Medical potential of a snail

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 12 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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'Medical potential of a snail'

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There is growing excitement among scientists about the potential for the deadly cone snail to provide a breakthrough in the development of a series of new painkillers.

Cone snails may contain more medicines than any other animal. A new synthetic drug, Prialt, is now at an advanced stage of clinical trials for the treatment of intractable pain.

Prialt, derived from the venom, or conotoxin, of the snail, may be 1,000 times stronger than morphine but does not have the tolerance or addiction usually associated with opiates.

For years, scientists have searched for a medicine that is very specific, effective at low doses, and does not cause side effects of addiction or tolerance.

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