This Story has been sent to you by : jaynemadler@...
Good Deeds NotesIndividuals, clubs, organizations and nonprofit agencies share news about good deeds, good people and good causes.
The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time:
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/10404822.htm
(c) 2004 Duluth News Tribune and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
Anyone?
Jayne
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Adapted from The Daily Motivator
Monday, December 13, 2004
Reaching higher
Once you reach a goal that was previously unattainable a whole new level of opportunities will open up to you. The more you achieve the more your possibilities grow.
Conquering a difficult challenge does much more than merely getting you past that one particular challenge. It also brings increased levels of confidence and effectiveness you can use to face other challenges.
The effort you put into reaching higher pays off over and over again. One of the best things about accomplishment is that it sets you up for even more accomplishment.
This is why every positive accomplishment makes a big difference. No matter what the accomplishment is you can build on it.
Even though you may start small by taking baby steps you can know that each step forward you will rise to a higher level. Even the small accomplishments count because they are what get you started.
There is a positive step forward that you can take right now. Go for it, and you will soon be reaching higher than you ever could have imagined.
-- Ralph Marston
Copyright ©2004 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
http://greatday.com/motivate/index.html
[INLINE]
~Joyce [INLINE]
Hear one side, and you will be in the dark. Hear both sides, and all will be clear.
I began to seek Fannie Williams return as my aide years back, taking Jamie
Shapiro as my ally in this. I did so because she was the one person within my
reach with a vested interest in my success. Jamie was a person who'd been in
the local news as someone interested in reforming Medicare.
Flash forward to today. Here I sit, without Fannie.
I had foolishly thought this would be an easy thing to accomplish. Ha, Ha.
Now we have all kind of forces arrayed to see that I accomplish this goal
We have myself, a one-time union official with a NYS educational union and
Jim Pecararo, a cousin of our Congressional Representative, Jamie Shapiro,
a person in my home care agency and various other elected reps I'd
contacted abt this matter.Years have passed. I seem no closer.
It seems an impossible task. Such is the nature of the US heath care system.
Jayne
Hi Jayne,
My father just had a by pass (a month ago) and this is a very good story
you sent. Thanks. My birthday is 12/31 and where is the calender found? Have a grreat day!!
Meir Yaloz
Jayne has sent you an article from MSActiveSource.com:
http://www.msactivesource.com/msavProject/msas.portal?_nfls=false&_nfpb=true&_pa\
geLabel=threeColLayout&path=/SCSRepository/en_US/msas/home/community_and_support\
/index.xml&bioc=bioEaF
Thought this might be of
interest.
This is embarassing, but I know I'm not alone on this one, so I'm not afraid to say this out loud.
When I first onset last year, I was in my first relapse.I was pretty numb, but still walking. I was at a business office for a meeting. I was nervous in advance, so I had to pee BAD. I went to the bathroom and sat down and went. Suddenly I realized that I only pulled my pants down and not my underwear ( I couldn't feel them on still!) So it was too late...I had already peed my panties on the toilet. I had to take off my underwear and throw them away in their trash can and proceed without them. I never told anyone what happened, but since you asked. Everytime I go into that office, I wonder which person found my soggy thong in their bathroom trash!........ Even though I'm not numb anymore, from then on, I always look when I pull it all down!
Minde'
This story was sent to you by: Jayne Adler
I thought this might be of interest.
Hi Jayne,
YES. It is an area in which I believe they can be more helpful to their members.
Meir Yaloz
jaynemadler <jaynemadler@...
thanks
MS Stem Cell Therapy in Mice Can Be Monitored by MRI
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/495105
By M. Mary Conroy
CHICAGO (Reuters Health) Dec 01 - In an animal model of multiple sclerosis, neural
undifferentiated adult stem cells injected into the mouse tail repaired demyelinated lesions in the
mouse brain, an objective monitored and confirmed by MRI.
The success of MRI modeling in the murine study suggests that "clinical trials of neural stem
cells for treatment of MS may begin as early as 1 to 2 years," Dr. Letterio Politi, of Ospedale San Rafaele in Milan, Italy told Reuters Health. He presented results of the murine study
Wednesday at the Radiological Society of North America 90th scientific assembly and annual
meeting.
The undifferentiated mouse neural stem cells were labeled with iron by incubating them with
poli-L-lysine and super paramagnetic iron oxide particles for 72 hours. Roughly 1 million labeled cells were injected into the tails of six mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. MRI scans were performed at baseline, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 days.
"The labeled cells showed up as small hypo-intense spots in the white matter lesions," Dr. Politi said. The stem cells "began to repair the lesions almost immediately." He noted that changes in the white matter were visible on MRI and "there was also physical evidence of improvement."
He illustrated the functional improvement with a video of an untreated EAE mouse that showed a palsied mouse that had difficulty moving. A second video, this time of a treated mouse, showed a mouse moving almost normally.
"In humans, this stem cell treatment could mean the difference between walking and a wheelchair," he said.
Radiological Society of North America 90th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting
Reuters Health Information 2004. © 2004 Reuters Ltd.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/495105
These are amazing times for the disabled. There is so much being done in
medical research that may help us. Sad thing is that the MS Society in the US
isn't geared to help us make our ways in this new digital age.
I will take a break from the MS_Community fo awhile. Trying to get my
prefered aide has been exhausting! I need some time just to myself.
Keep well all. I'll check in with you all once I've rested.
Jayne
Adapted from The Daily Motivator
Sunday, December 12, 2004
The necessary effort
We think of success as being glamorous and exciting. At its moment of culmination it often is. For the most part the essence of success is not so exciting. Usually it can be downright tedious.
The actions, discipline and focus which lead to great achievement are themselves quite ordinary and unremarkable. Magnificent accomplishments are built mostly out of plain and pedestrian efforts. Even the greatest, most innovative ideas require ordinary hard work to implement. Without this work they are nothing but unfulfilled dreams.
Are your dreams valuable enough to justify the effort needed to achieve them? Of course they are! Even though the work itself could certainly be deemed difficult and tedious in the context of reaching for your dreams it becomes as exciting and fulfilling as anything you could imagine.
Achievement requires plain old hard work. It is available to anyone who is willing to do that work. Visualize your dreams, and clarify your goals so that they will pull you steadily through all the effort needed to reach them.
-- Ralph Marston
Copyright ©2000 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
http://greatday.com/
[INLINE]
~Joyce [INLINE]
The head learns new things, but the heart forever practices old experiences.
Thought this'd be of interest.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13540378&BRD=1641&PAG=461&dept_id=1011\
0&rfi=6
+
This story was sent to you by: Jayne Adler
Thought you might be interested.
Because this is such a busy season, with lots of trips to the mall, I thought I'd include a few tips on how to do what you can to avoid identity theft.
1. The next time you order checks, have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "for" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the numbers and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to them.
3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a P.O. Box, use it instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address.
4. Never have your SS# or Driver?s License number printed on your checks. You can add it if necessary, but if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Copy both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. Also carry a photocopy of your passport when you travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, SS#, credit cards, etc.
6. Guard your trash from theft by shredding documents and receipts. Thieves can build an alternate identity using the mail you throw away.
7. Don't leave credit cards in glove compartments. (Glove compartments account for thousands of credit card thefts.)
8. Always check your monthly statements. (Criminals will sometimes make a small purchase first, to see if it goes undetected, before making a big one.)
9. Notify the post office immediately if you change your address. Mail going to your old address can end up in the wrong hands.
The attorney who shared this information said he has firsthand knowledge because his wallet was recently stolen. Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change his driving record information online, and more. Here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:
1. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll-free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is the first step toward an investigation (if there is one).
3. Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and SS#. The man who passed along this information said he had never heard of doing this until advised by a bank officer who called to tell him that an application for credit was made over the Internet in his name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. By the time the attorney whose wallet was stolen was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft of his wallet, all the damage had been done. There were records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves when they made their purchases, none of which he knew about before he placed the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw his wallet away (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them in their tracks:
The numbers are: Equifax 1-800-525-6285
Experian (formerly TRW) 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union 1-800-680-7289
Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
Be safe and have a Very Merry Christmas!!
Brenda Novak
Adapted from The Daily Motivator
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Time is now
Time is neither your servant nor your oppressor. It is your workplace.
The passing of time can bring you down or lift you up. It all depends on how you make use of time.
Time always comes to you packaged as now. To make full use of time you must make full use of now.
If you put your efforts off until later, time will keep the fruits of these efforts always out of your reach. When you let your efforts fill the time of now, time will deliver great rewards as it flows along.
With time on your side any dream can become real, and any goal can be reached. The time you have to work with is now, and in now is the seed for the best you can imagine.
Plant this seed of achievement and real fulfillment now, and time will bear its magnificent fruit.
-- Ralph Marston
Copyright ©2004 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
http://greatday.com/motivate/index.html
[INLINE]
~Joyce [INLINE]
If money won't make you happy, you won't like poverty either.
I'm leaving you for awhile. See you not to soon.
Jayne
Adapted from The Daily Motivator
Friday, December 10, 2004
Every corner
Achievement in one area of your life shines a positive light on all the other areas in your life. When you seem to be stuck in one part of your life, put some effort into making improvements elsewhere.
