California Stem Cell Agency Launches $30 Million Plan to Lure Industry

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Fredricko

Just one week after the $3 billion California stem cell agency was sharply criticized for its failure to adequately support biotech firms, the agency formally kicked off a $30 million effort to engage industry more closely.

The initiative, in the works since the middle of last year, was heralded as the beginning of a "new era" for CIRM, which is moving to transform into cures the stem cell research it has funded over the last seven years. The agency has scheduled a webinar for April 25 for prospective applicants.

CIRM's press release, crafted by the agency's new PR/communications director, Kevin McCormack, yesterday quoted CIRM President Alan Trounson as saying,

"This initiative is a major new development in the progress towards providing new medical treatments for patients by engaging the most effective global industry partners."

Elona Baum, the agency's s general counsel and vice president of business development, said the program "represents a new era for CIRM."

Under the RFA, the agency will award up to $10 million each for three grants or loans. The program, however, is not limited to businesses. Non-profits may apply as well. Representatives from industry have complained about a strong tilt on the part of CIRM towards academic and non-profit research enterprises. The CIRM board is dominated by representatives from those two sectors.

The program grew out of recommendations in November 2010 from an "external review" panel put together by CIRM that said the agency needed to do better with business. The refrain was heard again directly from stem cell firms at last week's hearing by the Institute of Medicine on the stem cell agency's performance. According to CIRM's figures, businesses have received $54 million in grants and loans since 2005, the first year the CIRM board approved grants, out of a total of $1.3 billion.

Only one news outlet has written a story so far about the posting of the RFA and the press release, as far as can be determined.

Ron Leuty of the San Francisco Business Times said,

"The most likely candidates to attract industry funding would be CIRM’s 'disease team' grant winners, who face a deadline of 2014 to bring a project to the point of first-in-human clinical trials. CIRM has weighed options for pushing those projects — there are 13 of them now — deeper into the FDA approval process."

CIRM said in the RFA material,

"The intent of the initiative is to create incentives and processes that will: (i) enhance the likelihood that CIRM funded projects will obtain funding for Phase III clinical trials (e.g. follow-on financing), (ii) provide a source of co-funding in the earlier stages of clinical development, and (iii) enable CIRM funded projects to access expertise within pharmaceutical and large biotechnology partners in the areas of discovery, preclinical, regulatory, clinical trial design and manufacturing process development.
"This initiative requires applicants to show evidence of either having the financial capacity to move the project through development or of being able to attract the capital to do so. This may be evidenced by, for example, (i) significant investment by venture capital firms, large biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies and/or disease foundations; or (ii) a licensing and development agreement with a large biotechnology or pharmaceutical company or a commitment to enter into such an agreement executed prior to the disbursement of CIRM funding.
"The objective of the first call under this initiative, the Strategic Partnership I Awards, is to achieve, in 4 years or less, the completion of a clinical trial under an Investigational New Drug (IND) application filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."

CIRM has scheduled a webinar on the RFA for prospective applicants for next Wednesday, April 25. It is asking for registration and questions in advance.

(Editor's note: An earlier version of this article did not contain the sentence about businesses receiving $54 million out of $1.3 billion awarded by CIRM.)

Source:
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Study Compares Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Methods

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Fredricko

(HealthDay News) -- A less-invasive method of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair reduces the short-term risk of death, according to a new U.S. study.

The interim findings are from a nine-year multicenter trial comparing patient outcomes after endovascular and open surgical repair of AAA. The report included postoperative outcomes of up to two years (average 1.8 years of follow-up) for 881 patients, aged 49 or older, who had endovascular repair (444) or open repair (437).

Endovascular repair is performed through a catheter inserted into an artery. Open repair involves an abdominal incision. Of the 45,000 patients in the United States who undergo elective repair of an unruptured AAA each year, more than 1,400 die in the perioperative period -- the first 30 days after surgery or inpatient status. There's limited data available about whether short-term survival is better after endovascular repair compared to open repair. Read more...

Ayurtox for Body Detoxification

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/integratedmedicine

Want to learn more about Parkinson's Disease?

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Fredricko

Readmore: Local, News, Parkinson's Disease, Want to Learn more about Parkinson's Disease?, Parkinsons Conference, Crown Reef Resort, Parkinson's Conference at Crown Reef Resort

Parkinson's Disease affects nearly one million people in the United States.

