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news.Company will provide CPP-109, a version of vigabatrin, to facilitate the study
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Catalyst Pharmaceutical (Catalyst) has reported that a team of neuroscientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System (LIJ) has received a $1.2m grant from the US Department of Defense (DOD). The grant is awarded to conduct an animal study of the use of vigabatrin in combination with opiates to effectively manage pain while reducing the potential for opiate addiction. Catalyst has agreed to provide CPP-109, Catalyst’s version of vigabatrin, to facilitate the study.
Reportedly, the goal of the grant is to begin to develop a treatment strategy that seeks to eliminate the addictive liability of morphine while maintaining its ability to manage pain.
The company said that the proof-of-concept animal study that employs a pain paradigm rat model in conjunction with a measure of drug-seeking behavior that is commonly used to determine the appetitive value of morphine at doses that are minimally sufficient to effectively manage formalin-induced pain.
The brain imaging experiments with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) will be used to show neurochemical and metabolic changes as they relate to efficacy in this proposed treatment strategy. The study will be conducted at The Feinstein Institute.
The company added that the study builds upon previous data that have shown vigabatrin’s ability to reduce the abuse liability of many abused compounds, including opiates. On the basis of preliminary data, it is believed that vigabatrin will not diminish the pain relief associated with opiates.
Patrick McEnany, CEO of Catalyst, said: “We are pleased to be able to participate in this important investigator study. Opioid abuse is a significant problem within the military as well as our population at-large. We believe that CPP-109 can be effective for a variety of abused substances and look forward to advancing the drug on multiple fronts.
“The award of this grant to Drs Schiffer and Dewey and our participation in this study is just one example of our strategy to work with partners in academia, government and industry to advance CPP-109 as a therapy for substance abuse and obsessive-compulsive disorders.”