If you are having trouble making progress in your career, work on improving your level of physical fitness. The beneficial effects of a higher level of fitness will spill over into all parts of your life.
You cannot expect to ignore important parts of your life and have things go well in other areas. You cannot ignore your family and expect your job to take up the slack.
Success is a full-time endeavor. It comes when you integrate positive efforts and expectations into every corner of your life.
Your health, finances, friendships, family, faith, community, career, learning, relaxation and recreation all contribute to each other. Balance your time and attention on a daily basis among all the things that truly matter, and the positive momentum will quickly grow.
The achievements that really matter are those that enhance your whole life.
-- Ralph Marston
Copyright ©2004 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
http://greatday.com/motivate/index.html
[INLINE]
~Joyce [INLINE]
Before you speak ask yourself, "Is it kind, is it necessary, is it true or does it improve by remaining silent?"
Jayne has sent you a story: "TheHometownChannel.com - News - Group Urges
Participation In Temporary Prescription Drug Benefit"
the link:
http://www.thehometownchannel.com/news/3985920/detail.html
Message from Jayne: Thought this'd be of interest.
UCSB Researchers' Work May Help to Find MS Cure
By Ben Krasnow Staff Writer
Tuesday October 5, 2004
http://www.ucsbdailynexus.com/science/2004/7904.html
Scientists use atomic force microscopes like this one to create images
of tiny biological surfaces. UCSB is using them to study the effects of
MS.
Photo courtesy of Jacob Israelachvili
Scientists use atomic force microscopes like this one to create images
of tiny biological surfaces. UCSB is using them to study the effects of
MS.
UCSB materials and chemical engineering professors have found a unique
way to apply their expertise toward understanding a chronic neurological
disease, multiple sclerosis.
By applying basic physical analysis to biology - a process becoming
increasingly popular among researchers - scientists are making gains
toward understanding diseases outside of the usual medical and clinical
approaches. UCSB has been a major source of this work and has recently
published a study that could have implications for the treatment of MS.
The study, titled "Synergistic Interactions of Lipids and Myelin Basic
Protein," was printed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences on Sept. 14. It has already generated interest from the medical
community and will very likely lead to a host of new studies.
UCSB professors of chemical engineering and materials Joe Zasadzinski
and Jacob Israelachvili teamed up with the director of the Center for
the Study of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Cynthia Husted, to write the
study. The combination of medical and engineering approaches has yielded
some novel results.
"Joe and I have had bio-oriented grants from the [National Institutes of
Health] for many years," Israelachvili said. "But this was actually an
interesting thing because it wasn't a [project] we were funded to do. We
just did it."
Husted said she was anxious to bring MS research to UCSB and has been
encouraging molecular researchers to work on biological systems for a
decade.
"I came to Santa Barbara in 1994 on my own money deliberately to work
with [Zasadzinski] and [Israelachvili]," Husted said. "I wanted to get
back to molecular-level tools."
Husted had been pursuing MS research through typical medical and
clinical channels, but said she thought the molecular-level research
could be a valuable tool. Israelachvili said he agreed the approach is
valuable.
"It looks very nice, and one of the nicest things about it is that if it
turns out to be true, here is something very physical; a very basic
fundamental physical principle applied to a very complex medical
problem," Israelachvili said. "It would be very nice if it could
actually help."
The new method involves the use of a specialized microscope to inspect
the tiny biological components that comprise the covering of a nerve. By
closely inspecting the molecular damage that MS causes to the nerve,
researchers can better understand the disease and work toward developing
a cure.
In addition, a chemical substance has been identified that was observed
repairing damaged areas of a simulated nerve covering in the laboratory.
This breakthrough finding will likely lead researchers to conduct
clinical trials on lab animals.
Nerve Damage
Multiple sclerosis affects about 400,000 Americans, according to the
National MS Society. The disease is not contagious, is not inherited
directly and occurs in women twice as often as in men. No specific
environmental factors have been found that are known to cause MS, but it
has been suspected that the disease may result as a combination of
genetic and environmental variables.
There are a few forms of the disease; the most common is called
relapsing-remitting. The National MS Society says that about 85 percent
of people diagnosed with MS have this type, which causes brief spells of
worsening symptoms followed by periods of remission.
A less common form of the disease is called primary-progressive and
accounts for about 10 percent of people diagnosed. This type of MS is
characterized by a steady worsening of symptoms, with no remissions.
About half of people diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS show signs of
progressive-like symptoms within 10 years and are said to have
secondary-progressive MS. Zasadzinski said that the disease is usually
not severe enough to cause death but that death is possible.
MS is a neurological disease, which means that the symptoms are caused
by damage to the body's nerves. Most scientists agree that the damage is
caused by the body's own immune system, but the cause and exact
mechanism is still unknown.
Because the nerves are affected, the symptoms of MS range widely. Nearly
every bodily function requires nerves to exchange signals between the
brain and the body, so damaging a random group of nerves could cause
unpredictable symptoms. Commonly, these symptoms include difficulty
walking, numbness, vision problems and cognitive disorders.
Nerves in the body are often compared to metal wires in an electric
circuit. Both wires and nerves carry electrical impulses over a long
distance, and both require a sort of insulation to keep the electrical
signal inside the wire.
"Your nerves consist of basically the wires, which are called the axons,
and the myelin is the insulation," Zasadzinski said. "If you have a wire
that's insulated, it works a lot better than if it's not insulated."
The danger of having an uninsulated wire in a house is an electric
shock, but the danger of having an uninsulated nerve is that the nerve's
weak electrical signal will be lost.
"In MS the insulator is attacked and destroyed by the [immune system],"
Husted said. "It's considered an autoimmune disease."
The process of losing the nerve's insulation is called demyelination and
accounts for all of the lost nerve impulses and subsequent symptoms a
person with MS may experience. The production of myelin appears to
function normally in people with MS, but the myelin sheath does not stay
in place around the nerve.
"The myelin gets produced by cells near the axons; it sort of oozes out
and wraps around [the nerve]," Zasadzinski said.
The myelin winds around many times, creating a tightly layered coil of
myelin membrane around the nerve.
"With [MS], what appears to happen is that the layers start to
separate," Zasadzinski said. "In advanced stages, the sheath just breaks
apart completely."
Looking at Molecules
Even though no one knows why MS occurs, it may seem that the process by
which MS damages the body is well understood. However, by looking in a
novel way at the myelin's molecular structure, this new research from
UCSB has added to the overall understanding of the disease.
"If you get down to the molecular view, which is where we come in, each
[myelin] membrane has two sides to it," Zasadzinski said.
These two sides form an entity called a lipid bilayer. Lipid bilayers
are very abundant throughout the whole body because they are versatile
barriers the body uses to enclose microscopic parts, like cells.
"Seventy to 80 percent of myelin is lipids," Husted said. "The brain is
mostly lipids; about 50 percent of its dry weight is lipids."
A lipid is a molecule that has a head and one or more tails - they often
look like tadpoles in schematic diagrams. The head is hydrophilic, which
means it is attracted to water, and the tails are hydrophobic, which
means they are repelled by water. When a large quantity of lipids is put
into water, the lipids naturally form structures that allow the tails to
avoid touching the water. The bilayer is one of these structures, with
each layer of heads keeping the water away from the tails.
In the case of the myelin bilayer, there is also glue that helps hold
two adjacent bilayers together.
"The myelin basic protein, which is the glue that cements these two
[layers] together, goes in between [the lipid bilayers]," Zasadzinski
said.
The reason that the protein helps bond the lipids together is that it
has a positive electrical charge. The lipid heads are negatively
charged, and because opposite charges attract each other, the protein
serves as a junction between bilayer heads.
"You basically have two negatively charged surfaces with a positive
molecule in between," Zasadzinski said. "If you have just the right
amount of negative lipids to balance the positive, you get the strongest
bond."
Lab animals with a disease similar to MS have an imbalance of charges in
their lipid bilayers that causes problems and may be responsible for the
ultimate demyelination.
"We know that the membranes get farther apart; that is usually the first
sign before there are even any symptoms," Israelachvili said.
"If you have too many negatives and not enough positives, then that is
not only going to decrease the binding, it's going to push it apart,"
Zasadzinski said. "You wind up with a fairly narrow sweet spot. If it
goes too far either way, it's going to push things apart."
This discovery marks one of the key points of the recent UCSB research.
These observations were made with a specialized device called an atomic
force microscope. This instrument allows extremely small depth
variations to be seen in a bilayer made in the laboratory.
Holes in the Bilayer
In addition to the electrical charge findings, UCSB researchers also
found that the sticky myelin basic protein can repair damaged myelin.
"If you have the myelin membrane sitting in salt water, little holes in
the membrane - instead of sealing themselves - have the tendency to grow
bigger," Zasadzinski said.
The fact that the membrane cannot repair itself may explain how some of
the small defects become major problems in people with MS. In the
laboratory, adding the protein to a membrane with holes causes the holes
to close. The membrane is fluid so it is able to spread out when
displaced.
"The protein will partially insert into the membrane so that it pushes
things away, and if you have a place where nothing is pushing back,
that's where [the membrane] is going to go," Zasadzinski said. "The
holes actually start to fill in, and that is quite weird."
This could be a very important finding because it shows how damaged
myelin could be repaired.
