Morphine Tolerance Significantly Delayed by Prismic's Palmitoylethanolamide

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Prismic Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the specialty pharmaceutical company developing FDA-approved prescription drugs and FDA-regulated medical foods, today announced that its lead development molecule, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) when used concomitantly with morphine in two animal pain models (pressure and thermal sensitivity) demonstrated an ability to significantly extend the effective period of analgesia compared to that of morphine alone.

In the paper authored by Lorenzo Di Cesare Mannelli, Francesca Corti, Laura Micheli, Matteo Zanardelli, and Carla Ghelardini, and published in BioMed Research International, the authors stated that, "The present data show the property of PEA to double the number of days of morphine treatment efficacy." This is clearly important as they also noted that, "In spite of the potency and efficacy of morphine, its clinical application for chronic persistent pain is limited by the development of tolerance to the antinociceptive effect."

The authors were also able to shed some light on how PEA manages to accomplish this effect. Using immunohistochemical techniques they showed that the development of tolerance to morphine was related to an increase in glial cell number in the spinal cord. These cells release large amounts of proinflammatory cytokines that sensitize pain transmission neurons and thus gradually "turn-off" morphine's antinociceptive effects. PEA significantly prevented the increase in glial cells and thus prolonged the efficacy of morphine.

Commenting on behalf of the study sponsor, Prismic Pharmaceuticals, Dr. T. Forcht Dagi, MD, MPH, MBA, DMedSc, FAANS, FACS, FCCM, stated that, "This paper adds to the literature around palmitoylethanolamide, and its ability to enhance the effects of opiates in animal models. There is burgeoning evidence to support trials in man around the use of palmitoylethanolamide for modulating pain and potentiating opiate analgesia."

Peter Moriarty, Chairman and CEO of Prismic, commented that, "These results are supportive of Prismic's hypothesis that palmitoylethanolamide, an endogenous fatty acid amide, may have both a solo mechanism of action, and a 'potentiating' or 'synergistic' effect when administered adjunctively with certain other prescription drugs. We plan to conduct future studies to explore the concept of the 'potentiating' effect when ultra-micronized palmitoylethanolamide is concomitantly used with other treatments for severe and chronic pain such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and pregabalin. This would allow for dose reduction of the target prescription drug, with consequent lessening or avoidance of adverse events, and in the case of opiates, potentially delaying the onset of tolerance as was demonstrated in the Mannelli study with morphine."

About Prismic Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Prismic Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company developing highly differentiated proprietary products in two distinct FDA categories, Prescription Drugs and Prescription Medical Foods, based on its two lead pharmaceutically active ingredients, ultra-micronized palmitoylethanolamide, and ultra-pure, high EPA, Omega-3. The company is developing products to address three key therapeutic areas with very large patient populations, and where there are clear and significant unmet clinical needs, namely, chronic kidney disease, depression, and severe chronic pain. Contact 480.422.1810 or visit www.PrismicPharma.com

INFORMATION CONTACT
Peter J. Moriarty
Tel: 480.422.1810

SOURCE Prismic Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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