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MediciNova Announces MN-166 (ibudilast) Identified as Promising Pharmacotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder in Drugs
LA JOLLA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the
About this update from Medicinova, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"LA JOLLA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), today announced MN-166 (ibudilast) was discussed as one of the promising pharmacological agents for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the journal Drugs. The publication entitled “Novel Agents for the Pharmacological Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder,” co-authored by MediciNova’s collaborator, Dr. Lara Ray, Professor, Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Brain Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles and colleagues, identified drug candidates with potential clinical utility, and among the many compounds reviewed, named MN-166 (ibudilast) as one of the promising treatments for AUD with clinical findings that warrant further investigation for the treatment of this highly prevalent, chronic, and relapsing condition. Key take-aways about MN-166 (ibudilast) in the publication include: Preclinical findings which demonstrate that MN-166 (ibudilast) reduces alcohol intake align with prior studies in which pharmacological inhibition of PDE also reduced alcohol intakeMN-166 (ibudilast) improves mood during exposure to alcohol and stress cues, and reduces the mood-altering and stimulant effects of alcohol among participants with more severe depressive symptomsMN-166 (ibudilast) reduces alcohol craving on non-drinking days, reduces the odds of heavy drinking by 45%, and attenuates neural response to alcohol cuesMN-166 (ibudilast) acts similarly to naltrexone, one of the few FDA-approved treatments for AUD, in terms of reducing the rewarding effects of alcoholMN-166 (ibudilast) has been evaluated in the AUD target population, compared to several agents still in preclinical developmentAs neuroinflammation is observed in AUD, the effects of MN-166 (ibudilast) in treating AUD are thought to be driven by its anti-inflammatory and pro-neurotrophic properties.MN-166 (ibudilast) appears to be well tolerated Kazuko Matsuda, MD, PhD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer of MediciNova, Inc. commented, “We are encouraged that ibudilast, deservedly so, was identified by this highly esteemed group of researchers as a promising pharmacotherapy for treatment of AUD, an ofte...