| Holy Name Hospital Is First in the Tri-State Area to Offer Tysabri Infusion Therapy for MS Patients |
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The Holy Name Hospital Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Center will be the first hospital in the tri-state region to administer a breakthrough infusion therapy for MS patients ....
The Holy Name Hospital Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Center will be the first hospital in the tri-state region to administer a breakthrough infusion therapy for MS patients that was licensed by the FDA earlier this week. The new biologic approach treats patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to reduce the frequency of symptom flare-ups or exacerbations of the disease. MS is a chronic, often disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord.
Natalizumab also known as Antegren, released as Tysabri on Wednesday, November 24, 2004, is a monoclonal antibody bioengineered from part of a mouse antibody to closely resemble a human antibody. It is being marketed under the trade name Tysabri. The product is given intravenously once a month in a hospital or physician’s office.
The Holy Name Hospital Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Center, which provides diagnostic, therapeutic, and support services to minimize the disabling effects of MS and to maximize each patient’s potential, will administer Tysabri to Joe Giles, director of critical care services at Holy Name Hospital and a Dumont resident who has had MS for three years. As a registered nurse, I’ve done a lot of research on all of the trial studies of Tysabri and I am very optimistic and thankful that the opportunity has come along, explained Giles.
Joe Giles is one of approximately 350,000 individuals that have been diagnosed with MS in the U.S., with an estimated 10,000 new cases diagnosed each year according to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. The most common form of MS at the time of initial diagnosis is a relapsing-remitting form, in which acute symptoms or worsening of neurological function (referred to as relapses, attacks or exacerbations,) occur intermittently. The symptoms can diminish or disappear for months or years between relapses. I’m hopeful that this drug will lessen the occurrence of the exacerbations or the amount of lesions that I have. I have three children, so life has to go on for me.
The Holy Name Hospital Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Center in Teaneck, NJ was in the Sentinel study, which combined the use of Avonex and natalizumab. Mike Maron, President and CEO stated, We are so very proud of our MS Center for being a leader in the country in providing premiere MS drug therapies.
Although the cause of MS is unknown, it is widely considered to be an autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks the brain and/or spinal cord. Tysabri appears to work by binding to these immune system cells, thus preventing them from traveling to the brain where they can cause damage.
Antibodies are proteins produced by a person’s immune system to fight foreign substances, such as infections. Monoclonal antibodies, such as natalizumab, can be produced in large quantities in cell culture in a laboratory setting. They can be designed to bind to proteins on the body’s normal cells. By recognizing and attaching to these proteins, monoclonal antibodies can interfere with (or alter) normal or abnormal cellular responses. In this way, monoclonal antibodies may be useful in the treatment of certain diseases such as MS.
This innovative treatment for multiple sclerosis represents a new approach to treating MS--exciting news for patients with this serious disease, said Dr. Lester M. Crawford, acting FDA commissioner. While we eagerly await long-term results from ongoing clinical trials, we have reason to believe that Tysabri will significantly reduce relapses in MS.
The approval of Tysabri is based on positive results seen in patients after one year of treatment. This product received accelerated approval because it appears to provide substantial benefit for patients with a serious disease. As part of that approval, the manufacturer has committed to continuing its trials of this product for another year.
Tysabri was evaluated for safety and efficacy in two ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in patients with relapsing form
s of MS. In the first clinical trial of the product’s safety and efficacy, the drug reduced the frequency of relapses by 66 percent relative to placebo.
In a second trial, patients who had been treated with Avonex (interferon beta-1a), an approved treatment for MS, but who had experienced one or more relapses while on Avonex, were randomized to receive Tysabri or placebo. Avonex was continued throughout the study for both groups. In this trial, natalizumab reduced the frequency of relapses by 54 percent relative to placebo.
The most frequently reported serious adverse reactions were infections, including pneumonia, temporary hypersensitivity reactions (such as rash, fever, low blood pressure, and chest pain), depression, and gallstones. These serious adverse reactions were uncommon. Common adverse reactions were generally mild and included non-serious infections (such as urinary tract, lower respiratory tract, GI system, and vaginal infections), headache, depression, joint pains, and menstrual disorders.
Tysabri is marketed by Biogen Idec, Inc., of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., of Dublin, Ireland. Biogen-Idec/Elan’s Antegren (natalizumab) is a novel, first-in-class drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).
The Holy Name Hospital Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Center, the Department of Neurosciences at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) and UMDNJ-University Hospital in Newark have established the Multiple Sclerosis Network of New Jersey. The network, a comprehensive, coordinated MS program, is the first in the state to centralize research, education, and treatment protocols for MS. The network is under the medial direction of Professor of Neurosciences Stuart D. Cook, M.D., president of UMDNJ. June Halper, M.S.N., R.N.C.S., A.N.P., executive director and chief executive officer of the MS Center, is also the network’s executive director. Patients at the MS Center now have access to UMDNJ’s research studies and clinical trials. A shared database coordinates care, enabling patients to move effortlessly between services offered by Holy Name and UMDNJ. Through the years, the MS Center has achieved many major accomplishments, including the use of the baclofen pump for spasticity in patients with MS, research in bladder management, treatment of acute exacerbations, and a study to treat male impotence using Viagra. The center is currently involved in Betaseron phase IV data collection and was selected as one of 31 North American sites for the secondary-progressive Betaseron study. The Holy Name Hospital MS Center is the administrative seat of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, the world’s largest professional organization of MS care providers. The consortium is a source of education, training, and networking for MS health professionals.
