In article <32ab31c9.6568653 at news.wco.com>, Steve Gill <skg at asis.com> wrote:
>On Mon, 02 Dec 1996 01:21:20 GMT, Cyrano at beehive.twics.com (Claude de
>Contrecoeur) wrote:
>>GHB(Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate).
>One of the problems with GHB and other "orphan drugs" is that even if
>new applications are found, the non-patentable status of the compound
>assures that little money will be spent on clinical research due to
>the low profit potential of the medication.
Where do we stand morally, since profit and not health seems to
be the major factor in health research? The fact is that 'profit' is
a human endevor, as a means to happiness by the profiteer. Happiness
is largely a factor of internal chemical states. Finding a true cure
for depression is a million times more important for the human race
than the senseless replication of economic growth (even to CEO's who
tend to be bipolar, and suffer from depression <After all if there
seretonin levels were higher they wouldn't be so callouse and mean as to
perpetuate harm for false, material personal gain>)
GHB unlike other antidepressants (5-OH-tryptophan and trytophan
aside) is an endogenous chemical and is theirfore naturally active in
the human body. Of course the large scale studies needed to validate
this +nutrient+ as a cure for depression have yet to be completed. In
another neorological disease parkinsons it was recently shown that
L-dopa (an ammino acid, naturally present in the body) was superior to
L-deprenyl(a PEA shaped MAO-B inhibitor not found naturally in the
human body) for treatement. L-dopa alone in a British study was superior
to combination l-deprenyl/l-dopa therapy, making l-dopa the prefered
treatment for this disease. Overlooking l-/or 5-0h/-tryptophan and
GHB as treatements for depression would be a travesty.
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"O senseless man, who cannot possibly make a worm and yet will make
Gods by the dozen!" -- Michel de Montaigne (1533-92).
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