...Cancer drug may have Alzheimer’s benefits By Laura Sanders, Science News Publisher: Science News Date Published: March 10, 2012 Alzheimer’s a disease that progressively attacks the brain’s nerve cells which results in many changes in behavior, memory and thinking skills. Scientists have been studying this disease for decades and have yet to come up with any drug that can cure or help cure this disease, until recently that is. Cramer of Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland took a drug called bexarotene and injected it into mice that have Alzheimer’s. Bexarotene has been around for over ten years and is used as a second treatment of T-cell lymphoma. Cramer and her colleagues studied mice whose brains were full of both types of A-beta plaques. A-beta called amylod-beta exists in small fragments that scramble the nerve cell communication and there are large sticky clumps called plaques. The team gave a dose of the bexarotene to the mice and watched over the next fourteen days to see what would happen. Within the first twenty-four hours the levels of A-beat plaque fell by 25 percent and within the 14 days after given the bexarotene the mice A-beta plaques fell by 75 percent. Bexarotene targets the protein that carries ApoE and tries to regulate it from causing Alzheimer’s. ApoE is a big cause of Alzheimer’s as it tries to carry A-beta from the brain. Cramer ran another test of the memory of the mice. Cramer noted that generally when you put...
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...injected drugs, which are the workhorses of hospitals but are difficult to make and produce little profit for drugmakers. The shortages are caused primarily by problems with sterility and other serious issues that have led to shutdowns of production lines and occasionally entire factories. In addition, consolidation among generic drug manufacturers, as well as manufacturers deciding to end production of marginally profitable drugs, has led to decreased capacity. That means when one manufacturer suddenly stops production, the small number of others making a drug can't quickly pick up slack. A MAJOR PRODUCTION FACILITY OF THE DRUG WAS SHUT DOWN IN NOVEMBER there are no routine mechanisms in place requiring manufacturers to notify anyone formally that a drug may be entering into a shortage phase, why the drug is entering the shortage phase, and how long it will be in short supply. 2. The FDA said it will temporarily allow importation of a replacement drug for Doxil, a drug for ovarian and other cancers that hasn't been available for new patients for months. The agency also approved another supplier for a preservative-free version of methotrexate, a crucial drug for children with a type of leukemia calledacute lymphoblastic leukemia and for high-dose treatment of bone cancer. The version with preservatives can be toxic or cause paralysis in children and other patients getting the drug high doses. THE DRUG SHORTAGE PREVENTION ACT Now the FDA is importing the drugs (or similar...
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...ASSIGNMENT 3.1: FINDING DIFFERENT DRUGS TO CURE CANCER by Wanda G. Sellers August 21, 2013 English 115 Instructor: Professor Audrey L. Vaughan Cancer is a very devastating disease. It attacks every organ in the human body. Many people in the United States and in foreign countries have cancer. Cancer affects many people’s lives and many more people are being diagnosed with cancer each day. Everyday scientists and researchers are trying to come up with new medicines to cure cancer. In this paper, I will discuss the process of developing new drugs to treat cancer, and the costs of developing these drugs. According to the oncologists at the website Cancer.net, more doctors and scientists are always looking for better ways to treat people with cancer. To do this, they are constantly developing and studying new drugs as well as looking for new ways to use the existing drugs. When scientists are developing new drugs for cancer patients, there are many researchers involved. They must find the right chemicals before testing them to see how effective they are in helping people. Sometimes this process takes from 5 to 12 years. Sometimes it takes longer than that. After the new drugs are developed, more time has to be allowed for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the drugs before cancer patients can take them according to Cancer.net. They do this by experimenting...
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...Anti-Cancer Drug Cost Regulations- Cost-Containment for the Pharmaceutical Companies Brenda Roberson University of Maryland University College Abstract Drug development is a long, inefficient, and expensive process and takes 10 to 15 years for development at a cost of about $1.3 billion (Nelson, 2014). When speaking of research and development (R&D) for new drugs; a large number of drugs that go through research do not make it to the FDA or the marketplace. Critics of pharmaceutical companies point out that only a small portion of the pharmaceutical companies’ expenditures account for research and development (R&D). The majority of the money’s spent in marketing and administration. There is also controversy over the $1.3 billion figure as an actual cost. Reported by Nelson (2014) Dr. Kantarjian of M.D. Anderson disputes the $1.3 billion figure for development; he believes this figure to be inflated to cover ancillary expenses, salaries, bonuses, stock market returns, and other indirect costs not related to R&D. The cost of cancer drug therapy is becoming impossible to justify or rationalize for both patient and society. New cancer drugs being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are typically costing upwards of $100,000 per year and many times used in combination with other agents (Bunnell, 2012, p. 932) increasing the cost even more. These high priced anti-cancer drugs achieve only marginal benefit for the patient. Benefits achievements of...
