Acs Chem Neurosci
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Contrave is an investigational fixed-dose combination drug of naltrexone and bupropion currently in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of obesity. Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. has demonstrated efficacy of their product and is currently addressing FDA safety concerns and deciding future actions.
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Semagacestat (LY450139) is a novel γ-secretase inhibitor currently in late-stage development by Eli Lilly and Company as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Semagacestat is currently being studied in two phase III clinical trials.
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We have previously used molecular modeling and normal-mode analyses combined with experimental data to visualize a plausible model of a transmembrane ligand-gated ion channel. We also postulated how the gating motion of the channel may be affected by the presence of various ligands, especially anesthetics. As is typical for normal-mode analyses, those studies were performed in vacuo to reduce the computational complexity of the problem. ⋯ Normal-mode analysis revealed that even a fully immersed glycine α-1 receptor continues to demonstrate an iris-like channel gating motion as a low-frequency, high-amplitude natural harmonic vibration consistent with channel gating. Furthermore, the introduction of periodic boundary conditions allows the examination of simultaneous harmonic vibrations of lipid in synchrony with the protein gating motions that are compatible with reasonable lipid bilayer perturbations. While these perturbations tend to influence the overall protein motion, this work provides continued support for the iris-like motion model that characterizes gating within the family of ligand-gated ion channels.
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Savella (milnacipran), a selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, was approved by the FDA on January 14th, 2009, for the treatment of fibromyalgia.