StemCell Therapy

June 16, 2017

The studys primary endpoint was an improvement in arthritis signs and symptoms

Janssenannounced results from the Phase 3 study, GO-VIBRANT, evaluatingSimponi Aria(golimumab) for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis. The results were presented at the 2017 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) in Madrid, Spain.

GO-VIBRANT, a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, evaluated the safety and efficacy of intravenous Simponi Aria in biologic-nave adult patients withactive psoriatic arthritis. Patients (n=480) were randomized to receive Simponi Aria 2mg/kg at Weeks 0, 4, and every 8 weeks thereafter, or placebo at Weeks 0, 4, 12 and 20 with crossover to Simponi Aria at Week 24. The study's primary endpoint was an improvement in arthritis signs and symptoms as measured by the American College of Rheumatology ACR20 response at Week 14. Other endpoints of the trial included ACR50, ACR75, Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI 75) and mean change in HAQ-DI scores.

At Week 14, 75.1% of the treatment group achieved ACR20 vs. 21.8% of the placebo group, demonstrating a statistically significant benefit with Simponi Aria (P<0.001). A greater percentage of patients in the treatment arm compared with placebo achieved ACR50 (43.6% vs. 6.3%, respectively), ACR70 (24.5% vs. 2.1%) and PASI 75 (59.2% vs. 13.6%). The Simponi Aria group also experienced greater improvements in HAQ-DI scores from baseline to Week 14 (0.60) than placebo (0.12). All improvements in secondary endpoints with Simponi Aria were statistically significant withP<0.001.

Additionally, at Week 24, treatment with Simponi Aria showed significant inhibition of joint destruction and damage, joint erosion, and joint space narrowing compared to placebo.

Regarding adverse events, 46.3% of patients receiving Simponi Aria and 40.6% of patients receiving placebo reported at least one adverse event. The most common event was infection, which was seen in 20% of Simponi Aria-treated patients. No events of opportunistic infection or tuberculosis were reported throughout Week 24

Simponi Aria is a fully human anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody that selectively targets TNF-alpha, a protein that causes inflammation and damages cartilage, tissue and bones. By inhibiting both soluble and transmembrane TNF-alpha, Simponi Aria helps control inflammation.

Simponi Aria is currently approved for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in combination with methotrexate. It is available as single-use vials containing 50mg golimumab per 4mL of solution.

For more information visit SimponiAria.com.

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Golimumab Significantly Improves Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms - Monthly Prescribing Reference (registration)

June 16, 2017

The trial included 363 patients with psoriatic arthritis

Eli Lilly reported that Taltz (ixekizumab) achieved primary and secondary endpoints in SPIRIT-P2, a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the treatment in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). These results were announced in the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017 in Madrid, Spain.

SPIRIT-P2, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, evaluated the efficacy of Taltz in patients (n=363) with psoriatic arthritis who either exhibited inadequate response to one or two TNF inhibitors or were intolerant to TNF inhibitors. Patients were randomized to two treatment groups of Taltz or placebo for 24 weeks. The dosing regimens for Taltz treatment arms consisted of starting doses of subcutaneous (SC) Taltz 160mg then either 80mg SC once every 2 weeks or once every 4 weeks.

The primary endpoint of the study was the percentage of patients achieving at least a 20% reduction in disease activity as defined by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR20). Secondary endpoints measured included ACR50, ACR70, skin clearance defined by the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), and physical function assessed as change in HAQ-DI scores.

Both Taltz treatment arms showed significant superiority to placebo in achieving the primary endpoint of ACR20 (53% in patients treated every 4 weeks vs. 48% in patients treated every 2 weeks vs. 19% placebo;P<0.0001). Similar results of superiority were seen in comparison of ACR50 (35% and 33% vs. 5%, respectively;P<0.0001) and ACR70 (22% and 12% vs. 0%, respectively;P<0.0001).

Additionally, both Taltz regimens demonstrated significant improvements in skin clearance and HAQ-DI scores at Week 12 and Week 24 compared with placebo.

Treatment with Taltz resulted in greater treatment-emergent adverse events, which included injection site reaction, upper respiratory infection, nasopharyngitis and sinusitis. Other common adverse reactions established in previous trials were nausea and tinea infections.

Ixekizumab is a monoclonal antibody that selectively inhibits interleukin 17A (IL-17A), a cytokine responsible for inflammatory and immune responses. By inhibiting IL-17A, ixekizumab helps control excess inflammation.

Many patients with psoriatic arthritis have tried a variety of therapies and have either lost response over time, had an inadequate response or been intolerant of therapy, stated lead author of the study, Peter Nash, Associate Professor of the University of Queensland. If approved, ixekizumab may provide physicians with a new option in this difficult-to-treat patient population.

Taltz is filed under a supplemental Biologics License Application for the treatment of active PsA in adults. It is currently approved for the treatment of moderate to severeplaque psoriasisin patients who are eligible for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

The SPIRIT-P2 trial will continue to evaluate long-term efficacy and safety of Taltz in PsA for up to 3 years.

For more information visit Taltz.com.

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Ixekizumab Effective in Psoriatic Arthritis After Inadequate TNFi Response - Monthly Prescribing Reference (registration)

June 16, 2017

The ORAL Strategy also compared tofacitinib alone vs. tofacitinib in combination with methotrexate

Pfizerannounced findings from the head-to-head Phase 3b/4 study comparingXeljanz (tofacitinib citrate; Pfizer) with or without methotrexate vs.Humira (adalimumab;AbbVie) with methotrexate for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. The ORAL Strategy also compared Xeljanz alone vs. Xeljanz in combination with methotrexate. Full findings were published in The Lancetand presented during the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017 in Madrid, Spain.