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...Research Assignment Article: Expensive Cancer Drugs: A Comparison between the United States and the United Kingdom. The article that I will do an overview on is entitled: Expensive Cancer Drugs: A Comparison between the United States and the United Kingdom. The article compared the United Kingdom’s and the United States experience with cancer drugs and how expensive they can be due to medical technologies. This article also discusses the differences between the two countries access to new cancer drugs and their cancer outcomes. Most think that the wealthy can buy their way to new medical technologies and treatments but is this true? This article breaks down how it is possible for the wealthy and the low income population can to receive cancer drugs in both the United Kingdom and in the United States. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) is funded by a general taxation system with a budget that is set every 3 years by government. This service is offered to the citizens of the United Kingdom can receive healthcare regardless of financial status. NHS is the main care provider for the majority of the population. When it comes to the least restrictive pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement the United Kingdom has it. The surprising thing abut the NHS I found was almost all cancer drugs become free at the point of service using taxpayers money allocated to them by the government for the resident’s needs. Not all drugs are offered free. The Health and Clinical Excellence...
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...to Know Life is the possible price a cancer patient may pay while a new cancer drugs are being produced. Why do cancer drugs cost so much for the patients that need the drug to cure or prolong their life? We have all this technology, but why does all the Corporations that handle the product have to put a high price on what saves a life? Who has the last word on if the drug meets the standard to cure the cancer and why does it take so long to find out if it works or not? “A number of innovative cancer treatments have recently entered clinical practice. Some treatments cost as much as $100,000 per year but it has become apparent that many of these expensive new drugs offer uncertain benefits. Some drugs add only a few weeks of survival at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. If the cost of cancer care continues to rise, the oncologists are likely to be pressured by payers to consider the economic factor. The high impact of cancer care continues to rise and so does the price tag on many of the agents that have become available during the past few years. Because of the tremendous difference in treatment cost, it is crucial to consider the actual benefits associated with treatments that are more expensive.” (Nelson, 2008) Developing new drugs for treating cancer is a lengthy and expensive process. Physicians are constantly looking for new drugs to treat patients with the disease. Cancer patients need to be aware of how new cancer drugs are tested and developed for use in public...
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...Biotechnology Product Investigation Part A Biotechnology drug: Bevacizumab Bevacizumab is a drug that acts primarily as an anti-angiogenesis inhibitor, which means its inhibits blood vessel growth. The drug mainly targets a cell protein formed by cancer called Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) which stimulates blood vessel growth. Cancer tumors release a large amount of VEGF which causes new nearby blood vessels to sprout, hence further feeds the cancer tumor with nutrients. These blood vessels also act as a pathway for the cancer to spread throughout the body. Avastin prevents cancer cell proliferation and inhibits endothelial growth by specifically binding to VEGF, preventing further blood vessel growth and may also prevent communication with the tumor and nearby blood vessels preventing connection with a proper blood supply. This drug is applicable to many types of cancer, a few being kidney cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer. It is often paired with chemotherapy as alone the drug does not destroy cancer but simply inhibits its growth. . The drug does was proven to work successfully but the drug can only shrink the cancer and a second-line treatment was shown to have no effect on the already shrank cancer cells. In addition to that it also treats macular degeneration, which is an age related condition that can result in blurred vision or blindness. The drugs were originally derived from a monoclonal antibody generated from mice. Today...
