This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

hi all,

i came across this article today...most of the information listed online was in a foreign language...anyone, know anything about it?...here is the link..

ThinkingOutLoud

http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=24732

Bosnia Patents First Drug For Multiple Sclerosis
This is the first original and patented drug from Bosnia and Herzegovina that has proved to be very effective and safe.

Enkorten, a drug for Multiple Sclerosis and Asthma, which is produced by Farmacija from Tuzla, which recently has successfully finished clinical trials, is the first original patented drug from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the clinical trials of the drug, which were done after the first phase of testing at the Faculty of Medicine in Sarajevo, it was proved that the drug is very effective and safe, reported by Federal television.

If the third phase of testing goes as expected, it will be a significant contribution to the health of the sick.

Wow, nice find. Not many MS drug-candidates coming out of Bosnia! I ended up on the company's website and they have an english version of some pages.

http://www.farmacija.co.ba/riddiagram.htm

http://www.farmacija.co.ba/indexEngl.htm

It seems that another name for Enkorten is "FAR404". I'm a little mixed up about the trial phase it's at. The bit you posted says it's going into it's third phase, but I'm a bit sceptical of that claim. I wonder if maybe it's a larger phase II trial (a phase IIb type trial).

Anyhow, I'm really glad you found this, it's always nice to discover something that's already far along the clinical development track.

Hello to everyone!
First, I would like to say that my mom has MS, and she's about to get into the trial group for testing "Enkorten".
"Enkorten" is a medicine, made by "Farmacija Tuzla" - Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is still in II phase trial. Many people have major progress after taking this therapy. I think that there is a great potential in this drug. (As I'm from Bosnia and Herzegovina I'll be able to look for the news and progress of this medicine). If You have any questions, please ask me, and I'll try to find the answeres for You!
Why is it still in the II phase of testing?
I really don't know the correct answere, but I THINK it is becouse the treatment is quite long. I have a friend that already taken the "Enkorten", and she is still waiting to get the second treatment.
I apologize if there is some mistakes in typing, and the sentences are very simple, it's just becouse my english is not very good.

.

I had heard about this treatment before, and something seemed strange to me. According to the website, you can purchase Enkorten right now whereas it's still under investigation in phase II, with only 60 patients. Quite uncommon for MS therapies. Any idea ?

I have news for all of you.
Enkorten is now in III phase of testing.
My mother is now on waiting list to be treated. It can take several months until she gets the therapy. With any new news, I'll let you know.
Greetings,
Adi

This is the article from local newspaper "SLOBODNA BOSNA" (21.2.2008.)

It's very long, and I will do this in several parts.

In the (*) are the words that I can't translate exactly

headline: Enkorten - Bosnian bussiness for XXI century
Medicine worth 40 billion EUR
Spectacular success of Farmacy Tuzla
China, USA, Russia are conquered

article:

Tuzla's answere to mean (illness, disease...*) of MS

Far away from the eyes of public, farmacy of Tuzla was creating first original B&H medicine, and finally brought it near to the end. A medicine ENKORTEN has been created, which is now in the final phase of testing. It's absolutelly the biggest exporting brand from our country, and there is a big interest for it all over the world; our reporter has spoken with creators of tihis medicine.

(reporter: Mehmed Pargan)

In the silence and without (medias - radio,tv, newspapers*), Tuzla far away from the gates of the city, in Washington D.C. and Berlin, is fighting the greatest bussiness battle in history of B&H (Bosina and Herzegovina), which could be messured by billions of $. Althought, at the first sight it sounds incredible, documentating his words with contracts with world's companies, this information has confirmed to us by Zlatko Ademovic, director of Tuzla's company "Farmacija" (Farmacy).
This company is the owner of the licence to produce first B&H original medicine, known by the trademark - brand Enkorten. Althought, the medicine is in the third phase of clinical testing, in B&H is already in use for treating (bronhial astma, reumatoid artritis*) MS, and other (autoimune*) illnesses, and it can be expected to be used very soon in some countries of EU and abroad.

End of part one.
This is tough to translate, very long sentences are in bosnian. Do you want me to continue to translate the whole article, or it is enough to tell you the basics?

FAR 4-04 is the register code of the patent.

adi, thanks a lot for the translation. I think the basics are good enough. It's greatly appreciated.

Ok, these are the basics of the article:

- Enkorten has been patented in 52 countries
- It's expected that III phase of testing to be ended by June 2008
- 1st phase of PRODUCTION of this drug is done in the USA
- 2nd phase in Germany

- I & II phase of TESTING has shown icredible results, far better than it was expected

- Enkorten has shown great results in treating SYMPTHOMS, but there are some indication that it could lead to total (wellness, heal*).

- Enkorten is a product created by B&H and Croatian experts, and confirmed by clinical studies from B&H and Croatia.