The non-inferiority study found that ACR50 response, the primary efficacy endpoint, was achieved in 46% of the Xeljanz 5mg twice daily + methotrexate group, 38.3% of the Xeljanz 5mg twice daily group, and in 43.8% of the Humira 40mg every other week + methotrexate group.

Study author, Dr. Roy Fleischmann, stated, "Although Xeljanz monotherapy did not demonstrate non-inferiority to either combination arm, the clinical responses observed are reflective of those in the Phase 3 clinical program and affirm our understanding that Xeljanz is an important option both in combination with methotrexate and as monotherapy for patients who do not respond to or are intolerant to methotrexate.

Regarding safety data, the most commonly reported adverse events for each study arm were upper respiratory tract infections, alanine aminotransferase elevation, nasopharyngitis, urinary tract infections, and nausea. Between treatment arms, the overall rate of adverse events were similar.

Adverse events were seen in 61.4% of the Xeljanz 5mg twice daily + methotrexate group, 58.9% of the Xeljanz 5mg twice daily group, and in 65.5% of Humira 40mg every other week + methotrexate group. Serious adverse events were noted in 7.2% of the Xeljanz 5mg twice daily + methotrexate group, 9.1% of the Xeljanz 5mg twice daily group, and in 6.2% of Humira 40mg every other week + methotrexate group.

Xeljanz andXeljanz XRare Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors indicated to treat moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis when methotrexate therapy is inadequate. Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR may be used alone or in combination with methotrexate or other non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

For more information visitXeljanz.com.

Read more:
Tofacitinib Goes Head-to-Head with Adalimumab in Rheumatoid Arthritis Study - Monthly Prescribing Reference (registration)

MIRI SCHROETER AND KAROLINE TUCKEY

Last updated17:56, June 11 2017

Warwick Smith

Accountancy student Megan Hislop, 19, was suffering headaches and fatigue from long hours studying, but found a big improvement after getting glasses especially for monitor use.

Almost 50 per cent of a group of 70 Massey Universitystudents were found to have eyesight problems, according to a study.

The EssilorVisionFoundation, a charity that tests students' eyesight nationwide, found that45 per cent of those in the study had previously undiagnosed eye issues.

VisiqueEye Spy optometristMaileTarsau, whocarriedout the free checks at Massey, said daily use of digital devices contributed to the problem.

Warwick Smith

An optometrist firm did free tests of students eyesight on Massey campus. Megan Hislop (pictured), who did the free test and was found to have eye issues as a result of lots of device use.

"Alot of [students'] work can be based online these daysand then they are online on their social media every day."

Many students spent up to 12 hours a day looking at screens without realising that it affected their eyes, Tarsau said.

"Commonly people come in saying they've got headaches, or it takes a little while for their eyes to focus, delayed focus, sometimes their eyes are watery, gritty or scratchy, or even itchy.

"People don't always put two and two together, that it might be related to their eyes.They know they've been under the pump and stressedand think they are just tired."

Massey accounting studentMegan Hislop, 19, realised after taking part in the study that her tiredness was partially a result of using a computer every day.

"I didn't really think it was anything at the time, but when looking at screens I found it took longer to focus.

"Some days I got headaches from it, because I'd been straining my eyes so much."

Hislop has been using glasses for about three weeks and has noticed that her eyes don't feel as tired.

"It's a huge advantage.I can process information faster."

Previous studies on primary school children showed that30 per cent of low decile school pupilshad eyesight issues, Tarsau said.

Ongoing use of digital devices throughoutschooling and then at university contributed to the problem, she said.

Massey University education lecturerJulia Buddsaid uncorrected vision could affect behaviour and learning.

Budd was currentlycompleting a studyto see what the affects are and whatimprovementscould be made, such as providing regular testing for childrensimilar to dental checks theyreceivedduringtheir schooling.

Massey University associate professor Alison Kearney, who is working on the project with Budd, said it was estimated that up to 80 per cent of learning was done through visual means.

Shannon School principal Murray Powellsaid some pupils used devicesup to 80 per cent of the day at school.

Because they used them heavily at school, Powell advised pupils to minimise screen time at home.

Awahou school principal Matt Schmidtsaid teachers tried to limit screen time and when the weather permits pupils were not allowed inside on devices.

They were encouraged to play outsideto limit screen time and to increasesocial interaction, Schmidt said.

-Stuff

Read more:
Almost 50 per cent of Massey University students in vision test have eyesight issues - Stuff.co.nz

MEDFORD (CBS) After 20 years of darkness, there is light.

It seems like science fiction, but a bionic eye implant is bringing a kind of sight to the blind.

Its not what you and I see, but for a small number of people, its making all the difference.

Its not actual vision. Its what they call artificial vision, says Anthony Andreotolla,one of the first people to ever receive a bionic eye.

Every day he puts on his gear, leaves his Medford home and rides the MBTA to his job in Downtown Crossing.

Anthony Andreotolla wearing bionic eye (WBZ-TV)

Andreotolla has retinitis pigmentosa. He began to lose his vision in his teens. By his 30s he couldnt see a thing.

Once everything is black, for many, many years, that was it, he said.

For 20 years he lived in that blackness until he became one of the first to receive a bionic eye.

How does it work?

A tiny camera in his glasses sends images to a wearable computer. The images are processed and sent wirelessly to an implant in his eye.

Anthony Andreotolla wearing bionic eye (WBZ-TV)

I dont see things the way other people do. I see everything in different flashes, lights, shapes, Andreotolla explained.

