme A (CoA) acyltransferase (MAT), enoyl CoA hydratase/isomerase (ECH), and acyl-CoA synthase (ACS). The MAT subunit has two catalytic activities, which are critical for the first step in de novo fatty acid biosynthesis. It converts malonyl-CoA to malonyl-ACP and then transfers this acyl group to acetyl-CoA, generating malonyl-CoA and acetyl-ACP. The ACS subunit synthesizes palmitate from acetyl-ACP and malonyl-CoA by condensing them together forming palmitoyl-ACP.