"It has been thought that once the damage is done, it cannot be undone,"
Husted said. "It's promising new technology, but it's important not to
get hung up on one hypothesis."
All content, photographs, graphics and design Copyright © 2000-2004
Daily Nexus. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced, in part or in full, in print format or digital format
without express written permission from the Daily Nexus.
http://www.ucsbdailynexus.com/science/2004/7904.html
BioMS Medical initiates enrollment in pivotal Phase II/III multiple sclerosis trial
Print This Story Email This Story Save this Link
Toronto Stock Exchange Symbol: MS
EDMONTON, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - BioMS Medical Corp (TSX: MS),
a leading developer in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), today
announced that the first patients have been enrolled in its pivotal Phase
II/III clinical trial of MBP8298, a proprietary synthetic peptide for the
treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which affects
approximately 40% of the estimated 2.5 million MS patients worldwide.
"Today's announcement signifies a major milestone for both the
advancement of our lead drug and for the worldwide MS community," said
Mr. Kevin Giese, President of BioMS Medical. "Most current and emerging
therapies do not target secondary progressive MS, so for people suffering
from this form of the disease, there are really limited treatment options
available."
The trial is expected to enroll up to 553 patients and will be a
double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving multiple trial sites.
Patients will be administered either MBP8298 or placebo intravenously every
six months for a period of two years. The primary clinical endpoint for the
trial is defined as a statistically and clinically significant increase in the
time to progression of the disease as measured by the Expanded Disability
Status Scale (EDSS) in the previously identified responder group, patients
with immune response genes HLA-DR2 or HLA-DR4. Patients with the immune
response genes, HLA-DR2 or HLA-DR4, account for up to 75% of the MS patient
population.
"This trial has been designed to confirm the efficacy and safety shown by
MBP8298 in previous clinical trials, particularly in patients with specific
genetic profiles often associated with MS. We also anticipate gathering
additional data regarding the potential of this treatment in patients with
other types of MS," said Dr. Leopold Arfors, Medical Director.
MS is an unpredictable, at times disabling disease of the central nervous
system. The disease attacks the protective myelin covering of the central
nervous system, causing inflammation and often destroying the myelin in
patches. Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world.
Further information regarding the enrollment of patients can be heard on
audio archive at the company's website at http://www.biomsmedical.com
About BioMS Medical Corp.
[INLINE]
Mercury Fillings: They're Not Risky
Mercury Vapors Not Easily Absorbed by Body
Dec. 9, 2004 -- Mercury in dental fillings does not cause Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, or other health problems, according to a new review of all current research.
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/98/104695?src=RSS_PUBLIC
[INLINE]
First-ever safety study of medical cannabis use in Canada launched
Cannabis study
MONTREAL, 8 December 2004 -- A first-of-its-kind study of safety issues surrounding the medical use of cannabis has just been launched. Known as the COMPASS study (Cannabis for the management of pain: assessment of safety study), the research initiative will follow 1400 chronic pain patients, 350 of whom use cannabis as part of their pain management strategy, for a one-year period. Seven participating pain clinics across Canada are now enrolling patients for this study.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-12/mu-fss120804.php
~Joyce
Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
-----Forwarded Message-----
From: Listmaster <drv@...
Sent: Dec 5, 2004 9:56 AM
To: Housing & Disability Issues <Housing.Disability.Issues@...
Subject: Housing Programs Cut in Omnibus Bill
<html
<b
<b
<b
<br
<b
</b
<div align="right"
<br
</div
<b
November 20. The bill cuts funding for most HUD housing
programs. Language governing how HUD can administer voucher funding
is restrictive and unresponsive to local conditions.<br
</b
<font color="#FF0000"
additional 0.8% across-the-board cut.<br
<br
</i
Assistance Vouchers<br
</b
for voucher renewals (after taking into account the 0.8% across-the-board
cut), which would be sufficient except for how the bill distributes these
funds to housing authorities. A budget-based system is implemented in the
appropriations bill that requires HUD to provide all public housing
agencies with a fixed annual budget based on the average number of
vouchers in use in May, June and July 2004 and multiplied by the 2005
annual adjustment factor. HUD expects to notify agencies within 45 days
of the enactment of the legislation as to their annual budgets.<br
<br
This system appears to be at least as restrictive, if not more, than the
system established by HUD in its April 22, 2004 notice. According
to the bills report, PHAs are expected to manage utility costs,
decreased tenant contributions and protect the most at-risk families
within these budgets. HUD is not provided a central fund or any
other funds to address increased leasing or costs in 2005. <br
<br
The report continues, HUD shall also provide agencies with flexibility
to adjust payment standards and portability as necessary to manage within
their 2005 budgets, leaving the door open for HUD to decrease the value
of vouchers and restrict portability options for voucher-holders.
HUD is given the authority to make any necessary adjustments for costs
associated with first-time renewals of tenant protection and HOPE VI
vouchers in 2005.<br
<br
PHA reserves are reduced to one week and funding for administrative fees
are level with FY2004. The measure prohibits HUD from using
recaptured funds from any source including any project based carryover
from being used for 2005 Section 8 funding. HUD will also not be
providing any replenishment of program reserves and is not providing for
a central fund.<br
<br
The bill separates the Section 8 tenant-based activities from the Section
8 project-based Section 8. The intent is to provide better
transparency in the program.<br
<br
<b
</b
Resident Opportunity Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) program is funded at $53
million and Neighborhood Networks is funded at $15 million.<br
<br
<b
</b
authorities to a calendar year but does not include the $30 million from
the Senate bill to assist PHA with transition costs associated with the
shift to a calendar year system. The calendar year change was done to
simplify and improve administration and oversight of the program and
provided a one-time savings to this account of $1 billion. <br
<br
Included in the public housing operating fund is language that provides
$10 million in bonus funds to public housing agencies that assist program
participants in moving away from dependency on housing assistant
programs. HUD is directed to release these funds through a notice
of funds availability. And, $8 million of public housing operating
funds is given to the Department of Justice to assist in the
investigation, prosecution and prevent of violent crimes and drug
offenses in public and federally assisted low income housing.
<br
<br
<b
</b
would have prevented public housing agencies from participating in voter
registration and education efforts. The bills conference report
states that no HUD funds can be used for partisan political
activities. <br
<br
<b
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What Doctors Have Said About Colloidal Silver
Mon Dec 6, 2004 01:01
205.188.116.200
after reading about these antibiotics i immediately thought WE HAVE those antibiotics NOW with colloidal silver... I GOT SO EXCITED reading this...thanksagain Jan for posting!
Colloidal silver has proven particularly effective in cases of microbial infection. Dr. Henry Crooks found that "Silver in the colloidal state is highly germicidal, quite harmless to humans and absolutely non-toxic. Rather than in a chemical compound, the silver in the colloidal state may be applied in a much more concentrated form, with correspondingly better results. All virus, fungus, bacterium, streptococcus, staphylococcus, and other pathogenic organisms are killed in three or four minutes upon contact. There are no side effects whatsoever from the highest concentrations."
Colloidal silver has been proven useful against all species of fungi, bacteria, protozoa, parasites and certain viruses, which are often killed within minutes. Dr. L. C. Ford, M.D. at the UCLA School of Medicine reported in 1988 that silver solutions were effective against the following conditions: Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aures, Neisseria gonorrhea, Garnerella vaginalis, Salmonella typhi and other enteric pathogens. He also found that it was fungicidal for Candida albicans, Candida globata and M. furfur.
How Colloidal Silver Works
The most accepted theory is that silver disables the specific enzyme that many forms of bacteria, viruses and fungi utilize for their metabolism. When silver nears a virus, fungi, bacterium or any single-celled microbe it is effective against, it disables the oxygen-metabolism enzyme. This destroys the microbe's ability to "breath" and within a few minutes, the pathogen suffocates and dies. The dead germ and its toxins are then cleared out of the body by the immune, lymphatic and elimination systems. It is not exactly clear how silver disrupts the enzymes in these single celled animals, but it is believed that the silver's natural positive electrica1 charge is influential. This is why electrically generated colloidal silver is the absolute best form of silver for fighting infection and related infectious diseases.
Unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics which destroy beneficial bodily enzymes, colloidal silver leaves our bodies tissue and cell enzymes intact, as they are different than enzymes found in single celled pathogens. Thus colloidal silver is generally considered safe for humans, pets, plants and all multi-celled living matter. Some health care professionals believe silver may be linked to the proper functioning of our immune system and that people with inadequate intakes of silver may be more prone to infection.
Dr. Robert Becker, author of the 1980's best selling book The Body Electric, recognized a correlation between low silver levels in the human body, and sickness. He said a silver deficiency in humans was responsible for the improper functioning of the immune system. Dr. Becker's experiments conclude that silver works on the full spectrum of pathogens without any side effects or damage to any part of the body. He also states that the silver was doing something more than killing disease organisms, It was also causing major growth stimulation of injured tissues. Burn patients and elderly patients noticed more rapid healing. He discovered that cancer cells change back to normal cells in the presence of electrically generated colloidal silver. All strains of pathogens he tested, even those resistant to antibiotics, were killed by colloidal silver.