Its more of a cloudy, black and white vision.

I can tell the difference between a car or a bus or a truck. I cant tell you what make the car is, he said.

That vision helps him navigate life more safely.

And after his journey, he arrives at his job as a substance abuse counselor at St. Anthonys Shrine.

I have my hope back. Once I lost my sight I was resigned to be blind for the rest of my life. Im not resigned to that anymore. I believe if I can live long enough, Ill be able to see a lot of beautiful things, Andreotolla said.

The developer of the bionic eye is Second Sight, and theyre already working on the next generation with faster processing and sharper images. Andreotolla had to go to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for his surgery, but it will be available soon at at least one Boston hospital.

Follow Paula on Twitter Award-winning journalist Paula Ebben co-anchors WBZ-TV News at 5:30PM and WBZ-TV 8PM News on myTV38 with co-anchor Liam Martin. Ebben also reports across WBZ-TVs newscasts including WBZ-TV News Eye on Educatio...

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Medford Man Receives Bionic Eye - CBS Boston / WBZ

Island Packet (blog)

Hilton Head waitress who inspired the nation gets her eyesight back Island Packet (blog) He called to suggest the local Lions Clubs might be able to help resolve Webber's eyesight problem. Lions Clubs International, now celebrating its ... Conventional glasses cannot compensate for the loss of vision. And even with glasses, Webber has been ...

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Hilton Head waitress who inspired the nation gets her eyesight back - Island Packet (blog)

A chemical called sulforaphane could be a new option for people with Type 2 diabetes who need help managing their blood sugar.

In a studyjust published inScience Translational Medicine, researchers randomized 97 people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes to take a concentrated broccoli sprout extract containingsulforaphane once a day for 12 weeks or a placebo with the same regimen. All but three of the participants were taking metformin, a standard treatment for controlling blood sugar.

Broccoli at a market in Vienna. A new study shows yet another health benefit for the vegetable: A chemical it contains could help people with Type 2 diabetes manage blood sugar. Leonhard Foeger/Reuters

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Glucose production was reduced among patients taking the ultraconcentrated sulforaphane. The compound improved fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin, or HbA1c, an indicatorof blood sugar levels in obese patients with dysregulated Type 2 diabetes. And sulforaphane also showed a protective effect against some complications linked to diabetes, such as neuropathy and kidney failure.

How did the researchers light upon sulforaphane as a blood sugar manager? Genetics and math. Led by Annika Axelsson, of Lund University Diabetes Centre in Sweden, the scientists created a genetic profile for Type 2 diabetes based on 50 key genes, alterations of which are associated with the disease. They then screened 3,852 different compounds to find any that might reverse that genetic signature. Sulforaphane stood out.

Before studying the compound in humans, Axelsson and colleagues first gave sulforaphane to animals.In rats with diabetes, the compound, which occurs naturally in cruciferous vegetables, had the intended effect, reversing the genetic signature in the animals livers. The chemical also controlled blood sugar at a level comparable to metformin.

The human study that followed indicated that concentrated sulforaphane could be a viable treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Because up to 15 percent of the 300 million people with Type 2 diabetes worldwide cannot take metformin due to the risk of kidney damage, new ways to help patients manage blood sugar are needed. The researchers emphasize that high doses of sulforaphane cannot yet be recommended to patients as a drug treatment, the study results are a clear sign that the approach is worth pursuing.

The rest is here:
Sulforaphane, a Chemical in Broccoli, May Help Diabetics Control Blood Sugar - Newsweek

Here are some data to file under Drugs do things that we dont expect. The SGLT-2 inhibitors are a class of diabetes medications that work by inhibiting the sodium/glucose transporter 2 protein in the kidneys. That keeps glucose from being reabsorbed there; instead, more of it is removed in the urine, and that lowers circulating glucose levels. One side effect, as you might imagine, is an increased risk of urinary tract infections, but overall, the class seems to have a lot of beneficial effects.

Too many beneficial effects, actually. One of the major drugs in this category, Jardiance (empagliflozin) from Boehringer and Lilly (NYSE:LLY), has recently been the subject of a big outcomes trial by the two companies. And the results were good the drug reduced cardiovascular mortality, all-causes mortality, and hospitalizations from heart failure. Good news! But when the team dug further into the data, things got weird. Youd think that these benefits would be due to reductions in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lower LDL cholesterol, lower blood pressure, etc. But when they corrected for all these factors, the effects persisted.

Its quite clear that the results that we see from the drugmakers Empa-Reg Outcome studyincluding the 38% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular deathreally is not explained through these classical risk factors we have all been aware of for some decades now, Thomas Seck, Boehringers VP of clinical development and medical affairs for its primary care unit, said in an interview.

So what the heck is it explained by? At this point, no one knows. This is reminiscent of the situation with statins, whose good outcomes are not completely explained by their reduction of LDL levels. This should serve as a reminder that (1) there are a lot of biochemical mechanisms that we dont know about yet and (2) the ones that we know about arent necessarily as important as weve made them out to be.

Meanwhile, at the same ADA meeting where these results where released, J&J presented data on their own SGLT-2 inhibitor, Invokana (canaglifozin). And with this one, too, patients were notably less likely to suffer cardiovascular events, which is good news. But there was also an unexpected increased in the risk of amputation (which is already a risk in advanced Type II diabetes patients). This is not something thats turned up with the other SGLT-2 compounds so far, and is also a mystery.

