Hillsboro doctor develops new diabetic neuropathy treatment
Dr. Amol Soin, Medical Director of the Ohio Pain Clinic, with an office in Hillsboro, has announced the development of a treatment for diabetic neuropathy pain.
Dr. Soin and his team filed a patent last February for an investigational, non-addicting/sedating pill and filed an Investigational New Drug Application with the FDA in December 2014, paving the way for clinical tests to be done locally starting within a few months.
A co-inventor of this medication, Dr. Soin points out that over 300 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, and this number is expected to grow by over 50 percent by 2035. News reports note that the diabetes epidemic shows no signs of slowing in the United States and around the world.
This new pill features enteric-coated, time-released sodium nitrite, which stimulates blood vessel growth and has been shown in a previous study to significantly reduce pain in patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy without being addicting or sedating.
With the rise of drug abuse and addiction in patients who take narcotics for relief of their symptoms, having an option to treat neuropathy with a new modality could potentially change the entire paradigm for pain treatment. By stimulating blood vessel growth in diabetics, the drug has added advantages of helping increase blood flow to the feet which may aid in wound healing, diabetic foot ulcer prevention and may prevent damage/limb loss which often occurs in diabetics by improving circulation.
It has been described as “a novel therapeutic approach,” and preliminary testing has been very encouraging and has highlighted the potent effect and benefits of nitrite therapy. The upcoming trial will include 30 people in a 12-week study. The entire study will be done in Dayton, and participants will be compensated for their participation. Some subjects will be taking a placebo. Dr. Soin noted that subjects must meet certain standards and qualifications, but he is seeking participants to enroll once approval to proceed is given.
“We are excited about this new medication and upcoming testing,” Dr. Soin said.
He pointed out that many of his patients had expected to live with debilitating diabetic-related pain for the rest of their lives.
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“I think this will be a real game-changer," Dr. Soin said. "For far too long we have been treating pain with addicting narcotics and finally will have an option that treats the ‘cause’ of the pain instead of masking symptoms. It will also be beneficial to society as a whole to have fewer narcotics on the streets."
This new concept to treat pain was further validated when two prominent physicians recently joined Dr. Soin’s clinical advisory team to help develop the drug: Dr. Edgar Ross, Medical Director for Pain Management at Harvard, and Dr. Nagy Mekhail, Director for Pain Management Research and Education at the Cleveland Clinic.
For further details and to learn how to participate in this study, please email daytonpainstudy@gmail.com, or contact the Ohio Pain Clinic at 937-434-2226, or visit www.ohiopainclinic.com and utilize the “contact us” page.
About Dr. Soin:
Dr. Amol Soin, a pain management specialist, is a Beavercreek native and received his medical degree from the University of Akron. He served his residency at Rush University in Chicago. After his residency, he went to the Cleveland Clinic for fellowship training in pain management. There he mastered the most advanced techniques available for that specialty. (The Cleveland Clinic is the largest and oldest pain management department in the United States.)
Recognized as one of America’s top doctors for pain management since 2006, Dr. Soin also serves as Clinical Professor of Surgery at Wright State University in the Miami Valley. He is an avid researcher and inventor who has published papers, won research awards, written for pain-management textbooks and taught medical students and residents. Dr. Soin is also the president of the Ohio Society of Interventional Pain Physicians and the Medical Director for Pain Management at Greene Memorial Hospital and the Soin Medical Center.
In addition to Hillsboro, the Ohio Pain Clinic has locations in Beavercreek, Wilmington and Centerville.