Pracinostat is a hydroxamic acid and an olefinic compound, specifically an N-hydroxyacrylamide substituted at position 3 with a 2-butyl-1-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl group (the E isomer). It is an orally available pan-histone deacetylase inhibitor with activity in the treatment of advanced solid tumours. It functions as an EC 3.5.1.98 (histone deacetylase) inhibitor, an antineoplastic agent, an apoptosis inducer, and an antimalarial. It is also a benzimidazole and a tertiary amino compound.