We do not know what a new drug is going to do, not really, until its gone into a large patient population. And that means, most of the time, until its made it to the market. Clinical trials are absolutely necessary to clear out the biggest, most noteworthy problems, and will show you the biggest, most noteworthy benefits that can be shown in the time it takes to run the trial. But the longer, more subtle things (or the ones that happen in very low incidence) will only appear once the drug is out there in the real world, being taken by a large number of people under all kinds of conditions.

Disclosure: None.

Originally posted here:
2 Diabetes Drug Mysteries - Seeking Alpha

For about a week, Griffin Kyes will get to be a normal child at summer camp. He'll do all the traditional camp activities: running through the woods, swimming, watching skits and playing in the GaGa ball pit his favorite.

Along the way, Kyes will also master how to control his Type 1 diabetes.

"I've learned that you need to control your diabetes or else your body could get really harmed," said the soon-to-be fifth-grader at Pioneer Elementary School in Bismarck.

This will be Kyes third time at Camp Sioux, which is for children ages 8 to 15 who have diabetes. It's the only camp like it in the state, located in Park River, just northwest of Grand Forks.

Camp Sioux is sponsored by various organizations, including several Lions Clubs, such as the one in Mandan. The American Diabetes Association runs the camp, according to Carol Holten, associate manager of community health strategies for the Midwest Division of the ADA.

"We just want them to be normal kids and know that their diabetes won't hold them back," Holten said.

The kids do this while also learning independence. There aren't any formal educational sessions or classes, but instead "teachable moments," Holten said.

There will be dietitians to help count carbs. Some of the children will learn to take an insulin shot for the first time.

Kyes was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 4 years old. His mother, Lisa Rask, said the chronic disease doesn't run in the family, and she began noticing Kyes' symptoms, such as being constantly thirsty, weak and wetting the bed,when he was younger.

It was super hard to drop him off the first year when a kid is diabetic you cant just let them go to a party or sleepover, it doesnt work like that," she said. "When you walk into camp, you have a parent meeting and they line up all the nurses and doctors, and you just feel better."

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2014

In 2014, about 49,000 adults in North Dakota were living with diagnosed diabetes, and an estimated 37 percent of the population, or more than 202,000 people, had prediabetes.

There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 is most common in people under age 20, and it occurs when insulin-producing cells of the pancreas are damaged. In this instance, little or no insulin is produced, and patients need insulin injections to control their blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed in people who produce insulin, but not enough. This type can be managed by controlling a person's weight, diet, regular exercise or by taking oral medicine or insulin injections.

There are some serious complications associated with diabetes, including lower limb amputation, blindness, kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.

Holten said 150 children plan to attend Camp Sioux this year, which will be held Saturday through next Thursday. This year's registration is up from 134 in 2016. She said the increase in children attending the camp can be attributed to a general rising trend in the number of children with diabetes, but also to more doctors getting the word out to newly diagnosed patients.

Such gatherings aim to help children control the disease while also helping them meet others who are experiencing the same things. Many of the camp counselors are former campers.

"Many of the younger kids aspire to (become a counselor), and the older kids love being able to be in that staff position," Holten said.

KateyNick, a nurse and diabetes educator at Sanford Health in Bismarck, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 3.

"I don't remember it any other way," said Nick, 26, who has gone to Camp Sioux on and off since she was 8 years old.

Nick has been a camper, counselor and, this year, she'll go back as a nurse.

"Growing up, I didn't really want to take care of myself. I wanted to be a normal teenager; eat what I wanted," said Nick, who struggled to control her diabetes.

But the camp helped her feel normal, and she's made some lifelong friends along the way.

"It helps kids really learn that they're not so different. They have this chronic disease, but it's manageable," Nick said.

See the original post:
Children with diabetes find comfort at camp - Bismarck Tribune

From left, Rebecca Merriman (Medtronic), Melissa Louis (Medtronic), Shelley Blonheim (Insulin Pump User), Laura Cameron (Medtronic), Linda Hepner (Surrey Mayor), Neil Fraser (Medtronic) cut the ribbon to officially open a new Medtronic diabetes resource centre in Surrey. (Submitted photo)

Fraser Health says Surrey and Abbotsford have the largest proportion of diabetics in the region

SURREY Canadas first Medtronic Resource Centre for patients with diabetes held its grand opening in Surrey this Wednesday (June 14).

Located on the main floor of the City Centre 1 building across the street from Surrey Memorial Hospital, the new centre will serve as a one-stop shop for those with diabetes.

Its intended to be able to provide support in between clinic visits, explained Laura Cameron director of Medtronic Canadas Diabetes Group. To allow them to better utilize their technology so that they can have better support in managing their diabetes. We hope it will provide additional support to the clinics who will be doing some of the less-basic things with them. Well take care of some of the stuff in between.

The goal, she noted, is to elevate their ability to manage their disease and as a result, have better outcomes and fewer complications, thus, improving lives.

The new centre will offer insulin pump classes, lessons on CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) and educate patients on carb counting and best travel practices.

The centre, within the Innovation Boulevard health tech district, will also provide networking opportunities and one-on-one time with certified insulin pump trainers.

Cameron said Surrey was chosen as the location for their centre because of the high prevalence of diabetes in the city, and all of Fraser Health.

Its estimated that 29 per cent of British Columbians (or 1.5 million people) have either diabetes or pre-diabetes. Over the last decade, the province has seem a 74 per cent spike in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes and by 2027, its projected to grow by another 44 per cent.

According to Fraser Health, Surrey and Abbotsford have the largest proportion of diabetics within its region, which the health authority says may be due to the large South Asian populations living there.

Surrey diabetes specialist Dr. Chris Mahony said the centre has been much anticipated as a real-world solution to a real-world problem, offering post-marketing care of our clients on an intensive insulin regimen using Medtronic insulin pump technology.

