Archive for January, 2021

Big brows are all the rage on runways. But sparse or thinning eyebrows arent uncommon everywhere else. A 2012 research review showed that there are many possible causes of thinning or sparse eyebrows, including:

Lets cover some strategies for filling in and treating eyebrows that have lost some of their fullness.

The easiest way to treat thin eyebrows is to use makeup to make them look thicker and fuller. There are several types of makeup products that you can use to do this, including:

You may want to experiment with a few products, mixing and matching to find the beauty routine that gives you the eyebrow look you want.

To try filling in your eyebrows to make them look fuller, start with these steps:

If you want a remedy thats more permanent than makeup, you can consider these other techniques and treatments for filling in your eyebrows.

You can use semipermanent or permanent hair dye to add a darker pigment to your eyebrows. This can give the illusion of brows that are thicker and fuller.

You can DIY this treatment yourself with drugstore hair dye or go to an esthetician.

A 2017 research review showed that hair loss has been linked to some vitamin deficiencies, including vitamin D and iron deficiencies.

So, it makes sense to think that taking nutritional supplements for vitamin D and iron may help regrow your hair, including at your eyebrows.

Additionally, the same research review above showed that if you dont have a nutritional deficiency, dietary supplements likely wont be effective.

Anecdotally, some essential oils are said to promote hair growth on your head and at your eyebrows.

Be sure to always dilute them with a carrier oil, and do not use oils too close to your eye and on your eyelid. Castor oil and peppermint oil are two anecdotal favorites for hair growth.

Microblading is a cosmetic procedure performed by a licensed provider. The goal of microblading is to make your brows look full and even.

Microblading (and its cousin procedure, nanoblading) does this by making tiny, feather-like strokes that mimic real hair and filling these strokes with a semipermanent pigment.

The results of microblading last 8 to 30 months, after which you will have to get a touch-up if you like the result.

Similar to microblading, microshading is a procedure also performed by a licensed provider.

Unlike microblading, microshading mimics the appearance of a powdered makeup application (in other words, it looks like makeup and not like real eyebrows). Microshading lasts 3 to 6 months.

Semipermanant eyebrow tattoos (such as henna) and regular, permanent tattoos have been around for many years. They often do not look as realistic as microblading.

According to a 2016 study, bimatoprost (Latisse) has not yet been approved by the FDA for the use of eyebrow restoration and would be considered off-label use. The dosage is a topical application to your eyebrows once or twice daily.

This FDA-approved medication for eyelash growth stimulation is by prescription only, and it may take several months to see full results.

Minoxidil (Rogaine) is available as both an over-the-counter and prescription-strength medication. It can be used as a topical foam, a concentrated solution, or be given orally.

In a small 2014 study, 39 participants were asked to use a lotion containing minoxidil on one side of their faces, and a placebo product on the other side in an attempt to treat eyebrow thinning.

The study found that the minoxodil side saw significantly better results than the placebo.

You can talk with a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon about hair grafts that target your eyebrows. These types of grafts use your existing hair follicles to fill in thin spots and encourage regrowth.

These eyebrow transplant procedures can be quite expensive, require a few weeks of recovery, and there is a risk of serious side effects and infection.

Sparse eyebrows can have several causes.

Overplucking or tweezing your eyebrows can damage your hair follicles and lead to poor hair regrowth. Other causes of sparse eyebrows include:

Hair loss from your eyebrows can be frustrating, but there are lots of available treatments. You can also look into cosmetic procedures and even hair grafts to make your brows look bigger.

If youre concerned about hair loss or cant figure out whats causing it, talk with a doctor.

Continue reading here:
Sparse Eyebrows Treatment, Home Remedies, and Precautions - Healthline

A good nights sleep can do wonders for anyone.

However, this is especially true for aging adults, according to Brandy Delp, executive director of Windsor Heights Assisted Living and Memory Care in Beachwood, and Dr. Mark Levy, owner and founder of Sleep Better Columbus in Columbus.

Hormones tend to change as we get older, which affects all kinds of things like sleep cycles and bathroom needs, Levy said. The hormone changes make you have to use the bathroom more and those needs cause you to have to get up, which disturbs sleep and ultimately wakes you up.

Delp said, As we age, changes in our hormone production occurs such as a decrease in melatonin, which helps promote sleep. Older adults have a harder time falling asleep, have frequent nighttime awakenings and increased difficulty returning to sleep once awakened.

Delp added that age-related sleep patterns also involve earlier bedtimes and early morning rising times, and frequent naps during the daytime hours.

Another change seniors may observe in their sleep patterns stems from breathing issues and changes, Levy said.

As you get older, the tissues in the back of your throat get a little slack and not as firm, he explained. That leads to snoring and sleep apnea. All of that snoring and related events can cause you to stop breathing, which are micro-arousals, and bring you up out of deep sleep.

Sleeping well allows one to start the day refreshed and rested. But why does having enough sleep make people feel so good?

Delp said it is closely related to the processes bodies go through while were at rest, which can be especially important as we age.

Several processes occur during sleeping, such as acceleration of protein synthesis and tissue repair, increased production of growth hormone, as well as cognitive function and memory formation, she said. Sleep plays a vital role in brain function and the immune system along with several other bodily processes.

Levy said, Physically, you need to heal. But mentally, sleep allows you to regroup and process the days events. Your brain needs that time.

For aging adults, lack of sleep can lead to serious health conditions like cognitive issues, Delp noted. Fatigued people also put themselves at risk for falls, as well as mood issues like anxiety, depression and irritability. Levy said lack of sleep can lead to brain fog, which can cause confusion in daily tasks for seniors.

At Sleep Columbus, Levy said patients seek oral appliance solutions for sleep apnea and snoring. Though they cant dispense CPAP machines, they also offer sleep testing out of the office to determine if a patient has sleep apnea.

We do a lot of hand holding and guiding, and were the connector between the things they do to make it better, he said. Were a lot more accessible and basically are the sleep tour guide.

As for Windsor Heights, staff works daily to ensure an optimal nights sleep for residents, according to Delp.

We keep routines for our residents, offer bedtime snacks, close the curtains in the evening, increase physical activity during the daytime and plan quiet activities in the evening, Delp said.

She had other suggestions for seniors struggling with sleep issues.

Exercise regularly, avoid stimulants three to four hours before bedtime such as coffee, chocolate, cigarettes and soda, and dont use electronic devices at least an hour before bed, Delp said.

Those experiencing sleep issues should also consult a physician.

First thing to do is have a conversation with their primary care doctor, and if they suspect sleep apnea, they can call someone like us, Levy said. Recommendation is always the best place to start the process of getting help for any health issue.

See the article here:
Heres an idea for experiencing restful days sleep on it - Cleveland Jewish News

There's a lot to love about caffeine. First, because it's found in plants, it can actually be said to be all-natural, and those plants, including the ones used to make coffee, tea, and cocoa, are rich in sources of antioxidants and phytonutrients. Caffeine, itself, is a phytonutrient that can help reduce your risk of Parkinson's, dementia, and certain oral cancers, according to the University of Michigan Health Service.

One of caffeine's immediate physiological effects is to speed up your central nervous system, which can help you feel alert and focused. Another is that it increases levels of dopaminewhich is one of those "feel-good" chemicals your body produces that improves your mood.

Consuming moderate amounts of caffeine (up to 400 milligrams per day, or the equivalent of four cups of coffee) has never been scientifically linked to long-term harm in healthy adults. However, that's not to say it doesn't have side effects.

For example, to the extent it can improve your mood, it can also be addictive. And while it can keep you focused, it can also leave you feeling overstimulated, according to registered dietitian Amy Goodson. Read on to learn more about the side effects of drinking caffeine, according to science. And don't forget to check out the 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

"Because caffeine is a stimulant, it increases your heart rate while it's in your system," says general practice physician, Leann Poston, MD. "At the same time, it causes the blood vessels to narrow, which increases the pressure the heart must exert to circulate blood." This sets you up for a temporary spike in blood pressure.

That said, high blood pressure is a serious condition that, over time, can put you at increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure, among others. It's also associated with the most serious and even life-threatening presentation of the COVID-19 infection.

The good news is that the rise in blood pressure attributable to consuming caffeine is temporary, according to Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D., via Mayo Clinic. However, if you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it's not a bad idea to ask your doctor if you need to limit your intake of caffeinated beverages.

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Most people associate headaches with caffeine-withdrawal. However, a 2004 study published in the scientific journal Neurology found that among people who suffer from chronic daily headaches, a condition in which headaches are suffered at least 15 times per month, a significant percentage had been heavy caffeine drinkers prior to the onset of their chronic daily headaches.

Similarly, among migraine sufferers, caffeine overuse has been associated with an increase in migraine frequency. If you get frequent headaches, you might want to consider cutting some of these headache-triggering foods out of your diet.

"If you are already stressed or anxious, caffeine can make it worse," according to registered dietitian Elisa Bremner. In fact, as little as 100 milligrams of caffeinethe equivalent of one cup of coffeemay exacerbate pre-existing feelings of stress and anxiety. The scientific community offers several reasons for this. One is that the natural effects of caffeine as a stimulant cause a number of physical symptoms that we tend to associate with anxiety, including increased heart and breathing rates. Our bodies may experience those symptoms as anxiety.

In addition, caffeine stimulates the release of adrenaline, Dr. Poston tells Eat This, Not That! Adrenaline is a hormone that prepares us for "fight or flight" when we're faced with stressors. It does so by increasing alertness and raising heart rate, respiration, and blood flow. And because caffeine competes with a chemical called adenosine, which leads to feelings of fatigue and relaxation, the whole combination of all of these effects can lead to distinct feelings of nervousness, jitteriness, and anxiety.

Nevertheless, here is why you might want to consider drinking coffee before taking a nap.

Caffeine consumption has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, according to this paper published in 2020 in the scientific journal BMJ. The paper, which consisted of a meta-analysis of 48 existing studies addressing the link between caffeine consumption and negative pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, found that drinking coffee while pregnant is, in fact, associated with pregnancy loss.

The reason, according to OB/GYN, Jodie Horton, MD, may be linked to the fact that caffeine narrows blood vessels, which can diminish the transfer of nutrients to the fetus. It's worth pointing out, however, that these findings are at odds with the current recommendations from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which state that "moderate consumption" of caffeine does not present a miscarriage risk, according to OB/GYN Brittany Noel Robles, MD. Nevertheless, Dr. Robles recommends keeping caffeine to a minimum during pregnancy. (Related: Don't miss these 8 pregnancy myths, busted.)

Caffeine's stimulant effect can help ensure that you'll keep your digestive system "moving."However, for some people, caffeine is too stimulating, which is to say, it can have a laxative effect. In other words, caffeine can cause loose bowels and evendiarrhea. Diarrhea is a major symptom of irritable bowel syndrome, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine's Health Blog.

If you're running to the bathroom every time you have caffeine, it may be worth talking to your doctor about whether you might be suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. Whether or not you are diagnosed, the discussion could lead to you deciding to limit your caffeine intake until you find a level at which consumption does not equal digestive distress.

For more on caffeine, here are 11 surprising ways that drinking tea can heal you.

Read more:
Side Effects of Drinking Caffeine, According to Science | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

publication date: Jan. 8, 2021

FDA has approved Tagrisso (osimertinib) for adjuvant therapy after tumor resection in patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test.

Tagrisso is sponsored by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.

Efficacy was demonstrated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (ADAURA, NCT02511106) in patients with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutation-positive NSCLC who had complete tumor resection, with or without prior adjuvant chemotherapy.

Eligible patients with resectable tumors (stage IB IIIA) were required to have predominantly non-squamous histology and EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations identified prospectively from tumor tissue in a central laboratory by the cobas EGFR Mutation Test. A total of 682 patients were randomized (1:1) to receive osimertinib 80 mg orally once daily or placebo following recovery from surgery and standard adjuvant chemotherapy, if given.

The major efficacy outcome measure was disease-free survival in patients with stage II IIIA NSCLC determined by investigator assessment. Median DFS was not reached (38.8, NE) in patients on the osimertinib arm compared with 19.6 months (16.6, 24.5) on the placebo arm (HR 0.17 95% CI: 0.12, 0.23; <0.0001). DFS in the overall study population was a secondary efficacy outcome measure; the median was not reached (NE, NE) in patients on the osimertinib arm compared with 27.5 months (22, 36) on the placebo arm (HR 0.20 95% CI: 0.15, 0.27; <0.0001).

Iclusig receives FDA sNDA approval for adult patients with resistant or intolerant chronic-phase CML

FDA has approved the supplemental New Drug Application for Iclusig (ponatinib) for adult patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia with resistance or intolerance to at least two prior kinase inhibitors.

Iclusig is sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.

The updated label includes an optimized, response-based ICLUSIG dosing regimen in CP-CML with a daily starting dose of 45 mg and, upon achieving 1% BCR-ABL1IS, dose reduction to 15 mg. This dosing regimen aims to maximize benefit-risk by providing efficacy and decreasing the risk of adverse events, including arterial occlusive events.

The sNDA approval is based on data from the phase II OPTIC (Optimizing Ponatinib Treatment In CML) trial, as well as five-year data from the phase II PACE (Ponatinib Ph+ ALL and CML Evaluation) trial.

The OPTIC trial included patients with CP-CML whose disease was highly-resistant to their immediate prior TKI, the majority of whom (65%) did not achieve a response greater than complete hematological response on immediate prior therapy.

At 12 months, 42% of 88 patients utilizing the newly approved response-based dosing regimen (45 mg to 15 mg) achieved 1% BCR-ABL1IS, the primary endpoint of OPTIC, and at a median follow up time of 28.5 months, 73% of these patients maintained their response. In these patients, 13% experienced an AOE of any Grade, 7% experienced Grade 3 or higher. Risk factors such as uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes should be managed, and caution should be exercised when treating patients with active or substantial history of clinically significant, uncontrolled cardiovascular disease.

Xpovio receives FDA approval for refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma

FDA has approved Xpovio (selinexor) in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy.

Xpovio is sponsored by Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.

FDA granted Xpovio accelerated approval in 2019 in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who received at least four prior therapies and whose disease is refractory to at least two proteasome inhibitors, at least two immunomodulatory agents, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.

