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Hi Gerry, GDNF is not the drug that Guilford developed with, I think, John Hopkins; it's a public/private endeavor. They then sold the rights to Amgen, went through some clinical trial, and Amgen decided it was a disappointment. Last I heard, Guillford started working on it again after Amgen rejected it. I can't remember the name or number of the drug when it was at Amgen, but at Guillford it was GPI 1046, I believe, and it was some kind of ligand. It was not a growth factor drug, and it is not now being delivered directly to the brain. But it's an interesting idea--perhaps the two will be used together someday: The GDNF delivered to the brain, and the Guillford drug to, put crudely, kick start it. Now, this is not the first time at bat for GDNF either. GDNF had a go quite some time ago--before the Guillford thing--and it fizzled. I don't know what the difference is this go around, but delivery was an issue. The guy that spoke at the forum 2 or 3 years ago to announce it gave me the background on it in the bar the night before--bent my ear for an hour--he was really promoting it--I think he would have talked to a potted plant. It sounds exciting, and, yes, we've been disappointed before, and I get impatient and frustrated. We'll just have to see. I'm missing you and our gatherings in the coffee shop, and when we closed that down we'd move to the bar until that closed. I miss you all. The ones you talked about--the ones "that have been around a long time." I was one of the new ones joining the veterans--veteran defined as those who went through the long struggle to get the Udall bill passed and then to get the Udall Act funded. If you have second thoughts about the forum, let me know. I'm going to be in a study at the NIH this spring. I might try to schedule it at the same time as the forum. Take care Gerry, best to Brig Charlotte Gerry Haines <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Anyone who has been around a long time, will remember a drug company out of Maryland, can't remember the name, might have Guiford, was testing this substance even then. If I am correct, then Amgen bought the company and continued with it, but GDNF was showing no real benefits. Trying to rely on my memory and that doesn't work sometimes. If this is all correct, then this time, it was introduced into the brain which is where the breakthrough occurred. Just hoping, after 17 years of a cure right around the corner, I don't jump as high as I used to. Gerry and Brig ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn