22nd Century and Dent Neurosciences Research Center to Partner on Brain Imaging Clinical Trial
June 08 2017 - 9:20AM
Business Wire
Trial will image brain activity associated
with smoking Company’s proprietary Very Low Nicotine
cigarettes
22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT:XXII), a plant biotechnology
company that is focused on tobacco harm reduction and cannabis
research, announced today that it has signed a collaborative
research agreement with The Dent Neurosciences Research Center. The
agreement features a clinical trial that will use functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to image the brains of smokers.
Participants will smoke 22nd Century’s proprietary Very Low
Nicotine (VLN) cigarettes, or conventional cigarettes, which will
allow scientists to study both the immediate and longer-term
effects of nicotine on brain activity.
Recent clinical trial findings suggest that a significant
physiological change occurs in the brains of smokers as early as 6
days after switching to Very Low Nicotine cigarettes (Donny et al.,
2015; Mercincavage et al., 2016). Over the course of the Dent
trial, researchers will study changes in the physiology of the
brains of VLN smokers. As a result, scientists hope to identify
changes in the brain that correlate with changes in nicotine
addiction. A non-invasive marker of addiction status at the level
of brain activity would be an invaluable tool for future studies on
nicotine addiction.
The differences in brain activity after smoking a single VLN
cigarette as opposed to smoking a conventional cigarette will
provide 22nd Century scientists with important insights into the
mechanisms of how the Company’s proprietary VLN cigarettes affect
the physiology of smokers’ brains.
“The identification of changes in brain activity associated with
smoking our VLN cigarettes compared to smoking regular cigarettes
will be an important step forward,” explained Dr. Paul Rushton,
22nd Century’s Vice President for Plant Biotechnology.
“Clinical trials show that 22nd Century’s Very Low Nicotine
SPECTRUM® cigarettes are associated with significant reductions in
consumption and increases in quit attempts,” explained Dr. Laszlo
Mechtler, Medical Director at The Dent Neurosciences Research
Center. “We are very excited that this project will study the
brain’s response to Very Low Nicotine cigarettes and may identify
exactly how Very Low Nicotine cigarettes work to alter behavior in
smokers.”
About 22nd Century Group, Inc.
22nd Century is a plant biotechnology company focused on
technology which allows it to increase or decrease the level of
nicotine in tobacco plants and the level of cannabinoids in
cannabis plants through genetic engineering and plant breeding. The
Company’s primary mission in tobacco is to reduce the harm caused
by smoking. The Company’s primary mission in cannabis is to develop
proprietary cannabis strains for important new medicines and
agricultural crops. Visit www.xxiicentury.com and
www.botanicalgenetics.com for more information.
About Dent Neurologic Institute/Dent Imaging Centers
As a national leader in diagnostic imaging for more than 30
years, Dent’s long-standing experience with advanced imaging
techniques qualifies physicians and medical research to advance in
the science and art of diagnostic imaging. Dent Neurologic
Institute is among the largest autonomous neurologic centers in the
United States. Dent’s comprehensive neuroscience practice includes
a full range of neurological, psychological and psychiatric
services. Its research team manages approximately 50 projects per
year, including ongoing collaborative work with local and national
universities using “functional” methods to better understand brain
processes underlying neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press
release contains forward-looking information, including all
statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the
intent, belief or current expectations of 22nd Century Group, Inc.,
its directors or its officers with respect to the contents of this
press release, including but not limited to our future revenue
expectations. The words “may,” “would,” “will,” “expect,”
“estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend” and similar
expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future results,
levels of activity or performance. You should not place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as
of the date that they were made. These cautionary statements should
be considered with any written or oral forward-looking statements
that we may issue in the future. Except as required by applicable
law, including the securities laws of the United States, we do not
intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform
these statements to reflect actual results, later events or
circumstances, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events. You should carefully review and consider the various
disclosures made by us in our annual report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, filed on March 8, 2017,
including the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and our other
reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
which attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors
that may affect our business, financial condition, results of
operation and cash flows. If one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those
expected or projected.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170608005321/en/
Investor Relations:IRTH CommunicationsAndrew Haag,
866-976-4784xxii@irthcommunications.com
22nd Century (AMEX:XXII)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
22nd Century (AMEX:XXII)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024