Hythiam, Inc. Announces Peer-Reviewed Publication of Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hythiam, Inc. (NASDAQ:HYTM) announced today that the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the impact of the medical component of the PROMETA® Treatment Program on methamphetamine dependent subjects were published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, a peer-reviewed, international journal that publishes original research and review articles on preclinical and clinical aspects of psychopharmacology. The journal provides a forum for researchers and practicing clinicians on the effects of drugs on animal and human behavior, and the mechanisms underlying these effects. The article was recently released and is titled, “A Controlled Trial of Flumazenil and Gabapentin for Initial Treatment of Methylamphetamine Dependence,” Urschel III, Harold C., Hanselka, Larry L., and Baron, Michael, J Psychopharmacol OnlineFirst, November 25, 2009, doi:10.1177/0269881109349837. The results of the 30-day study were analyzed on an intent-to-treat basis that included all randomized participants, and missing days were counted as positive for methamphetamine use. The final data demonstrated that the medical component of the PROMETA Treatment Program achieved a statistically significant reduction in the combined craving score for methamphetamine when compared to placebo, and that craving was a significant predictive factor for subsequent drug use. The results are the first to be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted to assess the impact of the PROMETA Treatment Program on methamphetamine dependence.