Lightlake Therapeutics, Inc. Acquires a Patent With the Potential to Establish a New Treatment Paradigm to Terminate Addiction t
16 Dezember 2010 - 4:33PM
Lightlake Therapeutics Inc (OTCBB:LLTP) has acquired US Patent
5,587,381, entitled: 'Method for terminating methadone maintenance
through extinction of the opiate-taking responses', using an opioid
antagonist as treatment. The Patent also covers treatment for
addiction to other legally available opioids and to stimulant drugs
such as Cocaine and Amphetamines.
Unmet Need
Opiate addiction is a major worldwide health problem.
Traditional treatments attempt to increase the addict's willpower
to withstand the craving for opiates but do not decrease the
craving itself. For a large percentage of addicts this is not
sufficient; eventually they give in to the craving and resume using
the drugs.
In the USA alone there are more than 2 million adults abusing
prescription pain killers such as Oxycontin and Vicodin, 5 million
people taking cocaine regularly, 700,000 regular amphetamine users
and thousands of methadone or buprenorphine dependent patients.
Despite the huge rising number of patients with dependency to
both legal and illegal substances, there are few effective
treatment options for physicians. In particular, methadone
treatment represents a significant challenge, whereby patients
commonly replace heroin addiction with lifelong methadone
dependency, and still exhibit cravings and other opioid associated
side-effects, and are unable to terminate the treatment.
The Patent 5,587,381 provides a safe and effective method for
terminating methadone maintenance. After controlled withdrawal, the
patient takes methadone while an opiate antagonists blocks positive
reinforcement. As a result, the methadone-taking responses are
extinguished and the craving for methadone is eliminated. An
additional procedure is also provided to help guard against
resumption of opiate use.
Learning from Dr. David Sinclair's pioneering work for
alcohol addiction
Using the opioid antagonist naltrexone, Lightlake's Chief
Science Officer Dr. David Sinclair, Ph.D., has demonstrated a
78% success rate for the treatment of alcohol addiction, through
safely blocking the opioidergic system. There are over 70 more
clinical trials that support this therapeutic methodology.
Addiction to opioids such as Oxycontin, cocaine, d-amphetamine
and MDMA occurs through the opioidergic system, and therefore this
same approach should treat a patient's addiction safely and
effectively.
Successful treatment of addiction to amphetamine with naltrexone
was recently demonstrated at the Karolinska Institute in
Sweden.
Dr. Roger Crystal, CEO of Lightlake Therapeutics,
commented: 'We are very excited to leverage our
capabilities into new therapeutic areas. The potential to expand
our pipeline into this area is important progress for Lightlake
Therapeutics."
Dr. Michael Sinclair, Chairman, added: "Opioid
antagonists are a safe and effective way to treat addictive
behaviors. We are currently addressing binge eating obesity through
an opioid antagonist nasal spray, and we will be announcing further
strategic developments in the future."
About Lightlake Therapeutics
Lightlake Therapeutics is a Biopharmaceutical Company aiming to
build a solid platform of pharmacological treatments based on its
expertise using opioid antagonists. The company, through its labs
in Helsinki, is currently in phase II trials in the use of an
opioid antagonist nasal spray to address binge-eating obesity.
Phase II trials are expected to be completed during 2011.
About Obesity
According to The Obesity Society, more than 65% of U.S. adults
are either overweight or obese, and of that number, 33% fall into
the category of obese. Over 20% of children and adolescents, ages
6-11 and 12-19, are obese. Even more alarming is the fact that
these numbers are rising.
Health Care System costs impacted by obesity:
- Direct costs: $125 billion
- Indirect costs: $90 billion
- Total costs: $215 billion
This press release contains forward-looking information within
the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject
to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material
contains statements about expected future events and/or financial
results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and
uncertainties. For those statements, the Company claims the
protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements
provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995 and any amendments thereto. Such forward-looking
statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other
factors which may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of the Company to be materially different from the
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements. In particular, there is no
assurance that production, pricing levels or other factors
pertaining to the manufacturing and retail operations will be
sustained at the expected rates or levels over time. Discussions of
factors, which may affect future results, are contained in the
Company's most recent SEC filings.
For more information visit
http://www.lightlaketherapeutics.com/
CONTACT: Lightlake Therapeutics, Inc.
44-207-034-1943
Roger Crystal, CEO
Roger.crystal@lightlake.fi
Dr. Michael Sinclair, Chairman
msinclair@carecapital.co.uk
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