Pazinaclone is a sedative

Sedative

A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....

 and anxiolytic

Anxiolytic

An anxiolytic is a drug used for the treatment of anxiety, and its related psychological and physical symptoms...

 drug in the cyclopyrrolone family of drugs. Other cyclopyrrolone drugs include zopiclone

Zopiclone

Zopiclone is a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic agent used in the treatment of insomnia. In the United States, zopiclone is not commercially available, although its active stereoisomer, eszopiclone, is sold under the name Lunesta...

 and eszopiclone

Eszopiclone

Eszopiclone, marketed by Sepracor under the brand-name Lunesta, is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic used as a treatment for insomnia. Eszopiclone is the active dextrorotatory stereoisomer of zopiclone, and belongs to the class of drugs known as cyclopyrrolones.Eszopiclone is a short acting...

.

Pazinaclone has a very similar pharmacological profile to the benzodiazepine

Benzodiazepine

A benzodiazepine is a psychoactive drug whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring...

 family of drugs including sedative and anxiolytic properties, but with less amnestic effects, and at low doses it is a relatively selective anxiolytic, with sedative effects only appearing at higher doses.

Pazinaclone produces its sedative and anxiolytic effects by acting as a partial agonist

Partial agonist

Partial agonists bind and activate a given receptor, but have only partial efficacy at the receptor relative to a full agonist...

 at GABA_A benzodiazepine receptors, although pazinaclone is more subtype-selective than most benzodiazepines.