Efficacy of Xpovio in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone was evaluated in the BOSTON Trial (KCP-330-023, NCT03110562), a randomized (1:1) open-label, multicenter, active comparator-controlled trial in patients with RRMM who had previously received at least one and at most three prior therapies.

Patients received once-weekly selinexor orally in combination with once-weekly bortezomib subcutaneous and low-dose dexamethasone twice-weekly orally compared to the standard twice-weekly bortezomib plus low-dose dexamethasone.

The main efficacy outcome measure was progression free survival assessed by an independent review committee using International Myeloma Working Group response criteria. The estimated median PFS was 13.9 months (95% CI: 11.7, Not Estimable) for the SVd arm and 9.5 months (95% CI: 7.6, 10.8) for the Vd arm (estimated hazard ratio 0.70; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.93).

Orgovyx receives FDA approval for advanced prostate cancer

FDA has approved the first oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist, Orgovyx (relugolix) for adult patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Orgovyx is sponsored by Myovant Sciences inc.

Efficacy was evaluated in HERO (NCT03085095), a randomized, open label trial in men requiring at least one year of androgen deprivation therapy with either prostate cancer recurrence following radiation or surgery or newly diagnosed castration-sensitive advanced prostate cancer. Patients (N=934) were randomized (2:1) to receive relugolix 360 mg oral loading dose on the first day, followed by daily oral doses of 120 mg, or leuprolide acetate 22.5 mg injection subcutaneously every 3 months for 48 weeks.

The main efficacy outcome measure was medical castration rate defined as achieving and maintaining serum testosterone suppression to castrate levels (< 50 ng/dL) by day 29 through 48 weeks of treatment. The medical castration rate was 96.7% (95% CI: 94.9%, 97.9%) in the relugolix arm.

Margenza receives FDA approval for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer

FDA has approved Margenza (margetuximab-cmkb) in combination with chemotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have received two or more prior anti-HER2 regimens, at least one of which was for metastatic disease.

Margenza is sponsored by MacroGenics.

Efficacy was evaluated in SOPHIA (NCT02492711), a randomized, multicenter, open-label trial of 536 patients with IHC 3+ or ISH-amplified HER2+ metastatic breast cancer who had received prior treatment with other anti-HER2 therapies. Patients were randomized (1:1) to margetuximab plus chemotherapy or trastuzumab plus chemotherapy. Randomization was stratified by chemotherapy choice (capecitabine, eribulin, gemcitabine, or vinorelbine), number of lines of therapy in the metastatic setting ( 2, > 2), and number of metastatic sites ( 2, > 2).

The main efficacy outcome measures were progression-free survival by blinded independent central review and overall survival. Additional efficacy outcome measures were objective response rate and duration of response assessed by BICR.

Median PFS in the margetuximab arm was 5.8 months (95% CI: 5.5, 7.0) compared with 4.9 months (95% CI: 4.2, 5.6) in the control arm (HR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.98; p=0.033). Confirmed ORR was 22% (95% CI: 17, 27) with a median DOR of 6.1 months (95% CI: 4.1, 9.1) in the margetuximab arm compared to an ORR of 16% (95% CI: 12, 20) and median DOR of 6.0 months (95%CI: 4.0, 6.9) in the control arm.

CPI-613 receives FDA Fast Track Designation for treatment of AML

FDA has granted Fast Track designation to CPI-613 (devimistat) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

CPI-613 is sponsored by Rafael Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Rafael Pharmaceuticals received Fast Track designation for devimistat for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer in November 2020. The company also received Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma for devimistat, and the initiation of a phase II clinical trial of devimistat in combination with hydroxychloroquine in patients with clear cell sarcoma of soft tissue.

EU CHMP issues positive opinion for Keytruda as first-line treatment in adult patients in colorectal cancer indication

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of Keytruda, Mercks anti-PD-1 therapy, as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer.

Keytruda is sponsored by Merck.

This recommendation is based on results from the pivotal phase III KEYNOTE-177 trial, in which Keytruda, as a monotherapy, demonstrated a significant improvement in progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy (investigators choice: mFOLFOX6 with or without bevacizumab or cetuximab; or FOLFIRI with or without bevacizumab or cetuximab), a current standard of care.

Data from KEYNOTE-177 were presented at the virtual scientific program of the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting and were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The CHMPs recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission for marketing authorization in the European Union, and a final decision is expected in the first quarter of 2021.Servier and Celsius Therapeutics collaborate on colorectal cancer research

Servier and Celsius Therapeutics have formed a strategic collaboration focused on the identification and validation of novel colorectal cancer drug targets.

Through this collaboration, we will leverage Celsius single-cell genomics platform, machine learning capabilities, and target validation expertise to refine our understanding of the different subtypes of CRC and discover new drug targets with the goal of developing novel precision therapies for specific patient subsets, Hugues Dolgos, global head of oncology research and development at Servier, said in a statement. Servier will discover and develop candidate drugs leveraging our end-to-end small molecule and large molecule capabilities.

Under the terms of collaboration, Celsius will analyze hundreds of samples from defined CRC patient populations using its proprietary single-cell genomics platform and will work to identify and validate new drug targets during the three-year research period. Servier will receive an exclusive option to research, develop, and commercialize products directed to up to three of the targets.

Celsius would receive an upfront payment and research funding, and would be eligible to receive over $700 million in potential discovery, development, and commercialization milestone payments, along with tiered royalties.

Bayer and Veracyte collaborate on precision oncology in thyroid cancer

Bayer and Veracyte have entered a collaboration to advance the Precision Oncology Patient Identification Program in thyroid cancer.

Through the program, Bayer will offer testing with Veracytes Afirma Xpression Atlas to identify underlying genomic drivers, including NTRK gene fusions, within patients tumors. The program will focus on patients with advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer that is radioactive iodine refractory who may potentially benefit from biomarker-driven therapies.

Patients whose thyroid cancer contains actionable alterations and no longer responds to traditional radioactive iodine therapy now have targeted treatment options available to them. Our goal is to identify such patients so physicians can make more informed treatment decisions for their patients, Bhavesh Ashar, senior vice president and head of U.S. Oncology at Bayer, said in a statement. With its comprehensive ability to identify broad genomic alterations through its Afirma XA test and its widespread reach among physicians who diagnose thyroid cancer, Veracyte is an ideal collaborator for this program.

The Afirma XA uses RNA whole-transcriptome sequencing to identify 905 DNA variants and 235 RNA fusions in 593 genes, including novel NTRK fusions, on fine needle aspirates taken from thyroid nodules or lymph nodes.

Through this collaboration, Bayer will provide Afirma XA testing at no cost to all eligible patients when ordered by the physician, regardless of the final results and treatment decision. Additionally, physicians of patients found to harbor NTRK gene fusions as an underlying driver in their thyroid cancer will be alerted of the results. The companies anticipate the program to launch in the first quarter of next year.

Servier to acquire Agios Pharmaceuticals oncology business

Servier has entered into an agreement for the acquisition of Agios Pharmaceuticals oncology business including its commercial, clinical and research-stage oncology portfolio for up to $2 billion, including an upfront payment of $1.8 Billion and a potential $200 million in regulatory milestone, plus royalties.

The transaction has been approved by both companies respective boards of directors. Subject to receipt of regulatory clearances and approval by Agios shareholders, the acquisition is expected to close in Q2 2021.

Servier has made oncology one of its strategic priorities, allocating 50% of its overall research and development budget to this therapeutic area. The acquisition will reinforce Serviers presence in the U.S., where the group has been operating since 2018.

The transaction includes the transfer of Agios oncology portfolio and associated employees, including its marketed medicine Tibsovo, which is approved in the U.S. as monotherapy for the treatment of adults with IDH1-mutant relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia and for adults with newly diagnosed IDH1-mutant AML who are 75 years old or who have comorbidities that preclude the use of intensive induction chemotherapy.

Tibsovo is also under investigation in two phase III combination trials in newly diagnosed AML, and as a potential treatment for previously treated IDH1-mutant cholangiocarcinoma and IDH1-mutant myelodysplastic syndrome. Servier will also acquire Agios co-commercialization responsibilities for Bristol Myers Squibbs Idhifa (enasidenib) and conduct certain clinical development activities within the Idhifa development program.

In addition, the transaction includes Agios oncology pipeline and clinical programs, including vorasidenib, an investigational, brain-penetrant, dual inhibitor of mutant IDH1 and IDH2 which is currently being studied in the registration-enabling phase III INDIGO study in patients with IDH-mutant low-grade glioma; AG-270, an investigational first-in-class methionine adenosyltransferase 2a inhibitor being evaluated in combination with taxanes in patients with methylthioadenosine phosphorylase-deleted non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer; AG-636, a novel inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase; and Agios oncology research programs.

All of Agios U.S.-based employees who primarily support the oncology business will receive a comparable offer at Servier.

Kite and Oxford BioTherapeutics establish cell therapy research collaboration in blood cancers and solid tumors

Kite, a Gilead Company, and Oxford BioTherapeutics Ltd. have entered into a research collaboration to evaluate five novel targets for a number of hematologic and solid tumor indications.

Through this collaboration, OBT will validate five novel oncology drug targets, previously identified using OBTs OGAP discovery platform, and generate antibodies against these targets. Kite and Gilead will have the exclusive right to develop and commercialize therapies based on these targets or antibodies.

Under the terms of the agreement, OBT will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible to receive additional payments based on achievement of certain discovery, clinical and regulatory milestones, as well as royalties on future potential sales.

Original post:
Tagrisso receives FDA approval as adjuvant therapy for NSCLC with EGFR mutations - The Cancer Letter

It has not been a good year for sleep. Between a pandemic, social unrest, an election, and the stresses of working (or learning, or teaching) from home, millions of us are experiencing coronasomnia. Thats why two months ago, I started to take a CBN tincture, in hopes that it would combat the hours of blue light exposure and heightened holiday-related anxiety that were plaguing my sleep habits.

With one 50-milliliter drop of Ned Sleep Blendhalf the recommended doseI drifted into a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep for eight full hours (two more hours than usual, for me). Ive since incorporated a half-dropper of Ned into my bedtime routineand while it lacks the instant catalyst that melatonin or over-the-counter medications provide, it settles my mind into a restful, deep sleep as soon as I shut my eyes.

[Photo: courtesy Ned]

We all have hectic days and tend to stay up really late, and our brains get confused about when to be alert, when to be sleepy, and when to be sleeping deeply, explains Dr. Nitun Verma, a San Francisco sleep physician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Once upon a time when we all used to work outdoors, the sun would go down over a period of hours. It would get cooler, darker, quieter, and your brain would get the sense that it was time to go to sleep.

If youre in search of a good nights sleep, dont worryyou can still help your brain recognize its time to wind down just by building out a routine, Verma says. For example, he recommends cleaning up your workstation when youre done with work for the day. That concept helps your brain understand, Hey this activity is over. And now I get to have personal time and to relax. It shows your brain that youre getting ready to sleep.

For the rest of your evening, here are some of our best suggestions for calming down, cozying up, and getting some shut-eye.

[Photo: courtesy Prismatic Plants]Prismatic Plants Goodnight TincturePrismatic Plants Goodnight Tincture combines all the relaxing elements of cannabis without the unwanted side effects: CBD by itself is not sedativewhat it does do is help calm a busy, racing mind, says founder Sarah Polansky. If you need assistance in making your mind and body tired, then CBN is what you will want to take. Good Night features a blend of adaptogens, MCT oil, and terpenes with 300 milligrams of full-spectrum CBD and 10 milligrams of CBNenough to help you doze off, but not so much that you get a cannabis hangover the next morning, Polansky says.

[Photo: courtesy THE WELL]The Well Relax BundleWhether you believe in the power of aromatherapy or just like the scent of lavender, the Wells Relax self-care bundle is an excellent way to wind down at the end of a long day. Staff editor Lara Sorokanich says: Before I get into bed, I spray this all over my pillows and sheets. It feels so luxurious and relaxing to get into a lavender-scented bed. Clinically backed or not, the smell definitely makes me feel happy as Im dozing off.

[Photo: courtesy Oura]Oura RingWhile the Oura Ring might not put you into a deep sleep, it can certainly tell you what happens once you get there. Slip this unintrusive smart band onto your finger to track health progress throughout the day and night; it monitors everything from step count to sleep quality. By automatically measuring your sleep balance against your daily activities via the accompanying Oura app, you can be one step closer to determining daytime habits (looking at you, afternoon coffee) that keep you up at night.

[Photo: courtesy Dohm]Dohm Natural Sound MachinesWhite noise is a city dwellers best friend. The dull hum of a sound machine can help drown out disruptions like construction during the day or noisy neighbors at night without adding to the chaos. The mechanical whirling of white noise works by creating a higher-volume baseline, meaning loud, jarring noises dont make you jump. We like these simple, space-conscious Dohm sound machines that enhance an atmosphere with gentle sleep-inducing noise and sleek, inoffensive design.

[Photo: courtesy The Nue Co.]The Nue Co. Sleep DropsPlant-driven supplement brand the Nue Co.s Sleep Suite includes a tincture, capsules, and a magnesium spray thats absorbed through the skin and can be taken individually or in tandem to best tackle your level of restlessness. My approach to a good nights sleep is to relax and unwind, limiting any screen usage an hour before bed and following the same nightly routine, says Jules Miller, founder and CEO of the Nue Co. I use our Magnesium Ease spray on my joints and stomach. Half an hour before bed, I place 12 Sleep Drops under my tongue to help me to fall asleep. I also like to ensure that the room is in complete darkness to minimize any disruption caused by light.

[Photo: courtesy Uncommon Goods]Moon Beam Sleep AidThis clever, flat disc acts as a sleep-inducing metronome, projecting gentle pulses of blue light onto your ceiling for 8 or 20 minutes. Moon Beams process has a dual purpose: calming your busy mind through distraction and slowing down your breathing and metabolism, readying your body for sleep. Users inhale and exhale in time with the dimming and brightening of the blue glow, eventually drifting from 11 breaths per minute to 6.

[Photo: courtesy Bearaby]Bearaby Cotton NapperWe love the deliciously heavy comfort of the chunky knit Bearaby Cotton Napper. The hype of weighted blankets comes from studies that found the all-encompassing pressure can help release serotonin in the body while reducing the stress hormone cortisol. But unlike fellow weighted blankets on the market, Bearabys beautiful, sustainable throws get their heft from thick woven cord that also serves as a mechanism to keep sleepers from getting sweaty.

