Cobroxin: New homeopathic OTC pain medication

I’m really not sure what to think about this…..  a 4x potency of cobra venom (naja) being marketed by a biotech company as an OTC pain reliever?  Anybody else have alarm bells going off about this?

Drug Discovery

Nutra Pharma, through its wholly-owned drug discovery subsidiary, ReceptoPharm, is developing proprietary therapeutic protein products primarily for the prevention and treatment of viral and neurological diseases in humans, including Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The emphasis of ReceptoPharm's approach to drug discovery and the development of new therapeutic agents is based upon specialized receptor-binding proteins found in nature, especially those found in snake venom from the cobra.

http://www.nutrapharma.com/

Newsroom

Nutra Pharma Announces Online Availability of Cobroxin for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Chronic Pain

October 14, 2009

Nutra Pharma’s over-the-counter treatment for moderate to severe chronic pain, Cobroxin, is now available for sale online at Cobroxin.com. The Company plans to announce additional retail partnerships as it moves through the fourth quarter of 2009 and into the first quarter of 2010.

Nutra Pharma Corp., a biotechnology company that is developing treatments for Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), HIV and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), has announced today that its over-the-counter pain reliever, Cobroxin, is available for sale online at Cobroxin.com.

Cobroxin is the first OTC pain reliever clinically proven to treat moderate to severe (Stage 2) chronic pain. The drug, which was developed by Nutra Pharma’s wholly-owned drug discovery subsidiary, ReceptoPharm, will be available as an oral spray (NDC47219-102-52) for treating lower back pain, migraines, neck aches, shoulder pain, cramps and neuralgia and as a topical gel (NDC47219-104-50) for treating joint pain and pain associated with repetitive stress and arthritis….

What are the ingredients

Active Ingredients:  Asian Cobra Venom 4X*

Inactive Ingredients: Purified Water, Natural Flavoring, Citric Acid, Methyl Paraben

*According to the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States

How Cobroxin Works

Cobroxin is believed to work by targeting some of the same receptors on nerve cells that are also recognized by nicotine. These nicotine receptors are found in nerves outside the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and they are also found on cells of the immune system. Specialized proteins in Cobroxin block the action of acetylcholine, a major stimulating neurotransmitter in the nervous system and activator of the inflammatory pathways. As a result, the pain and inflammation pathways are temporarily shut off. In some clinical studies, Cobroxin could provide prolonged relief.

http://www.cobroxin.com/our_products.php

http://www.cobroxin.com/faq.php

On a related topic, I ran across a statement in a rather obscure article the other day that said that Boiron had been bought out by the Bayer Group.  Bayer, as in Bayer pharmaceuticals.  I could not confirm this ‘sale’ so wrote to the journalist that wrote the article asking for some kind of confirmation or source for the info but never heard anything back.

Frankly, the very idea of pharmaceutical companies taking over homeopathic labs or dabbling in homeopathic medicines is extremely disconcerting, at best.  The obvious implication is that pharma companies recognize the value of homeopathic medicines.  The more sinister possibility is that homeopathics could be purposely misused, leading to sanctions against the homeopathic community.