| Contact Us | About Us | Advertisement | political-economy

Finnish pharma to treat cocaine-dependent US veterans?

Monday, 16 January 2012
Finnish pharma company Biotie Therapies is launching a drug trial in the US investigating the treatment of cocaine dependence. The multi-million dollar study is funded by the US Department of Defence, which is looking to remedy drug dependence among its veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Finnish researchers are hoping nepicastat, a dopamine inhibitor, will be a magic bullet for treating both cocaine dependence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“Among returning veterans, the drug problem is even worse than during the Vietnam war,” says Biotie chief executive Timo Veromaa.
Nepicastat, a synthetic drug administered as an oral tablet, is being tested at a dozen substance abuse treatment centres across the United States.
“PTSD is very difficult to treat and psychotherapy doesn’t always help,” says Veromaa.
It can take years for a new drug to come through the pipeline. That said, it could be years before the drug reaches pharmacy shelves.
News Source: Finnish Yle

| Report an Error | Contact the editor | Write to us |

Finnish pharma to treat cocaine-dependent US veterans?

Back to top