[Photo: courtesy Riley Home]RileyReversible Flannel Sheet SetThese cotton flannel sheets from Riley are thick and plush, but breathable enough for those who sleep hot. While perfect sleep temperature is subjective, a layer of lightweight warmth can keep you comfortable all night long in chillier months.

[Photo: courtesy Brooklinen]Brooklinen Mulberry Silk Eye MaskDont underestimate the power of a pitch-black room. While blackout curtains certainly help, the glow of charging electronics and late-night rumblings of my partner and cat can shake me out of a deep sleep in an instant. As far as simple solutions go, a sleep mask makes a huge difference by minimizing disruptions. Even better if its made of luxurious silk, like this one from Brooklinen, that doesnt tug my skin and lashes through a night of tossing and turning.

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The best products and tips for getting a better night's sleep - Fast Company

"For if one drinks much from a bottle marked 'poison,'it's almost certain to disagree with one sooner or later."Lewis Carroll, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

In the early 16th century, a Swiss physician named Paracelsus changed the course of the healing arts with his theories on chemical treatments for disease. A literal renaissance man given the era, he was part scientist, part alchemist, and part philosopher. Three hundred years before the advent of Pasteur's germ theory, Paracelsus advised patients to keep their wounds clean to avoid infection. His study of chemicals revealed both their curative and harmful properties, and he noted that any treatment turns toxic once the dose is high enough. Paracelsus' simple yet profound insight that "the dose makes the poison" challenged the prevailing wisdom that poisons were inherently toxic. He noted that the known poisons of the day were substances that were toxic at low-doses. Yet, dilute these substances enough and they could be rendered harmless or, in some cases, even beneficial.

This theory is now known as dose response. It has become one of the key frameworks of environmental science, modern medicine, and public health. Put simply, it states that the larger the dose of a chemical or exposure, the greater the magnitude of its effect. Thus, low doses of a toxin can have zero to minimal effect, while large doses become deadly. For therapeutic chemicals, or "drugs," benefits initially rise with increasing doses before crossing a threshold toward toxicity, or overdose.

In modern medicine, dose response theory is foundational for both toxicology and pharmacology, and also carries over to the worlds of microbiology, virology, and oncology. Although in each scenario, the theory is labelled "dose response," its application differs according to the properties of the substance. In recent months, for example, dose response has been hotly debated alongside speculation on the exposure risk of COVID-19. What is the potential for virus exposure via the groceries you buy? What about the mail delivered to your home? Could you get sick from takeout food? The answer lies in the question: how much 'dose' is required to get ill?

A brief history ofdose response theory

For many chemical substances, the dose response theory of toxicity depends on five important variables that predict a subject's response to an exposure:

If you plot the administered dose of a substance versus its effect on a living organism, you often get a "dose response" curve that typically resembles the letter 'S'.

As you can see in the curve, low level exposures may have no effect on an organism up to a certain threshold. For example, many adults are familiar with the toxic effects of drinking alcohol just ask any college student how they feel on Sunday morning. Ripe bananas also contain trace amounts of alcohol, but few individuals eat a banana and worry about their ability to drive home. While a certain dose of alcohol causes intoxication, it has no harmful effect beneath its toxic threshold. As intoxication rises past a second threshold, its effect turns deadly.

Poisons and the canary in the coal mine

The "canary in a coal mine"is a well-known idiom that has a historical antecedent. In the early 20th century, miners brought captive birds with them into the mine shafts. The humble canary would fall dead as a result of increasing toxins particularly carbon monoxide in the air. Being a small creature with rapid respiration and a fast metabolism, toxins accumulate in a bird's system much faster than they would in larger animals. Thus, the miners received advanced warning of an exposure of which they would otherwise be unaware. In other words, the canary had a lower dose response threshhold than humans.

Animals that are prone to showing toxic effects and serve as harbingers of environmental degradation have come to be known as "sentinel species." Cats are susceptible to mercury poisoning, crayfish to water pollution, and bees to air pollution. Even in antiquity, people recognized that when the plague arrived, the rats were the first to die.

The dose also makes the medicine

If the dose makes the poison, it also makes the medicine. For medicines, small doses will have minimal to no effect. Larger doses begin to demonstrate their beneficial effect above a threshold often referred to by clinicians as the "effective" or "therapeutic" dose. Increasing doses from this threshold increases the magnitude of the therapeutic effect up until it approaches toxic levels. This range is known as the therapeutic window.

Acetaminophen, for example, is safely metabolized by liver enzymes within its therapeutic window. Metabolism is a multi-stage process that, at an intermediate stage, generates a toxic metabolite known as N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). If a person has chronic liver disease, or if they take too much of the drug, NAPQI accumulates in their bloodstream and eventually causes permanent liver failure.

Over several centuries, medical researchers have used a process of trial and error to find therapeutic functions of substances long regarded as toxins. The bark, leaves, and seeds of the yew tree (Taxus baccata) have been known to be poisonous for centuries. The witches' brew from Shakespeare's "Macbeth" even cited "slips of yew, silvered in the moon's eclipse" as a main ingredient. Yet, the compound Paclitaxel, derived from the same plant, treats opportunistic infections in AIDS patients as well as a variety of cancers.

For cancer chemotherapy treatments in particular, one must walk a fine line, using the toxicity of a substance to preferentially destroy cancer cells without killing the patient. In this way, tumors are similar to sentinel species. The rapid rate of cellular metabolism that makes cancer cells dangerous also makes them susceptible to toxic exposures as they more quickly incorporate the dose. Cancer treatments then exploit the differential uptake of chemotherapy between healthy and tumor cells to deliver a targeted dose.

Is dose response theory always right?

Paracelsus' doctrine may have been profound, but does that mean it is universally correct? There are at least four cases that complicate dose-response theory as succinctly stated by Paracelsus:

Carcinogens. It is generally believed that there is no "safe" dose for exposure to cancer causing agents and hence, carcinogens are inherently poisonous. Although the likelihood of cancer increases with the exposure dose, a single mutation to a single DNA base pair can be enough to result in cancer.

A cancerous cell, through its uncontrolled growth, escalates its own dose. The seemingly harmless single cancer cell divides to give rise to two such cells, then four, then eight, triggering a geometric expansion towards a cancerous tumor.

Even this line of reasoning however, is disputed by additional nuance. Communities that live at high altitudes are exposed to greater levels of cosmic radiation. Assuming a linear relationship between carcinogen dose (UV radiation) and cancer even at low doses, one would expect these communities to demonstrate higher rates of certain cancers. Yet, no such evidence exists to reveal this expected cancer cluster. This has led to the hypothesis that low-doses of radiation stimulate mechanisms in the body that serve to repair DNA damage. The body's mechanism for culling dead or dangerous cells may effectively limit these micro dose exposures before they give rise to cancerous masses.

Bioaccumulators. In 1958, after noting rising mortality in birds of prey following the widespread spraying of insecticide in New England, conservation biologist Rachel Carson identified the agricultural pesticide DDT as the highly toxic culprit. This finding was published in her influential book Silent Spring. Because raptors were at the top of the food pyramid, the fish they preyed on had in turn eaten smaller fish, which had nibbled on plants contaminated by runoff. At each level of the feeding chain, DDT levels became further concentrated in the organism.

This process, known as "bioaccumulation," arises from the fact that some toxins cannot be metabolized or excreted, and thus become increasingly concentrated up the food chain. Consequently, although there may be a safe dose for a single exposure, bioaccumulation results in the exposure becoming more pronounced over time until a harmful dose is reached. Applying this principle of bioaccumulation to people, particularly those who eat meat and are, therefore, exposed to higher accumulated doses, led to the wide-scale ban of DDT in the US and other high-income countries.

Endocrine Disruptors. Compounds that disrupt the human endocrine system are another example where the apparent simplicity of the dose response curve begins to break down. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that are similar in structure to the hormones circulating in the human body. Hormone imbalances can have dire health consequences, particularly for the human fetus. Fetal exposure to a microdose of a certain sex hormone can lead to the malformation of sex organs, while the same dose exposure would have zero impact on an adult. Even stranger, the dose response curve for endocrine disruptors may be "non-monotonic" that is, not show a consistent relationship between increasing dose and increasing effect. Small doses may yield significant effects, medium doses may have no effect, and high doses again may show an effect. Any number of puzzling curves have been proposed by toxicologists and researchers in order to explain these phenomena. They all call into question the dose response relationship conceived of by Paracelsus.

Viruses and bacteria. Like cancer, viruses and bacteria have the innate capability to escalate their own dose. A single viral particle that infects a host cell can make millions of copies of itself. This implies that, in theory, there is no lower limit or no truly safe dose. Yet, like cancers, we also do not typically see this play out. Some noroviruses may cause an infection in 50% of people exposed to as low a dose as 20 viral particles. Meanwhile, other viruses and bacteria may be harmless, or in some cases symbiotic, at much higher numbers. The human gut, for example, is a celebration of the therapeutic benefit of many bacteria and even some viruses that work to maintain the body's homeostasis.

What about for the novel coronavirus?

Studies of swab samples demonstrate that New York subways are populated by all manner of viruses and microbes, including everything from anthrax to the plague. And yet exposure of millions of subway riders to these pathogens do not lead to clinical cases of exotic diseases. Similarly, more and more evidence suggests handling a bag of groceries with traces of SARS-CoV-2 virus is not going to make most people sick.

Although in theory there may be no safe dose, as a practical matter, many humans are quite resilient to all kinds of exposures. Recent evidence demonstrates that wearing masks protects wearers by reducing the exposure dose of COVID-19.

Of course, some of us may be the proverbial 'canary in the coal mine' for certain exposures based on our increased susceptibility to the disease. And in the case of many chemicals on the market today, we are all canaries in the coal mine. The experiment, as it were, is ongoing.

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When a little bit of poison is good for you: Inside the theory of dose response - Salon

A broken heart may conjure up bittersweet stories and love songs but experiencing a traumatic event may actually cause cardiac consequences.

Broken heart syndrome, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, occurs when someone experiences sudden and acute physical or emotional stress, which can rapidly weaken the heart's left ventricle.

Here's what you need to know about the causes, symptoms, and treatment for broken heart syndrome.

Broken heart syndrome, which was first described in Japan during the 1990s, is a condition where the left ventricle the heart's primary pumping chamber balloons out, while the base of the heart contracts. This may be dangerous because it negatively impacts the heart's ability to pump blood properly.

Conversely, a heart attack happens when blood flow, which brings oxygen to the heart, is restricted or entirely cut off. Although heart attacks and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy are both types of muscle heart failure that can cause similar symptoms, there are some key differences worth noting.

According to Jay Woody, MD, an emergency medicine physician and chief medical officer of Intuitive Health, heart attacks are often caused by blockage from fatty build-up known as plaque in the wall of the arteries which can lead to a clot in the blood vessel that impedes blood flow to the heart muscle. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, meanwhile, is triggered by a severe emotional or physical response that affects the heart muscle directly.

Broken heart syndrome can set in even if you're otherwise healthy, according to the American Heart Association, which is why it's important to understand the causes and symptoms.

According to Woody, the name "broken heart syndrome" refers to the fact that the condition can be brought on by emotionally traumatic events that negatively impact the physical heart.

He says the most common example of a stressor that can lead to this condition is grief from losing a loved one but notes that intense feelings of fear, anger, surprise, and other emotions can also be a trigger.

Some other events that might cause this condition include:

A 2020 study discovered an uptick in patients diagnosed with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy since the coronavirus outbreak reaching 7.8% compared to 1.7% before the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, patients with this condition during the pandemic were found to have a longer hospital stay than those hospitalized pre-pandemic.

Researchers noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has added multiple layers of stress into people's lives not only are many dealing with economic changes, emotional issues, loneliness, and isolation, but they're also grappling with constant concerns about themselves or their loved ones becoming ill. They concluded that this additional stress can have physical effects, as evidenced by the increasing diagnoses of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Broken heart syndrome can also be caused by physical stressors, including:

Even positive events, like walking into a surprise party or winning the lottery, can bring on Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

"Regardless of the cause of stress, the body's response is similar: to secrete a large amount of the stress hormone adrenaline," says Jennifer Haythe, MD, a critical care cardiologist at Columbia University Center. "In some instances, this can lead to Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which can mimic a heart attack."

While Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is seen in men and younger women, a 2015 study found that a staggering 89.8% of cases occurred in women between the ages of 58 and 75. The most common triggers were found to be physical (36%), followed by emotional shock (27.7%). Notably, a trigger could not be found in 28.5% of patients. The study also revealed that patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy were almost twice as likely as those with acute coronary syndrome (such as heart attack) to have a psychiatric or neurological disorder.

"Patients who have broken heart syndrome may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, and low blood pressure very shortly after an extremely stressful event," says Woody.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine and the American Heart Association, other symptoms and signs of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy include:

These symptoms may set in anywhere from minutes to hours after someone has gone through a physically or emotionally stressful event.

"Some people describe it as feeling like an elephant is sitting on their chest," says Haythe. "Sweating, jaw pain, left arm pain, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, palpitations, and mid-epigastric discomfort are all possible symptoms as well."

If you feel any new symptoms in your chest, or have crushing chest pain or shortness of breath, experts urge you to seek medical attention immediately.

"Heart attacks have similar symptoms as broken heart syndrome, so it's important to get a diagnosis because heart attacks can be fatal," says Woody.

When a patient experiences symptoms similar to broken heart syndrome, medical professionals will typically rely on imaging studies, blood tests, and cardiac biomarkers to observe any potential abnormalities before making an official diagnosis.

Woody says that clinicians often use a cardiac MRI or administer an echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound) that determines whether or not there is ballooning in the left ventricle, thus signifying Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. They may also use coronary angiograms, a procedure that uses X-ray imaging, to rule out a heart attack.

While it can take up to two to three months to recover after a heart attack, Woody says a person will typically recover from broken heart syndrome within one to six weeks, making a full recovery within one to two months.

A 2015 study revealed that the rate of death for patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was 5.6% per year. While death is rare, heart failure occurs in roughly 20% of patients.

