It is widely known that pain is the single most common reason patients seek medical care. It accounts for half of all physician office visits in the United States with over 25 million people in the country experiencing acute pain as a result of injury or surgery and an additional 50 million people affected by ongoing chronic pain. Additionally, of the millions of pain sufferers in the United States, nearly 30 million suffer from migraine headaches.

Most of the current treatments for moderate to severe pain (also referred to as stage 2 and stage 3 pain) are opioid-based, which classifies them as narcotics by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Since their introduction, some of these treatments have developed into household names, including Oxycodone, Fentanyl and Morphine. And while these treatments can help treat pain, they also come with significant risks, including:

• Negative side effects, including nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, itching, constipation, and respiratory depression
• Buildup of tolerance to the drug requiring higher dosage over time to experience the same effect
• Addictive properties that include severe withdrawal symptoms

As many of you read last month, Nutra Pharma published the results of an exciting pain study (PDF) that examined ReceptoPharm’s lead drug candidate for the treatment of pain, RPI-78. This study showed that the pain reducing effects of RPI-78 lasted four-times as long as morphine in a standard animal model. If you have not had the opportunity to view the press release about this study, click here to access it.

Past studies, including the most recent one, conducted with RPI-78 indicate that the drug is highly effective with a very low risk for side effects. In addition, RPI-78 is completely non-addictive and does not create tolerance over time.

With the positive results of our recent clinical study in hand, Nutra Pharma now has the opportunity to enter the pain relief market with a powerful new treatment that could effectively compete with current Stage 2 and Stage 3 pain relievers without the negative side effect profile plaguing current opioid-based treatments. If we are successful in our efforts, Nutra Pharma may have a product on the market though affiliates and partners by the end of 2009.

As a responsible company, our first concern is to create value for our shareholders and employees. This is the reason for our current direction in product development. We believe that ReceptoPharm’s pain drug provides the shortest route to significant revenues for the company. It is still our intention, however, to continue our efforts developing treatments for Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), Multiple Sclerosis (MS) as well as our work in anti-viral medications for a host of viral infections including HIV/AIDS.

We will continue to keep you posted with our progress. In the meantime, to ensure that you receive the most recent news, updates, and blog posts from Nutra Pharma, be sure to subscribe to Nutra Pharma E-Alerts.

SEC Disclaimer
This article contains forward-looking statements. The words or phrases "would be," "will allow," "intends to," "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements." Actual results could differ materially from those projected in Nutra Pharma's ("the Company") business plan. The Company's business is subject to various risks, which are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The above article, " Update from the Chairman: Our Immediate Focus on the Pain Market", should not be construed as an indication in any way whatsoever of: (a) the Company’s financial value; and/or (b) any predictive value of the Company’s future stock price. The Company's filings may be accessed at the SEC's Edgar system at www.sec.gov. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. The Company cautions readers not to place reliance on such statements. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, we do not undertake, and we specifically disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.

               

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