He said the centre will raise the bar to a new level of support.

Jodie Steen has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for 31 years and started on her first insulin pump almost 17 years ago.

It has given me so much freedom and better blood sugar control than multiple daily injections, she aid. More recently, I have been wearing CGM on a regular basis which has resulted in the best A1C I have had in years.

Steen said she looks forward to having the access to experts at her convenience.

Cameron said thats why she does what she does to help people live better lives.

We hear stories about parents who had their first good night sleep since their child was diagnosed, as a result of being able to trust the pump, said Cameron. Thats why were so passionate. Its very rewarding.

The new Medtronics Resource Centre is located in the City Centre 1 building, located at 13737 96th Ave.

amy.reid@surreynowleader.com

Excerpt from:
Canada's first Medtronic diabetes resource centre opens in Surrey - Surrey Now-Leader

People with diabetes do not get to pick and choose when they want to deal with it. Diabetes is an ongoing disease that requires 24/7 work. But does having diabetes stop people from living their life to the fullest?

There are probably many different answers to that question. According to Ginger Vieira, the author of, Dealing with Diabetes Burnout, on a daily basis, she tries to balance three things: diabetes, life, and happiness.

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to control the bodys blood sugar levels. Because of the daily testing of blood sugar and the management of the disease through medication, activity and diet, people with diabetes can feel, as described by Linda Von Wartburg in Diabetes Health, ground down by the appalling endlessness of self-care. This causes burnout, which, in the context of diabetes, means ignoring blood sugar levels and neglecting the diet. This can harm a persons health and contribute to diabetes complications.

Experts advise making good enough the goal, rather than perfection when it comes to blood sugar readings. Striving for perfection can cause frustration, which can lead to people abandoning checking their sugar in fear of another bad reading. Other ways to avoid burnout include: learning more about diabetes, working with doctors to come up with a plan when you are overwhelmed by self-care, and joining diabetes support groups.

Although a person with diabetes may get burned out, they dont have to stay that way. Seeking help from health care providers, family and friends can get them back to living their life to the fullest.

Resources: Vieira, G. (2014). Dealing with diabetes burnout: how to recharge and get back on track when you feel frustrated and overwhelmed living with diabetes. New York: Demos Health. Von Wartburg, L. (2007). Diabetes Burnout. Diabetes Health, 16(3), 27-29. http://www.joslin.org/info/avoid_diabetes_burnout.html http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/type-2-diabetes-live-better-guide/maintain-motivation/ http://www.diabetes.co.uk/emotions/diabetes-burnout.html

Content for this segment was created by Sidney Brockmeyer as part of a project for SC301: Foundations of Health Communication, taught by Ms. Clubbs.

Read more here:
Diabetes Burnout - KRCU

Breanna and Jason Deschaine are doing their best to keep smiling during a difficult time in their lives.

That's what their son Dawson would have wanted, they said.

Dawson died Saturday after two years of battling leukemia, a cancer that causes the body to produce too many immature white blood cells. He was eight years old.

"He always had a smile on his face," said his mom, Breanna. "It was the most infectious smile. So we're just smiling now, because that's all Dawson would want."

But he fought a hard battle for years. I was talking to his doctor today, and she told me she could always tell his tenacity and his drive to live every single day was just amazing.

Breanna Deschaine

Dawson became an honorary Nevada County firefighter last year during "Dawson's Day," a celebration of the bravery and courage he showed throughout his fight with leukemia.

Dawson rode around the county on a fire truck, and Grass Valley Fire Chief Mark Buttron honored him with a badge-pinning ceremony.

"We wanted to do something to show we appreciated how courageous he was," said Shawna Cresswell, Nevada County Consolidated Fire District's finance administrative assistant.

The Deschaine family helped Dawson experience a variety of exciting adventures in an effort to brighten his life. He'd spent countless hours in hospital beds since he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of five.

"He was always ready for whatever adventure we came up with," Breanna said. "He may have thought they were crazy afterward, but he was always super excited to go out and live his life to the fullest."

The Deschaines took Dawson white-water rafting, horseback riding, go-kart racing and mini golfing, among other adventures. It had been Dawson's dream to go to Hawaii, and the family is still planning to make that happen. Eventually, Breanna said, they will bring his ashes out with them on a family trip to the islands.

'Incredible' community support

Kelsey Anderson, a close friend of the Deschaine family, said she has been blown away by the amount of support the community has shown to Dawson, his parents and his 12-year-old sister Harlie.

"The support has been incredible," Anderson said. "Through the pain, the love shines through."

Anderson helped organize a variety of community events to raise money for the Deschaine family to pay for Dawson's many treatments.

During his fight with cancer, Dawson received chemotherapy treatments, radiation, and two stem cell transplants. He'd recently started a new drug trial that was said to be a possible cure for leukemia.

The family tried everything to help Dawson fight off his illness. But, according to Breanna, there isn't enough funding for childhood cancer treatments.

"Only 4 percent of cancer funding goes to childhood cancer," she said. "That's not enough for these kids that go through hell for years and years."

Support for those still fighting

The Deschaines have become close friends with other families who have children battling cancer. Breanna wants to help those kids who are still fighting. She said it's her mission to push for more research into childhood cancer treatments.

Breanna said she's not sure exactly what ended Dawson's battle with leukemia.

"His little heart and his little lungs just couldn't take it anymore," she said.

But as far as she's concerned, Dawson has won the fight. He's in a better place.

"We'd like to have him here. Trust me," she said. "But he fought a hard battle for years. I was talking to his doctor today, and she told me she could always tell his tenacity and his drive to live every single day was just amazing."