Treatment for broken heart syndrome will depend largely on which symptoms the patient is experiencing, and that, according to Woody, will dictate the severity of the condition. He states that clinicians will often recommend medications like beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and diuretics. They may also give aspirin to patients who show plaque buildup in their artery walls.

Beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors can be effective in reducing the effects of stress hormones, thereby helping to prevent a recurrence. Meditation and exercise are also proven to be effective strategies for reducing stress, which may play a role in triggering the disorder.

Some of the complications that can result from broken heart syndrome, according to Woody, include fluid in the lungs, or irregular heartbeat. Obstruction of blood flow from the left ventricle, and rupture of the ventricle wall, are also possible, though rare.

"Symptoms can be treated effectively by medical professionals and are usually not long-lasting," he adds. "Broken heart syndrome can be dangerous, but the condition improves rapidly, which means patients with a naturally strong heart shouldn't experience lasting effects."

Broken heart syndrome can be brought on by both physical and emotional stressors. The most common signs of this condition are chest pain and shortness of breath and you can experience these symptoms regardless of whether or not you have any history of heart disease .

Although broken heart syndrome is short-term and easily treatable, Woody says it's still important to seek medical support to prevent it from causing lasting heart damage, which can lead to other symptoms.

Haythe says that people who have experienced one episode of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy are at risk for a recurrence. However, with quick recognition, exclusion of other causes, and proper treatment, she says this condition has an "excellent prognosis," with most patients making a complete recovery.

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Broken heart syndrome is real here's how physical and emotional stress can affect your heart - Insider - INSIDER

Testosterone Replacement Therapy Market research report delivers a comprehensive study on production capacity, consumption, import and export for all major regions across the world. Report provides is a professional inclusive study on the current state for the market. Analysis and discussion of important industry like market trends, size, share, growth estimates are mentioned in the report.

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Testosterone replacement therapy includes substitution of testosterone hormone in male patients when they experience the ill effects of hypogonadism and lower testosterone level. The TRT drugs are accessible in six diverse forms that are gels, infusions, inserts, buccal glues and orals, which is influencing the market growth. Settled medicinal services and high use and interest for cutting edge TRT items are causing the growth. Increase in the awareness among people about testosterone replacement therapy is the factor to drive market. The high risks of infections like cardiovascular sickness and prostate disease related with testosterone substitution treatment will limit market development, which will restrain the growth.

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Anabolic steroids additionally called androgenic steroids are derivatives of testosterone, significant for advancing and keeping up muscle development and creating auxiliary male sex qualities, for example, an extending voice and facial hair. They are anabolic and increment protein inside cells, particularly in skeletal muscles, Anabolic steroids utilized restoratively in ailments to animate muscle increment, set off male adolescence and treat constant squandering conditions, comprising of malignancy and AIDS.

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Increment in geriatric populace drives the androgens and anabolic steroids commercial center, as more men are susceptible to hypogonadism. Also, ascend in weight issues in men propels the overall androgens and anabolic steroids market. The growing negative health status specifically within the developing countries is projected to fuel the growth of the marketplace during the forecast period. Besides, rise in government ventures for higher human services is attributed to the growth of the overall androgens and anabolic steroids market. Increment in occurrence of hypogonadism among men is anticipated to enlarge the worldwide androgens and anabolic steroids market all through the forecast span. Rise in impotence among men due to weight problems and tiredness is expected to enhance demand for androgens and anabolic steroids during forecast duration.

Anabolic Steroids Market can be segmented on basis of compound derivatives, mode of administration, applications, Distribution channels and geography.

On basis of synthetic derivatives, Anabolic steroids market is segmented as:

On basis of Modes of administration, Anabolic steroids is segmented as:

On basis of Applications, anabolic steroids is segmented as:

On basis of Distribution channels, anabolic steroids market is segmented as:

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Anabolic steroids include di-hydro-testosterone, testosterone, and other marketers. Anabolic steroids stimulate the improvement of male sex organs and male sexual characters including growth of beard and deepening of voice. Various varieties of tissues grow due to stimulation of anabolic steroids, specifically muscle and bone. Rise in red blood cells production is due to anabolic results. Androgens and anabolic steroids are used for the remedy of breast cancer in ladies, impotence, hypogonadism in men, and alternative therapy delayed puberty in adolescent boys. Anabolic steroids are also used for the treatment of numerous conditions with hormonal imbalance, weight loss, osteoporosis, and anemia. Anabolic steroids market can be segmented based on synthetic derivatives, mode of administration, application, end-user, and region. In terms of mode of administration, the market can be categorized into oral, injection, topical, skin patches and inhaler. Based on application type, anabolic steroids market can be divided into Anabolic, Androgenic and others. Based on distribution channels anabolic steroids market can be classified into hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies and online pharmacies. The hospital pharmacies segment dominated the market owing to elevated availability of medications and hospitals being the first point of contact for treatment.

Anabolic steroids market in North America held the biggest marketplace share due to expanded prevalence of breast cancer in women. According to many researches, breast cancers is one of the main cause of death in U.S. Europe held the second largest share in anabolic steroids market because of accelerated occurrence of hypogonadism in men and delayed puberty in adolescent boys. The Anabolic steroids market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a fast pace during the forecast period attributable to multiplied government initiatives to get rid of breast cancer. Anabolic steroids market in Middle East & Africa is predicted to be driven via improved occurrence of impotence, hypogonadism in men, and behind schedule puberty in adolescent boys. The market in Latin America is projected to witness robust increase at some point of the forecast length due to accelerated government tasks within the fitness care sector.

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Valeant, Endo Pharmaceuticals Solutions Inc., Germiphene Corporation, Taro Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Antares Pharma, Inc, Actavis Pharma, Inc, Sandoz, Pfizer, Unimed Pharmaceuticals, Upsher-Smith

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Wall Streets best firms dont just look at the stocks, they look at the big picture, too. And Oppenheimers chief investment strategist, John Stoltzfus, is particularly adept at showing us the macro view. In his first note of the new year, Stoltzfus notes a series of factors that are going to impact the markets. The big news, of course, the 800-pound gorilla that cannot be ignored, is the ongoing COVID epidemic. The disease is coming back strong now that were well into winter which was somewhat expected, as its typical behavior for flu-like respiratory viruses. With the winter virus surge, we also must contend with a new round of lockdown policies, imposed from state or local levels. Its hoped that the newly available COVID vaccines will, by springtime, start to put a damper on the novel coronavirus."The length of time that households and economies have been negatively impacted by the spread of the virus across the world in our view will likely result in less resistance to inoculation against Covid-19 than many experts had feared early on in the pandemic. We expect that equity markets will remain sensitive to developments tied to the pandemic that have held the US and global economy hostage for nearly a year," Stoltzfus said.The second-biggest news, but the one most likely, in Stoltzfus view, to make an impression on the market, is the Georgia election. Both Democratic candidates won Senate seats, giving the incoming Biden Administration the ability to push policies through Congress over any opposition at least for the next two years.This Democrat victory, ensuring short-term one-party control of the Presidency and Congress, has Stoltzfus worried. In his campaign, Joe Biden promised to roll back Trumps tax policies, and to enact a series of large spending initiatives. Should he now follow through, Bidens stated policy is likely to raise both taxes and Federal spending. And in Stoltzfus view, that will probably cost the markets; Stoltzfus believes that unfettered progressive/Democrat policy enactments will leave the S&P 500 vulnerable to losses on the order of 6% to 10%.Before rushing to sell-off holdings, Oppenheimers stock analysts remind investors that compelling opportunities can still be found. The firm's analysts have tagged three stocks that they see gaining upwards of 80% for the year ahead. UsingTipRanks database, we learned that the rest of the Street is in agreement, as all three boast a Strong Buy analyst consensus. miRagen Therapeutics (MGEN)miRagen Therapeutics aims to develop new treatment options for diseases that todays therapies cannot adequately ameliorate. The company's flagship drug candidate is VRDN-001, an anti-IGF-1R monoclonal antibody in clinical-stage research as a treatment for thyroid eye disease (TED). miRagen acquired the rights to VRDN-001 late last year, after its October acquisition of Veridian Therapeutics. The monoclonal antibody is about to enter Phase 2 clinical trial, with initial results expected around mid-year 2021.miRagen is funding its current research with a $91 million capital raise, arranged in a private placement financing agreement. With that agreement in place, miRagen ended the third quarter with $144 million in cash on hand, but more importantly, a clear cash runway extending to 2023.Among the bulls is Oppenheimer analyst Leland Gershell, who rates MGEN an Outperform (i.e. Buy), along with a $37 price target. This figure indicates room for 102% one-year growth. (To watch Gershells track record, click here)Backing his stance, Gershell says, Recent Viridian acquisition and $91M raise set miRagen on a new course, as the incoming programs position it to compete in the fertile thyroid eye disease market we see ample revenue potential for [VRDN-001], and its higher potency may enable differentiation... We expect that progress in the development of MGEN's TED candidates will support outperformance. Overall, Wall Street likes the risk/reward factor at play here, as TipRanks showcases a Strong Buy consensus rooting for MGEN's success. Shares are selling for $18.26 and have an average price target of $32. This target implies a 75% upside from current levels. (See MGEN stock analysis on TipRanks)Oric Pharmaceuticals (ORIC)The success of the pharmacological industry has, ironically, caused a significant challenge: many diseases are becoming resistant to existing therapies. Many cancers are among the diseases subject to resistance and consequent relapse, serious problems that both impact the patients quality of life and increase mortality rates. Oric Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-state biopharma research company, is working on treatments to overcome cancer resistance.Orics lead candidate is ORIC-101, which shows promise as a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist. The drug is entering two separate Phase 1b trials, one for prostate cancer and one for solid tumors. Modern drug research is expensive, and Oric recently raised capital through a successful public offering of stock. The company put over 5.79 million new shares on the market back in November, at $23 each, and grossed over $133.3 million.5-star Oppenheimer analyst Kevin DeGeeter covers Oric, and he is bullish. DeGeeter backshis Outperform(i.e. Buy) rating with a $62 price target, implying a one-year upside potential of 88%. (To watch DeGeeters track record, click here)In support of his optimistic stance, DeGeeter writes, We view ORIC as an investment in a leadership team with prior history of successfully developing clinically important cancer drugs. Our thesis assumes clinical data supporting best-in-class profile of ORIC-101 based on either ease of use or superior efficacy in biomarker selected population. We believe current investor expectations assign material value to potential best-in-class profile of ORIC-101 and skills of management. Overall, ORIC shares get a unanimous thumbs up from the analyst consensus, with 3 recent Buy reviews adding up to a Strong Buy rating. The stock is priced at $32.91, while the $50.67 average price target indicates room for an ~54% growth. (See ORIC stock analysis on TipRanks)Triterras (TRIT)Next up is a unicorn, a billion-dollar fintech startup that has been on the public markets for less than three months. Triterras provides an online trading and trade finance platform, Kratos, based on blockchain technology. Trade finance, or the provision of credit services in the physical transport of market commodities, is worth an estimated $40 billion annually; Triterras platform uses the secure nature of blockchain as a selling point for online traders.Triterras went public through a SPAC merger; that is, a business combination with a special acquisition company. These companies exist to purchase a target company, injecting capital, and then put the combined entity on the public markets.Analyst Owen Lau, in his coverage of this stock for Oppenheimer, likes what he sees. Of the companys current status, he writes, results and momentum appear strong, and the full-year guidance implies a 235% and 142% YoY growth in revenue and net income off a low base. More importantly, while the company is growing faster than other high growth marketplaces, the stock trades at a discount to low growth marketplaces on average.At the bottom line, Lau is bullish, saying, We see an intriguing paper-to-electronic opportunity in Triterras, which leverages blockchain technology to disrupt the low-tech adoption in the trade and trade finance industry.In line with these comments, Lau rates TRIT shares an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his $23 price target implies 93% growth for the year ahead. (To watch Laus track record, click here)Overall, this company has 3 recent reviews on record, and they are all to buy, making the Strong Buy analyst consensus unanimously positive. Shares are priced at $10.94 with an average price target of $19, giving the stock ~60% one-year upside potential. (See TRIT stock analysis at TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Forum Health, LLC adds Meridian Health Center to its growing community of Integrative and Functional Medicine practitioners - Yahoo Finance

The treatment goals of mBC are to ameliorate symptoms, maintain quality of life, and prolong overall survival (OS).3,4 Management of mBC is based on tumor expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 receptors.1 For frontline therapy in the metastatic setting in hormone receptor (HR)positive mBCs that are ER positive or PR positive, hormone therapy with either a selective ER downregulator (fulvestrant) or an aromatase inhibitor forms the foundation of treatment. If the HR-positive mBC is HER2 negative, the preferred regimen is hormone therapy combined with a CDK4/6 inhibitor. In HR-positive/HER2-positive mBC, HER2-directed therapy (trastuzumab and/or lapatinib) in combination with hormone therapy is primarily recommended.1

In HR-negative mBC, cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the backbone of treatment regimens.1,3 In HR-negative/HER2-positive mBC in the frontline setting, HER2-targeted therapy (pertuzumab plus trastuzumab) combined with docetaxel or paclitaxel is the preferred regimen.1 In subsequent lines, other cytotoxic chemotherapy agents are combined with HER2-targeted therapy. Treatment options for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is ER negative, PR negative, and HER-negative, are more limited because of the lack of therapeutic targets.3 In TNBC, sequential, single-agent cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the primary option in the frontline and later-line settings. In patients with TNBC and high tumor burden, visceral crisis, or rapidly progressing disease, chemotherapy combinations may be considered.1

Recent trials of immunotherapy and BRCA mutationtargeted therapy in TNBC have shown some promise. In the phase 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled IMpassion130 trial (NCT02425891), the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab improved progression-free survival (PFS) when combined with albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel compared with nab-paclitaxel alone in metastatic TNBC.5 In the intention-to-treat population, which included patients with and without PD-L1 cell positivity, the addition of atezolizumab to nab-paclitaxel led to a PFS of 7.2 months compared with 5.5 months in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69-0.92; P=.0021). In patients with positive PD-L1 expression, median PFS was 7.5 months and 5.3 months in the atezolizumab and placebo groups, respectively (hazard ratio 0.63; 95% CI, 0.50-0.80; P<.0001).5 Overall survival (OS) in the intention-to-treat population was not significantly different between the arms (21.0 months vs 18.7 months; hazard ratio 0.86; 95% CI, 0.72-1.02; P=.078).5 In an exploratory analysis, patients without PD-L1 tumors did not have OS benefit. However, among patients with PD-L1positive tumors, median OS was 25.0months with atezolizumab and 18.0 months with placebo (hazard ratio 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.94).5 Atezolizumab was approved in 2019 for patients with locally advanced or metastatic TNBC who have PD-L1expressing tumors when used in combination with nab-paclitaxel.6,7

Sacituzumab govitecan-hziy was also recently approved for patients with metastatic TNBC who have received at least 2 prior lines of therapy in the metastatic setting.8 Sacituzumab govitecan-hziy is an antibody-drug conjugate that contains an antibody that targets Trop-2, a glycoprotein overexpressed in many epithelial cancers, including TNBC.9,10 The monoclonal antibody delivers the toxic payload SN-38, an active metabolite of irinotecan, to the tumor microenvironment and intracellularly.9,10 Approval of this agent was based on results of a phase 1/2 single-group multicenter trial in 108 patients with metastatic TNBC.11 Included patients were heavily pretreated with a range of 2to 10 previous lines of anticancer regimens (median=3).11 After a median of 9.7 months of follow-up, the response rate was 33.3%, and the clinical benefit rate, which included patients with stable disease for 6 months or more, was 45.4%.11 The median PFS was 5.5 months (95% CI, 4.1-6.3).11

Challenges and Unmet Needs

In HR-negative mBC, chemotherapy remains the backbone of treatment regimens. The majority of recommended regimens contain agents requiring intravenous (IV) infusion or intramuscular administration (fulvestrant). The only oral agents are cyclophosphamide, capecitabine, tucatinib, lapatinib, and neratinib.1 Despite the number of treatment options for patients with mBC, unmet needs remain pertaining to disease control, prolonging the interval to intensive cytotoxic therapy, and treatment-related complications. Additionally, there is a greater need for treatment regimens that are less burdensome for patients and their caregivers, as well as reducing health care costs associated with the IV administration of anticancer regimens.

