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Peggy, Thanks for your expressions, and questions for Mr. Bush. If he can take the time to sympathize with that mother camped outside his vacation home, maybe there's a way he will see what millions are going through. And thanks for the links to the PD studies. Rick ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peggy Willocks" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 3:38 AM Subject: Re: How do you cope? > Greg W > > I appreciated all of your promising comments about PD research. I, too, > feel like we truly are "5-10" years away from a cure. It just takes so > doggone long to get a treatment approved! (That's why we both volunteer > through the patient-dominated PD Pipeline Project - and we need more help - > see www.pdpipeline.org ,if interested. > > > > I wanted to make a correction about the Spheramine clinical trials. . . They > are not yet in Phase III; they are still in Phase II, recruiting around 8 > more people to complete the 68 needed for the double-blind study. (See > www.pdtrials.org or > http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00059007?order=1 > > > > The results to be released by 2006 is the final reporting on the original 6 > volunteers after 5 years. I was one of the 6 and am covinced I wouldn't be > walking, driving, and maintaining a pretty active life without having had > the surgery. The original 6 had the transplanting of retinal cells into our > brains (substantia nigra) one side only, to produce dopamine. These cells > came from a donated eye with one eye potentially able to treat thousands of > patients. Even if something happens in the latter phases of te trial, the > technology used (CCM - cell-coated microcarrier) for trasplanting the cells > will no doubt be applicable for other delivery system operations. The CCM > method encapsulates the donor cells with a gell-like substace, making > immunosuspression therapy not necessary as there have been no rejections > from the participants. And Phase II volunteers have had transplants on > BOTH sides of the brain during the procedure . > > (For the Spheramine history, see > www.titanpharm.com/products/spheramine_product.html. > > > > This report was part of a recent financial update on Titan Pharmaceuticals, > NJ: > > > > Spheramine is a novel cell therapy product in development for the > treatment of Parkinson's disease. Enrollment in a randomized, controlled, > blinded, multi-center Phase IIb clinical study of Spheramine in advanced > Parkinson's disease is continuing. We estimate that initial results from > this > study will be available in the second half of 2006. Our corporate partner > for > the development of Spheramine, Schering AG, Germany, is funding this study. > In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Fast Track > designation > for Spheramine for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. > In June 2005, Schering AG sponsored a symposium on Spheramine at the > International Congress on Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders in > Berlin. > In the keynote address, Ray Watts, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department > of > Neurology, University of Alabama Birmingham, presented 48-month follow-up > data > for the six patients in our pilot clinical study of Spheramine. The data > presented indicate that Spheramine is well tolerated and that patients > demonstrated 43% average improvement in motor function, four years after > treatment. > > The final 5-year post check-ups of the original 6 volunteers in Phase I are > now being conducted. That is the report we will receive later in 2006. It > certainly sounds promising! > > > > The following comes from the Germany-based website: > > > > For this reason, we are investigating a new therapy approach in cooperation > with the US company Titan Pharmaceuticals: human epithelial cells from the > retina, which produce dopamine at their original site in the eye. These are > applied to microscopically small gelatine particles and subsequently > implanted in the brain of the patient. There they can emit dopamine locally, > rather like "intelligent bioreactors". Variations in dopamine level, which > are responsible for complications in therapy, are avoided as only that > amount of dopamine is released which is needed by the patient at the time, > stimulated by messenger substances in the brain. The efficacy of this > approach is being investigated in a study which is currently running. > > > > See the Schering site > (www.schering.de/scripts/en/30_rd/areas/neuro/parkin.php) , for additional > info. > > > > Peggy > > Celebrate Life! > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > 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