Hi Charles,
We've been waiting for your news...

There's been a bit on the web over the past years...

Parkinson's hopes stem from cell trigger - April '97
http://www.newscientist.com/ns/970405/parkinson.html

Hot Papers In Neurotrophic Factors - July 20 '98
http://www.the-scientist.com/yr1998/july/hot1_980720.html

GPI-1046, The First Oral Drug
http://www.parkinson.org/amgen.htm

Guilford and Amgen Announce Start of Neuroimmunophilin Clinical Trials
http://wwwext.amgen.com/News/news99/pressRelease990804.html

Amgen - Research and Development
http://www.woodmac.com/amgen-09.htm

Additional Studies in the Planning Stages - AMG-474-00
http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/neurol/research/moved/move_planned.html
http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/neurol/jankovic/announcements.html

New Hope for Parkinson's Sufferers: Neuroimmunophilins
July 26, 2000
http://www.drkoop.com/news/special-reports/fda/park.html

Florida hospital runs clinical research center
Knight Ridder/Tribune - Tampa Tribune - Sept. 6, 2000
http://data.ole.net/news/details3.hbs?myrec=208

INN Parkinson's Disease Index Page
5) AMG-474-00: a study evaluating the effects on PD of a new compound
able to stimulate the innervation of the striatum by dopaminergic fiber terminals.
Contact person Kisha Bush (212) 844-6052.
http://www.parkinsonsdiseaseny.org/research_pd.htm

BUMC: Clinical Drug Trials
.  Study
Whether AMG-474-00, a neuroimmunophilin, is safe and effective in the
treatment of Parkinson's disease
Eligibility
·     Must be on a stable dose of antiparkinson medicines for 60 days
·     Mild to Moderate symptoms
·     Can only be diagnosed for 5 years or less
Contact Person
Cathi Thomas (617-638-7737) or Gina Wallar (617-638-7751)
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/Departments/PageMain.asp?Page=4273&DepartmentID=60

Gene Therapy May Help in Parkinson's, Study Finds
Updated 3:20 PM ET October 26, 2000
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
http://prodigy-news.excite.com/news/r/001026/15/science-health-parkinsons-dc

Amgen Warns of Slower Growth - Oct 27 / 2000
http://www.fool.com/news/2000/amgn001027.htm

Amgen Inc. Product Pipeline (Clinical Trials)
http://www.biospace.com/ct/developer.cfm?CompanyID=1277

Neuroimmunophilins - Last Updated 11-20-00
http://www.biospace.com/ct/detail.cfm?ClinicalID=205804

Good Luck be with you Charles!

Best regards .......... murray

On 20 Nov 2000, at 22:11, Charles E Murray wrote:

> Hi all, don't know if anyone remembers me as I signed off the list a few
> months ago.
>
> Turns out I was the first person through the screening process for the
> AMGEN study of what used to be known as GP1046, now AMG 474.  Timing
> worked against me forcing a second brain scan at Yale (first one expired
> while FDA fiddled with their protocol requirements), so several people
> among my fellow 30 start up guinea pig group began the drug as much as
> three weeks ahead of me.
>
> I'm sitting in a hotel room near my PD clinic location (I live 120 miles
> away), going in tomorrow for an extensive battery of tests as I am
> exactly half way through the six month trial period and the protocol
> involves putting test subjects through several hours of cognitive and
> physical testing at the mid way point.  I go back to Yale late in January
> for another brain scan to see if new cells have made an appearance.
>
> While AMGEN has not asked us to keep quiet about our experiences, I have
> not shared my specific experiences to date out of respect for the
> concerns expressed about what such sharing might do, given that 1/3 are
> placebo.  I do have some communication with a small group among the first
> 30 (the follow up group of  270 have been starting the drug for the last
> few weeks and Internet traffic seems to indicate people are still being
> recruited for this group).
>
> So far no serious side effects have been reported to my knowledge (and I
> stress that my knowledge is very limited), and many reports have been
> encountered of encouraging response to the drug.
>
> I don't want to encourage unrealistic expectations about this thing, but
> my experience suggests they are on to something very important here.  So,
> my fellow PDers, maybe surgery, stem cells and genetic research will have
> a partner in bringing us back to vitality in the near future.
>
> Love
> Chuck (hopefully turning around to descend the mountain)

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