Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the company that developed NARCAN® Nasal Spray, is building a leading franchise of new medicines to combat addictions and drug overdose.
Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPNT) has just announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for Opiant’s pipeline candidate OPNT004 (drinabant) for the treatment of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).
"This patent allowance is welcome news, and a testament to our commitment of bringing innovative science to the treatment of addictions and drug overdose,”
Roger Crystal, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Opiant.
“With the consumption of cannabis increasing, due in large part to the legalization of its recreational use, we are developing OPNT004 in anticipation that emergency departments may receive more and more cases of side effects related to chronic or heavy use.1 Drinabant is being developed as an injection, which is ideal for these patients, who have frequent bouts of intractable nausea and vomiting that are generally unresponsive to traditional anti-emetics.”
The press release says: OPNT004 (drinabant) is a high affinity, CB-1 antagonist for the treatment of excessive cannabinoid use. Cannabinoids are compounds found in the cannabis plant or made synthetically, that bind to cannabinoid receptors found in the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and immune system. With support from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Opiant is developing a formulation for the parenteral administration of OPNT004 for the potential treatment of cannabinoid-related toxicities, which include cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) and acute cannabinoid overdose (ACO), a condition when excessive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can cause anxiety, paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and nausea. There are currently no FDA approved therapeutics for either CHS or ACO. Opiant expects to initiate Phase I studies for OPNT004 in 2023. Opiant is developing drinabant under a license from Sanofi-Aventis.
Ref:
1.
Original release: