Star's Aide-Mémoire on Countering Memory Loss

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 01/13/2012

Star Scientific has suggested that anatabine, like nicotine, might be helpful in treating people with early memory loss. A study led by Dr. Paul Newhouse, a professor of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and published in the January 9 issue of the Journal of Neurology, showed that six months of nicotine patch treatment among patients who had mild cognitive impairment - often a precursor to Alzheimer's disease - had a 46 per cent improvement in their long-term memory for their age. A control group of patients who received a placebo - a patch without nicotine - showed a 26 per cent decline in memory. 'Nicotine is only one of a family of related compounds known as alkaloids,' Star said in a note posted on its website. 'Anatabine, another compound in the same family, has been actively pursued by Star Scientific for a variety of uses, including as a supporter for memory loss. 'Star Scientific subsidiary Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals also has a number of patents pending that relate to the administration of anatabine for treatment of a variety of neurological conditions, among other things.' Star went on to say that researchers at the Roskamp Institute in Sarasota, Florida, had shown that an anatabine compound supplied by Rock Creek had had 'beneficial effects on memory and learning in animal models of Alzheimer's disease'. 'Michael Mullan, MD, Ph.D., CEO of the Roskamp Institute, and his colleague, Dr. Daniel Paris, published these findings in October, 2011 in the European Journal of Pharmacology.' "Anatabine may have several advantages over nicotine in the support of memory with aging," Dr. Mullan was quoted as saying. "For instance, anatabine seems to have a longer half-life in the blood, which necessitates less frequent dosing, and has shown no abuse potential in animal screening. "In addition, anatabine is able to lower amyloid levels in animal models of Alzheimer's disease which become abnormally high as the disease progresses." Dr Mullan said the Roskamp Institute was pursuing the use of anatabine as a support for memory loss and would be initiating human studies to explore further this potential role for anatabine. Enditem