The Deschaine family will host a memorial service for Dawson at 4 p.m. July 2 at Western Gateway Park. Breanna said the ceremony will be open to anyone wishing to be a part of celebrating Dawson's life.

To contact Staff Writer Matthew Pera, email mpera@theunion.com or call 530-477-4231.

Read more:
'The most infectious smile': Nevada County mourns the death of 8-year-old Dawson Deschaine - The Union of Grass Valley

Texas Governor Greg Abbott just signed a law making it easier for unproven stem cell therapies to be given to patients in his state.

Marjorie Kamys Cotera/Bob Daemmrich Photography/Alamy Stock Photo

By Kelly ServickJun. 15, 2017 , 11:15 AM

Texas Governor Greg Abbott yesterday signed a bill allowing clinics and companies in the state to offer people unproven stem cell interventions without the testing and approval required under federal law. Like the right to try laws that have sprung up in more than 30 states, the measure is meant to give desperately ill patients access to experimental treatments without oversight from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In a state where unproven stem cell therapies are already offered widely with little legal backlash, bioethicists and patient advocates wonder whether the states official blessing will maintain the status quo, tighten certain protections for patients, or simply embolden clinics already profiting from potentially risky therapies.

You could make the argument thatif [the new law] was vigorously enforcedits going to put some constraints in place, says Leigh Turner, a bioethicist at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, who last year co-authored a study documenting U.S. stem cell clinics marketing directly to consumers online, 71 of which were based in Texas. But it would really be surprising if anybody in Texas is going to wander around the state making sure that businesses are complying with these standards, he adds. Either way, Turner says theres powerful symbolic value in setting up this conflict between state law and federal law.

The law, effective 1 September, will allow people with severe chronic or terminal illness to be treated at a clinic that purports to isolate therapeutic stem cells from adult tissuesuch as a patients own fatif their doctor recommends it after considering all other options, and if its administered by a physician at a hospital or medical school with oversight from an institutional review board (IRB). It also requires that the same intervention already be tested on humans in a clinical trial. The law sanctions a much broader set of therapies than federal rules, which already exempt certain stem cell interventions from FDAs lengthy approval process, provided the cells are only minimally manipulated and perform the same function they normally have in body.

The Texas bills clinical trial and IRB requirements seem to weed out some dubious therapies, but the language is too nebulous to protect patients, says Beth Roxland, a bioethicist at New York Universitys Langone Medical Center in New York City. The bill doesnt specify that a trial be conducted in the United States or that the therapy get clearance from FDA for human testing. You could gain access to something [as long as its] being studied in a human somewhere on the planet, she says, which in the stem cell area makes it really very scary.

Awareness about the risks of unproven stem cell therapies is growing. A case report published in The New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year documented three women who lost their vision after receiving purported stem cell injections meant to treat age-related degeneration of the retina. Such risks are also the subject of a news conference today at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Boston.

Roxland is also unnerved by a provision in the Texas law that would prevent any state government entity from interfering with a patients access to treatment. Hypothetically, if a state officially gets wind of nefarious doings at a for-profit clinic the state officials are now restrained from doing anything. She notes that that language mirrors a proposal in a federal bill known as the Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act, introduced in the Senate in January, which would prevent the federal government from interfering with a terminally ill patients access to an experimental drug outside of a clinical trial, and would prevent FDA from considering those patients outcomes in its drug approval decisions. Vice President Mike Pence signaled his support for the law in February and met with the family of Trickett Wendler, who advocated for right to try laws before her death from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 2015.

Others also believe that the Texas laws approval might signal a coming thaw in federal regulation of stem cell clinics. The FDA obviously doesnt have the manpower to watch over these people, says David Bales, chairman of the advocacy group Texans for Cures in Austin, which pushed for more patient protections in the new bill. We really feel like theyre trying to open up the floodgates.

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Texas has sanctioned unapproved stem cell therapies. Will it change anything? - Science Magazine

New research found that 53% of respondents did not know about the link between smoking and blindness

15 Jun 2017 by Emily McCormick

A recent survey by the Macular Society reports that 53% of people are unaware that smoking can cause blindness.

The national charity performed the survey ahead of Macular Week at the end of the month (26 June 2 July), which aims to raise public awareness about age-related macular degeneration (AMD) the largest cause of sight loss in the UK.

The Macular Society highlights smoking as the biggest modifiable risk factor in the development of AMD and reports that smokers are four times more likely to develop the condition when compared to non-smokers.

During Macular Week the charity will focus on raising awareness about the harmful effects that smoking can have on the eyes, stressing that this includes passive smoking.

Explaining the cause and affect, the charity detailed that tobacco smoke contains toxic chemicals that are transported to the delicate tissues of the eye through the blood stream where they can damage the structure of the cells.

Chief executive of the Macular Society, Cathy Yelf, said: It is surprising how many people do not realise that smoking causes blindness. The message is often missing from anti-smoking messages, which simply concentrate on the life-threatening side effects of smoking. Sight loss, however, is a very important effect of smoking.

Ms Yelf emphasised that smoking is incredibly bad for your eyes, adding: You could be 20 or more times more likely to get macular disease if you have those certain genes and you smoke.

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Many unaware that smoking causes blindness - AOP

Ira Pastor, CEO of Bioquark, a Philadelphia-based biotechnology company, believes we will on day be able to reset the brain of patients declared brain-dead using a series of stem cell injections and nerve stimulations.

Until recently, death was medically defined as a loss of heart and lung function but as medical technology has advanced so has the qualifications. Now, since both heartbeat and breathing functions can be performed for a patient by machine, death is almost universally declared when there is a loss of activity in the brain stem. However, Pastor does think that this loss of brain function is as irreversible as weve come expect.

