-
-
Huntington's Disease Phase 3 trials successful...where's the news coverage?
"We are very enthusiastic about the study results of HD-02 to date and excited to be advancing it into a Phase III trial", stated lead investigator Dr. Steven Hersch. "This Phase III study will evaluate whether HD-02 can slow the progression of Huntington's disease, and pending positive results, may provide a much needed treatment option to Huntington's patients."
Also with this are treatments for Parkinson's and ALS. "We are very enthusiastic about the study results of HD-02 to date and excited to be advancing it into a Phase III trial", stated lead... more -
The Traveler
Stem cell research could potentially cure numerous diseases, provide new ways of healing serious injuries and even extend our life spans.
But does it depend on unethical medical practices to succeed?
Stem cell research could potentially cure numerous diseases, provide new ways of healing serious injuries and even extend our life spa... more -
From Autism To Understanding
This is the story of a young Autistic girls who went from being aggressive and vioklent to graduating from high school and getting a job. She used the potential of the Media Arts and the Feldenkrais Method to make movies she could learn from. She starred in the movies, presented the movie to others and then watched them over and over to learn from them. This is the story of a young Autistic girls who went from being aggressive and vioklent to graduating from high school and getting a j... more
-
Synesthesia
A documentary about my friend Pat and his synesthesia, a rare neurological condition. Synesthesia essentially means "the joining of the senses". People with this condition often explain sensations in abstracts way such as "hearing colors" or "seeing music".
I'm planning on making a bigger, more expansive version of this film in the future. I would love to hear some suggestions on what to include in it. A documentary about my friend Pat and his synesthesia, a rare neurological condition. Synesthesia essentially means "the joining of t... more -
Treatment of LOU GEHRIG'S, HUNTINGTON'S & PARKINSON'S: Avicena Announces Posit...
Avicena's science is well established and its products are safe and well tolerated. Unlike traditional biotechnology companies, Avicena's clinical programs are largely funded by non-profit organizations and government.
Several of the company's product candidates have demonstrated specific applications in the area of neurodegenerative diseases such as: ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease. In scientific studies conducted at leading universities, the Avicena Group's products have been shown to significantly reduce the specific symptoms and/or to significantly delay the progression of these diseases. The company presently has compounds in Phase II or III clinical trials for the treatment of ALS, Huntington's, and Parkinson's disease---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avicena Announces Positive Phase II Data for a Combination Trial Involving AL-08 for the Treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Selected Therapy Can Advance to Phase III Clinical Trial
Palo Alto, CA, December 3, 2007 ? Avicena Group, Inc. (OTCBB:AVGO), a late-stage biotechnology company that develops central nervous system therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced positive Phase II data for a combination trial involving AL-08, the Company's second generation proprietary drug candidate for the treatment of ALS. The purpose of the trial was to determine which of two compounds used in combination with AL-08 would yield the most favorable results, so that the Company could proceed to a Phase III trial. Results were presented by Paul H. Gordon, MD of Columbia University in a presentation titled "Combination Drug Selection Trial in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" at the 18th International Symposium on ALS/MND in Toronto, Canada on December 3, 2007. This study was funded by the ALS Association, Ride for Life, and the Russ Bowen and Spina Family Foundations.
The Phase II trial evaluated the neuroprotective capacity of two combinations, AL-08 and minocycline versus AL-08 with celecoxib, using group sequential design and a natural history control group for a futility analysis. The primary objective of the trial was selection of a treatment based on which drug combination appeared to slow deterioration in the ALS- Functional Score. Results showed that patients taking the AL-08/celecoxib combination showed a smaller mean decline in ALS- Functional Score compared to those taking the AL-08/minocycline combination. Results also showed that the AL-08/celecoxib combination was non-futile compared to historical controls, and merits further evaluation. The trial was concluded ahead of schedule after the first pool of patients met the selection criteria.
"We are encouraged that the AL-08/celecoxib combination showed less of a decline in ALS-Functional Score compared to AL-08 and minocycline and historical control. Since the difference in the ALS- Functional Score between the therapies tested was large enough, and comparison to the historical controls was non-futile at the 6-month time point, we were able to finish the trial early after just 60 patients," stated Dr. Gordon. "We originally planned to enroll up to 120 patients, in sequential pools of 60. Our ability to halt the trial early underscores the potential efficacy of AL-08, which can be further evaluated in a Phase III ALS clinical trial."