From the article "Silver, Our Mightiest Germ Fighter," in Science Digest, March, 1978: "As an antibiotic, silver kills over 650 disease causing organisms, and resistant strains fail to develop. Silver is the best all-around germ fighter we have and is absolutely non-toxic! Doctors report that, taken internally, it works against syphilis, cholera, malaria diabetes and severe burns. Richard L. Davies, executive director of the Silver Institute which monitors silver technology in 37 countries, reports: 'In four years we've described 87 important new medical uses for silver.'
Dr. Bjorn Nordstrom, of the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, has used colloidal silver in his cancer treatment method. He says the whole thing is quite simple. Colloidal silver, used in conjunction with other natural therapies developed by Dr. Nordstrom, brought rapid remission in cancer patients given up on by other doctors.
Uses for Colloidal Silver
Preventing and Healing Low Grade Infections: According to many colloidal silver researchers, taking sufficient daily colloidal silver can saturate the body such that the germs simply can't gain a foothold. Many people, including many elderly, suffer from a general low- grade body infection that holds back vigor and alertness. They report that using up to an ounce or two of homemade colloidal silver each day often brings about an increase of energy and alertness, as well as enjoying better overall health throughout the year.
Parasite Infections: Some diseases are caused by tiny worm-like organisms that burrow through particular organs and sometimes throughout much of the body. They reproduce by laying eggs. These eggs have the same enzymatic characteristics of all of the other disease- causing organisms that colloidal silver suffocates. So the parasite eggs also suffocate and the parasites can no longer reproduce successfully in your body.
Resistant Strains of Germs: The use of modern man-made antibiotiqs has increasingly led to mutant strains of germs that the antibiotics can no longer kill. Colloidal silver does not appear to have this problem. Why? Because unlike man-made antibiotics which are basically "bug poison for the human body," colloidal silver is not a poison. Instead, it deals with all gerr the same way: it suffocates them by disabling the enzyme they need for respiration.
Accelerated Healing: Colloidal silver reportedly shortens the time for healing to take place in wounds, and lessens the amount of scar tissue. This is apparently due to the beneficial action that colloidal silver has on tissue cells. It seems to cause some of their cell divisions to produce cells that are, in a sense, generic. These generic cells migrate wherever they are needed in the body. They help repair tissue damage by changing into the type of tissue cell needed at the wound in preference to the scar tissue that would normally form.
Diarrhea Diseases: Diseases like cholera, canine parvovirus and other conditions where the disease-causing germ resides mainly in the large intestine have been effectively treated by a different approach. It is difficult for the colloidal silver to get all the way to the large intestine before the body absorbs it if you take the normal daily amount orally. An effective approach is to take large quantities instead (i.e. two ounces or more followed by two big glasses of water). This will allow the colloidal silver to make it all the way into the large intestine so it can very quickly take care of the problem.
What Specifically Can Colloidal Silver Be Used For?
Here is a small sample of diseases against which Colloidal Silver has been used successfully (see other chapters, particularly chapters 4, 7 and 11 of the manual for more): acne, allergies, appendicitis, arthritis, blood parasites, bubonic plague, burns (colloidal silver is one of the few treatments that can keep severe burn patients alive), cancer, candida, cholera, chronic fatigue, colds and flu, conjunctivitis, diabetes, gonorrhea, hay fever, herpes, leprosy, leukemia, lupus, lymphangitis, lyme disease, malaria, meningitis, parasitic infections both viral and fungal, pneumonia, rheumatism, ringworm, scarlet fever, septic conditions of the eyes, ears, mouth and throat, shingles, skin cancer, staph infections, strep infections, syphilis, toxemia, trenchfoot, numerous forms of viruses, warts and stomach ulcers.
A Colloidal Silver Primer
History of Colloidal Silver
In ancient civilizations, the wealthy stored and ate their food from silver vessels to keep bacteria from growing. American settlers often put a silver dollar in milk containers to delay its spoilage. It was not until the late 1800's that Western scientists were able to understand scientifically what had been known in ancient medicine for thousands of years... that silver is a powerful germ fighter! After discovering that the body's vital fluids, such as blood, are colloidal in nature, scientists and doctors explored the possibilities of using colloids in medicine. The silver solution known as "Colloidal Silver" became widely used in medicine as one of the main-stays of anti-microbial treatment.
The medical journal Lancet reported phenomenal results from colloidal silver in 1914. Dr. Henry Crooks showed colloidal silver to be highly germicidal yet absolutely harmless and non-toxic to humans. Throughout the early 1900's colloidal silver rapidly gained fame as one of the best infection-fighting agents in existence. But unfortunately its fame was short lived. The high cost of silver combined with the fact that silver solutions could not be patented motivated the development of more profitable infection-fighting drugs by the major pharmaceutical conglomerates. The new prescription antibiotic drugs such as penicillin and others became the choice in medical treatments. However, thirty years after the discovery of pharmaceutical antibiotics many types of bacteria acquired an immunity to these drugs. Frustrated doctors, tired of seeing their patients die from infections with antibiotic resistant pathogens, began looking back to the past for answers. In doing so, they have
r! e-discovered the amazing ant ibiotic properties of colloidal silver, which had been known for many decades.
The Rediscovery of Silver as a Powerful Antibiotic
According to Zane Baronowski, CN, in his booklet, Colloidal Silver: The Natural Antibiotic Alternative: "The comeback of silver in medicine began in the 1970's. The late Dr. Carl Moyer, chairman of Washington University's Department of Surgery, received a grant to develop better treatments for burn victims. Dr. Margraf, as the chief biochemist, worked with Dr. Moyer and other surgeons to find an antiseptic strong enough, yet safe to use over large areas of the body. Dr. Margraf reviewed 22 antiseptic compounds and found drawbacks in all of them. 'Mercury, for example, is an excellent antiseptic but toxic, ' he comments. 'Popular antiseptics....can be used over small areas only. ' Furthermore, disease organisms can become resistant to antibiotics, triggering a dangerous super-infection. 'These compounds are also ineffective against a number of harmful bacteria, including the biggest killer in burn cases a greenish-blue bacterium called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It almost!
always shows up in burns, releasing a poison.'
"Reviewing the medical literature, Dr. Margraf found repeated references to silver. It was described as a catalyst that disables the enzymes microorganisms depend on to 'breathe. ' Consequently, they die. Therefore, Dr. Margraf decided to use the best known pharmaceutical compound of silver: silver nitrate. Concentrated silver nitrate was corrosive and painful. So he diluted the silver nitrate to a .5 percent solution and found that it killed the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria and permitted wounds to heal. Resistant strains did not appear. Silver nitrate, however, was far from ideal. It disturbed the balance of body salts, was thick and cumbersome to use and stained everything it touched. Dr. Margraf searched for other preparations of silver, and in the process helped re-discover colloidal silver, which he found to be highly effective on the burns. As a result of these efforts, hundreds of important new medical uses for silver were found. Dr. Harry Margraf later concluded,
'Silver is the best all around germ-fighter we have. '
Future uses of Colloidal Silver
Although reports on the use of colloidal silver have spanned the past 100 years, research relating to its recent use is limited. However, through a growing number of physicians, dentists, veterinarians, nutritionists and satisfied users, information regarding the modern day uses of colloidal silver is mounting. It would seem that the effective and safe use of colloidal silver in the treatment of many common infectious disorders is only limited by the imagination.
Some other diseases that have been successfully treated with colloidal silver are: bladder infection, blood-poison, boils, bubonic plague, burns, candida yeast infection, chilblains, cholera, conjunctivitis, cold sores, cold & flu, cystitis, diabetes, dermatitis, fungal infections, herpes, HIV virus, indigestion, leprosy, leukemia, lupus, lymphangitis, lyrne disease, malaria (now making a comeback in the southern U.S. states), meningitis, neurasthenia, puritis ani, psoriasis, ophthalmia, rabbit fever, rhinitis, ringworm, scarlet fever, and septic conditions of the eyes, ears, mouth 8c throat. Plus, shingles, sinus infections, staph infections, syphilis, thyroid, tonsillitis, toxemia, trachoma, trench-foot, tuberculosis, ulcers, viruses, warts, whooping cough, other many other uses.
What is Colloidal Silver?
The term "colloid" refers to a substance that consists of ultra-fine particles suspended within a liquid solution. Properly manufactured colloidal silver is a liquid solution consisting of submicroscopic particles of silver, held in suspension in pure water by a tiny electrical charge. In a true colloid these particles are about .04 to .0001 microns in diameter. These particles cannot be seen by the naked eye and are electrically charged.
Many references can be found describing a "quality" colloidal silver as being light yellow or golden in color. However, after hundreds of hours of searching, no medical literature could be found describing the golden-colored colloidal silver as being any more therapeutically effective than clear or silver-colored colloidal silver. Colloidal silver made with the small battery-operated generators is considered to be extremely high quality, yet it is generally clear to silverish in the liquid suspension.
Will Colloidal Silver Kill the "Friendly Bacteria" in Your Intestines?
Colloidal silver that contains 99.99% (pure silver) with particles that are .04 to .0001 microns in diameter with a concentration of 25 ppm (parts per million) or less have little effect on the friendly bacteria in our digestive tract. In small doses (i.e., preventive dosages of about one tablespoon per day) much of the silver itself is absorbed in the mouth or stomach and never reaches the intestinal area. However some researchers believe that colloidal silver products with higher concentrations or larger particles of silver can attack friendly bacteria just like some antibiotics. There is also evidence that when taken in high dosages, some of the colloidal silver is evacuated through the colon and may kill some of the friendly bacteria there. This could upset your natural intestinal floral balance.
