Could Marijuana Substance Help Aging Brain? Nov 23, 2008
With the same intervention technique, the researchers also determined that WIN acts on receptors known as CB1 and CB2, leading to the generation of new brain cells a process known as neurogenesis. Those results led the scientists to speculate that the combination of lowered inflammation and neurogenesis is the reason the rats memory improved after treatment with WIN.. (Science Daily)
Drugmakers halt studies on two diet pills Nov 6, 2008
Both drugs work by blocking the pleasure centers that give marijuana smokers the "munchies" the cannabinoid type 1, or CB1, receptors ... On Wednesday, Pfizer said it ended final-stage human testing of a drug known only by the designation CP-945,598 not explicitly for safety concerns but because of "changing regulatory perspectives on the risk/benefit profile of the CB1 class and likely new regulatory requirements for approval.". (MSNBC -- Health)
Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer End Studies on 2 Diet Drugs Nov 6, 2008
Both drugs work by blocking the pleasure centers that give marijuana smokers the "munchies" the cannabinoid type 1, or CB1, receptors. Given that obesity and related complications are arguably the world's biggest public health problem, the demise of both drugs will be a big disappointment for patients and doctors, and possibly for investors. (ABC News -- Wire)
Sanofi's Acomplia Failure Threatens Obesity Drug Development Oct 25, 2008
Acomplia was the first of a class of drugs called selective cannabinoid receptor CB1 antagonists that work by blocking hunger signals in the brain ... The CB1 antagonists are pretty much dead in the water for obesity,'' said , an analyst at Edison Investment Research in London who wrote a May report on obesity drugs called ``Fat Chance. (Bloomberg)
Cannabinoid Drugs Oct 7, 2008
cannabinoid (CB1) receptors, located primarily in the brain, and ... Another potent Pfizer creation from the 1970 s, CP 55-940, played a crucial role in the discovery of receptor CB1 in 1988, and is still used in laboratory research. (Suite101.com)
Pot-Like Drugs Could Stop Pain, Not Brain Sep 16, 2008
Researchers from looked at two kinds of receptors in the nervous system, known as CB1 and CB2 ... But because CB1 receptors are found in the brain as well as other parts of the body, blocking them affects the brain. (NBCSandiego.com, CA)
Drug From Pot Could Slow Pain, Not Brain Sep 16, 2008
Researchers from Imperial College London looked at two kinds of receptors in the nervous system, known as CB1 and CB2 ... But because CB1 receptors are found in the brain as well as other parts of the body, blocking them affects the brain. (Click2Houston, TX)
New cannabis-like drugs could block pain without affecting brain, says study Sep 13, 2008
Previous studies have mainly focused on the other receptor activated by cannabis use, known as CB1, which was believed to be the primary receptor involved in pain relief. However, as CB1 receptors are found in the brain, taking drugs which activate these receptors can lead to side-effects, such as drowsiness, dependence and psychosis, and also recreational abuse. (EurekAlert!)
A Mechanism For The Development Of Obesity-associated Conditions Aug 6, 2008
It is important to determine whether these effects of endocannabinoids occur via activation of the protein CB1 in the brain, liver, or other tissues, as the therapeutic potential of agents that target CB1 is currently limited by the side effects of targeting CB1 in the brain, anxiety and depression ... However, new insight into this issue has now been provided by George Kunos and colleagues, at the National Institutes of Health, Rockville, through analysis of mice lacking CB1 only in the liver... (Science Daily)
Turned-off Cannabinoid Receptor Turns On Colorectal Tumor Growth Aug 5, 2008
4, 2008) New preclinical research shows that cannabinoid cell surface receptor CB1 plays a tumor-suppressing role in human colorectal cancer, scientists report in the Aug. 1 edition of the journal Cancer Research ... CB1 is well-established for relieving pain and nausea, elevating mood and stimulating appetite by serving as a docking station for the cannabinoid group of signaling molecules ... "We've found that CB1 expression is lost in most colorectal cancers, and when that happens a... (Science Daily)
Cannabis-Linked Cell Receptor Might Help Prevent Colon Cancer Aug 1, 2008
It's already known that the receptor, CB1, plays a role in relieving pain and nausea, elevating mood and stimulating appetite by serving as a docking station for the cannabinoid group of signaling molecules. This study suggests that CB1 may offer a new path for cancer prevention or treatment ... "We've found that CB1 expression is lost in most colorectal cancers, and when that happens, a cancer-promoting protein is free to inhibit cell death," senior author Dr. Raymond Dubois, provost and... (Health-Finder)
Salutary Pizza Spice: Oregano Helps Against Inflammations Jun 27, 2008
For this CB2 receptor has a "brother" by the name of CB1, which is best known to drug researchers. CB1 is found in the nerve cells of the brain, on which certain ingredients of the hemp plant can dock ... Although CB1 and CB2 are not twins, they are nevertheless very closely related. (Science Daily)
Opioids And Cannabinoids Influence Mobility Of Spermatozoids Jun 25, 2008
To date, only the MU opioid receptor has been found in equine sperm, and the presence in human sperm of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor was only discovered this year. Dr. Agirregoitia has used a number of techniques to find three opioid receptors (DELTA, KAPPA and MU) and two cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) in the human sperm ... As regards the cannabinoid system, the activation of the CB1 y CB2 receptors causes the percentage of spermatozoids with rapid and progressive mobility to be reduced. (Science Daily)
High anxiety? Apr 19, 2008
Other researchers have shown this to be a region thats rich in a receptor called CB1, part of the brains cannabinoid system ... But the findings in the study volunteers suggest that THC and other compounds that act on the CB1 receptors in the amygdala could be fruitful targets for new anti-anxiety medicines ... Phan notes that rimonabant, a smoking-cessation and weight-loss drug not yet available in the United States for clinical use, also acts on the CB1 receptor. (EurekAlert!)