Contact:
The Ruth Group (on behalf of Avicena Group®)
Sara Ephraim (investors)
(646) 536-7002
sephraim@theruthgroup.com
Janine McCargo / Jason Rando (media)
(646) 536-7033 / 7025
jmccargo@theruthgroup.com or jrando@theruthgroup.com Avicena's science is well established and its products are safe and well tolerated. Unlike traditional biotechnology companies, Avicen... more -
Hats Off to Dr. Hersch...More Evidence Creatine is an Effective Treatment for Hunt...
Creatine is a harmless nutritional supplement used by athletes.
It has just been found that it STOPS the progression of "untreatable and always fatal" Huntington's Disease..
Yes you heard right!
First; this study answered very important questions regarding creatine uptake into brain, and documented pharmacologic dosing levels. This is important because brain penetration is absolutely necessary for any (successful) Huntington�s drug. It can be argued that this type of drug/brain penetration testing should be required of any drug candidate prior to entering expensive phase III trials in Huntingtons.
Second; the authors used MRS, a radiologic technique reviewed previously at Lighthouse, ( NAA - biomarker for HD?) to measure creatine brain levels. MRS technique may prove useful as a sensitive measure of disease progression in the future. And sensitive measures of progression will shorten the time needed for clinical trials.
Third, they reported increased levels of 8OH2dG in the blood of Huntingtons people that was decreased with creatine use. Earlier reports had described elevation of this chemical in blood, urine and brain tissue of Huntington's mice. This chemical is a measure of DNA oxidative injury, and is elevated in other neurodegenerative diseases as well. The authors showed that creatine decreased the level of this marker in Huntingtons people, suggesting that creatine also decreased oxidative injury. They further speculate that 8OH2dG is a promising biomarker for studying drug response in HD.
This is a scientifically elegant study with many practical (and promising) results for HD people. This is the kind of trial we�d like to see more of.
-- LaVonne Veatch Goodman, M.D.
Creatine in Huntington disease is safe, tolerable, bioavailable in brain and reduces serum 8OH2'dG.
Authors: S. M. Hersch, MD, PhD, S. Gevorkian, MSc, K. Marder, MD, MPH, C. Moskowitz, MS, A. Feigin, MD, M. Cox, MS, RN, P. Como, PhD, C. Zimmerman, RN, M. Lin, MD, L. Zhang, MD, A. M. Ulug, PhD, M. F. Beal, MD, W. Matson, PhD, M. Bogdanov, E. Ebbel, A. Zaleta, BA, Y. Kaneko, BA, B. Jenkins, PhD, N. Hevelone, MPH, H. Zhang, MS, H. Yu, MPH, D. Schoenfeld, PhD, R. Ferrante, PhD, MSc and H. D. Rosas, MD, MS Creatine is a harmless nutritional supplement used by athletes. ... more -
Autism symptoms reversed in lab
They found that inhibiting the enzyme stopped mice with Fragile X Syndrome behaving in erratic ways.
Prior to treatment they showed signs of hyperactivity, purposeless and repetitive movements.
Abnormalities corrected
They found that inhibiting the enzyme stopped mice with Fragile X Syndrome behaving in erratic ways. ... more -
BREAKING NEWS: Huntington's Disease IS treatable! Progression Stopped with diet ex...
The results from these trials suggest that Huntington's is treatable, at least for a while, and particularly if treatments are started early in the course of the disease.-------------------------thirty Huntington's people at all stages of disease have taken a cocktail of supplements including creatine, coenzyme Q-10, trehalose, blueberry extract and omega-3 fatty acids for up to three years. The results from these trials suggest that Huntington's is treatable, at least for a while, and particularly if treatments are started early in the course of the disease.
Energized by HDDW trial results, we are expanding this site to increase awareness of treatments that are available now, and those that are coming. Our focus will be divided into three categories. First, we will provide news and information on treatments, both for symptoms and potentially for neuroprotection. Second, we will work to keep you up to date on clinical trials that will bring new treatments, and lastly we will review research that has more immediate relevance to treatment. Huntington's Disease Drug Works (HDDW) was founded by LaVonne and Nathan Goodman in 2004 for the primary purpose of following participants in the Huntington's Disease Drug Works trials. The results from these trials suggest that Huntington's is treatable, at least for a while, and particularly if treatments are started... more
-
related topics
Neurological
Contributors (25)
Neurological
