GLG News by Pathologists (US)

Joseph SchappertMedical Director PROVIDENCE HEALTH CARE

Surgical Pathology 'Goldrush'

February 13, 2009

Analysis of:Dako announces a collaboration with OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on Companion Diagnostics | www.tmcnet.com

The ability of pharma and biotech to leverage the rapid expansion in our knowledge base on cell surface, nuclear and cytoplasmic signaling and messaging systems has and will continue to produce novel targeted molecules. To identify which patients will respond and potential surrogate markers for the assessment of a molecule's success will require reagents that are applied to histologic sections. These capabilities, combined with imaging and data reduction of the stained sections, should be anticipated to provide a very lucrative market for companies in this diagnostic arena and to facilitate the timely introduction of effective novel markers.

Joseph SchappertMedical Director PROVIDENCE HEALTH CARE

Novel molecules and diagnostic tests

February 19, 2008

Analysis of:Kidney Cancer Drug Linked to Higher Rate of Heart Problems | www.washingtonpost.com

Diagnostic tools are availible to identify these adverse effects at an early stage in their clinical development. These tools should mitigate the seriousness of these adverse events.

Joseph SchappertMedical Director PROVIDENCE HEALTH CARE

Microrganisms elude our control

March 5, 2007

Analysis of:Proof Nailed Down that Antibiotics Use Leads to Resistance | www.medpagetoday.com

Our experience with antibiotics has consistently shown that resistance occurs within 3-5 years of their widespread utilization. Our more recent experience with antiviral agents has been similar. Without diminishing the important role that antimicrobials have played in our recent history, it has also underscored their limitations. While this is of concern, there is also considerable concern in the international microbiology community regarding mutations within microorganisms that would allow them to 'jump species' and infect humans, or would enhance the virulence of existing pathogens. This fear is enhanced by the indiscriminate utilization of antimicrobial agents associated with ‘modern’ agricultural practices worldwide, which are changing the microbial ecology and potentially selecting out new pathogens to humans and/or to our food supply.

 

Joseph SchappertMedical Director PROVIDENCE HEALTH CARE

The future of clinical laboratory diagnostics

March 5, 2007

Analysis of:GE to acquire Abbott's invitro and point of care diagnostics businesses | egems.gehealthcare.com

The purchase of Abbott Diagnostics (ADD) by General Electric follows the purchase of Bayer Diagnostics and DPC by Siemens. It can be anticipated that GE will purchase a second diagnostics company. Since this is part of a restructuring of the diagnostics industry away from pharmaceutical companies to electronics companies, it should also be anticipated that Philips and possibly IBM would enter this arena in the very near future

Moshe ArditiOwnerMoshe Arditi, MD, Inc

Anthrax and cholera toxin inhibitors may lead to Novel Therapies

April 28, 2006

Analysis of:Statistical pattern matching facilitates the design of polyvalent inhibitors of anthrax and cholera toxins. | www.nature.com

Anthrax toxin, is secreted by the anthrax bacterium and is made up of toxic proteins that damage host cells. In 2001 the intentional release of anthrax spores in postal mail in the US has led to increased federal research dollars to design possible new therapeutics and vaccines to prevent or treat these toxins that can be used as biological weapons. Currently we use anthrax exposure with antibiotics, but despite antibiotic use the mortality rate remains 75%. Antibiotics do not alter the detrimental effects of the anthrax toxin. Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) and the University of Toronto reported recently their discovery of an anthrax toxin inhibitor that can neutralize the toxin. Using the same technique of placing multiple peptides on a liposome, these researchers also created a polyvalent inhibitor of cholera toxin. Therefore, the implication of this novel approach to design anthrax inhibitor (antitoxin) is not only valuable for the treatment of anthrax, but also because the same technique can be use to make better therapies against many other diseases such as cholera. Inhibitors designed in this fashion may one day be used together with standard antibiotic therapy to treat many diseases such as anthrax and cholera and others.

Moshe ArditiOwnerMoshe Arditi, MD, Inc

Toll Like Receptors (TLRs) and TLR-based therapies and drugs

April 18, 2006

Analysis of:Immunology: Targeting the Tolls | sciencemag.org

The commercial interest in TLR-based drugs is suddenly hot. Many experimental TLR-based drugs are in early stages of development, including ones to treat or prevent allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, hepatitis C and autoimmune disorders. Drugs that hinder TLRs might one day also treat heart disease like atherosclerosis, which now well established to be a chronic inflammatory disease. However, many hurdles remain before most of these compounds can be marked. The first order of business is to better understand the body’s surveillance and communications systems headed up by the Toll-like receptors. Then—on to designing cures and treatments. At least nine biotech companies have compounds that stimulate or inhibit TLRs in clinical and preclinical trials for illnesses as diverse as hepatitis C, cancer, asthma, and allergies.

Moshe ArditiOwnerMoshe Arditi, MD, Inc

Experimental Bird Flu vaccine worked only about half of volunteers.

April 4, 2006

Analysis of:Safety and Immunogenicity of an Inactivated Subvirion Influenza A (H5N1) Vaccine | content.nejm.org

Effective vaccines against H5N1 viruese in humans are urgently needed.  A two dose regimen of 90 microgram of influenza A H5N1 subvirion vaccine was found to be safe and generated protective anitoby levels in approximately half of the recipients. This is a first step in the quest for effective vaccines for avian flu. A study by the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the consequences of a severe pandemic with avina flu could, in the United States, imclude 200 million people infected, 90 million clinically ill, and 2 million dead.

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