Noteboom The Law Firm

Nepicastat: drug to treat hyperarousal a symptom of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Many of the troops returning from today's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Since 2003, approximately 40,000 U.S. soldiers have been diagnosed with the condition. And, while PTSD can affect anyone that has lived through a traumatic event, it's particularly common in veterans.

The U.S. Defense Department has funded a study focused on treating veterans suffering from PTSD, and consequently, one of its symptoms: hyper-arousal - a condition that makes it difficult for a person to accurately assess danger, resulting in a constant state of alertness.

Clinical trials have begun on a drug called Nepicastat created to treat hyper-arousal. The trials will be conducted by researchers at veterans’ medical centers in Alabama, Texas and South Carolina. Preliminary results about the drug's effectiveness and tolerability are slated to go public as early as next spring.