Initially, Bioquark was slated to start trials for the procedure last year in India but, due to strong opposition by the Indian Council of Medical Research, those studies were canceled. Nevertheless, Ira Pastor and his collaborator Himanshu Bansal, an orthopedic surgeon, remain undaunted and have announced a new series of test to happen soon in a nameless South American country.

Although they have not released the details of the revolutionary procedure, we can gather a general idea of their plan to reanimate the brain-dead from the papers regarding their original canceled trial.

Originally, the researchers wanted brain-dead subjects between the ages of 12 and 65. Ideally, the cause of the brain damage would be due to traumatic injury. Scientists would look at MRIs to determine eligibility, then brain cells would be harvested from the patients blood. After the stem cells are injected, the patients would get another injection, this time peptides, directly to the spinal column. The series of injections is followed by two weeks of nerve stimulation, specifically the median nerve, by lasers, which Bioquark thinks is the key to reversing brain death.

Bioquark has not clarified how it intends to obtain consent from technically dead patients but in spite of the controversy, this study is not alone. The work at Bioquark is part of a larger program concerning neuro-reanimation and regeneration called ReAnima.

Pastor, who also serves on the advisory board for the project, told the Daily Mail: The mission of the ReAnima Project is to focus on clinical research in the state of brain death, or irreversible coma, in subjects who have recently met the Uniform Determination of Death Act criteria, but who are still on cardio-pulmonary or trophic support a classification in many countries around the world known as a living cadaver.

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This Biotechnology Company Wants to Reanimate the Brain-Dead - TrendinTech

An internationally renowned biotechnology scientist, Professor Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, has been recommended to succeed Joseph Sung Jao-yiu as Chinese University vice-chancellor.

Born in Hong Kong and educated in the United States, Tuan is currently working at the University of Pittsburgh as director of the institutions cellular and molecular engineering lab, executive vice-chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and a professor in the Department of Bioengineering.

He has been serving as a distinguished visiting professor and director of the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at Chinese University.

The institutions council said on Thursday that it would recommend Tuan to be the next vice-chancellor. It will hold a consultation of up to six weeks with staff, students and alumni, but the universitys teachers association vowed to boycott it, saying the council had fooled it by saying it was not sure who the candidate was.

In May 2016, Tuan was one of the 10 Carnegie Science Award winners for his extensive experience in applying adult stem cells for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Hes a good scientist, professionally speaking, with a major interest in bone and tendon regeneration, Professor Chan Wai-yee of the universitys School of Biomedical Sciences said. He used to chair the biology and medicine panel of the Research Grants Council so he should know better than others what improvements can be made to develop Hong Kongs scientific research.

I have high expectations of him. As a successful scholar who has worked for the Research Grants Council for so many years, he could at least reflect our wish for more funding and resources.

However, Professor Chan King-ming, president of the Chinese University Teachers Association, said he was angry about the announcement and that staff and students were being played by the universitys top administration, who two weeks ago told the association they were still not sure about the candidate.

Chan King-ming also said Tuan lacked outstanding academic status and administrative experience. Seldom were his papers published by top journals and he has never served at the level of deputy vice-chancellor or dean in any university, the biochemistry scholar said.

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Biotechnology expert proposed for top Chinese University of Hong Kong post - South China Morning Post

Vontobel Swiss Wealth Advisors AG Acquires 4956 Shares of iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (IBB) The Cerbat Gem iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund logo Vontobel Swiss Wealth Advisors AG increased its position in shares of iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (NASDAQ:IBB) by 36.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the ... Ken Stern & Associates Inc. Has $318000 Stake in iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (IBB)Stock Observer iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund - Receive News & Ratings DailyBBNS The Traders Buy Large Volume of Put Options on iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (IBB)BangaloreWeekly all 7 news articles »

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Vontobel Swiss Wealth Advisors AG Acquires 4956 Shares of iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (IBB) - The Cerbat Gem

Johnson & Johnsons Innovation unit has unveiled another clutch of deals and collaborations with industry and academia, as it also shares its molecular library to help fight neglected diseases.

J&Js Innovation unit has more than 300 collaborative pacts to its nameand started the year with 15 more that focused on a biotech NASH deal with Bird Rock Bio, while also bumping up its work on malaria and penning another RNA deal with Synthetic Genomics.

RELATED: J&J in New Year deal mania, takes on NASH candidate with biotech buyout option

Six months down the line and timed to coincide at this years BIO Convention, its at it again, with its R&D unit Janssen inking a multiproject collab with the University of California San Diego School of Medicinefocused on fatty liver disease/obesity.

Plans are in place to work on finding pathways and mechanisms driving disease progression, as well as clinically useful biomarkers, targets and gastric bypass approaches, all of which is designed to find new therapies for NASH, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other obesity-based conditions.

Projects under this collaboration will include exploration of animal and cell models of NASH and CKD, discovery of mechanisms invoked by bariatric surgery, disease-related biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets, J&J said in a statement.

Building on its blockbuster work in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and coming as a host of biosimilars line up to erode sales from older meds, Janssen Biotech has also formed a multiyear collaborationand prenegotiated option-to-license agreementwith Monash University to discover and develop next-gen biologics to treat, prevent and intercept RA. As is usual with these deals, dollar terms have not been disclosed.

And building on its work in malaria and other neglected diseases, Janssen has penned pacts aimed at speeding up the discovery of new treatments for tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and other diseases prevalent in the developing world.