Weight-Loss Drug Fights Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Mar 5, 2008
In this latest study, the researchers found that mice fed a low-fat diet and ethanol showed an increase in the gene encoding the CB1 cannabinoid receptor and in liver levels of an endocannabinoid called 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) ... And mice lacking CB1 receptors, either throughout the body or only in the liver, were protected from alcoholic fatty liver ... "The present findings suggest that treatment with a CB1 antagonist may slow the development of fatty liver and thus prevent its... (Health-Finder)
New Diet Drug in Battle of the Bulge Jan 10, 2008
The first indication that the cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor might be a prime weight-loss target came during studies of an earlier drug called rimonabant (manufactured by sanofi-aventis), which is now available as a diet aid in several European countries but has yet to receive the Food and Drug Administration's nod for use in the U.S.. Heymsfield and his team found that obese people given low doses of taranabant consumed fewer calories, expended more energy and shed pounds. (Scientific American)
Marijuana Improves, Worsens Depression, Study Says Oct 26, 2007
They interact with the brain through structures called cannabinoid CB1 receptors. The study demonstrated that these receptors have a direct effect on the cells producing serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that regulates the mood, she said. (Fox News)
Cannabis Use, Effect And Potential Therapy For Alzheimer's, MS and Parkinson's Oct 16, 2007
The endocannabinoids act via specific cannabinoid receptors, of which the CB1 receptors are most abundant in the central nervous system. Mice whose CB1 receptors are knocked out display slower functional recovery after TBI and do not respond to treatment with 2-AG. Over the last few years several groups have noted that CB2 receptors are also formed in the brain, particularly as a reaction to numerous neurological diseases, and are apparently activated by the endocannabinoids as a protective... (Science Daily)
The endocannabinoids: Functional roles and therapeutic opportunities Oct 15, 2007
2-AG also helps repair the blood brain barrier after TBI. The endocannabinoids act via specific cannabinoid receptors, of which the CB1 receptors are most abundant in the central nervous system. Mice whose CB1 receptors are knocked out display slower functional recovery after TBI and do not respond to treatment with 2-AG. Over the last few years several groups have noted that CB2 receptors are also formed in the brain, particularly as a reaction to numerous neurological diseases, and are... (EurekAlert!)
Renal function and heart disease, and more Sep 4, 2007
John Danesh University of Cambridge Institute of Public Health Dept of Public Health and Primary Care Strangeways Research Laboratory Worts Causeway Cambridge, CB1 8RN United Kingdom +44 1223 741302 +44 1223 741339 (fax). Prevention of LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice by mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing angiopoietin 1. (EurekAlert!)
