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Alcohol Treatment Research: Avigen initiates opioid withdrawal trial
Avigen, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGN), a biopharmaceutical company innovating therapeutics for neurological care, recently announced the launch of an exploratory study of the company's pipeline product, AV411 (ibudilast), for the treatment of opioid withdrawal symptoms. The study is largely funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and will be run jointly by the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) and Columbia University.
"We are excited to participate in a study of this stature in partnership with NIDA, NYSPI and Columbia," said Kenneth Chahine, Ph.D., J.D., Avigen's President and Chief Executive Officer. "This trial builds upon our research of AV411's unique glial-attenuating properties and will complement Avigen's clinical studies of AV411 to treat neuropathic pain. We believe both of these exploratory paths may show that AV411 can become a breakthrough therapy for these disabling disorders."
"NIDA has chosen to fund this study based on its review of Avigen's research and its interest in the role of glial-attenuation as a novel way to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms, a common result of opioid abuse that can hinder recovery," said Frank J. Vocci, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). "This is truly an unmet medical need in this country. The nonmedical use or abuse of prescription drugs - primarily opioids - is a serious and growing public health problem. In fact, an estimated 33 million people have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons in their lifetimes - approximately 15 percent of the U.S. adult population."
The clinical study will assess the safety and tolerability of AV411, a non-opioid compound, when administered twice daily to heroin addicts who are maintained on morphine, a commonly used opiate analgesic drug, over a 14-day period. The trial will assess preliminary efficacy of AV411 for reducing the symptoms of opioid withdrawal.
"In preclinical studies, opioid treatment induces brain glial cell activation that correlates with both opioid tolerance and dependence," explained the study's principle investigator, Sandra D. Comer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Neurobiology at NYSPI and Columbia University. "Preclinical studies have shown that AV411 can attenuate the behavioral signs of opioid withdrawal and corresponding glial cell activation without conferring adverse side effects. My research team and our partners are eager to confirm these findings in humans and help move this potentially important new medicine through clinical development."
Article published on 29/10/2008 by DryOutNow.com
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Alcohol Treatment Research

National rates of co-occurring substance use and mental disorders call for better integration of men
Two studies published in the December issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry have found that multi-level integration is ........more
Study will seek to break cycle of chemical dependence and incarceration
After serving time, prisoners battling heroin addiction, mental illness and HIV face many challenges as they re-enter society. As ........more
Resolving to break an addiction - Help from Harvard Medical School
The Harvard Medical School has released some advice for those resolving to break their addiction this New Year. This advice is ........more
Casual smokers have a greater risk of hazardous drinking and alcohol-use disorders
A new study of casual smoking and drinking behaviour has found that non-daily smoking confers an increased risk of hazardous ........more
Peptide ghrelin may be involved in both alcohol dependence and overeating
Ghrelin is a peptide, mainly produced in the stomach, but also found in small amounts in the brain. It is known to affect food ........more
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