The Cocaine Problem:
Cocaine abuse costs society $97B annually. In the US only:
- 3 million cocaine abusers (6 million use cocaine annually)
- 800,000 treated annually for cocaine abuse
- 250,000 are enrolled in treatment programs on any day
- Cost to taxpayers for programs, therapy and acute care is over $6B annually not including the cost to private health carriers
Cocaine use can cause and exacerbate cardiac conditions resulting in congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction or even in some cases aortic dissection. There are a wide variety of cardiac as well as psychiatric conditions that are caused by cocaine. These conditions, including overdose, can occur regardless of the amount of cocaine used. There are 500,000 cocaine related visits to emergency rooms annually and 40% of these patients report chest pains. Approximately 6% of patients who have cocaine-associated chest pains are actually having an acute MI and another 15% have an acute coronary syndrome. Of these chest pain patients 57% are admitted to the hospital costing from $3,500 to $8,000 per day for in-patient cardiac related procedures.
What is CoMab?
CoMab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to cocaine and its active metabolites, norcocaine and cocaethylene to be used as part of an overall program of therapy to reduce and eliminate cocaine dependency. CoMab is expected to enter clinical trials in late 2010.
CoMab is a passive drug that circulates in the bloodstream without entering the brain. CoMab, when administered into the blood stream, rapidly results in the clearance of cocaine from the brain. CoMab has undergone extensive animal testing.
CoMab Advantages:
- CoMab is a passive treatment, administered in a single controlled dose
- CoMab targets cocaine, norcocaine and cocoethylene, but does not enter the brain and does not have a direct effect on neural pathways
- CoMab neutralizes cocaine, norcocaine and cocaethylene in a dose dependent fashion
- CoMab does not bind inactive cocaine metabolites
