Summer Entrepreneurial Experiences

EncepHeal Therapeutics-Week 1

Monday, June 12, 2017 8:06 pm

It is estimated that 2.2 million Americans regularly use cocaine. It would not be surprising if you knew someone, either directly or indirectly, who has or is struggling with cocaine dependency. However, despite the high prevalence of cocaine abuse, there is no effective FDA-approved therapeutic treatment. Surprising, right?!

Let me try to break down as easily as possible how cocaine works in the brain…

Normally when we consume or engage in something pleasurable (e.g. eating an oreo!), we get a release of the neurotransmitter dopamine from neurons, our brain cells. We have a transporter (DAT) that will take back this dopamine into the cell and normalize levels. Cocaine acts by binding to this transporter and blocking its function, leaving elevated levels of dopamine swimming around in our brain, which results in a heightened and lasting feeling of pleasure. With consistent use, the chemistry of our brain changes and what used to give us pleasure is now dampened, thus requiring the intake of cocaine just to feel “normal.” Cocaine abusers will get an insurmountable craving to obtain the drug. Think of someone you may know, maybe during college, who used Adderall (also a psychostimulant). They were more talkative, focused, and energized when taking the drug, but then afterwards they “crash” and feel sluggish, inattentive, etc. In addition to the craving, deficits in executive function, attention, and working memory are also driving factors behind the drive to continue cocaine use.

Modafinil, commonly known as Provigil, is a wakefulness-promoting agent used to treat narcolepsy and sleep apnea. It has recently been investigated as a treatment for cocaine dependence because it binds to the same transporter (DAT) in the brain but is not a stimulant, is not addictive, and has few to no side effects. However, promising results from clinical trials are only modest. This leaves researchers wondering if maybe the chemistry of modafinil can be modified in such a way to enhance its effect in the brain, while still excluding any potential addictive properties or side effects.

This summer I will be working with EncepHeal Therapeutics, a start-up biotech company that will be testing modafinil analogues for the potential treatment of cocaine addiction. I will learn everything that relates to the drug development pipeline, from animal research experiments to the clinical trials phase. Some of my responsibilities will involve research on the market assessment, financials, and competition of EncepHeal’s core business practices, shadowing animal experiments, analysis of data collected, presenting pertinent scientific literature, and exploring ways to expand on the company’s mission to provide a comprehensive treatment for substance abuse. I hope to learn about the roles of each member in the company, the financial work required to start up and maintain a biotech company, and the steps involved in the drug development pipeline.

Potential cocaine abuse treatment coming your way! Stay tuned to learn what I learn.

 

One Response to “EncepHeal Therapeutics-Week 1”

  1. That is so exciting that you get to be a part of this breakthrough research! It’s amazing what you already know about finding a treatment for cocaine abuse, plus now you get to learn so much about what it takes to be a startup in the biotech industry!

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