Disease Control

The past decade has marked dramatic progress in biomarker-based treatment in mBC. However, progress in the treatment of metastatic TNBC is limited by the lack of therapeutic targets. Effective therapy for patients with metastatic TNBC is an unmet need.3 The recent approvals of atezolizumab for PD-L1expressing metastatic TNBC and sacituzumab govitecan-hziy for patients with TNBC who have received at least 2 prior lines of therapy in the metastatic setting have expanded the options for this patient group. However, mBC eventually will progress in most patients.6,8 There is an immense medical need for new treatment options to prolong the interval to starting intensive cytotoxic therapy, which has potentially serious adverse effects (AEs) that can reduce the quality of life.12

Metronomic therapy has been explored to prolong the interval in the need for intensive cytotoxic therapy. Metronomic therapy is the frequent, long-term administration of chemotherapy at low doses without a break in therapy.13 Metronomic therapy maintains plasma concentration of the cytotoxic agent above the therapeutic threshold but substantially below the maximum tolerated dose. Data suggest metronomic therapy may inhibit angiogenesis and have antiproliferative and immunomodulatory activities.12 There is also possible synergy with molecularly targeted agents.13 Hence, metronomic therapy may be able to improve the therapeutic index of cytotoxic agents by decreasing treatment-associated toxicities and exerting disease control activity.12 In mBC, studies of metronomic therapy have included oral vinorelbine and cyclophosphamide.13 The addition of metronomic oral cyclophosphamide to pertuzumab plus trastuzumab in older patients with HER2-positive mBC improved PFS by 7 months compared with pertuzumab plus trastuzumab alone (12.7 months; 95% CI, 6.7-24.8 months vs 5.6 months; 95% CI, 3.6-16.8 months).14

Although metronomic therapy has the potential to increase antitumor efficacy while limiting chemotherapy-related toxicity, advancing the field of metronomic chemotherapy would require the development of oral cytotoxic agents. Oral agents, unlike IV ones, can eliminate the logistical barriers for chemotherapy to be administered as a continuous/frequent low-dose regimen. In addition, the development of oral chemotherapy agents will facilitate further clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of metronomic oral therapy in patients with mBC.

Treatment-Related Complications

Taxanes are widely used in mBC, but they are highly hydrophobic and insoluble.15 To make parenteral administration possible, polyoxyethylated castor oil and ethanol are used as the vehicle for paclitaxel, and polysorbate 80 and ethanol are used as the vehicle for docetaxel.15 These solvents lead to hypersensitivity reactions and prolonged peripheral neuropathy that may be irreversible.15 Patients receiving paclitaxel require premedication with corticosteroids, H2-receptor antagonists, and diphenhydramine. Despite premedication, fatal hypersensitivity reactions have occurred in patients receiving IV paclitaxel.16 Additionally, patients with certain comorbidities (eg, diabetes) may not tolerate corticosteroid premedication, which can lead to hyperglycemia requiring intensive glycemic control and monitoring.

Besides hypersensitivity reactions, the taxanes solvent vehicles may directly contribute to neutropenia. In a clinical trial comparing nab-paclitaxel and conventional paclitaxel, among patients treated with nab-paclitaxel, treatment-related grade 4 neutropenia was significantly lower than conventional paclitaxel (9% vs 22%, P<.001) despite a higher dose, suggesting that the polyoxyethylated castor oil vehicle may be partly responsible for the neutropenia associated with paclitaxel.15 Recent studies of oral paclitaxel without solvent vehicles also demonstrated a decreased incidence of peripheral neuropathy and alopecia.17 Additionally, solvents may decrease the efficacy of taxanes because of entrapment of the active drug in micelles within the patients plasma, leading to increased systemic exposure and inadequate dose-dependent antitumor activity.15

Chemotherapy also may be poorly tolerated, especially in the older population. Avoiding significant toxicities and maintaining quality of life may be just as important as prolonging survival in mBC.14 Because of the lower potential for toxicity while maintaining efficacy, oral metronomic chemotherapy at frequent, low doses is an attractive treatment option for older patients with cancer who are not suitable candidates for conventional chemotherapy.13 Indeed, a meta-analysis of patients treated by metronomic chemotherapy for various tumor types indicated that grade 3 or 4 AEs were rare (eg, neutropenia, 5.39%; anemia, 1.73%; febrile neutropenia, 0.53%).18

Complications of IV access sites also are a concern with chemotherapies administered by IV infusion. With chronic venous and/or central line access, access-related complications are not uncommon, including sclerosis of the veins (31%), extravasation (7%-17%), access-related infections (6%-13%) and catheter-associated thrombosis (6%-18%).19 Furthermore, patients are concerned about the pain associated with IV placement and the IV site. In a survey, 47.4% of patients with breast cancer reported apprehension about IV linerelated pain, and 65.7% were concerned about problems locating a vein for infusion.20

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, the American Society of Clinical Oncology has encouraged physicians to use telemedicine to help exposure to and transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In addition, patients with COVID-19 should be symptom-free before receiving in-office IV therapy.21 Because of concerns regarding infusion-related AEs, disposal of cytotoxic agents, and risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure to medical staff, home infusion generally is not recommended.21 Effective oral chemotherapy regimens, if widely available, could potentially play a substantial role in preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Patient Preference

The current mechanisms for delivery of treatment options present significant burdens for patients. One of the often overlooked considerations is the impact of a chemotherapeutic regimen on a patients daily life. With an IV regimenbesides the actual time patients and/or caregivers spend at the infusion clinicpatients must travel to and from the clinic and wait for their treatment to be administered.22 The time commitment interferes with the patients and caregivers work obligations and other responsibilities. Additionally, practical concerns exist regarding travel to and from infusion clinics. For example, in a survey study, 55.4% of patients worried about having nausea during their trip home after chemotherapy infusion.20

One solution is the use of oral chemotherapy that patients can administer at home. Findings from a survey study of 224 patients with breast cancer receiving either oral chemotherapy (n=60) or IV chemotherapy (n=164) revealed that 48.3% of patients receiving oral treatments believed they were more able to handle the disease.23 Approximately 60% of patients stated that an oral regimen gave them more autonomy outside the clinic.23 Similarly, in another survey study of 59 patients with breast cancer starting oral chemotherapy, findings showed that 67% of the patients perceived that an oral chemotherapy regimen would lessen the effort to cope with the disease.24 These results were echoed by a findings from a survey study, in which 73% patients in Spain with metastatic lung or breast cancer who had previously received IV therapy and oral chemotherapy stated that their everyday life would be less affected by oral medications.20 Among patients with mBC in this study, 66.9% were concerned about inconvenience of an IV regimen.20

Because of the interference of IV regimens with patients daily lives and autonomy, it is no surprise that the majority of patients with breast cancer prefer an oral regimen. In fact, findings from a previously mentioned study showed that 76% of patients preferred an oral regimen administered at home instead of infusion at a clinic.20 In an internet-based cross-sectional survey study in the United States, women with breast cancer were asked to indicate the acceptability of various AEs and regimens of different frequency and duration of administration.25 Most of the participants (77%) preferred an oral regimen compared with 19% who were willing to choose a less convenient regimen.25 In a utility analysis using a similar internet-based survey design, patients with breast cancer were asked to trade off the preferred oral administration in exchange for a reduction in AEs (eg, alopecia, neutropenia).26 Results showed that patients were willing to tolerate a 5% increased risk of alopecia or grade 1 to 2 hand-foot syndrome in exchange for an oral regimen.26 In general, the more infusion days per treatment cycle and the longer the infusion time (eg, 3 hours vs 30 minutes), the less willing patients were to tolerate such a regimen.26

In a review of literature on patient preference on the modes of cancer treatment administration, reasons for patients preference for oral chemotherapy regimens included the ability to take the therapy at home, convenience, desire to continue working, impact on daily life and relationships, autonomy, and an increased ability to cope with the disease.27 However, patients are generally not willing to accept reduced efficacy or increased treatment-related toxicity in exchange for a convenient regimen.27

Costs

Costs associated with IV chemotherapy can be substantial. Treatment with IV chemotherapy entails not only drug acquisition cost but also costs related to specialized supplies and equipment, personnel needed to prepare and administer the IV drug, and management of AEs related to IV administration.28 In an administrative database study, investigators evaluated costs associated with IV chemotherapy administration in 828 patients with mBC during 7406 visits for single-agent IV therapy.28 IV administration constituted 10% to 11% of the overall cost of therapy, and other visit-related services (eg, antihypercalcemic agents, hematopoietic support, anticancer drugs used off label) accounted for 31% to 32% of costs.28 Although the costs of IV administration were approximately one-tenth of overall therapy costs, they could have been avoided with the use of oral regimens.28 The authors hypothesized that even if an all-IV multiagent therapy were replaced with an oral plus IV regimen, some costs related to IV administration could still be avoided.28 In a more recent study assessing health care costs in patients with stage 0 to IV breast cancer and service types, costs associated with the day of chemotherapy accounted for more than 25% to 26% of total costs.29

Direct comparisons of health care costs between IV and oral chemotherapy have also been reported. In a population-based study, investigators compared the relative cost impact among women starting capecitabine (oral regimen, n=114) versus taxanes (IV regimen, n=619) as first-line chemotherapy for mBC from 1998 to 2002.22 Participants were identified from the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry and Medicaid claims linked databases, and their claims were followed through 2005.22 In the first year after starting the respective first-line therapies, women receiving IV taxanes had higher total health care utilization compared with those who received oral capecitabine ($43,353 vs $35,842; P=.0089). The cost differences were mainly due to higher outpatient costs associated with IV taxanes (P<.001).22 After adjusting for confounders, health care costs associated with oral capecitabine were 32% lower compared with IV taxanes (P=.0001).22

In another study, investigators conducted a budget impact model comparing the health care costs associated with trastuzumab-based therapy (IV regimen) vs lapatinib plus capecitabine (oral regimen) among an estimated 43,707 patients with mBC in the French national hospital database.30 Despite slightly lower drug acquisition costs for the IV regimen, the 1-year treatment cost per patient was 2 times higher for the IV regimen compared with the oral regimen when costs included administration and nondrug expenditures.30 Estimated annual cost difference between the IV and oral regimens was 90.8 million.30 Use of an oral regimen also would lead to 25,357 fewer outpatient hospitalizations for chemotherapy administration, resulting in substantial savings in hospital and transportation costs.30

Summary

There have been many recent advances in the treatment of mBC. The current mechanisms for delivery of these options, however, present significant burdens for patients. In addition, some IV formulations of taxanes, which are frequently used in the management of patients with mBC, may directly contribute to treatment toxicities and complications. The need for IV administration for most chemotherapy regimens increases health care costs. New approaches and delivery mechanisms are needed to optimize outcomes and maintain the quality of life in patients with mBC.

References

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Current Approaches and Unmet Needs in the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network

FLINT, Mich., Jan. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Forum Health, LLC, a nationwide provider of personalized functional and integrative medicine, has acquired Healing Arts Center, a functional medicine practice based in Valparaiso, Indiana.

This multidisciplinary practice is comprised of an experienced team of providers including a physician, board-certified traditional Naturopath, licensed acupuncturist, nutritionist, chiropractor, and massage therapist. The clinic delivers a broad scope of complementary health services designed to encourage well-being and health in a caring and compassionate environment.

"We are thrilled to welcome the Healing Arts Center team to the Forum Health family. The clinic's patient-focused mission for helping people overcome chronic conditions and lead healthier lives, directly aligns with our philosophy. Healing Arts Center is dedicated to providing the highest level of care possible using Forum Health's holistic and personalized medicine approach," said Forum Health CEO, Phil Hagerman.

With a focus on complementing traditional medicine with alternative health treatments, Healing Arts Center offers a wide variety of services including IV, Chelation and Ozone therapies, acupuncture, reflexology, reiki, craniosacral therapy, massage therapy, hormone testing, allergy elimination, hypnotherapy, and more. They specialize in treating Lyme disease, Parkinson's, dementia, ADD, autism, anxiety, depression, weight loss, allergies, and other specific conditions.

"My team and I are excited to join the growing network of nationwide providers at Forum Health and to offer even more to our existing patients and community," said Dr. Kimberling, founder and lead practitioner of Healing Arts Center.