The generally accepted recommended dosage is 5 to 40 ppm, although many researchers take significantly higher dosages with no apparent loss of friendly bacteria in the gut. Nonetheless, researchers suggest that if you intend to take larger dosages of concentrated colloidal silver over an extend period of time, you should also take a "friendly bacteria" supplement such as lactobacillus acidophilus, available at most health food stores, in order to prevent the possibility of depleting the much-needed beneficial bacteria in your stomach and digestive system.
Nutritional Dosage for Daily Intake
Currently, there is no federally recognized "minimum daily requirement" for silver in the human body. In 1940, R. A. Kehoe reported that under normal circumstances, the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables would provide between 50-100 mcg of silver as a trace element. Since that time, the commercial farm soils of this country have become extremely deficient in trace minerals. According to the Earth Summit Report, issued in 1992, the levels of soil based minerals in North America have dropped over 85% in the last 100 yea
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A support group for people with ms & their friends & relations. We try & keep informed of developments in ms research & stay abreast of legislative issues that may effect us.
-----Forwarded Message-----
From: CMSC <info@...
Sent: Dec 8, 2004 2:46 AM
To: jayneadler@...
Subject: CME/CE Program
MS Conversation with LIVE Q&A:
The Implications of Natalizumab for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Therapy
Wednesday, December 15, 2004 at 8:00 PM EST
Accessible at MSLeaders.org
Dear MS Colleague:
MSLeaders.org in collaboration with CMSC (Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis
Centers) and IOMSN (International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses)
invites you to a CME/CE-accredited program, "The Implications of Natalizumab for
MS Therapy" featuring a LIVE Q&A following the Internet broadcast on
MSLeaders.org.
This online educational program sponsored by The Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine and The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing will take place on
Wednesday, December 15, 2004 at 8:00 PM EST and will be followed by a LIVE Q&A
with the expert faculty panel.
Join moderator J. Theodore Phillips, Jr., MD, PhD of the Multiple Sclerosis
Center at Texas Neurology, Baylor University Medical Center and the expert
faculty panel of Shirley O'Leary, RN, MSCN, Multiple Sclerosis Center Texas
Neurology; Frederick Munschauer, MD, University at Buffalo School of Medicine
and Biomedical Sciences; Julie Farace, RN, BSN, The Johns Hopkins Transverse
Myelitis and MS Centers; and Mariko Kita, MD, Virginia Mason Multiple Sclerosis
Center as they discuss the implications of the recent FDA approval of
natalizumab for MS treatment.
In order to provide you with access to this program, pre-registration with
MSLeaders.org is required. Please click here to pre-register and post a question
for our panel in advance of the program. Additionally, you will also be able to
submit questions during the program, either online or by phone.
Please make sure your e-mail address is accurate when you pre-register. A few
days before the program, you will receive a follow-up e-mail confirming the
details of the program and providing you with a direct link and directions to
participate.
If you are unable to participate on December 15, this MS Conversation will be
archived and available on-demand at MSLeaders.org, mscare.org, and iomsn.org. We
look forward to your participation in this important educational program.
Best regards,
Andrew J. Vecchio, MD
Director of Medical Programming
Healthology
June Halper, MSN, ANP, FAAN
Executive Director
CMSC/Gimbel MS Center/IOMSN
Needs Assessment
The approval of natalizumab for the treatment of MS presents MS-treating
physicians and nurses with another therapy in their MS armamentarium. Recently
released data from the Phase III natalizumab AFFIRM trial demonstrates a
reduction in the risk of exacerbation by 66% in the first year of therapy,
presenting a significant improvement over current MS therapies. This educational
activity presents the natalizumab Phase III data and provides an expert
discussion and Q&A about the implications natalizumab may have on the treatment
of MS, including infusion therapy and indications for use, alone and in
combination with existing disease modifying therapies.
Intended Audience
This program has been developed for MS-treating physicians and nurses. There are
no prerequisites to participate in this activity.
Responsibility Statement
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The Institute for Johns
Hopkins Nursing take responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific
integrity of this CME/CE activity.
Learning Objectives
Following this program, the participant should be able to:
1. Describe the mechanisms of action of immunotherapies in multiple sclerosis
2. Integrate infusion therapies into the treatment of patients with multiple
sclerosis
3. Interpret the results of natalizumab clinical trials and the implications for
individual patients
4. Explain the roles of mono- and combination therapies in multiple sclerosis
Policy on Faculty and Provider Disclosure
It is the policy of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The
Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing that the faculty and sponsor disclose real
or apparent conflicts of interest relating to the topics of this educational
activity, and also disclose discussions of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or
devices during their presentation(s). Detailed disclosures will be made in the
course materials.
Accreditation
Physicians: The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is accredited by the
Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to sponsor continuing
medical education for physicians.
Nurses: The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing is accredited as a provider of
continuing education in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center
Commission on Accreditation.
Credit Designation
Physicians: The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine designates this
educational activity for a maximum of 1 category 1 credit(s) toward the AMA
Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits
that he/she actually spent in the activity.
Nurses: The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing designates this activity for a
maximum of 1.2 contact hours. Claim only those contact hours actually spent in
the activity.
Privacy Statement
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) and The Institute for
Johns Hopkins Nursing (IJHN) are committed to protect the privacy of our
participants. We maintain our internet site as an information resource and
service for health professionals. The Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine and The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing will keep your personal
information confidential when you participate in an internet based program. Your
information will never be given to anyone outside of the JHUSOM and IJHN
continuing education programs. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
and The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing collect only the information
necessary to provide you with the services that you request.
American Disabilities Act
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The Institute for Johns
Hopkins Nursing fully complies with the legal requirements of the ADA and the
rules and regulations thereof. Please notify us if you have any special needs.
This educational program is supported through an educational grant from Biogen
Idec and Elan Pharmaceuticals.
(C) 2004 The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The Institute of
Johns Hopkins Nursing
Adapted from The Daily Motivator
Thursday, December 9, 2004
Three for one
Select something today that is holding you back, and take one step away from it. Choose a limitation that has been keeping you from moving forward, and take one step toward overcoming it.
When you do, an important shift in momentum will occur. You will go from being overwhelmed by the challenges to taking control of them.
One step today can get the ball rolling. Another step tomorrow can build on this progress.
Every action you take to overcome a limitation has a triple effect. It reduces the limitation, boosts your confidence and increases your forward momentum.
For the price of only one step taken you move three steps ahead. This is a return on your effort that is well worth getting.
One step at a time is all it takes to eventually move past whatever is holding you back. When you take this one step, you will get three in return.
-- Ralph Marston
Copyright ©2004 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
http://greatday.com/motivate/index.html
[INLINE]
~Joyce [INLINE]
Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
BioMS Medical initiates enrollment in pivotal Phase II/III multiple sclerosis trial
Toronto Stock Exchange Symbol: MS
EDMONTON, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - BioMS Medical Corp (TSX: MS),
a leading developer in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), today
announced that the first patients have been enrolled in its pivotal Phase
II/III clinical trial of MBP8298, a proprietary synthetic peptide for the
treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which affects
approximately 40% of the estimated 2.5 million MS patients worldwide.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-08-2004/0002590013&EDATE=
~Joyce
A hound's food is in its legs.
~Irish Proverb
The article below from NYTimes.com
has been sent to you by jaynemadler@....
I though you *might be interested in this.
jaynemadler@...
/--------- E-mail Sponsored by Fox Searchlight
This story was sent to you by: Jayne Adler
Thought this *might be of interest.
NEW YORK - In July 2000, Peter Kellogg arrived at Biogen Idec, one of the
world's first biotech companies, to be chief financial officer. He was just in
time
to watch the ink dry on a deal to co-develop a new drug invented by Ireland's
Elan Pharmaceuticals. The drug aimed to ease the deterioration caused by
multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease in which the immune system attacks the
nerves, eventually leaving some patients wheelchair-bound and unable to
move. As soon as the deal was signed, Kellogg says, some investors cried
foul.
The reason: Biogen's (nasdaq: BIIB - news - people ) top-selling drug was
another multiple sclerosis drug, Avonex. Why would a company not only
introduce its own competition, but share the profit with a rival? "We were
interested in having our hand in the next great wave of innovation," says
Kellogg.
In his early presentations, Kellogg said the medicine Biogen licensed from
Elan (nyse: ELN - news - people ) might be used mainly for those that had
failed Avonex. But the new drug, Tysabri, was approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration on data better than anyone had a right to expect. Most
observers expect Tysabri to become the new standard of care for treating
multiple sclerosis, eventually reaching annual sales of $2 billion.
A merger of equals last year with Idec Pharmaceuticals also looked
misguided to many, but the deal has given Biogen another significant source
of upside: Idec's cancer drug, Rituxan, is showing real benefit in rheumatoid
arthritis. This year, sales for the combined company are expected to be up
18% to $2.2 billion, with pro forma profit up 22% to $530 million.