MS is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects approximately 400,000 people in North America and more than one million people worldwide. It is a disease that affects more women than men, with onset typically occurring between 20 and 40 years of age. Symptoms of MS may include vision problems, loss of balance, numbness, difficulty walking and paralysis.
For more information on the Holy Name Hospital Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Center, please contact us via email MS@holyname.org or telephone (201) 837-0727.
Holy Name Hospital is a fully accredited, not-for-profit community hospital located in suburban Teaneck, New Jersey. Founded and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in 1925, the hospital has grown to become a comprehensive 361-bed medical center offering the most modern medical technology coupled with an enduring tradition of compassion and respect. Affiliation with New York Presbyterian Health System further brings the advantages of large urban hospitals to our community, with access to clinical trials and expanded education for our physicians.
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| NHITC on Board for the Medical Records Institute’s Latest Conference - Nov 26, 2004 20:6 IST |
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The Medical Records Institute (MRI) is pleased to announce the appointment of LeRoy Jones as one of the keynote speakers at the last MRI conference of the year, the EHR Summit IV. Jones, the Senior Technical Advisor from the Office of the National Health Information Technology Coordinator, will be presenting the topic, “Perspectives from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology” at 8:45 AM on Friday December 10th. This topic will be a discussion around national EHR perspectives and the future of EHRs.
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| Ovarian Cancer Risk Increases with Estrogen Use - Nov 26, 2004 19:51 IST |
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The estrogen component of oral hormone replacement therapy around the time of menopause is associated with ovarian cancer risk, findings from a Danish study show.
Our results imply that the risk increases with cumulative oral estrogen intake but not with duration of hormone therapy, the investigators report.
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| Cord Blood Works Vs. Leukemia - Nov 26, 2004 19:48 IST |
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Umbilical-cord blood, now used mostly to treat children with leukemia, could save thousands of adults with the disease each year who cannot find bone marrow donors, two big studies indicate.
A European study found that those who got cord blood were just as likely to be free of leukemia two years later as those who got marrow. A U.S. study looking at three-year survival yielded results almost as promising.
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| China Approves Testing for Potential AIDS Vaccine - Nov 26, 2004 19:46 IST |
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China has approved human testing of a locally developed potential AIDS vaccine, the official Xinhua news agency said Friday, just days before World AIDS Day.
Officials have pledged to speed up the approval process for anti-AIDS drugs in China, where the United Nations has warned AIDS victims could rise to 10 million by 2010 unless serious steps are taken to fight the epidemic.
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| Effectiveness of Antidepressant Unclear in Elderly - Nov 26, 2004 19:45 IST |
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Depressed people 75 or older are just as likely to improve after an 8-week course with an inactive, placebo drug as with an antidepressant, new research indicates.
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| Everybody Must Fight AIDS, Mandela Says - Nov 26, 2004 19:43 IST |
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Former South African President Nelson Mandela, surrounded by rock stars, launched a book of photographs of a major anti-AIDS concert on Thursday with a call to ordinary people to take a lead in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
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| Massachusetts Medical Society Announces Call for Entries for its 10th Annual Anti-Tobacco Poster Contest for Grade School Children - Nov 26, 2004 19:28 IST |
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The Massachusetts Medical Society and its Alliance have announced a call for entries for its 2005 Anti-Tobacco Poster Contest, a statewide program designed to make young people aware of the dangers of tobacco and smoking.
The 2005 program marks the tenth year the Medical Society has conducted its anti-tobacco contest, open to youngsters in grades 1 through 6 throughout Massachusetts.
“Physicians of the Medical Society are proud to count a decade of tobacco prevention efforts for young people with this contest,” said Alan C. Woodward, M.D., president of the Massachusetts Medical Society and Chief of Emergency Services at Emerson Hospital in Concord.
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| Girl survives rabies without jab - Nov 26, 2004 19:14 IST |
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A team at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin used an experimental treatment on 15-year-old Jeanna Giese.
She was admitted to hospital last month with advanced symptoms of the disease after being bitten by an infected bat at a church in September.
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| Surprise origin of stomach cancer - Nov 26, 2004 19:11 IST |
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The cells appear to migrate to the stomach to try to repair damage caused by a bacterial infection.
The finding challenges many of the previous assumptions about how cancers originate, and could lead to new treatments, the scientists say.
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| Parents ’unaware children obese’ - Nov 26, 2004 19:7 IST |
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Researchers surveyed parents of 277 children and found only a quarter of them recognised when their offspring were overweight.
Where children were obese, a third of mothers and 57% of fathers thought they were about right, the team at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth found.
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| ’Unnecessary fertility test’ risk - Nov 26, 2004 18:52 IST |
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A team of doctors from several UK universities says fertility clinics are increasingly offering tests to measure natural killer (NK) cells in the blood.