A man who has the disorder and his mother put on a conference at the Crown Reef Resort Thursday to teach people about the disease.

Parkinson's involves the malfunction or death of nerve cells in the brain that produce a chemical that sends messages to part of the brain that controls movement.

The cause of Parkinson's in unknown and there is no cure. But there are treatment options like medication and surgery to manage symptoms.

"There is a lot of hope out there. There's a lot of new medications coming through the pipeline that will be helpful. We also encourage people to live their lives to the fullest everyday," says Karlin Schroeder with the Parkinsons Disease Foundation.

Clickhereto read more about Parkinson's Disease.

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Want to learn more about Parkinson's Disease?

Want to learn more about Parkinson’s Disease?

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Fredricko

Readmore: Local, News, Parkinson's Disease, Want to Learn more about Parkinson's Disease?, Parkinsons Conference, Crown Reef Resort, Parkinson's Conference at Crown Reef Resort

Parkinson's Disease affects nearly one million people in the United States.

A man who has the disorder and his mother put on a conference at the Crown Reef Resort Thursday to teach people about the disease.

Parkinson's involves the malfunction or death of nerve cells in the brain that produce a chemical that sends messages to part of the brain that controls movement.

The cause of Parkinson's in unknown and there is no cure. But there are treatment options like medication and surgery to manage symptoms.

Clickhereto read more about Parkinson's Disease.

View original post here:
Want to learn more about Parkinson's Disease?

Sanofi and Michael J. Fox Foundation Collaborate on Potential New Treatment for Parkinson's Disease

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Fredricko

- Fox Foundation to sponsor a clinical trial to study Sanofi compound -

PARIS , France , April 19, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Sanofi (EURONEXT: BSAC - News) (NYSE: SNY - News) announced today that it has entered into a collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) to conduct a clinical trial to assess the safety and tolerability of AVE 8112, a Sanofi PDE4 inhibitor - phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitor - in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

"AVE8112 has shown promising pro-cognitive activity in preclinical models that could be of interest to the under-addressed cognitive aspects of Parkinson's disease, an area of unmet need where a new treatment could make a tangible difference in patients' lives," said Todd Sherer , Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of MJFF. "Groundbreaking collaborations with like-minded partners such as Sanofi are a hallmark of the Fox Foundation's approach and help us speed scientific advances with potential to improve the treatment of Parkinson's for patients today and in the future."

Under the terms of the collaboration, MJFF will sponsor a phase I b clinical trial to assess the safety and tolerability of AVE8112 in patients with Parkinson's disease. All data and results generated by the clinical trial will be owned by MJFF and shared with Sanofi. Further development plans will be based upon the results of the study.

"The Michael J. Fox Foundation has been a driving force in discovering and developing improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's disease. Through this research collaboration, together we will be able to study Sanofi's pharmaceutical compound for a possible new treatment for PD patients around the world," said Dr. Elias Zerhouni , President, Global R&D, Sanofi. "We hope to continue to develop relationships with private foundations like the Michael J. Fox Foundation to pool our resources and maximize the potential of our drug portfolio to address unmet medical needs."

The clinical trial will be conducted at clinical sites in the United States in Baltimore , MD, and Los Angeles , CA. Patient enrollment in the study is expected to begin later this year.

***

About Parkinson's Disease Over one million people in the US and an estimated 5 million people globally suffer from Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the diminished production of dopamine, a key neurotransmitter, resulting in progressive impairment of motor function including tremors, rigidity and difficulty in moving. Another symptom of PD is cognitive dysfunction, such as difficulty planning, sequencing, initiating and sustaining behavior toward a goal. Estimates vary but some studies suggest a cognitive deficit may occur in up to 80% of people with Parkinson's. While there is a drug approved for the treatment of dementia in PD, there are currently no treatments available for patients who experience less severe cognitive impairments.

About Sanofi Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: BSAC - News) and in New York (NYSE: SNY - News).

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research As the world's largest private funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding more than $285 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. Now through December 31, 2012 , all new and increased giving to The Michael J. Fox Foundation, as well as gifts from donors who have not given since 2009 or earlier, will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis with the $50-million Brin Wojcicki Challenge, launched by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki .