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...------------------------------------------------- the public needs to know Kimberly A. Waters May 22, 2013 ENG115- ENGLISH COMPOSITION Professor Tammy Finch May 22, 2013 ENG115- ENGLISH COMPOSITION Professor Tammy Finch What is cancer? Cancer is basically the roof that houses many diseases. It is a general name for all the different types of diseases that fall under the category of the true definition of cancer. Cancer: a malignant tumor of potentially unlimited growth that expands locally by invasion and systemically by metastasis or an abnormal bodily state marked by such tumors. Statistically, half of all male population and one third of women will develop cancer in their lifetime. New drugs for Cancer are being researched and tested constantly. There are thousands of new drugs being developed to treat and cure the disease known as cancer that affects so many of us daily. Not only for those who have Cancer but for the loved ones around them as well. The support for research is crucial. Many have realized that research is vital for the discovery of new treatments and the benefits for the different ranges of cancer. As stated in Project Management for Healthcare by David Shirley, Rogaine started out in the lab as a possible medication for the heart. After research it turned out to be better for hair loss and to this day is known for its benefits and results in hair growth. Most of the human race relies on prescription medications to cure ailments and according to the...
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...Revolutionary Lung Cancer Vaccine | | Introduction Every year many people of different ages suffer and die worldwide from different types of cancers. An estimate made by the American Cancer society states that, in the US alone, in 2014 cancer killed 585,720 and lung cancer was responsible of 159,260 deaths (Deadliest Cancer Coalition, 2014). Lung cancer has become the leading killer cancer and finding better ways to treat it has become a priority for many researchers. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2014. Depending on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread, doctors have been using several ways to treat this disease. The cures that have been performed in the U.S. so far include surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of these treatments. Nevertheless, after America has now decided to stabilize its relations with Cuba it can soon be introduced to a new type of lung cancer treatment called CimaVax. Cimavax Cimavax is a Cuban therapeutic anticancer vaccine developed to treat patients with tumors that grow faster due to a protein that encourages cell growth. In a healthy body epidermal growth factor (EGF) sends signals to cells that allow them to grow and divide by attaching to the receptors on the cell’s surface. However, in some cases, such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), cells...
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...savior drug for cancer research. Created by the rational drug design model, Gleevec targets the tyrosine kinase enzyme in CML patients.[10] By targeting and binding to the active sites of the cancerous cells, Gleevec denaturizes them, preventing the spread of the disease.[10] Gleevec has been FDA approved to be administered to patients diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia and also patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors.[6] Although, this treatment has also been proved to aid in other fields of medicine, ranging from treating other types of cancers to delaying tumor growth to therapy for diabetes and even to cancer treatment in pets.[5,6,8,9] However, for Gleevec to have been made other cell targeted drugs had to be made before it. And just as those drugs paved the way for Gleevec, Gleevec is paving the way for even more cancer treatments to be made. Introduction and Background The official war on cancer began when President Richard Nixon declared that this was the next big thing in the history of the United States. He compared the battle and potential cure of cancer to the process of landing on the moon. However, the battle against cancer has proved to be much more difficult. But there is progress being made. In 2003, 556,902 people in the United States died from cancer.[11] However, in 2002, 557,271 people in the United States died from cancer.[11] Even though the difference of deaths was not that great, this was still a giant step in the war on cancer. The...
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...Pharmacogenomics 1.Introduction: Genomics: The study of genes and their function. Genomics aims to understand the structure of the genome, including the mapping genes and sequencing the DNA. Genomics examines the molecular mechanisms and the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in disease. It is used to determine the entire DNA sequence of an organisms and a fine scale genetic mapping. The field also includes study of intra genomic phenomena such as Hetrosis, Epistasis, Pleiotropy and other interactions between loci and alleles within the genome. 2.History: The term genome was introduced by H. Winkler in 1920 to denote the complete set of chromosomal and extra chromosomal genes present in an organism, including a virus. This term is used in the same sense even today. The term genomics was coined by T.H. Roderick sometime in 1987 mean mapping and sequencing to analyze the structure and organization of genomes. But today genomics includes sequencing of genomes, determination of the complete set of proteins encoded by an organism, and the functioning of genes and metabolic pathways in an organism. Thus genomics not only deals with the determination of the genetic information present in an organism, but also with the understanding the mechanism by which this information is used by the organism. A major branch of genomics is still concerned with sequencing the...
