Ambien can reanimate people from a vegetative state. Jamais Cascio in today's Boing Boing writes: "The story, in today's Guardian, is just mind-blowing. The common sleeping pill zolpidem, sold in the US under the name Ambien, can reverse serious brain damage and wake up patients in persistent vegetative states!
"In 1999, five years after Louis's accident, she suggested to Sienie that the family's GP, Dr Wally Nel, be asked to prescribe a sedative. Nel prescribed Stilnox, the brand name in South Africa for zolpidem. "I crushed it up and gave it to him in a bottle with a soft drink," Sienie recalls. "He couldn't swallow properly then, but I helped him and sat at his bedside. After about 25 minutes, I heard him making a sound like 'mmm'. He hadn't made a sound for five years.
"Then he turned his head in my direction. I said, 'Louis, can you hear me?' And he said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Say hello, Louis', and he said, 'Hello, mummy.' I couldn't believe it. I just cried and cried." Click here to link to the full story in The Guardian.
Zolpidem seems to work on comatose patients about 60% of the time....trials are beginning in Africa. But get this: the drug companies are not all that excited about it. Why? The patent on Zolpidem has expired (thus the $$$ opportunities are limited)!
I imagine that every person in a vegetative state around the world is about to get a dose! And why do we need clinical trials? These people are brain dead. What do you really have to lose?
---o0o---
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