That's true even though Amevive, for psoriasis, and Zevalin, for lymphoma,
have been small sellers for Biogen. Shares are up 60% for the year, largely
on expectations for Tysabri. In Biogen Idec's story is one of the biggest
lessons of biotech: Betting on the right drug goes a long way. Now, the
question is whether Biogen Idec can deliver the Tysabri launch that bullish
investors have been dreaming of for years.
Tysabri, however, is so good that it may steal sales from Avonex. What's more,
while the new drug is more expensive--$23,000 a year, versus $18,000 for
Avonex--Biogen's need to split the profits means Tysabri's opportunities may
not make up for lost Avonex sales. Ted Phillips, a specialist in MS at Texas
Neurology who led some of the Tysabri trials, says he plans to mostly use
Tysabri alone as the new first-line weapon against MS. His reason? Even by
itself, Tysabri is twice as effective as any of the existing drugs alone. On the
other hand, Geoffrey Porges, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, surveyed
neurologists before the drug was approved. 60% of the doctors he surveyed
will use the combination therapy in most of those patients whose disease is
not stable.
Competition is another problem. Until 2002, Biogen had the MS market to
itself because of a law that grants a temporary monopoly to medicines for rare
ailments, known in biotech as orphan diseases. Then Serono (nyse: SRA -
news - people ), a Swiss biotech, did a study showing that its drug Rebif might
work better than Avonex for some patients.
The FDA removed Avonex's exclusivity. That launched a bitter marketing war
with Serono and Germany's Schering AG. Both medicines are similar to
Avonex, and, like Avonex, they cause flu-like side effects. Neither company is
rolling over now: Before Tysabri was even approved, Serono chief Ernesto
Bertarelli made the rounds to poke holes in the drug's hype.
"What is disturbing is that people are led to believe this is a cure," he said
then.
Another problem could come from Copaxone, an MS drug sold by Teva
Pharmaceuticals (nasdaq: TEVA - news - people ) that is seen as perhaps
less effective, but also has fewer side effects. Porges points out that there is
an FDA-mandated safety study of Copaxone in combination with Tysabri.
Porges points out that because of the side effect issues, doctors may choose
to try Copaxone instead of Avonex as half of a drug combo.
Kellogg is not daunted. All of the existing MS drugs, he says, will probably
give some ground to Tysabri, but nobody knows how much. In the meantime,
Biogen is putting its full force behind Tysabri. Idec's manufacturing
capabilities have been turned toward making the drug. And though it cut a
handful of jobs right after the merger, headcount has increased by more than
500 people with sales and manufacturing expertise. Right now, only half of
the MS patients who might benefit from medicines get them. Biogen hopes
Tysabri might change that--and that it will reap the rewards.
The New England Journal of Medicine
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Volume 348:1598-1599 April 17, 2003 Number 16
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Natalizumab for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis
Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.
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To the Editor: As participants in the original exploratory study,^1^ we did not find that treatment with anti {alpha} [4] integrin antibody^ was of clinical benefit. Miller and colleagues ( Jan. 2 issue)^2^ report that monthly natalizumab infusions in patients with multiple^ sclerosis significantly reduced relapse rates and enhancing^ lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but this effect^ was not carried forward in the six months after treatment. The^ treatment had no effect on the disability score (on the Kurtzke^ Expanded Disability Status Scale). There was no evidence that^ long-term natalizumab infusions modify the course of multiple^ sclerosis.^
Epidemiologic . . . [Full Text of this Article]
This article has been cited by other articles:
* Mittelbrunn, M., Molina, A., Escribese, M. M., Yanez-Mo, M., Escudero, E., Ursa, A., Tejedor, R., Mampaso, F., Sanchez-Madrid, F. (2004). VLA-4 integrin concentrates at the peripheral supramolecular activation complex of the immune synapse and drives T helper 1 responses. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 101: 11058-11063 [Abstract] [Full Text]
Adapted from The Daily Motivator
Wednesday, December 8, 2004
Coming and going
Kindness is just as enjoyable when you are giving it as it is when you are receiving it. Love makes you just as warm inside whether you are offering it to another or you are on the receiving end of its good graces.
There is nothing to be gained by keeping score and worrying whether or not you are receiving as much love and kindness as you are giving. Instead of wasting your time and energy keeping track you can put this energy into creating more love and kindness in the world.
Love is yours to enjoy whether it is coming or going. When you feel the need for love, give your own love freely and you will surely experience its richness and warmth.
Even when a kindness is never returned it still exists and shines a positive light on all who touch it. Instead of waiting for kindness to come to you let it freely come from you at every opportunity.
Give love, and it grows more abundant. Offer kindness, and there is more of it in your life.
Love and kindness add real value to each life they touch no matter what direction they flow. Take every opportunity to let them flow freely.
-- Ralph Marston
Copyright ©2004 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
http://greatday.com/motivate/index.html
[INLINE]
~Joyce [INLINE]
A hound's food is in its legs.
~Irish Proverb
New hope seen for multiple sclerosis patients
Recently OK'd drug therapy treats disease's recurrent symptoms
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
By Joe Fahy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
As she leads an exercise session at an adult day care program in Squirrel Hill, Ellie Bernstein shows no sign of having a debilitating illness.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04342/422661.stm
[INLINE]
The Heuga Center Story
JUMPSTART
Snow Express
Wine & Ski Expo
This year, The Heuga Center will celebrate 20 years of promoting health and creating hope for people with multiple sclerosis. Established in 1984 The Heuga Center re-shaped the world of MS management with its revolutionary theory that exercise is beneficial not only to the physical well-being of the MS patient but to their emotional and mental health as well.
http://www.kolotv.com/unclassified/1131832.html
~Joyce
"When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or in the life of another."
~Helen Keller
1880-1968, Blind/Deaf Author, Lecturer
This may not be new news.....but I received an email regarding the following
and thought it might be of assistance to some. Apparently, NORD provides
assistance with meds......and .......MS is listed as a rare disorder.
"NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.) gave away more than
$47 million in drug assistance to uninsured and under-insured patients
through its medication assistance programs."
crazy lady
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MS risk 'linked to birth month'
Children born in May have an increased risk of going on to develop
multiple sclerosis, research has suggested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4072819.stm
The analysis of MS rates among over 42,000 people born in the northern
hemisphere showed a significantly lower risk for those born in November.
The effect was most evident in Scotland, where the prevalence of MS was
the highest.
The study, published online by the British Medical Journal, was carried
out by Oxford University researchers.
The team suggest that complex interactions between genes and the
environment before or shortly after birth may help to explain the links
they found.
They analysed data on the birth month, medical and family histories of
17,874 Canadian patients and 11,502 British patients with MS.
They were compared with a matched group of people from the general
population and unaffected brothers and sisters of those with MS
In Canada, significantly fewer people with MS were born in November
compared with the general population or sibling groups.
And in Britain, fewer people with MS had been born in November and
significantly more had been born in May.
The number born in December was also significantly lower.
The researchers also looked at data from Denmark and Sweden, which again
showed a May peak and a November fall.
'Complex jigsaw'
Overall, it was found that around 10% more people born in May and 10%
fewer people born in November went on to develop MS, compared to rates
seen in the other months of the year.
The researchers, led by Professor George Ebers of the department of
clinical neurology at the Radcliffe Infirmary at the University of
Oxford, said the explanation for the difference
remained unclear.
But writing in the BMJ, they said: "The risk factors for the effects of
the timing of birth must vary seasonally and probably interact with the
development of the central nervous system or immune systems, or both."
The team said other studies had suggested exposure to the sun or
seasonal variations in a mother's vitamin D levels during pregnancy may
have an impact on brain development.
Mothers of babies born in May would be exposed to less sunlight because
they are pregnant during the winter.
Professor Ebers added: "MS is an adult-onset disease. So you wouldn't
think that what happened right back at the beginning would be a risk
factor.
"But this study does show that the month in which people are born
appears to have an effect."
And he said people who had MS in their family may use the information to
decide when they would try to conceive.
Mike O'Donovan, chief executive of the MS Society, said, "This is an
interesting study which adds weight to the accepted view that something
related to the environment - including around the time of birth - may
influence the development of MS.
"It is also worth noting it does not negate the likelihood of
environmental factors operating at other times as well. It is another
piece in a very complex jigsaw of research."
It affects around 85,000 people in the UK and is most often diagnosed in
people between the ages of 20 and 40. Women are almost twice as likely
to develop MS as men.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4072819.stm
Adapted from The Daily Motivator
Tuesday, December 7, 2004
The smallest moments
In the smallest moments come the biggest opportunities. In the most ordinary events and endeavors come the most extraordinary possibilities for joy.
In the quiet, ordinary days while doing routine, ordinary things the real and lasting substance of life grows and grows. Look around on a perfectly ordinary day, and if you look with your heart you will see enough abundance to last a thousand lifetimes.
No moment is really ordinary. Every moment is filled with an endless possibility.
The quiet, simple moments are when you realize how truly extraordinary it is to be alive. The unassuming, routine days are the days when you can most fully express the substance and goodness of who you are.
Treasure these days, and value these simple moments as you are living them. The more fully you put yourself into the ordinary moments the more value they will bring.
If you seek life's treasures only in the extraordinary, spectacular times, you will miss most of the best possibilities that could have been yours. Open up to the value of the small, simple moments, and this value will richly fill you.
[INLINE]
-- Ralph Marston [INLINE]
Copyright ©2004 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
http://greatday.com/motivate/index.html
~Joyce
"When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or in the life of another."