Sanofi and Michael J. Fox Foundation Collaborate on Potential New Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Fredricko

- Fox Foundation to sponsor a clinical trial to study Sanofi compound -

The clinical trial will be conducted at clinical sites in the United States in Baltimore , MD, and Los Angeles , CA. Patient enrollment in the study is expected to begin later this year.

***

19th century therapy for Parkinson's disease may help patients today

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Fredricko

Public release date: 19-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Deb Song deb_song@rush.edu 312-942-0588 Rush University Medical Center

(CHICAGO) In the 19th century, Jean-Martin Charcot, the celebrated neurologist, developed a "vibration chair," to relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Charcot reported improvements in his patients, but he died shortly thereafter and a more complete evaluation of the therapy was never conducted. Now, a group of neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center have replicated his work in a study to see if Charcot's observation holds true against modern scientific testing.

Results from the study indicate that while vibration therapy does significantly improve some symptoms of Parkinson's disease, the effect is due to placebo or other nonspecific factors, and not the vibration. The findings are published in the April issue of Journal of Parkinson's Disease.

"We attempted to mimic Charcot's protocol with modern equipment in order to confirm or refute an historical observation," explains lead investigator Christopher G. Goetz, MD, director of the Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorders Center at Rush. "Both the treated group and the control group improved similarly, suggesting other factors had an effect on Parkinson's disease motor function."

Charcot's patients told him that during long carriage rides or train journeys, uncomfortable or painful symptoms of Parkinson's disease seemed to disappear, and the relief lasted quite some time after the journey. He developed a chair that mimicked the continuous jerking of a carriage or train.

Goetz and his colleagues randomly assigned 23 patients to either a vibrating chair or the same chair without vibration. During the treatment sessions, both groups of study participants listened to a relaxation CD of nature sounds. Study participants underwent daily treatment for a month.

The patients in the vibration treatment group showed significant improvement in motor function after daily 30-minute treatments for four weeks. Although not as high, motor function scores for the no vibration group also improved significantly. Both groups showed similar and significant improvement in depression, anxiety, fatigue, and nighttime sleep and both groups reported similar high satisfaction with their treatment.

"Our results confirm Charcot's observation of improvement in Parkinson's disease symptomology with chronic vibration treatment, but we did not find the effect specific to vibration," said Goetz. "Instead, our data suggest that auditory sensory stimulation with relaxation in a lounge chair or simply the participation in a research protocol has equivalent benefit as vibration on motor function."

"While we can agree that our results may not change scientific thinking on treatment mechanisms, our results will allow clinicians to guide patients to at least one apparatus that is safe and associated with objective changes in parkinsonian impairment scores," said Goetz. "Charcot's advice to colleagues resonates as one places vibration therapy in the context of potential options for patients. 'It is no small gain to be able to relieve the sufferers of paralysis agitans.'"

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19th century therapy for Parkinson's disease may help patients today

19th century therapy for Parkinson’s disease may help patients today

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Fredricko

Public release date: 19-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Deb Song deb_song@rush.edu 312-942-0588 Rush University Medical Center

The rest is here:
19th century therapy for Parkinson's disease may help patients today

NI in Parkinson's research world first

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Fredricko

Published Friday, 20 April 2012

Researchers from around the world are coming together to study Parkinson's (Getty)

The announcement was made at a special event at Queen's University, as part of Parkinson's Awareness Week.

Parkinson's UK says the research study will boost the chances of finding a cure to stop the devastating symptoms, including tremors, mood changes, movement difficulties, loss of smell and speech problems.

The charity is looking to recruit up to 3,000 sufferers throughout the UK, who are at an early stage of the condition, for the study called 'Tracking Parkinson's'.

The aim of the 1.6m study is to identify elusive biomarkers and develop simple tests, like blood tests, to diagnose the disease.

We could identify some of the problems and, moving forward, we could actually treat Parkinson's rather than the symptoms, and that would be a cure.

Kieran Breen, Director of Research and Innovation at Parkinson's UK

As part of the study, the responses to treatments for tremors, movement problems, anxiety, memory lapses and digestion problems will be closely monitored for up to five years.

"Studies like 'Tracking Parkinson's' could make a huge difference and help us to ultimately find a cure," said Dr Kieran Breen.

NI in Parkinson’s research world first