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New MS drug offers effective and convenient option for patients, study says

Posted: Published on September 20th, 2012

CLEVELAND, Ohio---A new oral medication for the most common form of multiple sclerosis significantly cut down on relapses and brain lesions, according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The drug may offer a safe and convenient alternative for patients who want to avoid frequent injections. "It's an important option [for patients]," said Nicholas LaRocca, vice president of healthcare delivery and policy research at the National MS Society. The drug, BG-12, or dimethyl fumarate, is a new type of treatment that researchers believe may work by reducing inflammation in the brain or by helping cells in the brain and spinal cord protect themselves from the damage that is characteristic of the disease, said Dr. Robert Fox, lead author of the study and medical director of the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis. "BG-12 seems to offer us a step forward in MS treatment," said Fox. There is no cure for MS, a disease in which the body's own defense system attacks the protective layer surrounding nerves, and can cause numbness, paralysis and loss of vision. About 400,000 people in the U.S. have the disease, according to the National MS Society. BG-12 is the latest … Continue reading →

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Oral MS drug passes tests

Posted: Published on September 20th, 2012

BG-12 suppresses relapses Web edition : 5:32 pm People with multiple sclerosis might soon have a new option for controlling their disease with pills instead of shots. Two studies in the Sept. 20 New England Journal of Medicine demonstrate that a variation on a drug used against psoriasis for years in Germany holds off MS relapses and has minimal side effects. These data look good. Both studies show a reduction in relapses with really pretty robust effects, says Clyde Markowitz, a neurologist at the University of Pennsylvania who wasnt involved with the trials. The drug, called BG-12, has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval by the biotech company Biogen Idec. Markowitz expects it to get approved. It would be a clear benefit to the MS population to have another option, he says. If approved, BG-12 would be the third oral drug available to treat MS. The disease results when the immune system attacks the fatty myelin sheaths coating nerves in the central nervous system, leading to impaired muscle control, balance, vision and speech. BG-12, or dimethyl fumarate, has anti-inflammatory, cell-protective and antioxidant effects, which earlier work suggested could suppress the aberrant immune reactions in MS … Continue reading →

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Experimental MS Pill Continues to Show Promise

Posted: Published on September 20th, 2012

Sept. 19, 2012 -- An experimental pill is showing promise for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In two late-phase studies appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine, the drug BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate) reduced relapses by about half in patients with the most common form of MS. If approved by the FDA, BG-12, which is being developed by drug maker Biogen Idec, will become the third oral drug for people with multiple sclerosis. The second -- Sanofi Aventis pill Aubagio -- won FDA approval just last week. This is an exciting time in the development of new drugs for MS, especially considering the fact that we had no effective treatments just a few decades ago, says National MS Society Chief Research Officer Timothy Coetzee, PhD. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the insulation that coats and protects nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. With the most common type, people experience sporadic attacks or flare-ups of symptoms that are then followed by periods of remission. Symptoms include numbness, fatigue, vision problems, spasms, and issues with bladder and bowel control. People with this "relapsing-remitting" form of MS were the target group for the new … Continue reading →

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New Drug Might Hold Hope for MS Patients

Posted: Published on September 20th, 2012

Thousands of Americans who suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS) might one day be able to take advantage of a drug that new research suggests is both safe and effective. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic and often disabling disease that affects nearly 400,000 people in the United States. It attacks the protective substance called myelin that covers the nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. Myelin is similar to the insulation of a wire and ensures proper nerve function. Once the myelin is damaged, the disease can also damage the nerve fibers themselves, leading to scars in these delicate tissues. This damage leads to symptoms as mild as tingling in your feet and fingers, or as severe as paralysis or blindness. Eighty-five percent of MS patients are diagnosed with what is called relapsing-remitting MS, which means they experience flare-ups of symptoms, followed by partial or complete recovery. A team of researchers looked at nearly 1,500 patients in 28 countries taking the experimental oral drug, known for now by the name BG-12, to see whether such flare-ups decreased, as well as whether they experienced any side effects from the treatment. The patients were studied for two years. The results were encouraging. … Continue reading →

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South Korean lawmakers one step from rigorous new system for stem cell Advancement: scientists, physicians and …

Posted: Published on September 20th, 2012

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Seung-Jo Yang, a Parliament member, prepared a bill proposing new law for the management and transplantation of stem cells. On September 17, the National Health and Welfare Committee referred the bill to the Conference for review. The previous 18th National Assembly proposed a similar stem cell bill when much of its term had already passed so it was not fully discussed until the period ended, disappointing many patients with rare diseases. The Bill was referred to the 19th National Assembly, though, which shows the willingness of South Korean leaders to meet the expectations that this new law will be passed coming from the medical community and patient groups throughout South Korea. Dr. Jeong-Chan Ra, president of RNL BIO's stem cell technology institute said "This effort for new stem cell bill will advance the use and sophistication of autologous adult stem cell technology as a powerful solution for overcoming incurable diseases." Dr. Ra, whose pioneering efforts in Korean stem cell research are known worldwide, is equally known in Korea as an ardent advocate for governmental investment in regenerative medicine. Perhaps no scientist has pushed harder for rigorous standards for stem cell banking, which … Continue reading →

