Addiction continues to be global unmet medical needs that results in significant healthcare costs (Figure 1), making a compelling economic case for the development of new effective treatments. Smoking exacts a particularly heavy toll as the leading cause of lung cancer and preventable premature death in the U.S. (440,000 deaths annually). As a potential smoking cessation treatment, EMB-001 may have a dramatic effect on reducing lung cancer rates.
Most current medications for treating substance abuse either (i) block the addictive substance's effect (but do not prevent its use) or (ii) mimic its effect. These treatment strategies have seen limited success as evidenced by the small percentage of the substance abuse population that successfully quits. For example:
Embera's lead program in smoking cessation addresses a $3.5B worldwide market ($1.4B in the US). A new, effective therapy would have a significant market impact. There is a significant unmet need for an effective smoking cessation treatment with a favorable safety profile. Embera believes EMB-001 has the potential to address this need.
EMB-001 also has the potential to address the significant unmet need for medications to treat stimulant abuse, specifically cocaine and methamphetamine dependence. There are currently no approved medications to treat these addictions. The incidence of cocaine and methamphetamine dependence in the US is similar to the incidence of opioid dependence, currently a >$1B market.
Citations
Figure 1: Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), National Expenditures on Substance Abuse, 2003
US Dept of Health and Human Services, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence 2008 Update, May 2008
Figure 2: Smoking Cessation 2009-2024, VisionGain, 2009