AWD 131-138 is a partial agonist of the GABAA receptor that acts at the benzodiazepine binding site, dose-dependently stimulating GABA currents with a threshold of 0.3-1.0 μM. This effect is blocked by the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil . AWD 131-138 displays a broad spectrum of anticonvulsant activity in diverse seizure and epilepsy models without a tendency toward tolerance or abuse. It has a superior pharmacokinetic profile in dogs vs. humans.