~Helen Keller
1880-1968, Blind/Deaf Author, Lecturer
I'll put in my 2 cents here. I'm not really reading
carefully right
now so take that into consideration.
I'm a betaseron user and I've found it to be a good
therapy for me. My own beta interferon molecule was a
very unstable one, I was told by my doc.
Now I've wondered if I could combine my proven MS
therapy with another MS therapy but the combination
trials are with Avonex & Copaxone no with Betaseron.
Antegrin/Tysabli or whatever the name now is is a
monoclonal antibody. Its aproval as an MS therapeutic
means, I think, I will be able to add it to my MS
therapies.
What do you think, Tom?
Please, Michael, your birthdays coming & I don't have your current emai addy.
Jayne
From: Helen Aull helenaull@...
I was born January 27th, 1944.
What Doctors Have Said About Colloidal Silver
Mon Dec 6, 2004 01:01
205.188.116.200
after reading about these antibiotics i immediately thought WE HAVE those antibiotics NOW with colloidal silver... I GOT SO EXCITED reading this...thanksagain Jan for posting!
Colloidal silver has proven particularly effective in cases of microbial infection. Dr. Henry Crooks found that "Silver in the colloidal state is highly germicidal, quite harmless to humans and absolutely non-toxic. Rather than in a chemical compound, the silver in the colloidal state may be applied in a much more concentrated form, with correspondingly better results. All virus, fungus, bacterium, streptococcus, staphylococcus, and other pathogenic organisms are killed in three or four minutes upon contact. There are no side effects whatsoever from the highest concentrations."
Colloidal silver has been proven useful against all species of fungi, bacteria, protozoa, parasites and certain viruses, which are often killed within minutes. Dr. L. C. Ford, M.D. at the UCLA School of Medicine reported in 1988 that silver solutions were effective against the following conditions: Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aures, Neisseria gonorrhea, Garnerella vaginalis, Salmonella typhi and other enteric pathogens. He also found that it was fungicidal for Candida albicans, Candida globata and M. furfur.
How Colloidal Silver Works
The most accepted theory is that silver disables the specific enzyme that many forms of bacteria, viruses and fungi utilize for their metabolism. When silver nears a virus, fungi, bacterium or any single-celled microbe it is effective against, it disables the oxygen-metabolism enzyme. This destroys the microbe's ability to "breath" and within a few minutes, the pathogen suffocates and dies. The dead germ and its toxins are then cleared out of the body by the immune, lymphatic and elimination systems. It is not exactly clear how silver disrupts the enzymes in these single celled animals, but it is believed that the silver's natural positive electrica1 charge is influential. This is why electrically generated colloidal silver is the absolute best form of silver for fighting infection and related infectious diseases.
Unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics which destroy beneficial bodily enzymes, colloidal silver leaves our bodies tissue and cell enzymes intact, as they are different than enzymes found in single celled pathogens. Thus colloidal silver is generally considered safe for humans, pets, plants and all multi-celled living matter. Some health care professionals believe silver may be linked to the proper functioning of our immune system and that people with inadequate intakes of silver may be more prone to infection.
Dr. Robert Becker, author of the 1980's best selling book The Body Electric, recognized a correlation between low silver levels in the human body, and sickness. He said a silver deficiency in humans was responsible for the improper functioning of the immune system. Dr. Becker's experiments conclude that silver works on the full spectrum of pathogens without any side effects or damage to any part of the body. He also states that the silver was doing something more than killing disease organisms, It was also causing major growth stimulation of injured tissues. Burn patients and elderly patients noticed more rapid healing. He discovered that cancer cells change back to normal cells in the presence of electrically generated colloidal silver. All strains of pathogens he tested, even those resistant to antibiotics, were killed by colloidal silver.
From the article "Silver, Our Mightiest Germ Fighter," in Science Digest, March, 1978: "As an antibiotic, silver kills over 650 disease causing organisms, and resistant strains fail to develop. Silver is the best all-around germ fighter we have and is absolutely non-toxic! Doctors report that, taken internally, it works against syphilis, cholera, malaria diabetes and severe burns. Richard L. Davies, executive director of the Silver Institute which monitors silver technology in 37 countries, reports: 'In four years we've described 87 important new medical uses for silver.'
Dr. Bjorn Nordstrom, of the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, has used colloidal silver in his cancer treatment method. He says the whole thing is quite simple. Colloidal silver, used in conjunction with other natural therapies developed by Dr. Nordstrom, brought rapid remission in cancer patients given up on by other doctors.
Uses for Colloidal Silver
Preventing and Healing Low Grade Infections: According to many colloidal silver researchers, taking sufficient daily colloidal silver can saturate the body such that the germs simply can't gain a foothold. Many people, including many elderly, suffer from a general low- grade body infection that holds back vigor and alertness. They report that using up to an ounce or two of homemade colloidal silver each day often brings about an increase of energy and alertness, as well as enjoying better overall health throughout the year.
Parasite Infections: Some diseases are caused by tiny worm-like organisms that burrow through particular organs and sometimes throughout much of the body. They reproduce by laying eggs. These eggs have the same enzymatic characteristics of all of the other disease- causing organisms that colloidal silver suffocates. So the parasite eggs also suffocate and the parasites can no longer reproduce successfully in your body.
Resistant Strains of Germs: The use of modern man-made antibiotiqs has increasingly led to mutant strains of germs that the antibiotics can no longer kill. Colloidal silver does not appear to have this problem. Why? Because unlike man-made antibiotics which are basically "bug poison for the human body," colloidal silver is not a poison. Instead, it deals with all gerr the same way: it suffocates them by disabling the enzyme they need for respiration.
Accelerated Healing: Colloidal silver reportedly shortens the time for healing to take place in wounds, and lessens the amount of scar tissue. This is apparently due to the beneficial action that colloidal silver has on tissue cells. It seems to cause some of their cell divisions to produce cells that are, in a sense, generic. These generic cells migrate wherever they are needed in the body. They help repair tissue damage by changing into the type of tissue cell needed at the wound in preference to the scar tissue that would normally form.
Diarrhea Diseases: Diseases like cholera, canine parvovirus and other conditions where the disease-causing germ resides mainly in the large intestine have been effectively treated by a different approach. It is difficult for the colloidal silver to get all the way to the large intestine before the body absorbs it if you take the normal daily amount orally. An effective approach is to take large quantities instead (i.e. two ounces or more followed by two big glasses of water). This will allow the colloidal silver to make it all the way into the large intestine so it can very quickly take care of the problem.
What Specifically Can Colloidal Silver Be Used For?
Here is a small sample of diseases against which Colloidal Silver has been used successfully (see other chapters, particularly chapters 4, 7 and 11 of the manual for more): acne, allergies, appendicitis, arthritis, blood parasites, bubonic plague, burns (colloidal silver is one of the few treatments that can keep severe burn patients alive), cancer, candida, cholera, chronic fatigue, colds and flu, conjunctivitis, diabetes, gonorrhea, hay fever, herpes, leprosy, leukemia, lupus, lymphangitis, lyme disease, malaria, meningitis, parasitic infections both viral and fungal, pneumonia, rheumatism, ringworm, scarlet fever, septic conditions of the eyes, ears, mouth and throat, shingles, skin cancer, staph infections, strep infections, syphilis, toxemia, trenchfoot, numerous forms of viruses, warts and stomach ulcers.
A Colloidal Silver Primer
History of Colloidal Silver
In ancient civilizations, the wealthy stored and ate their food from silver vessels to keep bacteria from growing. American settlers often put a silver dollar in milk containers to delay its spoilage. It was not until the late 1800's that Western scientists were able to understand scientifically what had been known in ancient medicine for thousands of years... that silver is a powerful germ fighter! After discovering that the body's vital fluids, such as blood, are colloidal in nature, scientists and doctors explored the possibilities of using colloids in medicine. The silver solution known as "Colloidal Silver" became widely used in medicine as one of the main-stays of anti-microbial treatment.
The medical journal Lancet reported phenomenal results from colloidal silver in 1914. Dr. Henry Crooks showed colloidal silver to be highly germicidal yet absolutely harmless and non-toxic to humans. Throughout the early 1900's colloidal silver rapidly gained fame as one of the best infection-fighting agents in existence. But unfortunately its fame was short lived. The high cost of silver combined with the fact that silver solutions could not be patented motivated the development of more profitable infection-fighting drugs by the major pharmaceutical conglomerates. The new prescription antibiotic drugs such as penicillin and others became the choice in medical treatments. However, thirty years after the discovery of pharmaceutical antibiotics many types of bacteria acquired an immunity to these drugs. Frustrated doctors, tired of seeing their patients die from infections with antibiotic resistant pathogens, began looking back to the past for answers. In doing so, they have
r! e-discovered the amazing ant ibiotic properties of colloidal silver, which had been known for many decades.
