Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Researchers Suggest That Oxidative Stress Is Strongly Evident In The In-Utero Environment Of The Fetus With Down Syndrome
A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University researchers reports that amniotic fluid surrounding Down syndrome fetuses shows oxidative stress, a condition that could harm fetal cells and play a role in affected individuals. The results demonstrate secondary adverse consequences of Down syndrome and suggest potential prenatal therapies.

Clinics Report Rise In Egg, Sperm Donations During Recession
More men and women are seeking to donate sperm and eggs as a way to make money during the continuing recession, according to sperm banks and egg donation agencies, USA Today reports. Compensation for donations varies by region, state and donor agency, according to USA Today. David Battaglia, lab director for Oregon Health and Science University Fertility Consultants, said that sperm donors receive $100 per collection and can donate twice per week, while egg donors -- who undergo an outpatient extraction process -- can receive $5,000 for a donation. Battaglia said his lab has seen "easily a 25%-30% increase in calls in the last nine months." Kim Springfield, vice president of sales for donor referral service Health News, said that the company"s donations have seen "a definite spike" of about 40% since February. Robin van Halle, president of Alternative Reproductive Res, which works with egg donors, said, "Our calls have just about doubled." However, she noted, "It"s not a quick buck."Springfield said that many prospective donors choose not to begin the process once they learn that medical and psychological screening can take weeks or months and rules out most interested people. Egg donors must be screened for mental and physical health, then chosen by prospective parents. Battaglia said that OHSU Fertility Consultants require that egg donors are between ages 21 to 32 and that sperm donors are between ages 20 to 39 to improve fertility odds. Von Halle noted that the rise in donors is giving infertility patients more choices. However, because in vitro fertilization can cost thousands of dollars, economic concerns are forcing many to postpone their plans, she said (Keen, USA Today, 7/7).
News of the day
Embera NeuroTherapeutics Announces Expansion Of Management Team After Successful Completion Of Pilot Study Of Cocaine Addiction Treatment
Embera NeuroTherapeutics, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for drug addiction and obesity, announced today that the company has recently expanded its management team to prepare for its next stage of development, following the successful completion of the company"s pilot study of cocaine addiction treatment.
Sexual Health

Ceregene Presents Additional Clinical Data From Phase 2 Trial Of CERE-120 For Parkinson's Disease

Ceregene, Inc. reported additional clinical data from a double-blind, controlled Phase 2 trial of CERE-120 in 58 patients with advanced Parkinson"s disease. CERE-120 uses AAV-based gene therapy to deliver the neurotrophic factor, neurturin, to Parkinson"s disease patients in order to restore the function and protect degenerating nigrostriatal neurons. The company previously announced that the Phase 2 trial did not meet its primary endpoint of improvement in the Unified Parkinson"s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor off score at 12 months of follow-up, although several secondary endpoints suggested a modest clinical benefit. The additional, protocol-prescribed analyses reported today focused on further analyses of the data from the 30 subjects who continued to be evaluated under double-blind conditions for up to 18 months which indicate increasing effects of CERE-120 over time. A clinically modest but statistically significant treatment effect in the primary efficacy measure (UPDRS motor off; p=0.025), as well as similar effects on several more secondary motor measures (pAbout Phase 2 Trial of CERE-120 Ceregene"s Phase 2 trial was a double-blind, controlled clinical trial that completed enrollment of 58 patients with advanced Parkinson"s disease in October 2007. This study was launched after successful execution of an extensive nonclinical program and preliminary evidence of safety and efficacy in advanced Parkinson"s patients via an open-label Phase 1 trial in 12 patients. Patients in the Phase 2 trial were enrolled across nine leading academic medical centers in the United States, with two thirds of patients receiving CERE-120 and one third enrolled into a control group. Patients received a single administration of CERE-120 via stereotactic neurosurgery to deliver the drug into the putamen region of the brain and were followed for a minimum of 12 months for safety and efficacy, with over half the subjects followed for 15 to 18 months under blinded conditions, allowing longer-term analyses of the therapeutic effects of CERE-120. Ceregene gratefully acknowledges the financial support received from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson"s Research to help defray some of the costs of the CERE-120 Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. About CERE-120 and its Application to Treating Parkinson"s Disease CERE-120 is composed of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector carrying the gene for neurturin, a naturally occurring protein known to repair damaged and dying dopamine-secreting neurons, keeping them alive and restoring normal function. Neurturin is a member of the same protein family as glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). The two molecules have similar pharmacological properties, and both have been shown to benefit the midbrain dopamine neurons that degenerate in Parkinson"s disease. Degeneration of these neurons is responsible for the major motor impairments of Parkinson"s disease. CERE-120 has been delivered by stereotactic injection to the terminal fields (i.e., the ends of the degenerating neurons), located in an area of the brain called the putamen. The cell bodies for these same neurons are located in a different area of the brain, called the substantia nigra. Once CERE-120 is delivered to the brain, it provides stable, long-lasting expression of neurturin in a highly targeted fashion. Genzyme Corporation (Nasdaq: GENZ) has licensed the ex-North American rights for the development and commercialization of CERE-120 from Ceregene, an agreement that was announced in June 2007. About Parkinson"s Disease Parkinson"s disease is a progressive movement disorder that affects a million people in the United States. Its main symptoms, stiffness, tremors and slowed movements and gait, are caused by a loss of dopamine-containing nerve cells in the substantia nigra, which project their axons to the putamen. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in controlling movement and coordination, so Parkinson"s patients exhibit a progressive inability to initiate and control physical movements. There is currently no treatment that can reverse the degeneration of these neurons, let alone cure Parkinson"s disease. About Ceregene Ceregene, Inc. is a San Diego-based biotechnology company focused on the delivery of nervous system growth (neurotrophic) factors for the treatment of neurodegenerative and retinal disorders using gene delivery. Ceregene"s clinical programs include CERE-110, an AAV2 based vector expressing nerve growth factor that is currently in a multi-center, controlled Phase 2 study for the treatment of Alzheimer"s disease, and CERE-120 (AAV2-Neurturin) for Parkinson"s disease. CERE-135 and CERE-140 are in preclinical development for ALS (Lou Gehrig"s disease) and ocular disorders, respectively. Ceregene was launched in January 2001. The company"s investors include Alta Partners, MPM Capital, Investor Growth Capital and Cell Genesys, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEGE) as well as Hamilton BioVentures and California Technology Partners. Ceregene, Inc


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009