8 April 2013 Last updated at 06:22 ET Researchers in Glasgow are pioneering a new treatment which could help save at-risk brain tissue in stroke patients. It uses oxygen, oxygen-carrying drugs and MRI scans to identify the penumbra - viable tissue surrounding the dead area in the brain caused by a stroke. Oxygen is then delivered to the tissue - helping protect brain function. Current clot buster drugs are only viable for 4.5 hours after a stroke. The new approach, described as a "Holy Grail", allows treatment for 48 hours. The technique - Glasgow Oxygen Level Dependent (Gold) - has been developed by a team from Glasgow's Southern General neuro radiology department, department of clinical physics and Glasgow University. Neuroradiologist Dr Celestine Santosh said it could revolutionise the way stroke patients are diagnosed and treated. He said: "Currently every clinician is treating acute stroke with clot buster drugs while always watching the clock as this treatment is only licensed for use up to 4.5 hours after stroke. "This obviously has major limitations as one third of all stroke patients don't know the time of their onset of symptoms. We realise this is a unique project which has the possibility to … Continue reading →

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Retrophin, Inc. (RTRX), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of orphan drugs for the treatment of rare and life-threatening diseases for which there are currently no viable patient options, today announced that it sponsored the Seventh International NBIA Disorders Association Family Conference, which was held April 4-7 in San Antonio, TX. We are proud to have been part of this important conference that brought together patients with neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation disorders, their families, and the medical community, said Martin Shkreli, founder and chief executive officer of Retrophin. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to spend time with children who have PKAN, a devastating ultra-orphan pediatric disease for which our preclinical studies of RE-024 have shown positive results. We look forward to presenting detailed findings at an upcoming scientific meeting. On Saturday, April 6, Suzanne Jackowski, PhD, principal investigator of the preclinical studies, presented an overview of RE-024 for PKAN. The presentation is available at http://www.retrophin.com. PKAN is an inherited, progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease. Symptoms of PKAN vary but often include ataxia, dystonia, and a general failure to thrive. Onset usually occurs before 10 years of age and typically results in … Continue reading →