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...arose from the clinical failure of Avastin as a cure for early stage cancer. One of the major reasons of Roche to acquire Genentech was an opportunity to own the rights of Avastin. Roche planned to rely on the Avastin as part of the company’s growth strategy. The main threat that Roche faced was introduction of new drugs to the market for cure of cancer. Strengths Genentech has exceptional expertise in biotechnology. The company is known for its exemplary performance in biotechnology. Roche believes that the expertise in biotechnology will create and sustain competitive advantage of Genentech to the lead in the personalized medicine industry (Rothwell 69). Weaknesses The major weakness of Genentech was the recent clinical failure in the trial of Avastin. In 2004, Avastin was certified to treat advanced colon cancer and other types of metastatic cancer. The drug worked by blocking a protein known as VEGF used by tumors to form blood vessels. Avastin failed the phase III trial, showing a major inefficiency in the drug. The negative results of the test caused a major setback, resulting in Roche’s shares declining by ten percent. The situation was complicated when a U.S. advisory panel voted to revoke the approval of Avastin for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. Two major phase III trials showed that the drug exhibited no significant benefits to patients. Patients and doctors were fighting to keep the drug in the market, but the FDA followed the...
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...Vemurafenib: A Potentially New Standard of Care? Vemurafenib: A Potentially New Standard of Care? Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer. Advanced metastatic melanoma, stage III or IV, has been incurable and relatively untreatable with “less than 10% of patients responding to traditional chemotherapy” regimens (PubMed Health, 2011). Progress in this area of oncology research has been very slow with the “average prognosis for patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma being 8-18 months” (Chapman., 2011). Proven research shows that the standard chemotherapy regimens don’t actually extend the lives of these patients. The standard first line treatment for late stage metastatic melanoma is dacarbazine (DTIC), used either alone as a single agent or in combination with other chemotherapy agents, and the effects have been minimal. The dacarbazine regimen usually shrinks the tumors for a temporary period, “about 3-6 months,” and then they begin to grow again. (Melanoma Skin Cancer, 2011). Recent research in the past five years has led to some targeted immunotherapy drugs like ipilimumab and peginterferon alpha-2b which have shown some promising results in helping to extend life expectancies for these patients. On August 17, 2011 the Food and Drug Administration gave some much needed hope to these patients with the approval of vemurafenib (Zelboraf). An orally administered targeted chemotherapy agent that has shown statistically significant results in “reducing the...
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...but pure joy after taking it.”Now at this point you're already a bit floored... Could one tiny tablet really contain so much healing potential? But then he drops the bomb... Something that changes the way you think of your health and medicine forever...He tells you that despite being completely side-effect free... And costing only $1... 6,600 peer-reviewed studies have proven its superiority over the world's leading drugs. With this mountain of research he had no choice but to share it with you — and all of his patients. In fact, double-blind, placebo controlled trials have found it... * * Kills 16-times more cancer cells than the leading chemo drug Eloxatin — without harming healthy cells (International Journal of Oncology) * * “It's 400-times more potent than the diabetes drug Metformin” — reports Auburn University researchers (Journal of Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications) * * Performs better in memory tests than the drug Aricept (the most widely prescribed Alzheimer's drug) — Salk Institute for Biological Studies * * More effectively treats Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) than Prozac — without Prozac's devastating side effects, according to a randomized,...
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...NEW TREATMENTS FOR CANCER A new revolution for cancer therapy has been created which is called “molecularly targeted therapy”. Since most drugs kill healthy cells along with cancer cells and cause serious side effects, this therapy will only kill the cancer cells of a specific cancer type. They are designed at the molecular level of the cell and are also able to identify specific molecules that are unique to specific cancers. One of the most eligible drug is called glivec, (also known as STI571) actively effecting a form of leukemia called chronic myeloid leukemia that causes excess overproduction of white blood cells. Moreover, in a case study it is reported that a gastroiestional stromal tumor was treated with STI571 and resulted in a significant reduction of the tumor. As this therapy promises the health of the patient, it also has some negative impacts and some limitations. Since this drug is specific to a small amount of molecules, it is not relevant to a large amount of tumors, meaning it is very limited in its application. Furthermore, the patients may experience diarrhea and liver problems such as hepatitis and elevated liver enzymes. All in all, molecularly targeted therapies hold the promise of harming fewer cells, reducing side effects and assuring a healthier life. Another new advancement in cancer treatments is called “immunotherapy”. This therapy is developed to enhance the immune system to fight cancer, reducing all severe side effects. The t- cells protect...
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