About Forum Health

Forum Health, LLC is a nationwide provider of personalized healthcare. Steeped in the powerful principles of functional and integrative medicine, Forum Health providers take a root-cause approach to care. They listen and dig deep exploring lifestyle, environment, and genetics to help each patient achieve their ultimate health goals. Members have access to advanced medical treatments and technology, with care plans informed by data analytics and collaborative relationships. To learn more, visitforumhealth.com.

To learn more, visit our practice location page.

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Forum Health, LLC adds Healing Arts Center to its growing community of Integrative and Functional Medicine practitioners - Iosco County News Herald

A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic puppy cams!

You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile, said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone.

Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps her temporarily escape the darkness of the COVID-19 crisis.

Its just been a moment of sunlight for us pretty much all year, she said.

Lingg lagrone works an emotionally draining job inside in the acute respiratory care clinic at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado.

Its just isolating to be so alone, she said. Its been a tough year.

To help boost her and her co-workers moods, National Jewish Health recently started airing a puppy cam from Warrior Canine Connection on http://www.explore.org.

The saying is, we came for the puppies but we stayed for the mission, said Rick Yount, founder of Warrior Canine Connection, which breeds puppies to become service dogs for veterans.

Recently, his team transitioned to helping a different kind of hero health care workers.

Were trying to just get every therapeutic drop from every puppy, Yount said. A lot of people have found solace and healing from watching these puppies.

Millions of people from dozens of countries around the world are tuning into this puppy cam, which behavioral therapists say helps lower stress levels.

You just feel that emotional and biological reaction when you see puppies, said Patrick Griswold an associate professor with MSU Denvers department of human services and counseling.

At first, Griswold was skeptical about what kind of impact looking at puppies online would have on someones well-being compared to seeing these puppies in person. After watching for himself, however, Griswold says this form of virtual animal therapy can help people better handle their emotions by releasing what he calls the love hormone.

When humans look at their dogs, oxytocin levels rise in both the animal and in the human, he said. When youre watching puppies play, its hard to also think about all the other stuff going on in your life.

A much-needed emotional outlet from the daily grind of working on the front lines during the pandemic for people like Ling Lagrone.

Its been a really hard year and its just full of sadness. she said. Its hard not to feel joy when you look at a puppy.

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Nonprofit providing unusual form of therapy for those on front lines puppy cams - The Denver Channel

In a hot market market for NASH, having big-name backers can help shine a spotlight on startup players looking to make a mark. That was certainly the case for Terns Pharmaceuticals and partner Eli Lilly, which provided seed funding and licensed three NASH candidates to the baby biotech back in 2018.

Now, with two of those candidates in the clinic, Terns has bagged new funding to help speed toward the finish line.

After scoring $120 million in two early rounds, Terns raised an $87 million Series C funding round with Deerfield Management leading alongside OrbiMed Advisors, Lilly Asia Ventures, Vivo Capital, Samsara Capital, Suvretta Capital Management and several others. Lilly also jumped aboard with a strategic equity investment.

Terns, co-founded by Novartis veteran Weidong Zhong, is funneling the money into three of its NASH programs, one of which TERN-101 is expected to produce topline Phase IIa data in the second half of 2021, and another of which TERN-501 is headed for the clinic.

In 2018, Zhong told Endpoints that the idea for the company was to partner a California-based discovery team with a small development group in China to efficiently develop new drugs primarily for the Chinese market. Lilly Asia Ventures sunk in $30 million to get it going, a move which came about a year after Lilly closed its Shanghai R&D base.

On Wednesday, after press time, a spokesperson said Terns has since shifted its strategy, focusing more on building a headquarters and development team in California. While Terns continues to have an eye on additional global markets, their current focus is on the US, where clinical trials for their three lead programs will occur, the spokesperson said.

In 2021, we expect to have three promising clinical-stage therapeutic candidates with meaningful near-term milestones, Terns CEO Senthil Sundaram said in a statement.

TERN-101, the furthest along, is a liver-directed non-bile acid farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist. Its being tested on 96 patients in a Phase IIa study, dubbed LIFT. While Terns faces competition from other NASH players like Intercept and AbbVie, which snagged an FXR agonist in the Allergan buyout, the company thinks its candidates safety profile is where it will stand out. In four Phase I trials, none of 119 subjects in the treatment arm reported pruritus, and their serum lipid profiles were similar to those in the placebo arm at all doses, according to the companys website.

TERN-201, a vascular adhesion protein (VAP)-1) inhibitor, is expected to enter a Phase Ib trial in the first half of 2021, with a topline data readout anticipated in the first half of 2022. And TERN-501, a thyroid hormone receptor (THR) beta agonist, is entering a Phase I trial in the first half of 2021 with topline data coming in the second half of 2021.

Terns, named after the small, tough water bird, closed an $80 million Series B in October 2018 led by Vivo Capital and OrbiMed. Zhong, who spent some time working in liver diseases at Gilead, toldEndpointsin 2018 that he liked the idea of going back to the liver and bringing in oncology as a way to distinguish the startup in China.

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UPDATED: Eli Lilly's transpacific bosom buddy Terns bags late-round funding to drive NASH hopefuls through the clinic - Endpoints News

By RIAN JACKSONCapital News Service

LANSING Sachi Tanaka says after having COVID-19 for three weeks, she experienced insomnia in a way that she never had.

At that time, I had gotten myself into a good routine of falling asleep around 10 p.m. and waking up early, said the 24-year-old Texas woman. And then, all of the sudden, it was like I couldnt fall asleep until 6 or 7 in the morning.

Her insomnia was a nagging feeling. She tossed and turned in bed, feeling like she was at the brink of sleep, but would be interrupted by her thoughts.

Tanaka isnt alone. COVID-19 has affected many peoples sleep, whether theyve had the virus or not. Sleep neurologists call it COVID-somnia, a phenomenon where people have trouble sleeping because of the virus. And its effects can last even after the pandemic ends.

Coronavirus upended our lifestyles. Morning commutes were replaced with teleworking, which may mean less physical activity and exposure to sunlight and more screen time, said Dr. George Zureikat, a sleep medicine specialist and director of Mid Michigan Sleep Center in Grand Blanc.

That can ruin sleep by disrupting the circadian rhythm the powerhouse of our sleep-wake cycle.

Stress induced by COVID can also result in insomnia, said Zureikat, who has seen a surge of insomnia cases since the pandemic.

COVID-19 is unlike anything many people have experienced, he said. Insomniacs may lose sleep worrying about unemployment or about contracting the virus. Some people feel trapped during lockdowns and are constantly reading news articles about overcrowded hospitals and rising death numbers.

A recent study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found 2.77 million Google searches for insomnia in the first five months of 2020 a 58% increase compared with the same months from the previous three years. Most of those queries happened between midnight and 5 a.m., suggesting people were searching while unable to fall asleep.

Difficulties like trouble falling and staying asleep or waking up too early rose from 36% before the pandemic to 51% during it, Rebecca Robillard, a University of Ottawa professor who leads clinical sleep research at the Royals Institute of Mental Health Research, said in a Medpage Today article.

If your (circadian) rhythms are thrown off, that also throws off your sleep at night time, said Dr. Christopher Morgan, the medical director at Mercy Health Saint Marys Sleep Center in Grand Rapids. Your melatonin may not be producing the right amounts at the right time, which is part of your internal rhythms in your body.

Melatonin is the hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness. It helps time your circadian rhythms and sleep.

Humans are social animals, said Dr. Lila Massoumi, a professor of psychiatry at Michigan State University and chair of the American Psychiatric Association Caucus on Complementary & Integrative Psychiatry.

We draw both strength and calm from our fellow humans. Ripping that social support away by telling us to self-isolate removes that source of strength and calm, she said.

Unsurprisingly, those who contract the virus may also stress about their health.

Morgan said those who struggle with chronic insomnia, or insomnia experienced at least three nights a week for at least a month, may develop bad habits that can be difficult to shake.

You have an acute stressor, which is COVID, and you become an insomniac, he said. And then lets say I still havent gotten a job in six months. Now, Im sitting in bed for 10 hours a day just thinking about how terrible things are in my life, and I have insomnia.

So, now I start watching TV in bed because Im awake during the night time, and I start drinking pop in the middle of the night, and I start laying in bed even longer because I think Im not getting enough sleep. So, all these maladaptive behaviors develop.

Whats worse, according to Mayo Clinic researchers, those whove had chronic insomnia report a lower quality of life than those who sleep well. Chronic insomnia may lead to anxiety or depression, slowed reaction time while driving and increased risk of long-term diseases such as heart disease.

Many professionals treat patients with cognitive behavioral therapy. It works by identifying and replacing thoughts and behaviors that create sleep problems with ones that promote healthy sleep.

Its just a matter of just tweaking certain habits and changing certain things, said Rachel Freedland, a clinical social worker at Bright Spot Therapy, a counseling clinic in Farmington Hills. If there are other mental health needs, for example, if a person already has anxiety or depression, we address those as well.

After assessing a patients sleeping habits with sleep diaries and questionnaires, Freedland, who is certified in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, and her clients design a program that helps them sleep and wake up when they want.

Yoga and mindfulness, a type of meditation where you focus on being aware of what youre feeling and sensing at the moment, can release feel-good hormones that alleviate anxiety and promote healthier sleep, according to Asha Ravindran, a clinical team lead at St. Mary Mercy hospital in Livonia.

If you dont sleep, if youre anxious, youre out of sync with your body, said Ravindran, who owns Stepping Stones Wellness Center in Plymouth and conducts virtual yoga and meditation sessions with her patients.

She advises clients to create a private space where they can journal, practice yoga and meditate. This space can be as simple as the foot of the bed.

The key is to be present in the moment, Ravindran said. From yoga poses to breathing exercises, you can de-stress with strategies that help focus on the present without worrying about the past or future.

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Experts treat insomnia, anxiety caused by COVID-19 - Spartan Newsroom - Spartan Newsroom

Yes. Yes, probiotics have the potential to improve a persons sex life.

Whether or not they have the potential to improve your sex life, however, depends on your current gut health and your sex life.

When we talk about gut health, were typically talking about the composition of the billions of bacteria, archaea, and fungi inside the gut.

This is known as the microbiome, and it affects all sorts of things that contribute to your interest in sex and overall sexual satisfaction.

Did you know that the majority (about 95 percent!) of serotonin the happiness hormone in the body is produced in the gut? Yep!

But for the optimal amount of serotonin to be produced, the gut has to be in tip-top shape. When the gut is in suboptimal health, your serotonin and overall happiness levels can dip.

And according to Dr. Anna Cabeca, triple-board certified OB-GYN and author of The Hormone Fix: Low serotonin is associated with lower sex drives.

Makes sense. Few of us are jonesing to do anything in the sack other than sleep when were sad.

Belly bacteria helps create B vitamins, which are essential for the production of ATP (science-talk for energy). Less B vitamins = less energy.

Plus, some of the bacteria communicate with other cells in charge of blood sugar regulation, says Anthony Thomas, PhD, nutrition researcher and director of scientific affairs with probiotic brand Jarrow Formulas.

If your gut bacteria gets out of whack, your blood sugar levels can crash more easily. This can lead to more and longer lasting energy dips.

So, that too tired for sex feeling? Well, it might be linked to your gut health in more ways than one.

Fun fact: Serotonin is found in the genitals. Seriously!

Some research suggests that when your serotonin levels dip, your physical response to sexual feelings dips, too.

When our gut microbiome is unhealthy, it can lead to inflammation, says Dr. William W. Li, a physician, scientist, and author of Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.

Sadly, inflammation is quite the c*ck-block.

For example, some research has found that sexual health dysfunction is common among folks with inflammatory arthritis.

Lets face it: Its pretty damn hard to be in the mood to bone when you cant leave the bathroom.

And there are certain gut conditions that cause bathroom troubles to rear their ugly heads. These include:

In addition to constipation and diarrhea, other common symptoms include:

Both the physical and emotional effects of these and other gastrointestinal (GI) conditions have the potential to affect your sex life.

The keyword here is potential.

If youve already received a diagnosis or suspect that your symptoms might be a sign of a GI condition, talk with a doctor or other healthcare provider about your concerns.

They can help you find the best management or treatment option for your individual symptoms or side effects.

By now you can probably tell that your microbiome is complicated. Well, so is your libido.

Libido in general is very complicated and is impacted by many different things, says Cabeca. Hormones, lifestyle, and relational factors also have to be considered.

So finding out if your libido fluctuations are related to your microbiome is similarly tricky. And no matter how well-intentioned, gut health mishaps can have a direct effect on your overall health.

Li recommends meeting a gastroenterologist, the medical specialist that focuses on the gut, if youre experiencing any of the below symptoms:

Note: That recommendation stands even if your libido isnt funked up.

A gastroenterologist will be able to recommend an endoscopy, colonoscopy, or a scan of your abdomen to find out whats up, explains Li.

They also may be able to check your microbiome for abnormalities by sending a stool sample for testing, he adds.

Please dont self-diagnose your gut symptoms or libido mishaps. Why? Well, because theyre both incredibly complex.

Dr. Kimberly Langdon, OB-GYN and medical advisor at telehealth provider Medzino, notes that mental health conditions like depression are often linked with low libido.

In these cases, for example, trying to course correct at home without talking to a healthcare provider may mean delaying access to helpful medications or other necessary treatment.

Many GI conditions are characterized by dysbiosis, which is medical speak for an imbalance of bacteria in your gut.

If your provider has diagnosed dysbiosis, Li says that probiotics helpful yeasts and bacteria often delivered via certain foods and supplements may help.

A word of caution: Not all probiotics are created equal.

As a general rule, probiotics that are stored in the refrigerator are higher quality than those stored on the shelf.

Cabeca adds that Lactobacillus strains are typically better than others.

Bacterial imbalance has been linked to increased inflammation, so its thought that probiotics may help alleviate symptoms associated with IBS, IBD, and other inflammatory conditions.

Probiotics may also be helpful for acute digestive conditions like gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.

All that said, even if everything above sounds similar to your situation, you shouldnt start or increase your probiotic intake without first talking with a doctor or other healthcare provider.

There are two good reasons for this:

For example, if someone has small intestinal bowel overgrowth, adding probiotics can worsen gas and other symptoms, explains Cabeca.

