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A recently released press release (in the US) has high hopes for a new drug discovery, FB-IL4, by Swiss researchers, that could stop RA in its tracks, saying that mice were “cured of established disease.” Of course, these early studies are just preliminary murine (mouse) studies, but the drug will be going to human trials this year in Switzerland. Studies on new drugs can take up to 10 years prior to launch and rigourous safety and efficacy trials and sometimes multi-center trials can take time to reach conclusion. Sadly, some never make it to the end, if funding dries up or patents are bought out by competing interests that aim to bury the research. I’d like to see this one make it to the end…it’s a more targeted therapy (fewer side-effects) and there is hope it may only require short-term treatment to put the brakes on RA. Mice only have a short life span, so one never knows long-term outcomes in humans, even after a study that may only last a year with intermittent follow up on study subjects. There are many forms of RA, too…some folks with certain genetics who may or may not respond as well that may not be known till the end. Let’s keep an eye on this one and see where it goes.
http://www.pnas.org/content/111/33/12008
So it means that improving OUR OWN immune system should help to overcome this disease and taking all those medications supressing the immune system for years does not do any good. That was my permanent question to my rheumy, why not to strengthen our immune system instead of supressing it. He kept answering: no, no, it’s not good.
Linda L.RA tried everything: Methotraxate, Arava, Humira. Pneumonia three times. Anemia. Very low iron. Hypothyroidism
AP from April 2014 till August 2015. No luck.
Current medications: Natural thyroid, Mobic, supplements,
vitamins and minerals.
MTHFR heterozygous@Linda L wrote:
So it means that improving OUR OWN immune system should help to overcome this disease and taking all those medications supressing the immune system for years does not do any good.
Yes, it does sound so, Linda, as per following excerpt from the first link:
“Using one of the body@Linda L wrote:
So it means that improving OUR OWN immune system should help to overcome this disease and taking all those medications supressing the immune system for years does not do any good. That was my permanent question to my rheumy, why not to strengthen our immune system instead of supressing it. He kept answering: no, no, it’s not good.
Linda L.Not necessarily, no. It doesn’t look like it has anything to do with strengthening or weakening an immune system, but rather regulating the way that message are carried in regards to the immune response. If you were to strengthen the immune system it would most likely increase inflammation by increasing the response to whatever is signaling it to “misfire”
“The drug is a biotechnologically produced active substance consisting of two fused components. One component is the body’s own immune messenger interleukin 4 (IL-4); previous studies have shown that this messenger protects mice with rheumatoid arthritis against cartilage and bone damage.”
It isn’t about making the immune system stronger, it is about regulating the response. Just imagine if there was traffic on a road and many car crashes. It wouldn’t do any good to put more cars on the road, but rather regulate the traffic. That would be the best analogy I can think of.
Hi This sounds promising —-The answer to why drug companies charge so much for new drugs is right in your post –10 years it might take —THe research team has to be paid salary for 10 years –equipment -materials etc -who pays for this –the drug companies —and the percentage of success is about 3 % –thats 1 in 33 make it to production -the researchers on those other 32 were also paid -studies funded etc etc —at some point ALL research facilities turn to drug companies for funding —I would think a good solution is to give a company five or so years selling the brand -then make them also offer a generic -such as Lederle did many many years ago with minocin —So before big pharma is bashed think what would occur without them –no funding -no new meds —
richieHi Another quick point —I could open up a supplement company tomorrow –I go to a packer -slap on a fancy label and voila I am a supplement company –thats the problem -to separate the real supplement producers from the pitchmen !!!
richieRichie is pretty much spot on. Also, it isn’t uncommon for governments to fund research for orphan diseases, though I don’t think the funding is anywhere near what private investing contributes.
On a side note, the IL-4 targeting of this drug for RA seems similar to the IL-6 targeting that Actemra, a drug that is being researched to treat scleroderma. Keeping fingers crossed. The clinical trial for Actemra/Tocilizumab in scleroderma should be finished this June.
Hi Maz;
I was reading this site last night and somewhere in the night it just dawned on me that I had seen info on Mino and the IL gang some time ago.A quick google brought up this.No time to check things out as I have thousands of very thirsty orchids waiting for mom.Take a look if any of you have time.
Running as usual,LynneScholarly articles for minocycline and IL-6
Minocycline attenuates mechanical allodynia andLynne, thanks for taking the time to post your list of studies pointing to various clinical applications for minocycline. It really is a pretty incredible medication.
Richie, just to clarify, this topic wasn’t intended as a big pharma bash, just a sharing of thoughts regarding some encouraging hopes held for this drug, about next steps for drug development, and the complex process needed to push such drugs through to the approval stage.
GreyPilgrim, have you got any further in your decision about whether to start AP or not? Would be happy to help to figure out a way to get started, if that’s what you’d like to do. Mino can make a very helpful adjunct to other treatments already being taken – as Lynne’s studies above point out – it has many immune-modulating effects, many of which are helpful to rheumatics. I seem to recall you weren’t too impressed with Dr. B.’s approach. He’s a pretty experienced (integrative) AP doc, but that approach isn’t for everyone and there are other options, especially if you have a GP or other doc locally who might consult with another experienced one on your behalf. Let me know if I can help. In fact, there is a rheumy at HSS in NYC (I hope still practicing as he’s been semi-retired and also teaching there) who has used AP for many years.
