Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 10:01:42 EDT
From: HSL123@aol.com
To: Multiple recipients of list <ibogaine@ibogaine.org>
Subject: Patent: Use of ibogaine for treating neuropathic pain

The full text of this Paten can be found be doing a search from the Patent
data base, <http://www.uspto.gov/patft/>

Howard

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United States Patent 5,925,634 Olney July 20, 1999
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Use of ibogaine for treating neuropathic pain
Abstract

This invention discloses that ibogaine, a plant derivative, can be used
safely to treat neuropathic pain (i.e, pain which does not respond
conventionally to opiate drugs such as morphine). Ibogaine functions
inside the CNS as an NMDA antagonist which is inherently safe, even at
relatively high dosages (including dosages high enough to cause
hallucinations). Ibogaine does not cause the neurotoxic side effects
caused by other NMDA antagonist drugs; this relative safety of ibogaine
is due to antagonist activity at neuronal sigma receptors, which had not
been known prior to discovery by the Applicant. Ibogaine can also be
used for this purpose in combination with additional drugs such as (1)
drugs which activate alpha-2 adrenergic receptors; (2) drugs which block
the kainic acid subclass of glutamate receptors; or, (3)
anti-cholinergic agents that suppress activity at muscarinic
acetylcholine receptors. Such drug combinations can reduce or avoid the
hallucinatory effects of ibogaine, if desired.

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Inventors: Olney; John W. (Ladue, MO) Assignee: Washington University
 (St. Louis, MO) Appl. No.: 854979Filed: May 13, 1997
U.S. Class:514/214; 514/226.2; 514/315; 514/318; 514/646 Intern'l Class:
A61K 031/55; A61K 031/54; A61K 031/445; A61K 031/135Field ofReferences Cited
[Referenced By]

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U.S. Patent Documents
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Aug., 1989Lotsof514/214. 5026697Jun., 1991Lotsof514/214. 5034400Jul.,
1991Olney514/315. 5152994Oct., 1992Lotsof424/436. 5605911Feb., 1997Olney
et al.514/315. 5629307May., 1997Olney514/214.
Other References
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Primary Examiner: Weddington; Kevin E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kelly; Patrick D.

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Parent Case Text

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RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 08/398,731, filed on Mar.
6, 1995, which issued on May 13, 1997 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,307. That
application was a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.
07/877,839, filed on May 1, 1992, currently on appeal, which was a
continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/467,139, filed on
Jan. 18, 1990, now abandoned, which was a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 07/424,548, filed on Oct. 20, 1989, which issued as
U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,400.
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Claims

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1. A method for treating patients to reduce neuropathic pain, comprising
the step of administering, to a mammalian patient suffering from
neuropathic pain, a pharmacologically acceptable composition containing
a neuroactive drug selected from the group consisting of ibogaine,
ibogamine, tabernanthin, and pharmaceutically acceptable isomers,
analogs, and salts thereof which penetrate mammalian blood-brain
barriers, at a dosage which is therapeutically effective in suppressing
glutamate-mediated excitatory activity at NMDA receptors without causing
pathologic side effects in cerebrocortical neurons.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the neuroactive drug is
co-administered to the patient along with a second compound which
activates alpha-2 adrenergic receptors.
3. A pharmacological preparation comprising a drug selected from the
group consisting of ibogaine, ibogamine, tabernanthin, and
pharmaceutically acceptable isomers, analogs, and salts thereof which
penetrate mammalian blood-brain barriers and which suppress
 glutamate-mediated excitatory activity at NMDA receptors without
causing pathologic side effects in cerebrocortical neurons, in a unit
dosage which is effective in suppressing neuropathic pain in adult
humans, and which does not cause hallucinations.
4. A pharmacological mixture comprising:
(a) a first neuroactive drug selected from the group consisting of
ibogaine, ibogamine, tabernanthin, and pharmaceutically acceptable
isomers, analogs, and salts thereof which penetrate mammalian
blood-brain barriers and which suppress glutamate-mediated excitatory
activity at NMDA receptors, in a unit dosage which is effective in
suppressing neuropathic pain in adult humans; and,
(b) a second neuroactive drug which penetrates mammalian blood-brain
barriers, in a dosage which ensures that the first neuroactive drug will
not cause hallucinations.
5. The pharmacological mixture of claim 4, wherein the second
neuroactive drug activates alpha-2 adrenergic receptors.
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