Lightlake Therapeutics, Inc. acquires a patent with the potential to establish a new treatment paradigm
to terminate addiction to legal and illegal drugs.
Lightlake Therapeutics Inc (LLTP OTCBB) 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 will power 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, Dr Sinclair 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.lightaketherapeutics.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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