If youve ever been probiotic shopping, youve likely stumbled across probiotics marketed for vaginas theyre all the rage, after all.

According to Langdon, these probiotics typically contain higher levels of Lactobacillus. Some research suggests that Lactobacillus helps support a healthy vaginal pH, as well as keep other pathogens at bay.

Now, if you scroll back up to the previous section, youll notice that Lactobacillus is the strain of bacteria thats best for both improving overall gut health and supporting vaginal health.

Thats why Li says, its just a marketing ploy. These probiotics are no different than any other probiotics on the market.

So do probiotics marketed for your genitals actually work? If you have a condition that can be remedied by consuming more Lactobacillus, they may.

But dont be tricked into thinking these probiotics are a one-stop solution for sexual dysfunction or the only option available.

Yep! In fact, there are quite a few things you should consider using in tandem or even instead of, in some cases.

Thats because (again, for the people in the back!) gut and sexual health conditions arent quick-fix problems.

The meds and antibiotics youre on or have been on can affect your gut microbiome, explains Thomas.

Its also widely known that antidepressant, antipsychotic, anti-epileptic, blood pressure, and cholesterol lowering meds can all impact sexual functioning.

Thats why Thomas recommends making sure your doctor knows what meds youre currently taking so they can help you troubleshoot if need be.

For gut conditions, most experts will recommend a diet shift, at least for a short period of time.

Cabeca, for example, recommends folks follow a healthy elimination diet to better understand what foods lead to their gut unrest. She also recommends incorporating gut-healing foods like bone broth and fermented veggies.

Regular exercise has been linked with higher serotonin levels.

Given serotonins relationship to both your gut and sex life, if youre currently on the sedentary side of things, moving your body more may be helpful.

If you have a condition that can be helped with a probiotic, Cabeca says, often, you can see a significant improvement of symptoms after 21 days.

And that includes symptoms related to your sex life.

Thomas, however, notes that probiotics need to be taken regularly. Benefits may ease if supplementation is discontinued, he adds.

Probiotics arent a one-size-fits-all treatment for all folks experiencing gut conditions or sexual dysfunction. But for some, they can be an incredibly beneficial part of a holistic treatment plan.

Gabrielle Kassel is a New York-based sex and wellness writer and CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. Shes become a morning person, tested over 200 vibrators, and eaten, drunk, and brushed with charcoal all in the name of journalism. In her free time, she can be found reading self-help books and romance novels, bench-pressing, or pole dancing. Follow her on Instagram.

Follow this link:
5 Ways Gut Health Affects Your Sex Life and How Probiotics Can Help - Healthline

According to a now-viral TikTok video posted on Dec. 8, 2020, as much as 95% of serotonin a key neurotransmitter that plays a role in regulating mood may be produced in the gastrointestinal tract:

#edutok #fyp #foryoupage #gut #serotonin Psychology #ThinkingAbout #til #discover

original sound Gianu System

The bacteria in your gut produce about 90% of the serotonin in your body, said social media user gianusystem, a self-identified online community dedicated to bringing awareness to dissociative identity disorder, or multiple personality disorder. The woman goes on to cite an article in Discover Magazine, adding that she was skeptical of new information that she hadnt heard before.

So, I went and looked this up. Thats the low number, said in the video, which at the time of writing had been shared more than 20,500 times.

Snopes also looked up the information and found that the claim is mostly true: Estimates suggest that up to 95% of the serotonin in the body is released in the gut through certain intestinal cells. But there is an important caveat to note: Most studies that link serotonin production to the gastrointestinal system have been conducted in animals. According to an article titled Gut Bacterias Role in Anxiety and Depression: Its Not Just in Your Head, which appeared in the November 2020 issue of the science magazine Discover, author Elizabeth Svoboda reported that about 90% of serotonin produced in the human body is done so in the gut.

Serotonin is a hormone and neurotransmitter responsible for sending chemical messages between cells to play a key role in stabilizing mood, feelings, and happiness. In the brain, serotonin allows cells of the nervous system to communicate with one another and when too little serotonin is produced, a person may experience anxiety, depression, and other emotional and behavioral disorders. Such conditions are typically treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), or antidepressants, that the Mayo Clinic said work by increasing levels of serotonin by blocking the reuptake of serotonin into some neurons, making the hormone more available to improve the transmission of messages.

While serotonin is most well-known for its role in the brain, the hormone is also found in the stomach and intestines where it helps to maintain bowel movements and function, noted the Hormone Health Network, an affiliate of the Endocrine Society. And some researchers postulate that a greater understanding of serotonin production in the gut may inform the treatment of certain mental health conditions in the brain.

In 2015, researchers at the California Institute of Technology demonstrated that bacteria normally present in the gut can stimulate the intestinal cells to produce serotonin as much as 90% of which is made in the digestive tract. In mice, a particular mixture of bacteria also found in the human gut produced molecules that signaled to gut cells to increase the production of serotonin. Modified mice that did not have the bacteria had more than 50% of their gut serotonin missing. Adding that bacterial mixture which contained Turicibacter sanguinis and Clostridia increased serotonin back to a normal level. Though the study was conducted on mice, the scientist wrote in the journal Cell that the findings lend important insight into how the gut microbiome can influence the nervous system.

Four years later, those same researchers set out to inform how the 100 trillion or so bacteria and hormones that live in the human intestinal system may produce serotonin. This time around, researchers added serotonin to the drinking water of some mice and raised others with a mutation that increased the levels of serotonin in their guts. An analysis of the mice microbiota showed that the presence of T. sanguinis and Clostridia increased significantly when there was more serotonin in the gut. As part of the study, mice were also given fluoxetine, or Prozac, which was shown to block the serotonin transporter in the T. sanguinis, which slowed the transport of serotonin.

Previous studies from our lab and others showed that specific bacteria promote serotonin levels in the gut, said study author Thomas Fung at the time in a news release. Our new study tells us that certain gut bacteria can respond to serotonin and drugs that influence serotonin, like anti-depressants. This is a unique form of communication between bacteria and our own cells through molecules traditionally recognized as neurotransmitters.

So while it is true that a large proportion of the bodys serotonin is produced in the guts and serotonin-targeting drugs can have a major effect on the guts microbiota the exact mechanisms behind the production are not yet known. Furthermore, it is important to consider that many of the studies have been conducted on mice and not necessarily in humans.

Regardless, because most treatments for depression deal with serotonin receptors in the brain, understanding how and where the hormone is produced may help to inform future treatments into emotional and behavioral disorders such as anxiety and depression.

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Is 90% of Serotonin Found in the Gut? - Snopes.com

Medication abortion usestwo types of pills: mifepristone, which interrupts the flow of the hormone progesterone that sustains the pregnancy; and misoprostol, which causes contractions to expel the contents of theuterus. (VAlaSiurua, licensed underCC BY-SA 4.0)

This post originally appeared in the Hampshire Gazette. It has been republished with permission.

The COVID-19 pandemic is transforming many aspects of our lives, and abortion is no exception. Telemedicine is expanding access to abortion health care in ways that are likely to persist long after the pandemic is over.

Telemedicine abortioncombinesmedication abortionwhich uses pills to end a pregnancyandtelemedicinewhich allows health providers to supervise the use of abortion pills via videoconferencing or telephone consultations.

Approved by the FDA for use during the first 10 weeks of gestation, medication abortion usestwo types of pills: mifepristone, which interrupts the flow of the hormone progesterone that sustains the pregnancy; and misoprostol, which causes contractions to expel the contents of theuterus.

This combination of pills is 95 percent effective and is anextremely safe wayto end an early pregnancy. In fact, medication abortion accounts for over 60 percent of abortions in the first 10 weeks, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Despite the safety of medication abortion, politically-motivated restrictions on mifepristone have blocked easy access to the pill. After years of anti-abortion resistance, the FDA approved the drug in 2000, but placed it in the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) drug safety program. Under this restriction, the FDA prohibited retail pharmacies from stocking and distributing mifepristone, insteadrequiringdoctors to register with the drug manufacturer and distribute the medication themselves in person to patients, who then take most of the pills at home.

Whereas the REMS program is meant to restrict dangerous drugs, mifepristone is in fact anextremely safe drugsix times safer than Viagra, which is not similarly restricted.This FDA restriction was based on politics,not medical evidence.

Here atMs., our team is continuing to report throughthis global health crisisdoing what we can to keep you informed andup-to-date on some of the most underreported issues of thispandemic.Weask that you consider supporting our work to bring you substantive, uniquereportingwe cant do it without you. Support our independent reporting and truth-telling for as little as $5 per month.

Earlier this year, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective brought a lawsuit challenging the FDA requirement of an in-person appointment for patients to receive the abortion pill during the pandemic.

In July,a Maryland federal courttemporarily suspended the requirement. The Trump administration challenged the decision but it was upheld earlier this month. Reproductive rights advocates are now pressing Biden to ask the FDA to review and permanently remove the REMS restriction on mifepristone.

The other barrier to telemedicine abortion is the standard medical protocol that recommends an ultrasound to determine the number of weeks a patient is pregnant and an Rh blood test, which require an in-person visit. On March 30, 2020, however, ACOG issuedguidance stating that an ultrasound and Rh testing are often not necessary because patients can reliably tell their doctors when their last period began and their blood type. The new no-test medication abortion protocol eliminates the need for in-person visits and tests in most cases.

As a result of the lawsuit lifting the FDA restriction on medication abortion and the new no-test medical protocol, telemedicine abortionstartups are springing up across the country. These new virtual clinics screen patients remotely, then mail abortion pills to them, often using newonline pharmacies. In total, 20 states and Washington D.C. now offer legal access to telemedicine abortion from doctors within their state.

These startups are revolutionizing abortion care by offering convenient services, especially for people living in rural areas far away from reproductive health clinics. They are also making abortion health care more affordable. Whereas in-clinic care with testing can cost $500-700, telemedicine abortion costs as little as $95.

Another advantage of medication abortion is that patients can take the pills immediately after missing a period: they dont have to wait until a fetus is visible on an ultrasound (approximately 6 weeks). In fact, some health care providers are prescribing medication abortion as missed period pills, without requiring a pregnancy test, which some patients prefer.

The organization Plan C has a comprehensivewebsiteat plancpills.org with information on medication abortion. The website includes all the new avenues for pill access that now exist in the US, including telemedicine services, online pharmacies, and reliable websites selling the abortion pill from abroad. Searchable by state, the website offers patients information about all of their options wherever they live, as well as information about financial support, legality, and legal resources. Plan C also offers atoolkit for medical professionalswith a step-by-step guide on how to become a medication abortion provider.

Many people choose telemedicine abortion because it is more private and convenient than in-clinic medication abortion or procedural abortion by aspiration. Instead of having to drive to a provider and wait hours for an office visit, missing work or paying for child care, you can have your appointment from wherever you are without waiting, and take the pills when its convenient, like over the weekend or on your day off. Especially in states with few abortion clinics, or where protesters yell and scream at women entering reproductive health clinics, telemedicine abortion can increase access and reduce the stress of accessing abortion health care.

I suspect that these COVID-inspired innovations in abortion health care will persist beyond the pandemic. The cat is out of the bag. The obstacle course of expensive, burdensome and delayed abortion care should be a thing of the past. Accessible, affordable, early abortion care is possible. We just need the political will to make it happen.

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Telemedicine Is Revolutionizing Abortion Health Carein Ways Likely To Persist Long Past COVID - Ms. Magazine

VERU-111, a next-generation form of chemotherapy, has shown promising signs of efficacy as a treatment option for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) whose disease has progressed while receiving androgen receptor (AR)-targeting therapy.

Investigators are planning a phase 3 trial that will test VERU-111 against an alternative AR-blocking agent in men with mCRPC who have developed resistance to abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) or enzalutamide (Xtandi), which typically are administered in this treatment setting (Figure). Veru Inc, the company developing the agent, plans to launch the trial during the first quarter of 2021, pending discussions with the FDA.1

Figure. Proposed Phase 3 Trial of VERU-111 in mCRPC

VERU-111 is an oral therapy that binds to the colchicine binding site on the microtubule to crosslink and tubulin, thus inhibiting microtubule polymerization. Preclinical findings show that the agent induces apoptosis in taxane-resistant and enzalutamide-resistant CRPC cell lines.2

Findings from a phase 1b/2 study (NCT03752099) showed that daily chronic administration of VERU-111 was feasible and safe in men with previously treated mCRPC, according to data presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Virtual Congress 2020.2

Investigators enrolled 39 patients across 7 sites in the United States. Eligible men with mCRPC had to have received 1 prior AR-targeted therapy; those who had received 1 line of taxane-based chemotherapy for mCRPC were included. The median age of participants was 74 years (range, 61-92), the median Gleason score was 8 (range, 5-10), and 95% had ECOG performance status scores of 0 or 1.2

In the first part of the study, investigators tested a 2-part dosing schedule using a standard 3 x 3 dose-escalation strategy across 10 dosing levels ranging from 4.5 mg to 81 mg daily. The recommended phase 2 dose was established as 63 mg daily.2

Outcomes were reported for a subset of 10 men who received VERU-111 monotherapy continuously at the recommended dose for 4 or more cycles. Of these patients, 6 had a decrease in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, including 4 with a decrease of 30% or more and 2 with a decrease of 50% or more. The best objective tumor response comprised 2 patients with partial responses and 8 with stable disease. The median duration of treatment without radiographic progression was more than 11 months (range, 6-17) and half of the 10 men remained on study therapy at the time of presentation.2

Additionally, investigators presented results from 1 patient, an 88-year-old man with Gleason 9, node-only mCRPC who had previously received sipuleucel-T (Provenge), enzalutamide, and abiraterone. After VERU-111 therapy, a CT scan showed a 33% decrease in size to a nonpathologic node.2 Further, the patient experienced a 63% reduction in PSA level within the first cycle of treatment and remained in the study for over 16 months.

In the safety population of 25 patients who had been treated with the recommended dose for at least 1 cycle, the most frequently observed drug-related adverse effects (AEs) included diarrhea (56%), nausea (24%), and decreased appetite, fatigue, dysgeusia, and weight loss (all, 12%). Most AEs were of grade 1 or 2 severity. An instance of fatigue that was resolved with a dose reduction was the only drug-related AE of grade 3 or worse at the 63-mg dose. Investigators did not record any reports of neurotoxicity in the study and no incidence of neutropenia at the 63-mg dosing level.2

The trials early findings are generating interest among experts in prostate cancer. One impressive aspect of this study was the PSA declinations of 50% or more, said Neal D. Shore, MD, medical director of Carolina Urologic Research Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in an interview with OncLive.