The Rediscovery of Silver as a Powerful Antibiotic
According to Zane Baronowski, CN, in his booklet, Colloidal Silver: The Natural Antibiotic Alternative: "The comeback of silver in medicine began in the 1970's. The late Dr. Carl Moyer, chairman of Washington University's Department of Surgery, received a grant to develop better treatments for burn victims. Dr. Margraf, as the chief biochemist, worked with Dr. Moyer and other surgeons to find an antiseptic strong enough, yet safe to use over large areas of the body. Dr. Margraf reviewed 22 antiseptic compounds and found drawbacks in all of them. 'Mercury, for example, is an excellent antiseptic but toxic, ' he comments. 'Popular antiseptics....can be used over small areas only. ' Furthermore, disease organisms can become resistant to antibiotics, triggering a dangerous super-infection. 'These compounds are also ineffective against a number of harmful bacteria, including the biggest killer in burn cases a greenish-blue bacterium called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It almost!
always shows up in burns, releasing a poison.'
"Reviewing the medical literature, Dr. Margraf found repeated references to silver. It was described as a catalyst that disables the enzymes microorganisms depend on to 'breathe. ' Consequently, they die. Therefore, Dr. Margraf decided to use the best known pharmaceutical compound of silver: silver nitrate. Concentrated silver nitrate was corrosive and painful. So he diluted the silver nitrate to a .5 percent solution and found that it killed the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria and permitted wounds to heal. Resistant strains did not appear. Silver nitrate, however, was far from ideal. It disturbed the balance of body salts, was thick and cumbersome to use and stained everything it touched. Dr. Margraf searched for other preparations of silver, and in the process helped re-discover colloidal silver, which he found to be highly effective on the burns. As a result of these efforts, hundreds of important new medical uses for silver were found. Dr. Harry Margraf later concluded,
'Silver is the best all around germ-fighter we have. '
Future uses of Colloidal Silver
Although reports on the use of colloidal silver have spanned the past 100 years, research relating to its recent use is limited. However, through a growing number of physicians, dentists, veterinarians, nutritionists and satisfied users, information regarding the modern day uses of colloidal silver is mounting. It would seem that the effective and safe use of colloidal silver in the treatment of many common infectious disorders is only limited by the imagination.
Some other diseases that have been successfully treated with colloidal silver are: bladder infection, blood-poison, boils, bubonic plague, burns, candida yeast infection, chilblains, cholera, conjunctivitis, cold sores, cold & flu, cystitis, diabetes, dermatitis, fungal infections, herpes, HIV virus, indigestion, leprosy, leukemia, lupus, lymphangitis, lyrne disease, malaria (now making a comeback in the southern U.S. states), meningitis, neurasthenia, puritis ani, psoriasis, ophthalmia, rabbit fever, rhinitis, ringworm, scarlet fever, and septic conditions of the eyes, ears, mouth 8c throat. Plus, shingles, sinus infections, staph infections, syphilis, thyroid, tonsillitis, toxemia, trachoma, trench-foot, tuberculosis, ulcers, viruses, warts, whooping cough, other many other uses.
What is Colloidal Silver?
The term "colloid" refers to a substance that consists of ultra-fine particles suspended within a liquid solution. Properly manufactured colloidal silver is a liquid solution consisting of submicroscopic particles of silver, held in suspension in pure water by a tiny electrical charge. In a true colloid these particles are about .04 to .0001 microns in diameter. These particles cannot be seen by the naked eye and are electrically charged.
Many references can be found describing a "quality" colloidal silver as being light yellow or golden in color. However, after hundreds of hours of searching, no medical literature could be found describing the golden-colored colloidal silver as being any more therapeutically effective than clear or silver-colored colloidal silver. Colloidal silver made with the small battery-operated generators is considered to be extremely high quality, yet it is generally clear to silverish in the liquid suspension.
Will Colloidal Silver Kill the "Friendly Bacteria" in Your Intestines?
Colloidal silver that contains 99.99% (pure silver) with particles that are .04 to .0001 microns in diameter with a concentration of 25 ppm (parts per million) or less have little effect on the friendly bacteria in our digestive tract. In small doses (i.e., preventive dosages of about one tablespoon per day) much of the silver itself is absorbed in the mouth or stomach and never reaches the intestinal area. However some researchers believe that colloidal silver products with higher concentrations or larger particles of silver can attack friendly bacteria just like some antibiotics. There is also evidence that when taken in high dosages, some of the colloidal silver is evacuated through the colon and may kill some of the friendly bacteria there. This could upset your natural intestinal floral balance.
The generally accepted recommended dosage is 5 to 40 ppm, although many researchers take significantly higher dosages with no apparent loss of friendly bacteria in the gut. Nonetheless, researchers suggest that if you intend to take larger dosages of concentrated colloidal silver over an extend period of time, you should also take a "friendly bacteria" supplement such as lactobacillus acidophilus, available at most health food stores, in order to prevent the possibility of depleting the much-needed beneficial bacteria in your stomach and digestive system.
Nutritional Dosage for Daily Intake
Currently, there is no federally recognized "minimum daily requirement" for silver in the human body. In 1940, R. A. Kehoe reported that under normal circumstances, the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables would provide between 50-100 mcg of silver as a trace element. Since that time, the commercial farm soils of this country have become extremely deficient in trace minerals. According to the Earth Summit Report, issued in 1992, the levels of soil based minerals in North America have dropped over 85% in the last 100 yea
Post a Response Return to Articles
Please excuse this.
Nurse on Cutting Edge of Treatment for MS ; Dumont Man Among First to
Take New Drug
(Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.)
A 41-year-old Dumont man on Friday became one of the first in the nation to
receive a recently approved drug that is expected to offer new hope to many
multiple sclerosis patients.
The medication, Tysabri, was approved by the federal Food and Drug
Administration on Nov. 23, after just one year of clinical trials, because of
its
effectiveness in reducing the flare-ups of multiple sclerosis, while producing
few side effects.
"I'm looking at this as an early Christmas present," said Joe Giles, a nurse and
director of critical care services at Holy Name Hospital, who was diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis three years ago. "We'll see what happens."
Giles received an infusion of the drug intravenously on Friday morning at the
Teaneck hospital, where the Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center
is a participant in two studies that led to the drug's approval. One has since
been completed, and the other will continue, as part of the FDA's conditions
for approval of the medication.
The drug is manufactured by Biogen Idec Inc. of Boston and the Elan Corp. of
Ireland.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the brain and spinal
cord that affects about 400,000 people in the United States, including nearly
5,000 in northern New Jersey.
The new medication, delivered monthly through an infusion, is expected to be
popular as a first-line treatment for new patients as well as existing patients
who've stopped treatment because they don't like needle sticks. The existing
drugs require injections as frequently as once a day.
"We've had a couple of hundred calls about it," said June Halper, executive
director of the hospital's MS center, as well as of the New Jersey Multiple
Sclerosis Network. After Tysabri's approval by the FDA, the hospital set up a
hot line to handle inquiries.
Halper has faxed prescriptions for 20 patients to Biogen and expects that
number will double, she said. Biogen deals directly with insurance companies
for pre-certification on behalf of the patients.
The annual cost of Tysabri will be $23,500, most of which will be covered by
insurance, the manufacturer hopes.
"Our initial feedback from the payers is that they recognize the therapeutic
value and will pay for it. We don't see copayment as a huge issue." said Amy
Brockelman, a spokeswoman for Biogen.
The patient copayment should be the same for Tysabri as for the other drugs
used in multiple sclerosis treatment: Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone and
Rebif. Annual costs for those medications range from $14,000 to $17,500.
Using the new drug will require monthly trips to the hospital, because it is
administered through an intravenous infusion.
"At least for the first year, we'll do it here," said Dr. Mary Ann Picone,
medical
director of the MS Center. During the study, clinicians observed that if an
adverse reaction occurred, it was more likely during the first or second
infusion, she said.
The intravenous drip takes about one hour. "If you feel any itchiness, or a
funny feeling, please speak up," the nurse told Giles, as she hooked up his
medication on Friday. He did not, and later in the day drove to New Brunswick
to pick up his oldest son at Cook College.
The father of three, Giles said he had read about the trials and was optimistic
that Tysabri would help his relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis.
Until
Friday, he had been injecting himself every other day with Betaseron.
Giles was diagnosed with MS after experiencing dizziness, visual
disturbances and falls, he said. Since then, he's suffered three or four
relapses a year, mostly in the form of painful inflammations of his trigeminal,
or facial, nerve.
In the first study of Tysabri's effectiveness, it reduced the frequency of
relapses by 66 percent, compared with a placebo. Existing drugs on the
market reduce relapses by about one-third.
In the second trial, Tysabri was tried in combination with Avonex on patients
who had experienced one or more relapses while on Avonex. Tysabri in
combination with Avonex reduced the relapses by 54 percent, compared to a
placebo with Avonex.
"That is huge," said Halper.
An additional study of Tysabri in combination with Copaxone has been
completed, but the results have not yet been released, Brockelman, the
Biogen spokeswoman, said. "Clinicians may make the decision to try it in
combination with interferon on a patient-by- patient basis," she said.
The FDA required the manufacturer to change the name from Antegren before
approval, because it was too close to the names of other drugs on the market.
"Abri" is related to the French word for shelter or protection, Brockelman said.
Eight patients at the Holy Name center are participating in the second study,
Halper said. Neither the patients nor their caregivers know whether they are
receiving the placebo or Tysabri.
When the study is completed in March, they will be informed and provided
with Tysabri until their insurance starts to cover it, said Halper. "These
people
are heroes as far as we're concerned."
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E-mail: washburn@...
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Copyri