In spite of the fact that substance abuse, including alcohol dependence and abuse, represents an enormous public health problem with both economic and social consequences, there is a surprising lack of treatment options and pharmaceutical solutions. Historically, the treatment for alcohol dependence has been aimed at getting people to stop drinking through behavioral therapy. Not only is there an incredible recidivism rate of approximately 70-90%, some people don’t even seek treatment because the idea of never drinking again is both daunting and unrealistic. Currently marketed pharmaceutical products are of little benefit because they require patients to stop drinking before initiating therapy—somewhat defeating the objective of taking medication to reduce or stop drinking. They are also relatively ineffective because they target only one receptor or pathway in the brain, and it is well accepted that alcohol affects multiple neurotransmitters and brain pathways. Any medication for alcohol abuse and dependence will likely have to target multiple brain pathways to yield clinically meaningful results.

This is the mission of ADial Pharmaceuticals: to develop effective medications that target multiple neurotransmitters and brain pathways, which in turn, will change the paradigm of substance abuse treatment. Our lead candidate is for alcohol abuse, and people who are heavy or excessive drinkers will, for the first time, have a medication option that enables them to control their desire for alcohol and perhaps prevent them from becoming alcohol-dependent. Likewise, alcohol-dependent people, for the first time, will have a medication option that allows them to significantly reduce their intake of alcohol, thereby improving their ability to function in society. This has the potential for enormous social impact because the choice will no longer be to “complete abstinence” or “complete failure”; rather, there will be a new outcome measure: to suppress the cravings for alcohol to the point where a person can control his/her drinking and function in society the way non-alcohol dependent people do. In addition to the social benefit, this should have enormous economic benefit as well. A small fraction of the billions of dollars currently spent on rehabilitation services, psychotherapy, hospitalizations, and other post-dependent care can be reallocated to medications that potentially prevent and treat dependence, saving society billions in the process.

In addition to alcohol abuse and dependence, ADial Pharmaceuticals is focused on developing medicines to treat the large and growing areas relative to drugs of abuse such as methamphetamines and cocaine. This in many ways is an even larger unmet medical need, with an incredible societal impact.

In summary, ADial’s mission is to address the enormous and currently unmet medical, societal, and economic needs for effective medications that will help improve the lives of those affected by substances of abuse. With medications suitable for a wider population that show dramatic improvements over existing drugs, ADial Pharmaceuticals will offer new hope for treating addictive behaviors, and a potentially lucrative investment for financial sponsors.

Fast Facts:

AD/TO:01 promises new hope for those seeking an effective treatment for alcoholism due to the following significant advantages it retains over competing drugs:

• Research shows AD/TO:01 to have a benefit ratio that is 4 times greater, and 3 times more efficacious, than existing drugs
• AD/TO:01 is suitable for a wider population (no gender differences and does not require alcohol abstinence before beginning treatment)
• AD/TO:01 targets the causes of addiction directly with minimal side affects.
• AD/TO:01 reduces cravings for alcohol, resulting in two potential successful outcomes: a reduction in alcohol consumption or complete abstinence