A San Diego pharmaceutical firm said clinical trials were a flop for an
orally administered drug aimed at blunting addicts’ urge to gamble. “The
results . are disappointing,” Ken Cohen, president and chief executive of
publicly traded Somaxon Pharmaceuticals Inc., said in a prepared statement.
Somaxon two years ago was the first U.S. firm to take formal steps toward
marketing an anti-gambling pill. It obtained North American licensing rights
to a Finnish firm’s treatment for impulse-control disorders using the drug
nalmefene hydrochloride. Researchers for years have been trying to unlock
the root causes of addictive behavior.
In its statement Wednesday, Somaxon said tests on human subjects at various
dosages “did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference compared
to placebo” treatment. The company also reported adverse side effects,
including insomnia, nausea and dizziness. The company said it will “evaluate
the results from these trials before making determinations regarding the
future of the nalmefene program.” An intravenous version of the chemical
compound is permitted for use in the United States to counteract morphine
and other opiate drug overdoses.