- so far Enkorten has shown 0 NEGATIVE results
- by testing on the rats, dosage 1000 time bigger than regular IS NOT life threating (life danger)
- Enkorten has shown zero (counterindications*)

So, these were the basics. MY INTENTION IS NOT TO BRING YOU FALSE HOPE. When my mother start with the treatment, I will probably have more information for all of you.
I repeat, I don't want to bring false hope, all of you must be carefull concidering these informations.
My personal opinion about this is that the most important fact right now is that this drug is not harmfull, and has shown zero negative results. I know 2 people who already took this therapy. There ARE some improvements, and they are quite satisfied with the progress of the therapy.
Once again, I hope that my mother will get this drug as soon as possible, and I'll be able to give you "first hand" informations about it.

Thanks for the translation mate, could you give as an opinion what exactly it is and how it works?

I'll try to find out it today. All I know now is that the therapy is given by injections.

"ENKORTEN® je nesteroidni sintetizirani peptidni lijek koji u osnovi ima endogeni dizajn iz POMC-a.
ENKORTEN® pokazuje naznake da djeluje na oba elementa oboljenja: inflamaciju i neurodegeneraciju, što je u skladu sa citiranim preporukama (IUPHAR)-a o potrebama nedostajućih terapija."

translation:

I don' know some exact word or spelling, but this is the base.

Enkotren is unsteroid sinthetized peptid medicine-drug wich in base has endogen design from POMC (? - I don't know what is POMC).
Enkorten shows efects to both segments of disease: inflamation and neurodegeneration, which is with recommendations of IUPHAR (I don't know also what is IUPHAR), about the needs of missing therapies.

I'll try to get more information today at the hospital.

PACIJENTI - STRANI DRŽAVLJANI

Strani državljani, zbog ograničene produkcije novog lijeka, mogu kupiti Enkorten kod proizvođača Farmacija d.o.o Tuzla, uglavnom u količini dovoljnoj za terapiju u trajanju od 3 mjeseca, zbog ograničenih količina u proizvodnji i već preuzetih obaveza.

trans.: Patients - foreigners, due to limited production of medicine, can buy Enkorten at the manufactorer "Farmacija d.o.o. Tuzla", in dosage which is enough for 3 months therapy.

Rezervacija - osiguranje doza treba se obaviti preko nadležnog farmaceutskog odjela u Farmaciji d.o.o Tuzla putem e-mail najave, fax najave ili telefonski.

trans: Reservation - it can be provided by farmacy section at the company Farmacija Tuzla, by e-mail, telephone or fax.
(you can find these contacts at www.farmacija.co.ba)

Svi kontakti su dostupni na web adresi Farmacije d.o.o Tuzla.
trans: All contacts are availlible on website of Farmacija Tuzla

Procedura :
Pacijent za koga su rezervirane doze, ovisno o indikaciji postupa na sljedeći način:

trans: How to do it:

a) Pacijenti koji boluju od Multiple Skleroze (MS-a)

Patients who are diagnosed with MS


1. Trebaju se javiti na "kliniku za neurologiju", kliničkog centra univerziteta u Sarajevu na adresi: Bolnička b.b., Koševo. Kontakt telefon može se dobiti u Farmaciji d.o.o Tuzla, ukoliko su rezervirane doze.

1. They should go or call University Clinical Center of Sarajevo, Neurological Clinic, at the adress: Bolnicka n.n. (no number), Koševo. Telephone number you can get at the web of Farmacy Tuzla. (all this in case that you had allready reserved your medicine)

2. Trebaju sa sobom donijeti zadnji nalaz specijaliste neurologa, iz koga se može utvrditi stupanj oboljenja, EDSS skor ili drugi neophodni parametri za određivanje terapije Enkorten-om.


2. Theay should bring all the medical documentation, specially from specialist neurologist, from which can be determined level of illness, EDSS score, or all other parameters to determine therapy with Enkorten.


3. Na osnovu nalaza specijaliste neurologa, bit će određena tromjesečna terapija, koju će pacijent uplatiti i nastaviti koristiti u naredna tri mjeseca, prema uputstvu lijeka, savjeta sa klinike i specijaliste neurologa.
Sa određivanjem terapije, pacijent preuzima propisane doze za terapiju od 3 mjeseca i nosi sa sobom u koliko smatra da ih može sam aplicirati po priloženom uputstvu za lijek ili ima stručnu osobu za to.
Cijena i visina terapije, ovisi o broju potrebnih doza za provedbu tromjesečne terapije, što je u direktnoj vezi sa stupnjem i težinom oboljenja kod pacijenta, na osnovi nalaza neurologa.

3. By the diagnose of neurological specialist, a 3-month therapy will be determined, which the patient will fully pay and continue to use in next 3 months, according to manuals and advices given by the doctor. Patient can take the dosage with him and if he is capable, can apply to himself, or by some other person/ medical technican etc.
Price of therapy depends of measure of dosage which is needed to comlete 3-month therapy, and that is directly connected with level and general condition of the patient, and it is ordered by specialist.

OK, this is it, all that I have for you now. Unfortunatelly, I still don't have any more informations about content of Enkorten. As soon as I get them, I'll let you know, I promise.

Also, by the information that I have, the price of this drug is between 1,000 - 2,000 EUR (that's around 2,500- 4,500 US$)

If You are wondering what is the reason that you can get this therapy only in Sarajevo, the answere is, becouse it's still in III phase of testing, and it can be provided only by doctors here.

.