Diet drug warning for depressives Jul 24, 2007
The active ingredient in Acomplia is rimonabant, a cannabinoid receptor antagonist and acts by blocking a specific type of receptor called cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors. These receptors are found in the nervous system and are part of the system that the body uses to control food intake. (Cyprus Mail)
Sanofi Pulls U.S. Application for Weight-Loss Drug Zimulti, Will Resubmit Jun 30, 2007
The so-called CB1 receptors, when working properly, help regulate food intake and how the body uses and stores fats and sugars. Suicidal Thoughts. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Obese Heart Attack Patients Are More Likely To Survive After Treatment Than Normal Weight Patients Jun 23, 2007
The stimulation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor subtype in the brain seems to be a key component in the development of diet-induced obesity and the brain level of endogenous cannabinoids increases with greater intake of food. A growing line of evidence indicates that endogenous cannabinoids can have protective roles in pathophysiological conditions such as shock, ischaemia and myocardial infarction. (Science Daily)
Sanofi stock tumbles after U.S. panel blocks its weight-loss drug Jun 16, 2007
The so-called CB1 receptors, when working properly, help regulate food intake and how the body uses and stores fats and sugars. Some Americans are not waiting for the government's opinion and are traveling to Europe or using the Internet to buy the medicine. (International Herald Tribune -- Business Asia)
FDA Advisory Committee Did Not Recommend Approval of Rimonabant (ZIMULTI(R)) for Use in Obese and Overweight Patients With Associated Risks Factors Jun 14, 2007
About Rimonabant Rimonabant is the first and the most studied member of a new therapeutic class of drugs that selectively block the CB1 receptors of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), and the drug's development has deepened scientists' understanding of the ECS. When working normally, this system of receptors in the brain and throughout the body (liver, muscle, abdominal adipose tissue, gastro-intestinal tract and pancreas), among other functions, helps regulate food intake and how the body uses... (PR Newswire)
FDA Panel Set To Review Sanofi's Weight Loss Pill Jun 13, 2007
Rimonabant is a cannabinoid receptor antagonist; that is it blocks the cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors in the brain that control hunger. So taking the drug reduces hunger and suppresses appetite. (Medical News Today)
Is Losing Weight Worth Harboring Suicidal Tendencies? Jun 13, 2007
Rimonobant belongs to a new class of drugs called CB1 antagonists. These drugs act on brain receptors that regulate hunger and suppress food consumption. (News Locale)
Regulators May Defer Sanofi Drug—Again Jun 13, 2007
The drug is the first of a new class of compounds under development to block receptors called cannabinoid type 1 (CB1), which are found in both the brain and in fat tissue. Sanofi-Aventis Chief Executive Officer describes the drug as a sort of "anti-marijuana" because the receptors are the same ones activated by cannabis, causing the famous post-marijuana-consumption hunger. (BusinessWeek)
Sanofi's Acomplia Fat Pill Attracts Obese Americans to Europe, Internet Jun 11, 2007
It belongs to a new class of compounds called CB1 antagonists, which block receptors that regulate hunger and food intake in the brain, as well as interacting directly with fat cells. Acomplia is not a cosmetic product,'' Sanofi Chief Executive Officer Gerard Le Fur told shareholders at the Paris- based company's annual meeting May 31. (Bloomberg)
Endogenous cannabinoids linked to fetal brain damage imposed by maternal cannabis use May 25, 2007
Endogenous cannabinoids use the same mechanism, engaging the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, as THC to exert their effects on nerve cells. Therefore, the finding that endogenous cannabinoids control the establishment of connections amongst certain nerve cells convinces the scientists that they have defined a key mechanism through which maternal cannabis use might impair fetal brain development and impose life-long cognitive, social, and motor deficits in affected offspring. (EurekAlert!)
Vernalis Plc and Servier Research Group Enter Into Drug Discovery Collaboration May 17, 2007
Frova(r): Menstrual Migraine PDUFA date -- 19 August 2007 * V10153: Data from Phase IIa -- Novel long-acting thrombolytic for acute ischaemic stroke * V3381: Data from Phase II -- Dual NMDA antagonist and MAO-A inhibitor for neuropathic pain * V24343: Data from Phase I -- CB1 antagonist for obesity * Hsp90: Start of Phase I -- Novel oncology treatment in Cancer (partnered with Novartis). Notes to Editors. (Primezone Releases)
Marijuana Compound May Fight Lung Cancer Apr 20, 2007
In the new study, the researchers first showed that two different lung cancer lines, as well as samples from patient lung tumors, produced the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Endocannabinoids -- cannabinoids produced naturally in the body -- are thought to have an effect on pain, anxiety and inflammation when they bind to cannabinoid receptors. (Forbes)
Marijuana Cuts Lung Cancer Tumor Growth In Half, Study Shows Apr 18, 2007
THC that targets cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 is similar in function to endocannabinoids, which are cannabinoids that are naturally produced in the body and activate these receptors ... Acting through cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, endocannabinoids (as well as THC) are thought to play a role in variety of biological functions, including pain and anxiety control, and inflammation ... In the present study, the researchers first demonstrated that two different lung cancer cell lines as... (Science Daily)
Sanofi-aventis 2006: In a Difficult Environment, Another Year of Growth in Adjusted EPS Excluding Selected Items Feb 13, 2007
-- Seven projects entered phase IIb: -- AVE1625, a CB1 antagonist in obesity and related lipid disorders; -- AVE 5530, a cholesterol absorption inhibitor; -- AVE 5026, an indirect Xa/IIa inhibitor in thrombosis; -- SSR149415, a VIB receptor antagonist in depression; -- Surinabant (SR14778), a CB1 antagonist in smoking cessation. -- Icatibant, a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist in osteoarthritis; -- Ferroquine in malaria. (PR Newswire)
