research reports and media, page-173

40 years in prison — half a lifetime. It is a sentence that is hard to fathom. For Joel Smithers, a 36-year-old doctor, it’s now his reality. And with no chance of parole for at least two decades (if he’s lucky), he will leave prison a middle-aged man. That is the price he has paid for his role in America’s ongoing opioid crisis. Willingly and negligently prescribing the addictive drugs to anyone and everyone who visited his clinic. This ruling comes in the wake of America turning a new corner on opioids. Just last month Purdue Pharma — the creators of oxycontin — filed for bankruptcy. A decision that was forced upon the company as it is set to payout billions in compensation. Though the ongoing legal battle continues to be bitter one. But Purdue may just be the tip of the iceberg. Fellow pharma giant, Johnson & Johnson, has also been forced to pay up. Last week the multinational agreed to a US$20.4 million settlement against the state of Ohio. A sum that will provide reparations for fuelling the opioid problem. Whether this case will open the doors for more litigation remains to be seen. We certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see such an outcome. This drug abuse saga has reached epidemic levels. For the people impacted, this justice will have been a long time coming. The people and families who have had their lives ruined may finally be able to rest a little easier. Same goes for the communities at large. It will take time, but at least the healing can begin. There is no easy fix to the opioid crisis as a whole. Compensation is all well and good, but taking away these drugs altogether solves one problem and leaves them with another: pain. There are people who are genuinely suffering and need these drugs. It’s not a case of dependence, but dignity. No one should have to live in pain. This is a matter that can’t be ignored, yet finding a balanced solution isn’t going to be easy either. Luckily for some ailments and injuries there will be alternatives. Treatments that can be just as effective without the side-effect of addiction. Just likeParadigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd [ASXAR]has done for osteoarthritis. As of last Monday, Paradigm has now officially published the key data surrounding its drug zilosul. Demonstrating not only that pain caused by osteoarthritis is due to Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), but also that zilosul limits the production of this NGF. Paradigm CEO Paul Rennie was clearly happy with the result, stating: ‘We consider peer review as the gold standard for scientific communication. We are impressed that our study was the first to identify osteocytes as the key cells within the subchondral bone that are responsible for the production of the insidious pain in knee OA patients. Most importantly, the scientific validation that PPS[Zilosul]inhibits NGF as a mediator of bone pain in OS is a ground-breaking discovery for Paradigm. ‘I believe that this publication should alert the interest of ‘big pharma’ who are actively trying to deal with the opiate crisis by developing pharmaceutical agents that are non-opioid, non-addictive, safe and efficacious.’ This confirmation of the science behind zilosul is crucial. It brings them ever closer to actually getting the treatment ready and available for patients. More importantly, as Rennie notes, it also makes it an attractive target for established pharmaceutical firms. Either through a partnership or perhaps even a takeover of the IP altogether. It certainly got the market excited for the future. Paradigm’s stock was surging ever higher throughout last week, reaching heights never before seen for the company. However, we’re not ready to bring out the champagne just yet. Paradigm still has a long road ahead. With or without the help of ‘big pharma’. This paper is good, but they will still need the support of the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA). And that means clinical trials; a goal paradigm is feverishly working toward. Day-by-day development is progressing for this worthy pursuit. Bringing us closer to the day that victims of chronic arthritis can finally ditch the opioids for good. Hopefully, it will come sooner rather than later.

Australian Small-Cap Investigator Monday, 7 October 2019 London, UK & Albert Park, Melbourne