A new discovery made by a Saint Mary's professor however means that some addicts may in fact have their wish come true. Dr. Rob Singer has just patented a new process that produces thebaine, a major opiate precursor to such drugs as Naltrexone.
Naltrexone is used widely in the treatment of morphine, heroin, codeine, and even alcohol addiction.
Morphine, heroin and codeine fall into the same drug family, known as opiates, and are all highly addictive. Millions around the world suffer from addiction to these powerful drugs, and quitting for many is next to impossible. Dr. Singer graduated from Saint Mary's with an honours degree in chemistry in 1986. He then went on to pursue graduate work at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and shortly after conducted a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Marburg, Germany while holding an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship. Soon after receiving his Ph.D. he became a full-time chemistry professor at Saint Mary's.