Pharmaceutical
jtoney | May 9, 2012
Hunter_de_Rat
Scientists funded by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) organization are reportedly guiding Chinese officials towards their "very first non-animal test method for cosmetics ingredients." Given that PETA is an organization not known for either ethics or science, I am deeply skeptical about whether this initiative, if true, would promote biomedical research.
From their press release:
PETA Grant Enables Scientists to Guide Chinese Officials in Non-Animal Test Use
Norfolk, Va. -- Chinese officials are in the final stages of approving the use of the country's…
jtoney | March 9, 2012
Alcoholic Anonymous founder Bill Wilson put forth the controversial idea of using LSD, yes, LSD to reduce alcohol abuse. Is there any scientific evidence for this?
Published today in the Journal of Psycholpharmacology, researchers took a careful look at a wide range of studies ("meta-analysis") and concluded:
...repeated doses of LSD - for example, weekly or monthly - might elicit more sustained effects on alcohol misuse than a single dose of LSD.
And:
Of 536 participants in six trials, 59% of people receiving LSD reported lower levels of alcohol misuse, compared to 38% of people who…
jtoney | February 19, 2012
Ice 9 by toastforbrekkie.
The idea of Ice-9, although fictional, has always fascinated me. Its properties are so powerful, so influential, that one "seed crystal" can direct its entire surroundings, freezing oceans. A recent discovery of one component of the cell wall of bacterium reminded me of this effect. Let me explain.
First:
Ice-nine is a fictional material appearing in Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle. It is supposed to be a more stable polymorph of water than common ice (Ice Ih) which instead of melting at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), melts at 45.8 °C (114.4 °F…
jtoney | January 29, 2012
Diffusion MRI Tractography in the brain white matter.
Some drugs work well because they are designed to hit a single, well understood target. Consider penicillin.
In a simplified sense, penicillin destroys a single enzyme that bacteria need to divide and to infect you, thereby killing the harmful bacteria. But what about psychiatric drugs? Is there a comparable, single target in the brain to treat depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder (ADD)? No.
So, it is no wonder that the popular drug Ritalin, used to treat ADD for millions of children and adolescents is, by some standards…
jtoney | December 23, 2011
Photo source.
Sometimes science can sound strange, at least until you understand its drive to understand nature at a deeper level. Mayo Clinic researchers wanted to test whether blocking a particular protein would be useful in treating heart failure, and ended up testing elderly dogs on viagra. Let me explain.
Published in the journal Circulation, and described in a press release: {with my emphasis}
Viagra against heart failure: Researchers at the RUB and from Rochester throw light on the mechanism
How sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, can alleviate heart problems is reported…
jtoney | December 20, 2011
Photo source.
With the news of availability of generic Lipitor, a cholesterol lowering drug, sales of the prescription brand have plummeted, as expected. Is generic Lipitor really the same as prescription Lipitor? Consider this:
"Generic drugs are identical to brand name drugs." True or False?
We know that generic drugs cost less than their brand name equivalents, offering a savings of 50% or more. But are they "identical"?
Behind every pill is a story. US patents grant the inventor a 20 year property right; only the inventor can manufacture and sell the medicine. When the patent…
jtoney | July 24, 2011
Photo: Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.
When the leech begins its work - using its 360 minuscule teeth to scissor in - he laughs, "Now we are into business!"
(Andrew Plucinski, hirudotherapist.)
Could leeches help Rep. Michele Bachmann's affliction?
This is not a joke, and is not intended in any way to be disrespectful towards Rep. Bachmann's challenge of dealing with migraine headaches, recently reported in the context of her candidacy for President of the United States. Migraines affect an estimated 36 million Americans, regardless of their political opinions. How an…
jtoney | July 8, 2011
Why do we itch? Is there a cure?
Counterirritation is an effective treatment, used for decades, based a simple idea:
Pain masks the itch
For example, if you're suffering from poison ivy, taking a very hot shower can bring some relief, or ingesting something with capsaicin, the pain-inducing compound in hot peppers such as jalepenos, can be effective. Can the nerves that transmit sensations of pain and itch be separated or are they intrinsically intertwined? As shown in this "ball of nerves," separation of sensations is no easy task.
Courtesy of Xinzhong Dong
Ball Of Nerves
Just before…
jtoney | July 6, 2011Stop smoking? Absolutely. Easy as swallowing a pill? Think again.
A study just published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal by my colleague Dr. Sonal Singh indicates that Chantix can lead to "increased risk of a major harmful cardiovascular event" by 72% compared to placebo.
"People want to quit smoking to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease but in this case they're taking a drug that increases the risk for the very problems they're trying to avoid," says Sonal Singh, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of general internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of…
jtoney | July 5, 2011
A Reading in the Salon of Mme Geoffrin, 1755
Madame Geoffrin's 18th Century salons, as a gathering place for public discourse, are regarded as Renaissance versions of online social networking. Such collective knowledge and discussion has found numerous creative uses, including fresh approaches to improve public health.
