Professor
Wilbur Mills Endowed Chair in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention
Chief Scientific Officer, InterveXion Therapeutics, LLC, Little Rock, AR
Phone: 501-686-5487
Fax: 501-526-4618
Email: mowens@uams.edu
Education
Ph.D. – University of North Carolina, 1981
Research Interests
The objective of my research program is to develop antibody-based medications for use in treating the neurological problems associated with drug abuse. The projects involve the integration of multidisciplinary basic science studies with the application of these scientific discoveries to the treatment of human disease. These studies utilize molecular design, hybridoma technology, antibody engineering techniques, as well as studies of the effects of drug of abuse on brain function. Large scale production of antibodies as drugs is accomplished through the use of bioreactors, along with the development of the technology for the molecular and biological engineering of antibodies. For the in vivo testing of the antibody-based medications, a comprehensive series of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies following active and passive immunization are being conducted in animal models of human drug abuse. A major goal of these studies is to better understand the mechanism by which these new medications can be used to treat adverse chemical effects on the central nervous system. Thus, these studies are serving as a prototypic system to acquire knowledge that can be applied to antibody-based therapy for a wide variety of human diseases.
Learn more about InterveXion Therapeutics, LLC
Recent Research Support
Current Research
- F31DA046121 (Mentor to McClenahan) (04/01/18 – 03/31/21)
“Development of an Enantiomeric Specific Vaccine for 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) Abuse” - R01 DA039195 (PI) (04/15/15 – 03/31/19)
“Pharmacology and Therapy for MDPV and alpha-PVP Like Drugs of Abuse”
Completed Research
- DA036600-A1 (Co-I) (07/01/14 – 06/30/18)
“Antibody gene therapy for methamphetamine abuse” - U01 DA037593-A1 (Co-I) (09/15/14 – 06/30/17)
“Transition to Human Phase 1b Trials: Nonclinical Studies of an Anti-METH mAb” - U01 DA035511 (Co-PD/PI) (09/01/14 – 05/31/17)
“A Methamphetamine Conjugate Vaccine: From Manufacturing to IND” - R01 DA 031944 (CoI) (07/15/11 – 06/30/14)
“First Human Studies of a Chimeric Anti-Methamphetamine Monoclonal Antibody” - U01 DA23900 (09/15/07 – 08/31/13)
“Active immunization for treating methamphetamine abuse” - 1UL1RR029884 (07/01/09 – 03/31/14)
“Arkansas Center for Clinical and Translational Research” - RC2 DA028915 (CoI) (09/30/09 – 08/31/12)
“Chimeric anti-Methamphetamine Monoclonal Antibody for Treating Stimulant Toxicity” - F30DA029372 (Mentor to Atchley) (01/01/11 – 05/31/13)
“Mechanism-based Changes in Anti-METH Monoclonal Antibody Therapy During Pregnancy”
Publications
- Hambuchen MD, Hendrickson HP, Gunnell MG, McClenahan SJ, Ewing LE, Gibson DM, Berquist MD, Owens SM. The pharmacokinetics of racemic MDPV and its (R) and (S) enantiomers in female and male rats. Drug Alcohol Depend. 179:347-354, 2017. PMID: 28844011
- Hambuchen MD, Hendrickson HP, Owens SM. Chiral determination of 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone enantiomers in rat serum. Anal Methods. 9(4):609-617, 2017. PMID: 28286575
- Stevens, MW, Gunnell, MG, Tawney, R, and Owens, SM. Optimization of a methamphetamine conjugate vaccine for antibody production in mice. Int Immunopharmacol. 35:137-141, 2016. PMID: 27039212
- Hambuchen, MD., Rüedi-Bettschen, D, Gunnell,, MG, Hendrickson, H, and Owens, SM. Chronic Treatment of (+)-Methamphetamine-Induced Locomotor Effects in Rats Using One or a Combination of Two High Affinity Anti-Methamphetamine Monoclonal Antibodies. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2016. PMID: 27163775
- Reichard, E, Nanaware-Kharade, N, Gonzalez, G, Thakkar, S, Owens, SM, and Peterson E. Half-life extension of a high-affinity anti-(+)methamphetamine single chain variable fragment (scFv7F9Cys) by PEGylation. Pharm Res. 2016. PMID: 27620175
- Owens, SM, Pollard, GT, Howard, JL, Fennell, TR, Snyder, RW, Carroll, FI. Pharmacodynamic Relationships Between Duration of Action of JDTic-Like κ-Opioid Receptor Antagonists and their Brain and Plasma Pharmacokinetics in Rats. ACS Chem Neurosci. DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00249, 2016. PMID: 27700049
- Harris, AC, LeSage, MG, Shelley, D, Perry, JL, Pentel, PR, Owens, SM. The anti-(+)-methamphetamine monoclonal antibody mAb7F9 attenuates acute (+)-methamphetamine effects on intracranial self-stimulation in rats. PloS One. 10(3), 2015. PMID: 25742165
- Milesi-Hallé, A, Hambuchen, MD, McMillan, DE, Owens, SM. The Pharmacokinetics of Methamphetamine Self-Administration in Male and Female Rats. Drug Alcohol Depend. 150:164-169, 2015. PMID: 25796510
- Hambuchen, MD, Carroll, FI, Rüedi-Bettschen, D, Hendrickson, HP, Hennings, LJ, Blough, BE, Brieaddy, LE, Pidaparthi, RR, and Owens, SM. Combining Active Immunization with Monoclonal Antibody Therapy to Facilitate Early Initiation of a Long-acting Anti-methamphetamine Antibody Response. J Med Chem. 58(11): 4665-4677, 2015. PMID: 25973614
- Hambuchen, MD, Rüedi-Bettschen, D, Williams, DK, Hendrickson, HP, Owens, SM. Treatment of rats with an anti-(+)-methamphetamine monoclonal antibody shortens the duration of action of repeated (+)-methamphetamine challenges over a one month period. Vaccine. 32(47): 6213-6219, 2014. PMID: 25252196
- Stevens, MW, Henry, RL, Owens, SM, Schultz, R, Gentry, WB. First human study of a chimeric anti-methamphetamine monoclonal antibody in healthy volunteer. MAbs. 6(6): 1649-1656, 2014. PMID: 25484042
- Peterson, EC, Hambuchen, MD, Tawney, RL, Gunnell, MG, Cowell, JL, Lay, JO, Blough, BE, Carroll, FI, Owens, SM. A simple radiometric method for accurately quantitating epitope densities of hapten-protein conjugates with sulfhydryl linkages. Bioconjugate Chem. 25 (12): 2112−2115, 2014. PMID: 25426820