Nicotinic receptors exist in a wide range of organisms, from sea slugs to mammals.
Eli Lilly, Abbott and AstraZeneca have run into problems with side effects in developing nicotinic receptor drugs.
Elsewhere, Abbott Laboratories is working on a nicotinic drug aimed at pain relief and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
When these so-called nicotinic receptors are occupied by acetylcholine molecules, a cell is encouraged to churn out dopamine.
ECONOMIST: Great drug, shame about the delivery system | The
But now a lot of progress is being made in designing so-called nicotinic drugs that do the work of nicotine without the undesirable effects.
Targacept's drug is designed to bind to the same regulators in the nervous system that react to nicotine, the so-called neuronal nicotinic receptors, or nnrs.
These agents fall into several classes that include statins, fibric acid derivatives, bile acid sequestrants, nicotinic acid (also known as niacin) and the cholesterol absorption inhibitors.
Memory Pharmaceuticals has a nicotinic receptor drug for Alzheimer's in midstage trials that is probably a year behind Targacept, figures Lazard Capital Markets analyst Terence Flynn.
He and his colleagues synthesized every known nicotinic compound, funded research at universities and published 300 reports in 15 years on how nicotine interacts with the body.
Eli Lilly (nyse: LLY - news - people ), Abbott and AstraZeneca have run into problems with side effects in developing nicotinic receptor drugs.
Elsewhere, Abbott Laboratories (nyse: ABT - news - people ) is working on a nicotinic drug aimed at pain relief and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
CoMentis has nicotinic drugs in the works for macular degeneration.
According to Dr Sanberg, the paradox of nicotine use in this case is explained because the drug is being administered continuously, via a patch, thus overloading the nicotinic receptors.
In the late 1800s English physiologist John Langley discovered the muscular nicotinic receptor when he tied a frog muscle to a round drum, put nicotine on the muscle and saw it contract.
Targacept's pill is more refined, he says, because it binds with a subtype of neuronal nicotinic receptor situated mostly in parts of the brain that process sensory information and aid in learning and short-term memory.
ABT-418, which stimulates nicotinic receptors.
ECONOMIST: Great drug, shame about the delivery system | The
Memory Pharmaceuticals (nasdaq: MEMY - news - people ) has a nicotinic receptor drug for Alzheimer's in midstage trials that is probably a year behind Targacept, figures Lazard (nyse: LAZ - news - people ) Capital Markets analyst Terence Flynn.
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