Women are then given powerful drugs which may have serious side effects.
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| Spirulina - The Ultimate Natural Nutritional Supplement - Nov 26, 2004 18:35 IST |
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When it comes to natural nutritional supplements there is little doubt that Spirulina is head and shoulders above the rest. A nutrient rich blue green algae that grows naturally in mineral-rich alkaline lakes, Spirulina is the ultimate natural nutritional supplement and a giant leap beyond ordinary supplements. Spirulina contains the most complete source of nutrients found in any single food on the planet.
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| Thousands ’unaware they have HIV’ - Nov 26, 2004 18:36 IST |
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More than a quarter - 27% - do not know they have the infection, which could be as many as 14,300 people.
There were 6,606 new HIV infections diagnosed, the Health Protection Agency said, but that could rise to 7,000 once all the data are collected.
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| NHS dentists ’may get scarcer’ - Nov 26, 2004 18:29 IST |
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A shake-up in NHS dentistry will come into force next October in a bid to move from drill and fill treatments towards more preventative work.
But the National Audit Office (NAO) said dentists may end up cutting their NHS commitments because of scepticism and a lack of detail about the changes.
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| Student Health Plans Thanksgiving Tradition - Nov 26, 2004 18:26 IST |
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MedSave.com is gearing up for a lesser-known Thanksgiving tradition. Thousands of college students change their health insurance plans during their trip home to see parents this week. From the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following weekend, online and telephone requests from students and their parents have come in at a record pace. This trend has grown each year since the enrollment firm’s launch in 1997. Despite efforts to take more calls and process more applications, the firm still expects a backlog of business on Thanksgiving weekend. Other enrollment firms report similar trends. MedSave.com focuses on low cost health insurance, so it serves a higher percentage of students than some other enrollment firms. In addition, students are more likely than adults to enroll for a health plan online rather than traditional paper methods.
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| Protein stops heart attack damage - Nov 26, 2004 18:27 IST |
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University of Texas scientists worked on mice, but hope their findings will eventually lead to new treatment for heart disease.
The protein, Thymosin beta-4, is already used in clinical trials to promote wound healing on the skin.
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| Prevent Adds ErgoSlide to Nationally Acclaimed Get A Lift! Program - Nov 26, 2004 18:22 IST |
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Prevent, Inc. has added the ErgoSlide™, an innovative Slide Tube exclusively designed by ErgoSafe Products. The ErgoSlide™ can be used to move patients up or across a bed and turn them without pulling the patient’s body and without the caregiver having to lift. It is made from a strong nylon material sewn into a long roller band and is wide enough for a patient to lie on. Webbed handles are on both sides of the sheet around the full length, which are used to turn or slide the patient
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| Let Earthen Products Get Your Skin in the Mood to be Renewed! - Nov 26, 2004 15:58 IST |
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Spring is a time of rebirth and growth. It is a time to let the inner you come forth and face the warm sunny days ahead. Time to put your “best face forward” and what a better way to do this then with vibrant healthy looking skin! Earthen Inc. is to introduce three products that will “renew” your skin after the long harsh winter months: InstantPeel, Instant Cellu-Moist, and Peptide Infusion.
InstantPeel is an extraordinarily unique skin exfoliant that is the safe and gentle alternative to chemical peels. What is truly exciting about InstantPeel is that now you can have a facial within seven minutes, while in the comfort of your own shower. Unlike ordinary exfoliants, results are truly immediate and not over time. You’ll see dead skin cells and debris gently peel away as you massage. Unlike anything else, InstantPeel binds only to dead skin and debris, leaving younger-looking, baby soft skin in its place. Chemical peels are painful and produce redness, the acidity level of InstantPeel is close to neutral, and there are no aftereffects. Dermatologist-approved, clinically tested InstantPeel is hypoallergenic and safe for even the most sensitive of skins.
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| Medical Billing Firm Moves Into New Location and Unveils New Website After Growing 200% in the First Year. - Nov 26, 2004 15:49 IST |
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Outsource Management Group is an industry leading medical billing & medical coding outsourcing company providing physicians with complete practice management solutions nationwide.
The release of the new website and medical billing blog are indicative of Outsource Management Group’s commitment to being a leader in the industry by providing the best possible service and latest information and news.
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| Permanent Cosmetic Leader to Network Physicians, Provide Medical Care - Nov 26, 2004 15:48 IST |
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Premier Pigments, which provides the majority of the permanent make-up pigments used throughout the world by physicians, cosmetic technicians, and body artists, announced today an unprecedented offer to arrange medical treatment for anyone who has an allergic reaction to permanent cosmetics. The offer of medical care covers not only their clients, but also the customers of certified technicians who use other pigment suppliers.
Permanent pigments are overwhelmingly safe and successful and we will expend time and money to care for anyone who has an allergic reaction, identify physicians who can treat problems, and greatly enhance our programs to educate both doctors and technicians. Premier Pigments will also direct individuals who are dissatisfied with results to technicians who are skilled in correctional procedures. We are committed to strengthening the confidence the public has in our products and in the entire permanent cosmetics industry, said Sandi Hammons, president and CEO of Premier Pigments.
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