Nerdy Science Blog

Crestor, a cholesterol drug designed, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday for children and teenagers with high cholesterol caused by genetic disease. Crestor was developed by the company AstraZeneca PLC. The drug is suitable for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients age 10 to 17. Currently there are 10 million people worldwide affected by the genetic disease. Crestor generated $3.6 billion sales for AstraZeneca in 2008. The patents of the drug will expire in July 2016.

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It is commonly known that drug dependence is real and dangerous. Even addicts fall face-first into addiction with the knowledge that the substances they are putting into their body are so harmful that their use may result in serious sickness, or even death. However, addicts continue using. People continue trying drugs for the first time. But why? What makes drug use, particularly the use of opiates such as heroin and morphine, so appealing and so hard to quit?

The simple answer is that heroin and morphine use results in happiness and even elation. Users, as well as the general population, are already aware of this, and may not be interested in finding out more. However, there is significant biological and neurological evidence to support the reasoning behind the causes and effects of opiate addiction, evidence that both users and nonusers can learn from.

Perhaps the most basic piece of biological information related to opiate addiction is opiates’ association with endorphins. Endorphins are, in fact, naturally occurring opiates, which are typically released after a person feels pain or engages in physical activity, explaining why exercise is often considered to be a “natural high.” Endorphins do create feelings of happiness comparable to the feeling of being high, and they are so powerful during periods of pain that they have been known to act as painkillers. But, for some, especially those predisposed to addiction, the natural opiates produced by the body in the form of endorphins are not enough to satisfy, which is why people turn to the use of morphine and heroin to suppresses feelings of happiness.

Heroin and morphine use results in arousal because of the fact that both drugs are agonists, meaning their use leads to excitement. They intensify the feelings of happiness associated with endorphins, which is primarily why they are so addictive, and aside from long-term health effects, an addiction to a mood-booster like heroin or morphine doesn’t seem so terrible, until one takes into consideration the fact that their use results in the body being unable to produce its own natural opiates. Once the body is no longer able to produce natural “feel-good” chemicals, it becomes dependent upon drugs for creating feelings of happiness. Once this occurs, quitting the use of heroin or morphine becomes nearly impossible, as withdrawal leads to complete opiate deprivation, therefore resulting in unpleasant feelings and agitation. The user is unable to feel “normal” until they receive more opiates via drug use, creating a vicious cycle.

The cycle continues because each time the addict uses the drug, they become more and more addicted, and it takes larger amounts of the drug to make them feel happy. In turn, the withdrawal symptoms are intensified, making it harder to stop with each use. And, because opiates in particular exponentially increase natural feelings of happiness, they are especially addictive, and especially dangerous.

More and more research is being conducted to prove just how dangerous opiate addiction is. The results are being published, and people are becoming more and more aware of the reasoning behind why heroin and morphine are so easy to become addicted to, yet so hard to kick. If people know that heroin and morphine can be deadly, the main question is, why do they start using opiates in the first place?

The answer may be that they started with weaker opiates, such as oxycodone or hydrocodone and wanted to try something more intense. Because addiction to substances like hydrocodone and oxycodone is not as hazardous, users likely convince themselves that heroin and morphine are less dangerous than perceived, and once weaker opiates stop producing the effects they once produced, heroin and morphine provide more intense feelings of elation. Because of this, those already addicted to opiates have difficulty resisting the temptation to try these harder drugs.

The inability to say no to harder drugs is also based on genetic factors; some people are genetically-predisposed to being drug addicts. They are born impulsive and with little self-control, making them far more likely to use drugs, and they have specific genotypes that make them likely to develop an opiate addiction. Many addicts lack the genotype that can actually protect people from heroin addiction. Such genetic factors cannot be changed, explaining why many addicts can’t stop themselves from using, despite knowledge of the risks involved with heroin and morphine. Simply stated, heroin addiction is a disease that addicts are born with.

Whether or not they uncover the disease, however, is a subject of much debate. Some argue that steps can be taken to avoid opiate addiction, even if one is genetically-predisposed to use drugs. Others argue that natural-born addicts will nearly always end up using drugs, regardless of the circumstances.

Both theories make sense in certain aspects. Take the straight-A student raised by caring upper-class parents, for example. He or she is often the product of excellent upbringing, yet can still fall victim to opiate addiction. It would seem that if opiate addiction were preventable, being raised in an environment which does not condone drug use would work to prevent addiction. However, children from happy homes do still end up addicted to heroin and morphine, supporting the theory that born addicts will uncover their addictions despite their circumstances.

Still, others argue that upbringing and environment can play a significant role in the prevention of opiate addiction. However, more research needs to be conducted to determine if preventative measures actually work. One thing is clear, though: the prevention methods being used today aren’t effective, because heroin and morphine abuse is on the rise.

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As reported by MarketWire, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is going to fund $100,000 to Edunn Biotechnology, Inc., in developing a novel type of dugs that has the potential to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Edunn Biotechnology is an early stage company in Alzheimer’s drug development.  EDN-OL1 is the company’s lead drug candidate.  It is an oligonucleotide-based drug that halts and reverses the progression of Alzheimer’s in animal models by reducing the production of amyloid beta proteins found in brain.  The animal models treated with EDN-OL1 has improved learning and memory.

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ADI-PEG 20 is a cancer drug that is developed by TDW Pharmaceuticals.  TDW Pharmaceuticals is the Taiwanese subsidiary of the US-based Polaris Group of pharmaceutical companies.  ADI-PEG 20 is a cancer drug for liver and cancer and metastatic melanoma, which is safer than Sorafenib.  It is ready for Phase III clinical trials to test on large patient groups.  The drug is promising for pancreatic, prostrate and kidney cancers treatment.  Unlike conventional cancer drugs which destroy cancer cells’ DNA, ADI-PEG 20 is a protein drug that breaks down arginine (required by cancer cells to grow and survive) in human blood, hence inhibit the proliferation and growth of cancer.  Another advantage of ADI-PEG 20 is that it only need to be injected once a week and won’t affect the survival of normal cells.  The drug is expected to release into market at the end of 2011.

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