Category Archives: MS Treatment

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich., Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Thirteen children diagnosed with neuromuscular issues ranging from severe hypotonia to athetoid cerebral palsy/dystonia are experiencing "dramatic improvement" thanks to a new protocol being advocated by the Preemie Growth Project. Executive Director and Founder Ida Briggs reports the breakthrough treatment was initially discovered last year when a 9-month old severely hypotonic boy diagnosed with cerebral palsy went from twelve pounds to twenty-two in under ten weeks, and then took his first steps while using the Preemie Growth Project "preemie protocol." This year a 9-year old girl, born at 26 weeks weighing 1 pound, 11 ounces, diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy had "dramatic improvement" which included healthy weight gain, increased strength and hyperspastic hands becoming normal, among other improvements. Additional patients were recruited, with similar results. The protocol uses micronutrient supplementation, relying on the "Textbook of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition," edited by Dr. Stefano Guandalini, for the explanation of the protocol's efficacy. The key passage, per Ms. Briggs, is on page 631: "The infant born prematurely is at increased risk for developing trace mineral deficiencies. Premature birth is associated with low stores at birth, because accretion of trace minerals takes place during the … Continue reading →

Sheila Fynes couldnt sleep most nights this summer, wondering whether she made the right decision in allowing a public inquiry to view a 34-minute military police video of her sons lifeless body hanging from a chin-up bar in his barracks. The graphic, disturbing images of Corporal Stuart Langridge were never released to the news media, but the commission investigating the militarys handling of his suicide played it in public as part of a series of hearings last spring. His mother and stepfather, Shaun Fynes, wrestled with the question of showing the video almost up until the day it was played. There are times when I think Ive shared the most personal thing about Stuarts life and I hope I hope it wasnt for nothing, said Ms. Fynes in an interview from her Victoria home. Cpl. Langridge hanged himself on March 15, 2008, and his body was left in place for four hours while investigators documented and searched through everything in the room. The video sometimes zoomed in on his head and face. Federal lawyers representing the Defence Department argued in advance that if the video were to be shown, it would have to be in its entirety. Ms. Fynes said … Continue reading →

With its first Orphan Drug application for Beurger`s disease approved last fall, Pluristem Therapeutics (PSTI) will seek a second one for aplastic anemia (AA), an extremely dangerous condition associated with bone marrow degeneration that the company successfully treated earlier this month. If approved for clinical trials, it would mark Pluristem`s entry into the $1.3 billion bone marrow market that includes conditions stemming from chemotherapy and radiation poisoning. Orphan drugs aimed toward the most life threatening diseases take the shortest time to approval, and AA is considered a medical emergency. Finding and treating rare disorders is big business; orphan drugs average $200,000 per patient per year. Pharmaceutical firms, recognizing the advantages in developing these `niche-busters` that are expected to comprise a $27 billion market in 2015, are highly focused in their search for them, and investors place more value on orphan drugs for various economic reasons - less review time, higher probability of FDA approval, advocacy organizations that act as free marketing, less price sensitivity - and also because in an environment of patent litigation, orphan market exclusivity cannot be easily challenged. According to the FDA`s November 2011 issue of Innovative Drug Approvals, of 35 compounds cited for their medical novelty, … Continue reading →

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects approximately 400,000 people in the United States. Caused by damage to the myelin sheath the protective coating of the nerves in the brain MS is marked by an array of symptoms, including muscle spasms, loss of vision and difficulty moving arms and legs. While there is no cure for MS, there are various treatments available for those suffering from the disease. Dr. Michael Devereaux, a neurologist for University Hospitals Case Medical Center, spoke with FoxNews.com about the many options for MS patients looking for symptom relief. According to him, there are two main goals when it comes to treating MS. One is treating the acute attacks, Devereaux said. And then, what youre really interested in even more is reducing the frequency of attacks and reducing overall disability over time. Thats been a harder to question to answer from studies and the like, because all the drugs are promoting the idea that they can reduce frequency and overall disability, but theres been some debate about that. Modifying the disease During MS, white blood cells, called T-cells, become activated and cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain. While there, they cause an inflammatory … Continue reading →

Retro gaming legend Ms. Pac-Man gets an update with a 3D version that lets our hungry heroine run up and down walls and across the ceiling. Ms. Pac-Man gets super-sized. The phrase "immersive experience" gets bandied about quite a bit, but it's often an overstatement -- unless you happen to be in a room completely surrounded by a fully playable Ms. Pac-Man game. Keita Takahashi, the creator of Katamari Damacy, got to experiment with a variety of video games for the recent Babycastles Summit at the Museum of Art & Design in New York. Takahashi's new take on Ms. Pac-Man involved projecting it onto the walls and ceiling of a room. It looks like what would happen if Tron and Ms. Pac-Man got together, minus the glowing skin-tight suits. This all goes to show that old retro games can learn new tricks. Some neck craning is involved for the player to track Ms. Pac-Man as she flies up the walls and crosses over onto the ceiling, but it sure looks like fun. It's super cool now, but we would have paid really big bucks for this kind of experience back in the '80s. (Via Kotaku) Follow this link: Ms. Pac-Man … Continue reading →

