Ibogaine in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C

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Ibogaine in the treatment ofchronic hepatitis C

• Howard S. Lotsof.
• President
• Dora Weiner Foundation
• Staten Island, NY
• http//www.doraweiner.org

Invitational Ibogaine forum Warsaw 2007 Wednesday
16 May Hotel Sofitel Victoria
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Tabernanthe ibogasource of ibogaine
Found in West African rain forests
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Purified Ibogaine HCl
Courtesy Jason Callan President and
Founder Ethnogarden Botanical www.ethnogarden.com
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Ibogaine HClpharmaceutical grade
99.4 purity
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Hepatitis C (HCV)timeline

• 1973 Non A, Non B hepatitis is described
• 1989 HCV RNA virus identified
• 1990 Anti HCV effects of ibogaine reported
• 2005 Patent application for ibogaine to treat
  chronic HCV filed

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HCV infection

• Most common viral infection in the
• United States
• New infections per year 1990 - 242,000
• New infections per year 2001 - 25,000
• New infections per year 2004 - 25,000
• Greater than 75 of IVDUs test positive

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Science follows patent development

1. The discovery of ibogaines use in treating both
   chemical dependence and HCV was by ibogaine
   activist advocates who were themselves treated
   or self-treated with ibogaine.
2. Scientific research followed patent development
   in the treatment of chemical dependence and it is
   hoped the same will be true for ibogaine related
   HCV research.

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Ibogaine Patents

1. Rapid method for interrupting the narcotic
   addiction syndrome, US 4,499,096 (1985)
2. Rapid method for interrupting the cocaine and
   amphetamine abuse syndrome US 4,587,243 (1986)
3. Rapid method for attenuating the alcohol
   dependency syndrome, US 4,957,523 (1989)
4. Rapid method for interrupting or attenuating the
   nicotine/tobacco dependency syndrome, US
   5,026,697 (1991)
5. Rapid method for interrupting or attenuating
   poly-drug dependency syndromes, US 5, 124,994
   (1992)

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Research follows skepticism

• Broad ranging claims of ibogaine to treat
  multiple forms of chemical doubted
• Over time, all claims for chemical dependence
  have been confirmed by research
• Opioids,
• stimulants,
• Alcohol
• nicotine

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Opioids
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Cocaine
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Alcohol
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Nicotine
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Ibogaine activist organizations playrole in
ibogaine HCV research

• International Coalition for Addict Self-Help
  (ICASH) 1989
• Dutch Addict Self-Help (DASH) 1990
• Ibogaine Underground 2004

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HCV patent application
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Example 1 Report
A thirty-three year old male diagnosed with HCV
and using 1/4 gram of heroin a day was
administered 25 mg/kg ibogaine HCl. Following
administration of ibogaine heroin use ceased
along with swelling of the liver and pain in the
area of the liver.
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Example 2 Liver enzyme values reduced by 14
mg/kg ibogaine
Enzyme Pre Post
ALT 410 50
AST 201 25
GGT 155 33
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Example 3
A sixty year old male testing positive for HCV
RNA genotype I, administered the following dose
regimens of ibogaine HCl. Subject weighed 79 kg.
Doses administered were as total doses and not
mg/kg. Day 1 10 mg, Day 2 20 mg, Day 3 20 mg,
Day 4 30 mg, Day 5 50 mg, Day 6 75 mg, Day 8
100 mg.Day 10 150 mg, Day 14 300 mg. HCV RNA
UL/ml was reduced from 780,000 to 644,000,
Pretreatment Alkaline Phosphatase was 99, AST was
103 and ALT 195. Post treatment Alkaline
Phosphatase was 88, AST 89 and ALT 127. An
additional 250 mg ibogaine HCl reduced HCV RNA
UL/ml to 154,000. Further testing showed
continued reduction to HCV RNA UL/ml 78,200
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Example. 4
A forty-two year old female testing positive for
HCV RNA type 3. RNA IU/ml was 12,600,000.
Subject was administered a total of 27 mg/kg
ibogaine HCl in the following regimen 6 x 2
mg/kg 1 x 12 mg/kg 1 x 3 mg/kg HCV RNA IU/ml was
reduced to 50,100. Prior to ibogaine treatment
patients urine was dark and stool light. Post
treatment color of urine and stool returned to
normal.
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ReviewPreliminary Examples ReportingReduction
Viral Load by ibogaine
Subject Pre Post
3 780,000 78,200
4 12,600,00 50,100
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Encouraging results

1. Repetitive low dosing with ibogaine provided
   continuous depression of viral load.
2. Genotype 3 appears highly responsive in keeping
   with results of interferon riboviron therapy.
3. Continued reduction in viral load after stopping
   of ibogaine therapy observed.
4. Less toxic than current HCV therapies.

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Future development

1. Interest of pharmaceutical companies with
   experience in development of HCV drugs.
2. Preclinical confirmation of efficacy if possible.
3. Phase I/II clinical studies to confirm findings
   and establish preferred dose regimen.