Nutra Pharma Corp. (OTCBB: NPHC), a biotechnology company that is developing drugs for HIV and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has today announced that its drug development holding, ReceptoPharm, has successfully completed a study of RPI-78. RPI-78 is ReceptoPharm’s lead drug candidate being studied for the treatment of pain.
The continuing pain studies, being conducted in collaboration with Soochow University, recently found that RPI-78 was successful in controlling pain with a long duration of effect. A previous study, entitled, “A long-form alpha-neurotoxin from cobra venom produces potent opioid-independent analgesia” was published in the April 2006 issue of Acta Pharmacologica Sinica and explored the pain relieving effects of cobratoxin on laboratory mice. The latest data demonstrated that RPI-78 was as effective as morphine at blocking pain signals in that part of the brain that signals the presence of pain. It was also confirmed that the drug did not use an opioid mechanism. Moreover, the duration of RPI-78’s effect was superior to morphine’s.
“Given the positive results of our study, we plan to continue our efforts to develop RPI-78 as an analgesic,” explained Dr. Paul Reid, CEO of ReceptoPharm, Inc. “We believe that the data from this study and from previous studies may be sufficient to commence a Phase I clinical study in subjects with severe pain,” he added.
Clinical studies with early formulations of RPI-78 revealed that the drug was effective in subjects with pain from terminal cancer, arthritis, headaches and amputations, even where morphine was ineffective. Additionally, the treatment revealed no toxicity and subjects reported no side effects. Low-dose, bi-weekly injections were found to control pain in many subjects for periods reaching 4 years.
“We are very pleased with the positive results of this study as well as results from previous RPI-78 pain studies,” commented Rik J Deitsch, Chairman and CEO of Nutra Pharma Corp. “We believe that these results help us understand more about the use of cobratoxin for treating pain and how it could one day be used as an alternative to Morphine,” he concluded.
About Nutra Pharma Corp.
Nutra Pharma Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the acquisition, licensing and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of neurological disorders, cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases. Nutra Pharma Corp. through its subsidiaries carries out basic drug discovery research and clinical development and also seeks strategic licensing partnerships to reduce the risks associated with the drug development process. The Company's holding, ReceptoPharm, Inc, is developing these technologies for the production of drugs for HIV and Multiple Sclerosis ("MS"). The Company's subsidiary, Designer Diagnostics is engaged in the research and development of diagnostic test kits designed to be used for the rapid identification of infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB) and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI). Nutra Pharma continues to identify and acquire intellectual property and companies in the biotechnology arena.
http://www.NutraPharma.com
http://www.ReceptoPharm.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements. The words or phrases "would be," "will allow," "intends to," "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements." Actual results could differ materially from those projected in Nutra Pharma's ("the Company") business plan. The Company's business is subject to various risks, which are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The positive results of the ReceptoPharm pain study should not be construed as an indication in any way whatsoever of the value of the Company or its common stock. The Company's filings may be accessed at the SEC's Edgar system at www.sec.gov. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. The Company cautions readers not to place reliance on such statements. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, we do not undertake, and we specifically disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.
