2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) is used to inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and as a neuroprotector of the brain in closed head injury. 2-AG can be usedalso to reduce edema caused by closed head injury, to reduce neurological deficits caused by closed head injury and stroke, to treat pathological conditions caused by TNF alpha and by radical oxygen intermediates (ROI) and to treat brain injury caused by chemical or biological warfare. Physically/ Biologically / Chemically Induced Brain Injuries, trauma HLS/Defense: Endocannabinoids and Brain Injury (Bio / Chem) Civil: Treatment of closed brain injuries, caused by Stroke, Physical Injuries (e.g. car accidents), Treatment of TNF pathologies, Treatment of ROI pathologies.

Anti-inflammatory action of 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) protects brain

Highlights

• Pharmaceutical compositions containing 2-AG alleviate and reduce damage due to acute central nervous system injuries, such as those due to brain trauma, stroke and related damage

Our Innovation

• 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) reduces the neurological damage and edema produced by brain trauma. It lowers the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-?, IL-1 and related materials, which are important pro-inflammatory mediators whose activity can be induced by ischemic and traumatic brain injury, prevents NF?B activation and partly repairs traumatic damage to the blood brain barrier. 

Key Features

• 2-AG can be used
• to reduce edema caused by traumatic brain injury,
• to reduce neurological deficits caused by traumatic brain injury and stroke
• to inhibit tumor necrosis factor ?
• to inhibit formation of various pro-inflammatory constituents
• to treat brain injury caused by chemical or biological warfare

Development Milestones

• The next stages required in development of the treatment are -
• Toxicology
• Clinical studies in humans

The Opportunity

• Approximately 2 million people worldwide suffer traumatic brain injury each year. The market potential for an effective TBI drug is $1 billion. A drug that is also effective for acute treatment of ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke would be applicable to an additional 3 million patients with a worldwide market potential of $4 billion.

project-id 6-2006-252

A US patent, 5,605,928, has been approved.