ARDSLEY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (ACOR) announced data from a preclinical study showed that treatment with Glial Growth Factor 2 (GGF2) improved erectile function in an animal model following a cavernous nerve (CN) injury, a common complication of prostate surgery. These data were featured in a platform presentation at the ISSM/SMSNA World Meeting on Sexual Medicine in Chicago, IL. Approximately 270,000 prostate surgeries are performed in the United States annually. The vast majority of those surgeries are to treat prostate cancer and prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH). The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 120,000 men in the U.S. diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012 will have surgery to remove the prostate. The American Urological Association estimates that more than 150,000 men annually in the U.S. have surgery to address BPH. One of the most common complications of prostate surgery is erectile dysfunction, caused by inadvertent damage to the cavernous nerve during surgery. There is currently no effective therapy for preventing these complications, said Andrew R. Blight, Ph.D., Acorda Therapeutics Chief Scientific Officer. The data from this study are consistent with previous preclinical work, indicating that GGF2 can improve erectile function after cavernous nerve damage, either through … Continue reading →

Genzyme, a subsidiary of Sanofi (SNY), announced this morning that the FDA has returned the company`s supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Lemtrada on grounds that the presented data needs reorganization. Genzyme submitted the drug for review in June of this year and hoped for a Priority Review designation to allow for faster commercialization, as early as six months from an acceptance date if granted. The FDA`s Refusal to File (RTF) does not require new testing or data for the drug, which might have been required under a Complete Response Letter, but will delay approval and launch nonetheless. Sanofi hopes Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) will be approved for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), for which trials showed promising results when compared to an existing treatment. In the recent Phase III CARE-MS study, Lemtrada was tested against Pfizer`s (PFE) Rebif MS treatment and demonstrated that disability was significantly slowed by Lemtrada compared to Rebif. In fact, patients treated with the Genzyme drug were twice as likely to experience a reduction in disability. Revenue from Lemtrada is expected to reach $400-$600 million annually in six years if approved. Today`s setback, however, will delay the launch of Lemtrada. The company has been hoping … Continue reading →

Some people in Yukon are closely watching a set of experimental trials for multiple sclerosis sufferers in Albany, New York. The first Canadian to take part in the controversial liberation therapy treatment is recovering from surgery. About half a dozen Yukoners with MS will take part in the study over the next year. Whitehorse resident Al Macklon has signed up for the trials. Hes undergoing a screening process to determine if hell be chosen. I'm just really participating to get some answers to all of this because it's a huge financial toll for people with MS, Macklon said. The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada says MS is unpredictable, affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility. The trials in Albany will test the effectiveness of the therapy, in which tiny balloons are surgically inserted to open up constricted veins. All of the trial participants will undergo surgery, but only about half will get the liberation treatment. Macklon has been living with MS for five years and dreams of the day that he can live pain-free. He wants to know if the treatment works. Most of us went into the research part of it just to try and get some answers to … Continue reading →

By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 08:45 EST, 26 August 2012 | UPDATED: 10:51 EST, 26 August 2012 'Just wear black' is usually trusted advice - but Chelsee Healy proves she is a walking fashion disaster in any colour. Full credit to the 24-year-old Strictly Come Dancing star for trying in her black off the shoulder top and tight trousers for a shopping trip yesterday (Saturday) as it makes a change to her usual wild clashing coloured look. But Chelsee, who turned up to her own birthday party looking frightful, didn't seem to mind her fashion blunder as she walked the streets in Swinton, Manchester, for the celeb craze treatment, HD Brows. Get ready: Chelsee tries for a classy look but still manages to look a bit brassy out in Manchester The former Waterloo Road star was visiting Natasha Giggs beauty salon, Peace and Pout, in the city. With studded boots and a huge sixties bun Chelsee could have been on her way to a fancy dress party, not a trip to a salon. Chelsee is certainly used to negative comments about her wardrobe. Off the shoulder, off key: Give her credit, Chelsee has gone for a classy look Read more … Continue reading →

REGINA A young Saskatchewan woman is travelling the country on an important mission: Motivating people with multiple sclerosis to keep fighting the disease. Saskatoons Andreas was in Regina Thursday for Crusin for a Cause, A&Ws fundraising effort to support the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Canada. Andreas, who was diagnosed with MS when she was 19, spoke at the Avonhurst A&W and explained the journey her disease has taken her on. I hope to just give people hope. That whether or not a cure ever exists, whatever medication, whatever treatments going on, theres always hope, she said. Just keep fighting, waiting for hope and waiting for a cure. The Avonhurst A&W has raised the most money of all Canadian locations since Cruisin with a Cure was first held four years ago. According to Yves Savoie, president and CEO of the MS Society of Canada, they were in the running to repeat as top fundraiser again. For Andreas, theres a bit of pride in seeing an A&W in her home province leading the pack.Its kind of one of those things that puts Saskatchewan on the map, said Andreas. Nobody really knows where it is. The event raises money through selling Teen burgers … Continue reading →