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Genetic mutation may have allowed early humans to migrate throughout Africa

Posted: Published on September 20th, 2012

ScienceDaily (Sep. 19, 2012) A genetic mutation that occurred thousands of years ago might be the answer to how early humans were able to move from central Africa and across the continent in what has been called "the great expansion," according to new research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. By analyzing genetic sequence variation patterns in different populations around the world, three teams of scientists from Wake Forest Baptist, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, demonstrated that a critical genetic variant arose in a key gene cluster on chromosome 11, known as the fatty acid desaturase cluster or FADS, more than 85,000 years ago. This variation would have allowed early humans to convert plant-based polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to brain PUFAs necessary for increased brain size, complexity and function. The FADS cluster plays a critical role in determining how effectively medium-chain PUFAs found in plants are converted to the long-chain PUFAs found in the brain. This research is published online today in PLOS ONE. Archeological and genetic studies suggest that homo sapiens appeared approximately 180,000 years ago, but stayed in one location around bodies of water in central Africa for … Continue reading →

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Genetic mutation may have allowed early humans to migrate throughout Africa, research says

Posted: Published on September 20th, 2012

Public release date: 19-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Bonnie Davis bdavis@wakehealth.edu 336-399-8274 Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Sept. 19, 2012 A genetic mutation that occurred thousands of years ago might be the answer to how early humans were able to move from central Africa and across the continent in what has been called "the great expansion," according to new research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. By analyzing genetic sequence variation patterns in different populations around the world, three teams of scientists from Wake Forest Baptist, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, demonstrated that a critical genetic variant arose in a key gene cluster on chromosome 11, known as the fatty acid desaturase cluster or FADS, more than 85,000 years ago. This variation would have allowed early humans to convert plant-based polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to brain PUFAs necessary for increased brain size, complexity and function. The FADS cluster plays a critical role in determining how effectively medium-chain PUFAs found in plants are converted to the long-chain PUFAs found in the brain. This research is published online today in PLOS One. Archeological and genetic studies suggest … Continue reading →

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Research suggests promise of cell therapy for bowel disease

Posted: Published on September 20th, 2012

Public release date: 19-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Karen Richardson krchrdsn@wakehealth.edu 336-716-4453 Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Sept. 19, 2012 New research shows that a special population of stem cells found in cord blood has the innate ability to migrate to the intestine and contribute to the cell population there, suggesting the cells' potential to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). "These cells are involved in the formation of blood vessels and may prove to be a tool for improving the vessel abnormalities found in IBD," said lead author Graca Almeida-Porada, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The research is published in the current print issue of the journal Hepatology. Up to 1 million Americans have IBD, which is characterized by frequent diarrhea and abdominal pain. IBD actually refers to two conditions ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in which the intestines become red and swollen and develop ulcers. With IBD, blood vessels in the intestine leak and contribute to inflammation. While there is currently no cure for IBD, there are drug therapies aimed at reducing inflammation and preventing the immune response. However, these therapies aren't always effective. The … Continue reading →

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Promise of cell therapy for bowel disease

Posted: Published on September 20th, 2012

ScienceDaily (Sep. 19, 2012) New research shows that a special population of stem cells found in cord blood has the innate ability to migrate to the intestine and contribute to the cell population there, suggesting the cells' potential to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). "These cells are involved in the formation of blood vessels and may prove to be a tool for improving the vessel abnormalities found in IBD," said lead author Graca Almeida-Porada, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The research is published in the current print issue of the journal Hepatology. Up to 1 million Americans have IBD, which is characterized by frequent diarrhea and abdominal pain. IBD actually refers to two conditions -- ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease -- in which the intestines become red and swollen and develop ulcers. With IBD, blood vessels in the intestine leak and contribute to inflammation. While there is currently no cure for IBD, there are drug therapies aimed at reducing inflammation and preventing the immune response. However, these therapies aren't always effective. The long-term aim of the research is to develop an injectable cell therapy to induce tissue recovery. The work, performed … Continue reading →

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Osiris Therapeutics to Present at 2012 UBS Global Life Sciences Conference

Posted: Published on September 19th, 2012

COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (OSIR), the leading stem cell company focused on developing and marketing products to treat medical conditions in inflammatory, cardiovascular, orthopedic and wound healing markets, announced today that C. Randal Mills, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to present at the 2012 UBS Global Life Sciences Conference on Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. ET in New York City. A live webcast of the presentation may be accessed through the Investors page of the Companys website at http://www.Osiris.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for one week following the conference. About Osiris Therapeutics Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., having developed the worlds first approved stem cell drug, Prochymal, is the leading stem cell company. The company is focused on developing and marketing products to treat medical conditions in inflammatory, cardiovascular, orthopedic and wound healing markets. In Biosurgery, Osiris currently markets Grafix for burns and chronic wounds, and Ovation for orthopedic applications. Osiris is a fully integrated company with capabilities in research, development, manufacturing and distribution of stem cell products. Osiris has developed an extensive intellectual property portfolio to protect the company's technology, including 48 U.S. and 144 foreign patents. Osiris, Prochymal, Grafix … Continue reading →

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