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news.US-based drug development firm Savant HWP has started human safety testing of 18-MC, an experimental treatment for many forms of addiction and compulsive behaviour, with an initial focus on cocaine and opiate dependencies.
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18-MC is an alpha-3-beta-4 nicotinic receptor antagonist that modulates excessive dopamine fluctuations in the mesolimbic system of the brain and this mechanism of action differs from all existing medications used to treat addiction.
The company’s South American partner had conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled human safety trial of a single dose of 18-MC, which showed that the experimental drug was well tolerated by healthy volunteers.
Currently, 18-MC is being developed by the company’s South American partner to treat leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that is widespread in parts of the tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe.
Savant HWP co-founder, chairman and chief medical officer Scott Freeman said it is particularly rewarding to announce the start of human safety testing for 18-MC during National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.
"I am pleased with our partner’s progress with the trial and that 18-MC has been well tolerated in the volunteers who received the drug to date," Freeman said.
"Safety and dose-ranging studies are continuing, and we expect to present detailed results at medical meetings and in scientific publications at the conclusion of the trial."