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LDN Discovery Timeline

1962
Naltrexone Discovered
Naltrexone first synthesized by Endo Laboratories in Long Island, NY
1980
"Low Dose" Naltrexone (LDN) Discovered
LDN effects against cancer discovered by Drs. Ian S. Zagon and Patricia J. McLaughlin at Penn State University
1983
"Science" Publishes First LDN Papers
Two papers published in "Science" showing LDN effect on cancer and cell-growth
1984
US FDA Approves Naltrexone
Naltrexone (50mg dose) approved for treating heroin and opiate dependence
1985
LDN First Used for MS
Dr. Bernard Bihari first uses LDN in an MS patient
1987
LDN Tried in AIDS Patients
Dr. Bernard Bihari tests LDN in AIDS patients at State University of New York
2002
2,000 MS Patients Using LDN
2,000 MS patients taking LDN prescribed by Dr. Bihari and other physicians
2003
LDN Clinical Trial for Crohn's Disease
LDNscience® founder Moshe Rogosnitzky initiates first clinical trial of LDN for Crohn's disease at Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University
2004
"LDN Research Trust" Established
First global LDN charity established in United Kingdom
2006
Use in Pancreatic Cancer Published
Dr. Burt Berkson publishes first case report of LDN for pancreatic cancer
2007
First LDN Clinical Trial Results Published
First-ever clinical trial of LDN (in Crohn's disease) published by Drs. Smith, Zagon, McLaughlin and Moshe Rogosnitzky
2007
LDN for MS Trial Results Published
First clinical trial in MS published by Dr. Maira Gironi of San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Italy
2009
LDNscience® Launched
MedInsight Research Institute launches LDNscience.org - with first LDN worldwide physician directory
2009
LDN for Fibromyalgia Trial Results Published
Drs. Sean Mackey and Jarred Younger of Stanford University publish first LDN trial in fibromyalgia
2009
LDN for Duodenal Crohn's Disease
Duodenal Crohn's case report published by Cleveland Clinic
2010
US FDA Grants Orphan Designation for LDN
FDA grants orphan designation for LDN in pediatric Crohn's disease
2010
Second MS Trial Published
UCSF publishes results of second MS trial
2011
LDN for HIV Trial Published
LDN in HIV+ adults in Mali trial results published
2013
Second Fibromyalgia Study Published
Stanford researchers publish second fibromyalgia study
2013
Pediatric Crohn's Disease Trial Published
Penn State researchers publish first LDN trial in pediatric Crohn's disease
2013
LDN for Pediatric Liver Cancer
Researchers from MedInsight and Texas Children's Hospital publish first case of LDN use in pediatric hepatoblastoma (liver cancer)
2014
12 New Publications About LDN
Researchers from 6 countries publish 12 new reports/studies about LDN in multiple disorders
2015
New LDN Results for Pain and Neuropathy
Seven new reports/studies published about LDN including studies in various pain syndromes
2016
>300,000 Patients Using LDN
Data from naltrexone manufacturers show >300,000 patients worldwide now using LDN
2016
LDNscience® New Site Launched
MedInsight launches revamped and enhanced LDNscience® site
2017
LDN Mechanism of Action Clarified
LDN shown to benefit Multiple Sclerosis (MS) via restoring OGF (methionine enkephalin) levels
2017
A First for LDN in Ophthalmology
Tufts University experts recommend LDN for Neuropathic Corneal Pain (NCP)
2018
Global LDN Supplier Directory Launched
LDNscience® creates free online directory of >200 LDN suppliers worldwide
2018
LDN Studied at >60 Academic Institutions
More than 60 leading academic institutions from across the globe are involved in LDN research
2018
First Clinical Trial in Animals
LDN shown to increase the benefits of chemotherapy in treating breast cancer in dogs
2019
Ten New Conditions Studied with LDN
Ten new LDN indications were researched including: chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and Ehlers Danlos syndrome
2019
Record-Breaking Year in LDN Studies
2019 saw 35 newly published LDN articles by more than 100 authors- more than any previous year
2020
First Clinical Trial of LDN to Treat COVID-19
William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan, USA launches the first clinical trial of LDN to treat COVID-19