Triciribine is a DNA synthesis inhibitor, also inhibits Akt and HIV-1 with IC50 of 130 nM and 20 nM, respectively; does not inhibit PI3K/PDK1; 5000-fold less active in cells lacking adenosine kinase.

Akt-1, -2, and -3 are serine/threonine protein kinases in the phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase signalling pathway that play a critical role in the regulation of cell proliferation and survival.Following recruitment of Akt to the plasma membrane, phosphorylation at threonine 308 and serine 473 (Akt-1 numbering) by phosphoinositide-dependent kinases (PDK) 1 and 2 results in full activation of the enzyme. Triciribine is a cell-permeable tricyclic nucleoside that inhibits the phosphorylation, activation, and signalling of Akt-1, -2, and -3.It does not inhibit phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-Kinase or PDK1, the direct upstream activators of Akt, nor does it inhibit PKC, PKA, ERK1/2, serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase, p38, STAT3, or JNK signalling pathways.Triciribine effectively inhibits growth of Akt-overexpressing human cancer cell lines in vitro with 50% inhibition at ~5-10 µM. It also inhibit growth of tumor xenografts in mice by greater than 80% at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day.