Summary of the pipeline

dignan · Family Elder Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 1138

rainer, thanks for posting that info. The second one, tranilast, is in the pipeline in phase 2 under kynurenine, but it's always good to hear updates. The first one from KaloBios doesn't actually say that it is in trials for MS. MS seems to be one of the diseases they are considering trying it out on. I'll wait for them to actually start an MS trial.

rainer · Family Elder Joined: Jan 18, 2008 Posts: 151

an article on a small prozac study, not sure of it's relation to the phase 2 study on the list. (sounds like a phase 2 though).

Prozac may slow MS - Dutch study

The popular antidepressant Prozac may help slow multiple sclerosis, according to a Dutch study showing that people who took the drug had fewer of the brain lesions that are a hallmark of the incurable disease.

Lyon · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:24 pm Post subject:

I like this part too....maybe MORE!

dignan · Family Elder Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 1138

Hey rainer, nice find. Yep, it's the same Dutch group that prompted fluoxetine's addition to the list. It was based on this: http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN38456328

That info says the trial was to go for 2 years, not the 6 months quoted in the article you found...and it's not supposed to end for another year. I don't know if a. this is a different study by the same group, b. interim results of the longer study, or c. they decided to cut the study short for some reason (money).

dignan · Family Elder Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 1138

Thanks to Bromley for pointing out that there is a simvastatin (zocor) trial for SPMS recruiting in the UK.

http://www.mssociety.org.uk/research/take_part_in_research/simvastatin.html

dignan · Family Elder Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 1138

In the most insignificant pipeline update ever, Novartis is now selling a rebranded version of betaseron that is called extavia. I added extavia to the betaseron entry.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL2619727020080526?sp=true

dignan · Family Elder Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 1138

I added LymphoStat-B (belimumab) to phase 2 based on this press release:

http://www.hgsi.com/latest/human-genome-sciences-reports-progress-with-late-stage-products-and-new-initia-2.html

rainer · Family Elder Joined: Jan 18, 2008 Posts: 151

Looks like another Laquinimod Phase 2 wrapped up. Results not so hot Confused

"In their study, the Italian team found laquinimod showed a 40 percent reduction in the mean number of inflammatory lesions of the brain that are a hallmark of the disease, compared with a placebo.

When the researchers expanded their trial by a further 12 weeks, people showed a 60 percent median reduction in the number of brain lesions, a Teva spokesman said.

A lower dose showed no statistically significant effects versus the placebo but people taking the drug tolerated both amounts, the researchers added."

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssHealthcareNews/idUSL1946954820080619

If it were me and I found lower dose = no help and normal dose = some help... then maybe we should try jacking up the dosage?!?

dignan · Family Elder Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 1138

I agree with you Rainer. But I think they are being careful because laquinimod is based on another drug, linomide, that made it to phase 3 MS trials which had to be stopped early because of "unexpected severe inflammatory side effects such as serositis and myocardial infarction."