It will help by sharing selected parts of its molecular libraries with governmental biomedical research agenciessuch as the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health and academic centers such as Washington University in St. Louis, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases at the University of California San Diego.

Through WIPO Re:Search, the international research consortium led by the nonprofit BIO Ventures for Global Health and the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization, Janssen says it will open up segments of its molecule library, which hold a set of 80,000 chemical compounds, to these organizations to help seek out and push on with promising drug candidates.

By working collectively, the global health community can increase and accelerate the potential to achieve major research breakthroughs for the millions of people worldwide who suffer from these devastating diseases, said Wim Parys, M.D., head of R&D Global Public Health at Johnson & Johnson, in a release.Opening our compound libraries and providing our partners access to the research capabilities of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies underscores our commitment to accelerate the pace of innovation to broaden our reach and deepen our impact.

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Johnson & Johnson unveils new obesity, arthritis collaborations ... - FierceBiotech

The ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis markets are growing increasingly crowded, but Novartis now has something not all its rivals can boast: long-term data for its IL-17 med, Cosentyx.

Thursday at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Madrid, the Swiss drugmaker unveiled study results showing its contender could show sustained improvements in signs and symptoms of both maladies.

In one extension trial, at three years, 80% of ankylosing spondylitis patients taking Cosentyx hit the 20 mark on the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society response criteria scale.

And a new analysis of Novartis Future 2 study showed that by the two-year point, 28% of psoriatic arthritis patients treated with Cosentyxalmost all of whom had reported moderate-to-extreme pain or discomfort before starting on the drugfelt no pain or discomfort at all.

RELATED:Novartis extends lead on psoriasis rivals with a pair of new Cosentyx approvals

Its good news for Novartis, whose med is currently the only member of the IL-17 crowd to boast indications in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Knowing competition was on the way, the company worked to snag those a year after winning Cosentyx initial nod in psoriasis.

Since then, Novartis has been joined by Eli Lillys Taltz and Valeants Siliq, and development of other candidatessuch as Johnson & Johnsons guselkumabis underway. Lilly, for one, currently has Taltz in phase 3 as a treatment for axial spondyloarthritis, an umbrella that includes ankylosing spondylitis.

But its not only IL-17 products competing for a slice of the pie. Pfizer is developing its rheumatoid arthritis pill, Xeljanz, for psoriatic arthritis, and Celgene's psoriasis pill Otezla has a psoriatic arthritis nod, as well. On the ankylosing spondylitis front, J&Js Stelara could eventually challenge Cosentyx, research and consulting firm GlobalData has predicted.

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Novartis' Cosentyx racks up more long-term data in psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis - FiercePharma

Janssenannounced results from the pivotal Phase 3 GO-VIBRANT study that showed the significant efficacy of the intravenously administered anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha therapy SIMPONI ARIA(golimumab) in the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis. In GO-VIBRANT, 75.1 percent of patients with active psoriatic arthritis receiving SIMPONI ARIA2 mg/kg achieved at least a 20 percent improvement in arthritis signs and symptoms as measured by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR20) at week 14, the studys primary endpoint, compared with 21.8 percent of patients receiving placebo (P< 0.001). SIMPONI ARIAalso showed significant improvement across all secondary endpoints evaluating improvements in skin symptoms, joint damage and health-related quality of life measures. Data from GO-VIBRANT are being presented for the first time at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017. SIMPONI ARIAis currentlyunder reviewby the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis and the treatment of adults with ankylosing spondylitis. SIMPONI ARIAis approved in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in combination with methotrexate.

Results from the GO-VIBRANT study showed that treatment with intravenous golimumab improved joint and skin symptoms in patients with active psoriatic arthritis, and inhibited the progression of structural damage, which are important treatment goals in the management of this progressive, inflammatory disease, said Arthur Kavanaugh, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of California San Diego, and Chair of the GO-VIBRANT steering committee. Intravenously administered golimumab could represent an important new anti-TNF-alpha therapy for rheumatologists to consider in the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in the future. Treatment with SIMPONI ARIAat weeks 0 and 4 and every eight weeks thereafter resulted in statistically significant improvements in all secondary endpoints presented below (P< 0.001 for all measures).

At week 14

At week 24

Through week 24, 46.3 percent of SIMPONI ARIA-treated patients and 40.6 percent of placebo-treated patients reported at least one adverse event (AE). Serious AEs were reported by 2.9 percent of patients receiving SIMPONI ARIAvs. 3.3 percent for placebo. Two deaths and two malignancies were reported, all in the placebo group, and one demyelinating event occurred in the SIMPONI ARIAgroup. The most common treatment-emergent type of AE was infection, identified in 20.0 percent of SIMPONI ARIA-treated patients compared to 13.8 percent of placebo-treated patients. There was no opportunistic infection or tuberculosis through week 24. The rate of infusion reactions with SIMPONI ARIAwas less than 2 percent and none were serious or severe.

At Janssen, our commitment to rheumatology began more than two decades ago with discovery, development and approval of the first anti-TNF-alpha therapy, and since then, we have continued to build upon our portfolio of medicines for patients with immune-mediated diseases, said Newman Yeilding, M.D., Head of Immunology Development, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. Data from the GO-VIBRANT study demonstrated how SIMPONI ARIA, a product already helping people living with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, may also help those living with psoriatic arthritis, pending its approval in the U.S.

Additional SIMPONI ARIAdata being presented at EULAR 2017 includes findings from the Phase 3 ankylosing spondylitis GO-ALIVE study:

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New Phase 3 Data Shows Golimumab Significantly Improved Arthritis and Skin Manifestations in Patients with Active RA - Drug Discovery &...