Technology Commercialization and Partnerships | BSA 00-34: Treatment for Drug Abuse

BSA 00-34: Treatment for Drug Abuse

BNL Reference Number: BSA 00-34

Patent Status: U.S. Patent Number 6,906,099 was issued on June 14, 2005

Summary

Substance addictions and the resulting behaviors can create enormous personal, social, and economic problems with devastating consequences. There is considerable evidence that drug addiction is linked to a dopamine re-uptake blockade in the central nervous system's reward/reinforcement pathways. This novel application of topiramate, a known pharmaceutical, helps control dopamine pathways and provides an efficient method for diminishing, inhibiting, or even eliminating addiction-related behavior in those suffering from drug addiction.

Description

The addictive liability of drugs such as cocaine, nicotine, methamphetamine, morphine, heroin, ethanol, or other drugs of abuse has been linked to their pharmacological actions on mesotelencephalic dopamine (DA) reinforcement/reward pathways in the central nervous system (CNS). Dopaminergic transmission within these pathways is modulated by gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). This new technology describes the use of pharmaceutical compositions that increases central nervous system GABA levels to treat. Also provided are methods for diminishing, inhibiting or eliminating the addiction-related behavior of mammals. Topiramate (available as Topomax.RTM.) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of topiramate represent the preferred pharmaceutical composition to treat these addictions.

Benefits

The described treatment can relieve a patient's craving by changing the pharmacological actions of drugs of abuse in the central nervous system. Critically, a single drug can be used to treat combination drug abuse, making it more broadly effective and easier to implement than drug-specific treatments.

Applications and Industries

This method for treating substance addiction, especially in patients addicted to a combination of drugs, can be quickly deployed by pharmaceutical companies and integrated into hospital clinics, rehabilitation facilities, and other medical industries.