In this case, NIH scientists are searching for new uses of old drugs - those already approved by the FDA for a particular illness by mining large databases and sharing their data, a 21st century version of Madame Geoffrin's salons - speeding up the process of drug discovery…
jtoney | June 1, 2011
Source.
This venomous lizard, Heloderma suspectum, harbors a billion dollar secret: a special protein in his saliva and tail. That protein, exenatide, is highly effective in treatment for type 2 diabetes.
As American's girth and weight continues to increase, so does type 2 diabetes. It is a vicious cycle:
Increased obesity leads to more enlarged fat cells that respond less and less to insulin needed for control of blood sugar - a hallmark for type 2 diabetes. This leads to increased appetite and overeating and obesity. And the cycle continues.
The protein isolated from the Gila monster…
jtoney | May 18, 2011
Last year, I taught a short course at Gilead Sciences in California and was impressed by not only the high quality of their scientific research but their efforts to increase access of their HIV medications to developing countries. Now Gilead has joined a group of pharmaceutical companies to try something bold and innovative - to share patents to both support basic research and to make their medicines more accessible.
The mission of the Medicines Patent Pool is:
...to improve access to affordable and appropriate HIV medicines in developing countries. We are working to bring down the prices…
jtoney | April 27, 2011
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I had a dream last night of harvesting MMORPG time to save the planet. Let me explain.
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) are deeply engaging millions of players, spending some 21 hours per week in a virtual world according to The Daedalus Project. The World of Warcraft alone has more than 12 million subscribers, part of an industry that exceeded revenues of $1 billion in 2008.
Consider the scale of the time investment - 12 million players averaging 21 hours per week!
MMORPG's allure is understandable. They offer an alternative experience in which one is…
jtoney | April 6, 2011
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Bioephemera provided an excellent overview of the ongoing appeal to the "Myriad gene patent case."
Jessica Palmer wrote:
Myriad Genetics's patents on the breast cancer genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) were invalid because genes are unpatentable products of nature.
Could Myriad Benefit If They Lose Their Case?
I believe that if Myriad and the biotechnology industry itself embraces open innovation, that ironically they could indeed benefit. Let me explain.
A review in Science stated (April 2010):
A legal bombshell hit the biotech world last week: A federal judge in New York City used…
jtoney | March 8, 2011
Once again, Big Pharma is under attack. Let me provide a different perspective.
Reporter Duff Wilson had some choice words in his characterization of this beleaguered industry:
They are all struggling with research failures as they scramble to replace their cash cows,...
Consumers should see a financial benefit as lower-cost generics replace the expensive elite drugs,...
Pfizer paid the largest criminal fine in the nation's history as part of a $2.3 billion settlement over marketing drugs for unapproved uses. Some analysts say larger fraud and foreign bribery cases will come.
As shown…
jtoney | February 2, 2011
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Prescription medications for the management of type 2 diabetes, while effective for many patients, have been fraught with side effects including weight gain that can make the disease worse given its link with obesity. Would it be possible to replace the pill with natural alternatives?
Diet and exercise has long been known to be a highly effective method to manage type 2 diabetes, giving some patients more benefit than typical prescription medications. Since the discovery of the "French paradox" in the early 1990's that noted a low incidence of heart disease in France despite diets…
jtoney | January 4, 2011
EPA/SHAWN THEW
US President Barack Obama delivers opening remarks at a bipartisan meeting to discuss health reform legislation at the Blair House in Washington, DC USA 25 February 2010.
Renewed debate is imminent about so-called "ObamaCare" {a term used by some as a pejorative for health care}. It's a good time for a refresher of how we got to where we are, with the Affordable Care Act.
President Obama hosted a televised health care summit with Republican and Democratic lawmakers in efforts to craft healthcare overhaul legislation.
Just before this summit, email messages from Nancy-Ann…
jtoney | December 16, 2010
Adult human breast stem cells (red) are found in ductal regions. Lineage-restricted progenitor cell types (green) reside outside
Scientists based at a medical center in Berlin have accomplished something extraordinary: they have used stem cells to prevent viruses to grow in a patient infected with HIV. This patient had been taking antiviral drugs but discontinued them for the study. Since this patient had been on chemotherapy, the stem cell "transplant" was given to boost his immune system.
Here's the basic idea: A key part of our immune system is comprised of T cells. Some of these…
jtoney | November 4, 2010
The past decade has been tumultuous for the pharmaceutical industry. The news media generally paints "Big Pharma" with a broad brush, an unflattering portrait of corporate greed more concerned with short-term profits than supporting public health through access to better, "smarter" medications. A recent Huffington Post article is a striking example of such caricature: in a list of "10 American Industries That Will Never Recover," pharmaceuticals is No. 4, flanked by realtors and newspapers.
Chief amongst the reasons for its putative demise are mergers, layoffs, patent expirations with a…