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KCNQ2 (Kv7.2) and KCNQ3 (Kv7.3) are voltage-gated K ϩ channel subunits that underlie the neuronal M current. In humans, mutations in these genes lead to a rare form of neonatal epilepsy (Biervert et al., 1998;Singh et al., 1998), suggesting that KCNQ2/Q3 channels may be attractive targets for novel antiepileptic drugs. In the present study, we have identified the compound N- (6-chloro-pyridin-3-yl)-3,4-difluoro-benzamide (ICA-27243) as a selective activator of the neuronal M current and KCNQ2/Q3 channels. In SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, ICA-27243 produced membrane potential hyperpolarization that could be prevented by coadministration with the M-current inhibitors 10,10-bis(4-pyridinylmethyl)-9(10H)-anthracenone dihydrochloride (XE-991) and linopirdine. ICA-27243 enhanced both 86 Rb ϩ efflux (EC 50 ϭ 0.2 M) and whole-cell currents in Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing heteromultimeric KCNQ2/Q3 channels (EC 50 ϭ 0.4 M). Activation of KCNQ2/Q3 channels was associated with a hyperpolarizing shift of the voltage dependence of channel activation (V 1/2 shift of Ϫ19 mV at 10 M). In contrast, ICA-27243 was less effective at activating KCNQ4 and KCNQ3/Q5 and was selective over a wide range of neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels such as voltagedependent sodium channels and GABA-gated chloride channels. ICA-27243 (1-10 M) was found to reversibly suppress seizure-like activity in an ex vivo hippocampal slice model of epilepsy and demonstrated in vivo anticonvulsant activity (ED 50 ϭ 8.4 mg/kg) in the mouse maximal electroshock epilepsy model. In conclusion, ICA-27243 represents the first member of a novel chemical class of selective KCNQ2/Q3 activators with anticonvulsant-like activity in experimental models of epilepsy.