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

AMA Opposes Public Insurance Plan, As Obama Prepares Reform Pitch
America"s largest, most influential physician group said "it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element of legislation to remake the health care system," the New York Times reports. In comments to the Senate Finance Committee, the American Medical Association said, "The introduction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers, which currently provide coverage for nearly 70 percent of Americans," and would lead to an "explosion of costs" (Pear, 6/10).
generic viagra online
Researchers Make Progress Toward Early Identification Of Muscular Dystrophy
The saying "Knowing is half the battle" is never more true than when discussing early treatment of disease. Muscular dystrophy is one such disease where patients can benefit from early treatment. Now, new research is moving doctors and scientists closer to disease diagnosis in advance of patient symptoms.
News of the day
Washington, D.C., Officials Expand STI Testing Program To All Public High Schools
Washington, D.C., officials are planning to make testing for sexually transmitted infections available at all public high schools in the coming school year, adding D.C. to a growing list of cities that test students for STIs, the Washington Post reports. All 50 states and the district allow minors older than age 12 to be tested for STIs without parental consent.The new program requires all students to attend a lecture about STIs, after which they are escorted into restroom areas in groups of 15 to 20. They are then given paper bags with urine collection cups and go into the stalls, at which point they can decide whether to provide a sample. All students return the paper bags, regardless of whether they provided samples. Students give a password and can call a week later to receive their confidential results and, if necessary, treatment at the school or an STI clinic, which is paid for by the city. The district first offered the program two years ago at two charter schools, and eight high schools were included during the past school year.A 2007 study by the D.C. public school system found that 60% of high school students and 30% of middle school students reported having sex. According to the study, 20% of high school students reported having sex with four or more partners and 12% of middle school students reported having three or more partners.According to the D.C. Department of Health, the program at eight high schools last year found that 13% of 3,000 students tested positive for an STI, most commonly chlamydia or gonorrhea. Fifty percent of the chlamydia and gonorrhea cases in the district are among teenagers.According to the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, the new program is an important step toward curbing the district"s HIV/AIDS rate, which is among the highest in the U.S. Walter Smith, executive director of D.C. Appleseed, said, "If 13% of these students are testing positive for [STIs], those same kids could get HIV," adding, "A lot needs to be done to get the message out to the schools, ... and this very high [STI] rate is an indication that what we"ve been doing is not effective" (Fears/Hernandez, Washington Post, 8/5).
Public Health

Raptor Pharmaceuticals Doses First Patient In Phase 2b Clinical Trial Of DR Cysteamine For Cystinosis

Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. ("Raptor" or the "Company") (OTC Bulletin Board: RPTP), announced that it has dosed the first patient in its Phase 2b clinical trial, conducted in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego ("UCSD"), to evaluate Raptor"s proprietary delayed-release cysteamine bitartrate ("DR Cysteamine") capsules in nephropathic cystinosis ("cystinosis"), a rare genetic lysosomal storage disease. Under Raptor"s open Investigational New Drug application ("IND"), UCSD is performing the Raptor-sponsored trial at its General Clinical Research Center. The Phase 2b clinical trial will enroll up to six cystinosis patients with a history of good compliance using the currently available immediate-release form of cysteamine bitartrate, the only drug cleared for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") and European Medicines Agency ("EMEA") to treat cystinosis. The clinical trial will evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a single dose of DR Cysteamine in patients. Data from the study are expected in the third quarter of 2009. Raptor plans to follow the Phase 2b clinical study with a pivotal, Phase 3 clinical study in cystinosis patients anticipated to commence in the fourth quarter of 2009. DR Cysteamine is Raptor"s proprietary enteric-coated micro-bead formulation of cysteamine bitartrate contained in a gelatin capsule and designed for increased absorption, less frequent dosing and improved tolerability relative to the current standard of care. Published studies have shown that fewer than 25% of patients taking immediate-release cysteamine bitartrate are fully-compliant due to the drug"s strict every-six hour dosing schedule and dose-limiting side effects, including gastrointestinal ("GI") problems such as stomach aches, nausea and vomiting. Patrice Rioux, M.D., Ph.D., Raptor"s Chief Medical Officer stated, "We are pleased that enrollment is now underway in our Phase 2b clinical trial in cystinosis. This is an underserved patient population and there is a compelling need for an improved treatment option. Many patients are unable to take adequate levels of the drug to halt the progression of their disease, which gradually destroys the organs in the body. We believe DR Cysteamine could have positive effects on the long-term health of cystinosis patients as well as the quality of life for patients, their families and caregivers." Bruce Barshop, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at UCSD and principal investigator for the cystinosis clinical trial, commented, "The initiation of this cystinosis trial offers us an opportunity to evaluate the potential for an improved treatment invented here at UCSD and further developed by Raptor. We"re pleased to collaborate with Raptor in this effort to advance the standard of care in cystinosis." About DR Cysteamine DR Cysteamine is an enteric-coated micro-bead formulation of cysteamine bitartrate. Raptor obtained an exclusive, worldwide license to DR Cysteamine, as well as orphan drug designation from the FDA for DR Cysteamine for the treatment of nephropathic cystinosis, through its December 2007 acquisition of Encode Pharmaceuticals. In March 2008, Raptor acquired an exclusive worldwide license to intellectual property from the University of California, San Diego for use of cysteamine and DR Cysteamine for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis ("NASH"), a progressive liver disease believed to affect 2-5% of the U.S. population. In October, 2008 Raptor announced the initiation of a Phase 2a clinical study of cysteamine bitartrate in NASH patients, in collaboration with UCSD. In November, 2008 Raptor announced a collaboration with Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d"Angers, in France, to study DR Cysteamine in Huntington"s Disease, a rare, genetic neurological disease. About Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. ("Raptor") is dedicated to speeding the delivery of new treatment options to patients by working to improve existing therapeutics through the application of highly specialized drug targeting platforms and formulation expertise. Raptor focuses on underserved patient populations where it can have the greatest potential impact. Raptor currently has product candidates in clinical development to treat nephropathic cystinosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis ("NASH"), Huntington"s Disease ("HD"), and aldehyde dehydrogenase ("ALDH2") deficiency. Raptor"s preclinical programs are based upon bioengineered novel drug candidates and drug-targeting platforms derived from the human receptor-associated protein ("RAP") and related proteins that are designed to target cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and infectious diseases. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This document contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or our future results of operation or future financial performance, including, but not limited to the following statements: that Raptor will be able to fully enroll and complete the clinical trial in cystinosis patients; that data will be available in the third quarter of 2009; that Raptor will start a Phase 3 clinical trial in cystinosis patients in the fourth quarter of 2009, if at all; that DR Cysteamine will increase absorption, require less frequent dosing or improve tolerability relative to the current standard of care; that DR Cysteamine will have a positive effect on cystinosis patients and increase their quality of life; and that any of the Company"s clinical and preclinical drug candidates will result in approved therapeutics. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the Company"s actual results to be materially different from these forward-looking statements. Factors which may significantly change or prevent the Company"s forward looking statements from fruition include: that Raptor may be unsuccessful at raising funds to continue its development programs; Raptor may be unsuccessful in developing any products or acquiring products; that Raptor"s technology may not be validated as it progresses further and its methods may not be accepted by the scientific community; that Raptor is unable to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of its products; that unforeseen scientific difficulties develop with the Company"s process; that Raptor"s patents are not sufficient to protect essential aspects of its technology; that competitors may invent better technology; and that Raptor"s products may not work as well as hoped or worse, that the Company"s products may harm recipients. As well, Raptor"s products may never develop into useful products and even if they do, they may not be approved for sale to the public. Raptor cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. Certain of these risks, uncertainties, and other factors are described in greater detail in the Company"s filings from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which Raptor strongly urges you to read and consider, including its Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended, that was declared effective on August 7, 2008; its annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on October 30, 2008, as amended by that Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on December 23, 2008; and its Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April 13, 2009, all of which are available free of charge on the SEC"s web site at http://www.sec.gov. Subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Raptor or to persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth in the Company"s reports filed with the SEC. Raptor expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp


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

© Copyright 2009