The United States Army has signed on to take a new neurological treatment for brain injury into human trials. Tests on rats who were given the drug, called NNZ-2566, showed that brain inflammation was halved and improvement in physical coordination was improved by 50% after a controlled head trauma (one can only imagine what this consists of).
Human clinical trials are planned for mid-2006 (sigh...). The drug aims to stop progressive inflammation and brain cell damage that often accompanies head injury. It would be given intravenously (IV) for a trauma (e.g., car crash) but they are investigating a tablet form for more persistent conditions such as MS.
"A pioneering Auckland company has signed a deal with the United States Army to take a brain injury repair drug to human trials...
The small molecule, NNZ-2566, developed under the leadership of Professor Peter Gluckman, holds potential for treatment of brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.
Dr Gluckman said the value of the agreement was incalculable "for the simple reason that the US Army is probably the leading trauma research centre in the world and so we've got access to some of the world's leading scientists".
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