SOBERING NEWS FOR ALCOHOL DRINKERS

CompuMed of California, USA, has acquired rights to a new product which could dramatically cut the time it takes to sober up after drinking alcohol. MGB Nutraceuticals, also of California, will finance the drug's development in return for CompuMed stock plus royalties on sales.

The product, called Detoxahol, contains microsomal ethanol-oxidizing enzymes similar to those found in the liver which, when taken orally, cause the small intestine to function as a second alcohol clearing organ. Howard Mark, medical director of CompuMed, estimates that Detoxahol could halve the levels of alcohol in the blood from drinking three units of alcohol in about 45 minutes.

The first version of the product will be targeted for use in ambulances and the emergency departments of hospitals as a means of treating patients who present with serious alcohol poisoning. However, CompuMed also plans to bring out an over-the-counter version in the future which could be taken, for example, by people who are slightly over the drink-drive limit to cut the time before it is safe for them to drive.