Could a pill defeat addiction? Scientists invent a treatment capable of CURING alcoholism and drug dependency in response to devastating ice epidemic
Source: Daily Mail
By Kylie Stevens
18 March 2018
A new pill invented by University of Sydney scientists could be the breakthrough to curing drug and alcohol addiction.
Researchers have spent more than a decade developing SOC-1, in response to the the devastating effects of ice affecting many areas of Australia and several other forms of addiction.
Its inventors hope trials will start in the next few years through a spin-off company and will overcome challenges of using tablet or spray forms of oxytocin treatment.
‘Oxytocin itself is really far from an ideal therapeutic compound,’ Dr Michael Bowen from the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre told Nine News.
‘It can’t be taken in pill form because it just gets broken down by enzymes in the gut,’
‘Even when it’s administered through other routes like in a nasal spray, it can’t get into the brain in very high concentrations at all.’
While there are medications available to treat heroin addiction, such as methadone and buprenorphine, there is nothing similar for methamphetamine withdrawal or dependence.
SOC-1 has been shown to completely block methamphetamine relapse in other experiments.
‘We’re hoping that will translate into the clinic,’ Dr Bowen said.
So far in mice studies, the molecule has proved to be a powerful new treatment for substance use disorder.
The drug has reportedly halved intoxicating alcohol consumption levels in subjects, cut cocaine urges by 90 per cent and reduced methamphetamine consumption by more than 85 per cent.
He looks forward to the day the pill will save lives.
It is estimated 15 per cent of deaths every year worldwide are the result of harmful use and abuse of addictive substances.
‘That’s an enormous number of people dying,’ Dr Bowen said. ‘Yet there’s not a tremendous amount of work going on to develop novel therapeutics to treat substance use disorders.’
One former ice addict said he managed to beat the addiction by going cold turkey.
Jason, 24, from Queensland said it was not easy but he was lucky to have a support network that many recovering addicts do not.
Oxytocins are also a powerful hormone which act as a regulator of social interaction and sexual reproduction.
It is often referred to as the love hormone as levels rise when people hug or kiss a loved one and helps repress depressive feelings.
But the hormone is also impacted when people take drugs.
Drugs such as opioids release chemicals in the brain that makes the person want to repeat that experience.
Scientists are hoping to target the oxytocin system to tackle addiction as the brain increases tolerance to the effects and a person takes greater doses to achieve the effects.