Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...

485There has been no concerted serious effort, except latel}^, to developcompounds that may be specifically used in the treatment of drugdependence.As you know, Dr. Martin, in isolation, started workingwith cyclazocine in the middle 1960's. The groups of Dr. Fink and Dr.Freedman has done work with cyclazocine and naloxone. However,all of these have been isolated instances of efforts in the direction thatwe are interested toda}'.We have a problem of leadership and we have a problem with thedrug industry, which has been relatively uninterested in workingalong the lines of developing products for treatment of drug dependence.I know only of one drug firm that has a program on antidejiendencedrugs.Mr. Perito. Doctor, why does that situation exist? Why has notthe drug industry done something more about develo])ing a drugsuch as this?Dr. ViLLARREAL. 1 cau only guess, of course. There is, first of all,the fact that no one thought about this before. Misconceptions on thenature of psychological dependence precluded idtas that drugs couldbe used for the treatment of dependence, loi the production of apsychophysiological condition in which there is a reduced drive toseek for drugs.Other factors which may play a role here may be related to the factthat drug firms tend to be conservative and that they do not anticipatesufficient profits from this type of research. Drug firms may alsoanticipate controvers}' and risks of getting some bad publicity if thereis debate which affects them negativel3\ Again, these are only myguesses.Chairman Pepper. The committee will contact the drug companiesconcerning this subject (See exhibit No. 32.)Mr. Perito. On the basis of your experience, could you estimatewhat it would cost for a commitment by a drug house to develop anantagonist?Dr. ViLLARREAL. Well, again, this can only be a guess based onaverage figures from industry, but the development of a drug—onceyou have selected a drug to be developed—costs on the average $5million. Industry also has to consider the fact that once a drug comesinto the market, there are other companies that may come into thefield and compete with their drug. They anticipate that on the averagea drug has a half life in the market of about 5 j^ears. So, they need toget a return of at least $5 million in 5 years.Most drug companies do not like to deal with drugs which havesuch small markets. They need to get more return to cover the basicresearch which led to the identification of the drug that was developed.Mr. Brasco. Doctor, if I might on this point, in connection Nvith thedrug companies, I think that they have a particularly callous point ofview with respect to their refusal to get involved in the research area,but I am concerned about another thing.I consider them to be a prime offender in this drug abuse area becauseof the fact that they seem to have an inexhaustible supply ofmind-altering drugs that they continually produce and with all kindsof advertisements and newspaper advertisements that these drugs arebeing sold to the American public for what I consider to be ratherminor ailments. I am wondering whether or not you agree with thator disagree with it.