HI Maz –I know you werent bashing big pharma –however I posted because there seems to be an over all tone on the board about the so-called evil empire -big pharma –and a slant that supplements and supplement mfgs. are the good guys –nothing is further from the truth –they both arent angels and are trying to maximize profits but I merely wanted to point out the long arduous path to getting approvals for new drugs —Supplement manufacturers dont have this burden because of their labels “Food Supplements not for Medicinal Purposes -we all know this to be bogus –When regulation comes down all these cos. will be kicking and screaming but in fact its well earned –
richiejust a reply to greypilgrim 256,,,,,,,,,,,regarding actmera/tocilumabab,,,,,,,,well i have had this drug and i also have had the one that superseded it,,,they call it sirukmabab ,, all the babs hey lol,,,,,anyway what happend is this firstly,,,,after 4 iv drips of tocilumabab my crp wnt to 1 my esr went to 10 brilliant i thot it works,,,,yea right course it does lol,,,,,,,,oh it works by bringing your crp and esr down,, thats all it does trust me,,,my hands ,feet shoulders and a few more joints were like balloons got the pics if anyone wants to see them,,,,,,oh yes it will will certainly bring your crp and esr down rapidly and you will think am cured ,,yea right well think again,,,,its useless and so is ther other one sirukmabab,i asked my professor at that time why is this happening,,,,answer,Robert esr crp makes No diffrence to R.A.,,,so if anyone thinks that it will work for them go try it ,,well assuming yous can get on the trial,,,,no r.a.too smart for it,,it clever lol,,, i will tell you they doctors know zero and i mean zero about r.a and thats including all the so called specialists,,,,only thing that keeps them special is the price they charge you thats all nothing else,,,,,,,,,,,also i am 1000% certain R.a.is undoubtedly triggered by an infection and anyone who says otherwise is an Idiot full stop,,,i have proved it DR.Brown has proved it but drug companies dont care simply because there is No Money in it for them,,and also the doctors who dont believe it should be stuck off and banished to the planet Zog!,,,keep up the AP protocol it will prevail i know it is working for me although i know i stilll have a way to go,,,,,,anti biotics are another Scottish invention we dont invent rubbish just google all the Scottish inventions ,,how good are we ah lol,,,,they will destroy R.A GIVE THEM A CHANCE BE BRAVE LIKE US ,,,lol,,,and i kid you not,,,,DR.Brown had it spot on but was scuppered by greedy drug companies and idiot so called specialists who think they are god,,,,has anyone ever sat and listened to they people,,,,oh my god,,,anyway enough lol,,,,oh Maz think i have now managed to surpress the relentless night sweats as i suspected by the elevation of my neutrophile,,they migrate to the lungs to fight infection which goes hand in hand with R.A.,,,OUR INVENTION KICKS ITS ASS LOL,,,,try keflex combined with mino there your proof and dont let anyone tell you diffrent if you do then serves yous right..
oh i forgot to add this one lol,,,,after 4 months of ther iv tocilzumab and 10 viles of blood every 2 weeks yes 10 i decided to throw in the towel on this one,,,,6months later i was asked if i wanted to try their brand new one Sirukmabab,,hailed as a new majic bullet which had been modified to the max lol,,,yea right course it has,,,,,it was as good as a goose farting in the fog,,,,and listen ther is more after another 5 ivs of this new wonder improved version of the drug they named sirukmabab had also done zero apart from bring my crp esr down to 1 and 9 like tocilzumabab the drug company told the professor to add 10mg mg prednisone to it,,lol,,,,my god 10mg pred on its own was surpressing the inflammation so why would i want to add 10mg of pred,,,,oh maybe they just were feeling sorry for themselves after all the money they had wasted lol,,,,what a joke,,,,anyway i will leave it to your imagination to what i told them to do with ther brand new flagship wonder drug and i didnt hold back either trust me on that one lol,,,mino and keflex do exactly the same thing combined with only 5mg of prednisolone lol,,,,,what planet are they people from anyways lol,,,,am done lol…now ther you are you decide will leave it with yous,,,,anti biotics will do the same only better
Robert.@Robert wrote:
oh Maz think i have now managed to surpress the relentless night sweats as i suspected by the elevation of my neutrophile,,they migrate to the lungs to fight infection which goes hand in hand with R.A.,,,OUR INVENTION KICKS ITS ASS LOL,,,,try keflex combined with mino there your proof and dont let anyone tell you diffrent if you do then serves yous right..
Robert, that’s wonderful news! The improvements we hear here, when folks have struggled so badly for years, still astounds me. It can be much more challenging to turn around long-standing, severe and/or progressive disease, but to hear stories like yours is very hopeful, especially when an appropriate abx combination is used.
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