Shore said VERU-111s oral route of administration could make it an attractive choice compared with traditional taxanes such as docetaxel and cabazitaxel (Jevtana), which are given intravenously. Especially during the time of a pandemic, one recognizes the advantage for using an oral medication not requiring a clinic visit for administration, he said. The oral-based delivery may also appeal to clinicians who are not offering infusions within their clinics.

Oral delivery of a taxane or microtubule- or tubulin-inhibitor mechanism of action would be a significant addition to our therapeutic armamentarium, Shore added.

Although microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs), including taxanes and vinca alkaloids, are effective and widely used for treating a variety of cancers, resistance and toxicity can limit their clinical efficacy. In prostate cancer, resistance also builds up in patients who receive AR-targeting therapies. Approximately 15% to 25% of men do not respond to AR inhibitors and 75% to 85% progress within 9 to 15 months.3

Furthermore, as AR-targeting agents such as enzalutamide, darolutamide (Nubeqa), apalutamide (Erleada), and abiraterone are approved for earlier lines of treatment, patients with metastatic disease who progress on these agents need new options, according to Philip W. Kantoff, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine and George J. Bosl Chair at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York.

According to Kantoff, a 2014 Giants of Cancer Care award winner in the genitourinary cancer category, novel therapies such as VERU-111 may allow patients to overcome acquired resistance to AR inhibitors. Androgen-blocking agents are either introduced in the context of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, nonmetastatic CRPC, or mCRPC, he said in an interview with OncLive. It is leaving a void where we dont have many drugs right now, so there is still a need for new therapies in mCRPC.

The phase 2 portion of the study reported at ESMO 2020 is fully enrolled with 40 patients, Veru announced in September.4 The open label, single-arm trial will evaluate VERU-111 for efficacy and safety in patients who have become resistant to at least 1 AR-targeting therapy but who have not received intravenous (IV) chemotherapy in the metastatic setting. The key efficacy end point of the phase 2 portion is radiographic imaging of progression-free survival (rPFS).

Looking ahead, Veru is making plans for a phase 3 trial that would enroll 250 men with mCRPC who have rising PSA levels and tumor progression while receiving AR-targeting therapy. Participants would be randomized to receive either VERU-111 continuously at 63 mg daily or standard therapy with either abiraterone or enzalutamide, depending upon their prior treatment. The primary end point would be rPFS, with secondary end points of overall survival, time to IV chemotherapy, pain progression, and PSA responses.5

VERU-111 also has demonstrated antitumor activity in preclinical models of other tumor types, including taxane-resistant triple-negative breast cancer and lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and melanoma.5 Additionally, the agent is currently undergoing testing as a potential treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a phase 2 trial (NCT04388826). Investigators are seeking to randomize 40 patients with COVID-19 who are at high risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome to either 18 mg of VERU-111 or placebo. The primary efficacy end point for the 62-day study is the proportion of patients alive and without respiratory failure at day 29.

More:
Next-Generation Cytotoxic Therapy Moves Forward in mCRPC - OncLive

50 N. Medical Drivetransgenderhealth@hsc.utah.edu801.213.2195 | uofuhealth.org/transhealth

At the core of each story in SLUGs My Body and Me issue lies the powerful force of bodily autonomy. Here, Ariel Malan, the Program Coordinator of the Master of Healthcare Administration and the Transgender Health Program at the University of Utah, talks the physical, social and emotional changes surrounding this identity-affirming body transformation.

SLUG: Can you please fill us in on the history of the Transgender Health Program? How has it changed/grown since its inception?

Malan: Thanks to the work of several dedicated healthcare providers, our Program was officially launched in 2017. Prior to this date, many meetings were held between providers and hospital leadership about the need for more coordinated care for transgender and gender-diverse patients. Since then, we have seen volumes dramatically increase across all of our specialties. We believe that this is predominantly due to the fact that there has been a gap in providing this care to patientsnot just in Utah, [but] across the nation. We are the only multidisciplinary program in the Mountain West, and although we serve primarily Utahs communities, we also see 12% of our patients from other states.

In addition to our growth, we have defined our mission and vision to better serve our communities and continue to hold the Program and our University system accountable for health outcomes:

Vision (where we are going): A patient-centric, multi-disciplinary gender health program for all gender journeys across the lifespan.

Mission (what we do): The Transgender Health Program is committed to providing comprehensive, compassionate, evidence-based care for gender-diverse individuals in a supportive, affirming environment.

Intersectionality: We will recognize the unique social and political identities that exist within gender-diverse individuals and advocate to remove inequalities within healthcare.

Coordinated Care: We will provide coordinated care through patient navigation and provider communication on all aspects of care.

Research: We will engage in research to advance knowledge and well-being for the care of gender-diverse individuals.

Education: We seek to educate providers, trainees and the public on the needs and health of gender diverse individuals.

SLUG: What are the range of services offered at the Program?

Malan: Our Program spans across eight different specialties that coordinate care for all gender-affirming services a patient might need on their gender journey. Patients and families can access the [following] range of services at our website, uofuhealth.org/transhealth: primary care and HRT, plastic surgery, fertility and family planning, voice therapy, physical therapy, laser hair removal, adolescent medicine [and] gynecologic care.

SLUG: Can you please elaborate on the range of staff at the Program? What types of professionals are available?

Malan: Currently, we have three dedicated administrative staff to our Program. This includes two Patient Coordinator roles that assist patients in navigating care and scheduling appointments, and a Program Coordinator role that manages marketing and outreach, education, strategy and other programmatic projects.

Our clinical staff is not dedicated to our Program alone in that they serve in multiple capacities. For example, we have plastic surgeons that are specially trained in gender-affirming surgery, but they also deliver other types of plastic surgery to patients that are not our transgender patients. The range of professional clinical positions include physical therapists, plastic surgeons, family-medicine providers, speech-language pathologists, endocrinologists, adolescent medicine physicians, aestheticians, physician assistants, reproductive specialists, OBGYNs and urologists.

We have high hopes that our hospital system will continue to support us in providing us with more dedicated positions both clinical and administrative.

SLUG: I read in your FAQ a bit about opening up your services to be more inclusive toward nonbinary identities and others. Can you please elaborate on the types of changes the Program is undertaking in this regard?

Malan: Transgender is an umbrella term that encompasses many gender-diverse identities, including those who identify as nonbinary. Its important that our Program is able to serve all of these identities by not assuming what someones gender journey looks like based on how they identify. This is why all of our providers consider every patients journey as unique and discusses with them what options exist. Not all transgender people pursue medical transition, and some are only interested in a handful of gender-affirming options.

We are working closely with our new Patient and Family Advisory Board to identify ways that our Program can be more inclusive to gender fluid/nonbinary identities.

SLUG: I saw a section on your website regarding events. While those are (likely) on pause right now, what are the types of events that the Program typically holds or appears at?

Malan: Many of the events we offer are educational either for patients or providers. Every month, we offer a patient-education seminar on various transgender health topics. Our providers are present to talk about the services and what to expect, and we offer a panel of patients who have had that particular service. This is free and open to the community to attend and ask questions. Since COVID, we have hosted these virtually via Zoom and will continue to do this until it is safe to resume back in person. [In these cases,] these are offered at the Utah Pride Center. Patients can visit uofuhealth.org/seminartransgenderhealth to see a list of upcoming seminars.

For our providers, we hosted our first annual conference on transgender health this year and plan to offer this and more educational offerings to community providers.

SLUG: In addition to the medical services you offer, it seems like there are a lot of other areas (counseling, voice therapy, etc.) deal with more intangible things. Can you please talk about how these areas interact with things such as surgeries, hormones, etc.?

Malan: For many of our patients, counseling or mental-health therapy may be their first point of contact in a healthcare system in talking about their gender journey. For many folks in the beginning of their journey, they may still be in whats called their social transition, finding what is most authentic to them in their own expression through body language, adjusting their voice, changing hair or clothing styles, or a legal name change.

These are reversible and fluid things that people are figuring out for themselves, so medical and surgical changes may or may not be on their list to pursue.

An unfortunate barrier that still exists to this day in accessing gender-affirming medical and surgical options are the WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) requirements. Although these guidelines provide evidence-based practices for providers offering these services, there is a list of criteria, including living in your desired gender role for at least one year, before many things can happen. These guidelines can be interpreted loosely by providers to make sure patients get the care they need, but health-insurance companies sometimes have stricter standards they go by in order to cover any services that someone may need as part of their journey.

SLUG: A significant offering at the Program are the youth and teen Transgender Health Services. Can you please elaborate on the breadth of these services and their place in the Transgender Health Program?

Malan: More and more youth are identifying under the transgender umbrella, so the services offered at our Adolescent Medicine Clinic, [such as the] Gender Management and Support are critically important for families and youth.

We have physicians who specialize in adolescent transgender medicine [and] can provide options for puberty blockers, hormone therapy, behavioral health and nutrition wellness, and coordinate care with our adult providers so the transition to those services can be seamless.

SLUG: How does the Transgender Health Program interact with other aspects of the Utah LGBTQ+ community?

Malan: We are heavily reliant [on] and grateful our community partners. We cannot do the work we do without their help and feedback. A couple of our community partnerships include:

Genderbands: Every year we partner with Genderbands to offer a top surgery grant for those who are uninsured in the community.

Utah Pride Center: Pre-COVID, we used their space to offer our patient-education seminars and refer patients to them for their mental health services and support groups. Every year, we also participate in the annual Utah Pride Festival and Genderevolution conference.

We have been present at many other community organization events through outreach booths, presentations and referring patients directly to them for resources. As mentioned previously, we also have created our own Patient and Family Advisory Board made up of community patients and family members They are helping us shape the strategy and direction of our Program, which will ensure our services are patient-centric.

SLUG: Whats one thing youd like the readers to know about the work you do and the communities you work with?

Malan: We are a new and growing Program! This means that we have a long way to go in making sure our Program is remedying the historical trauma that our community has experienced directly by healthcare providers. But this also means we have many exciting opportunities to engage with our community and integrate their feedback into how we provide these services. For our allied healthcare providers, we hope to be a resource in providing education for you and your staff to better serve transgender patients. For our patients, we thank you for your continued vulnerability during our growth and aim to be [a] safe space that can meet your healthcare needs.

SLUG: If a reader is interested in obtaining services, how can they get in touch or schedule an appointment?

Malan: Call us directly at 801.213.2195, option 1, and leave us a voicemail. We receive many phone calls a day, so leaving a voicemail will make sure we can get back to you. Also, emailing us at transgenderhealth@hsc.utah.edu.

SLUG: What does the Transgender Health Program have planned for the future?

Malan: So many things! We are looking forward to creating our first five-year business plan, which will include direct patient feedback from our Advisory Board, and both clinical and administrative input on ensuring the sustainability of our services. We also are launching our first educational-needs assessment that will guide us in delivering needs-based education on LGBTQ+ communities to our providers and staff. A few others to mention: a community photoshoot to use representative photos of our community marketing materials; improving the accessibility of our patient education seminars and other patient education materials; identifying our underserved communities so we can better reach them; creating a development plan to bring fundraising dollars into the Program to fund important initiatives like scholarships for patients and research; work toward requiring standardized education for our system on LGBTQ+ people and get all of our inpatient facilities designated under the Healthcare Equality Index.

Find here a list of additional local resources for transgender individuals, compiled with the invaluable assistance ofRiver Jude August:

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Transgender Health Program at the University of Utah - SLUG Magazine

Premature menopause is the permanent end of menstrual periods before age 40. It occurs because the ovaries no longer release eggs (ovulation) regularly and become less able to produce hormones.

Some women have no symptoms except being unable to become pregnant, and others have the same symptoms as those of natural menopause (such as hot flashes or night sweats). To become pregnant, women with premature menopause can have eggs from another woman implanted in their uterus.

Blood tests can confirm the diagnosis, and other tests are done to identify the cause. Various measures, including estrogen (typically taken until about age 51, when menopause occurs on average), can relieve or reduce symptoms.

Premature menopause and early menopause, whether spontaneous or induced, are associated with long-term health risks which may include premature death, cardiovascular disease, neurologic disease, osteoporosis, psychosexual dysfunction, and mood disorders.

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Premature Menopause Market 2021-28 healthcare leads to shooting revenues with Novo Nordisk A/S, Pfizer, Allergan, Eli Lily and Company, Emcure...

A 4-year-old with progeria, a syndrome with features of premature aging that stems from a mutated gene

By Jocelyn KaiserJan. 6, 2021 , 11:00 AM

One mouse is hunched over, graying, and barely moves at 7 months old. Others, at 11 months, have sleek black coats and run around. The videos and other results from a new study have inspired hope for treating children born with progeria, a rare, fatal, genetic disease that causes symptoms much like early aging. In mice with a progeria-causing mutation, a cousin of the celebrated genome editor known as CRISPR corrected the DNA mistake, preventing the heart damage typical of the disease, a research team reports today in Nature. Treated mice lived about 500 days, more than twice as long as untreated animals.

The outcome is incredible, says gene-therapy researcher Guangping Gao of the University of Massachusetts, who was not involved with the study.

Although the developers of the progeria therapy aim to improve it, they are also taking steps toward testing the current version in affected children, and some other scientists endorse a rush. The mouse results are beyond anyones wildest expectations, says Fyodor Urnov, a gene-editing researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. The new data are an imperative to treat a child with progeria and do so in the next 3 years.

About 400 people in the world are estimated to have Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, which results from a single-base change in the gene for a protein called lamin A that helps support the membrane forming the nucleus in cells. The resulting abnormal protein, called progerin, disrupts the nuclear membrane and is toxic to cells in many tissues. Toddlers soon become bald and have stunted growth, body fat loss, stiff joints, wrinkled skin, osteoporosis, and atherosclerosis. People with progeria die on average around age 14 from a heart attack or stroke.

Researchers have previously used CRISPR to disrupt activity of the mutated gene for lamin A in progeria mice. But their health improved only modestly, and disabling a persons good copy of the gene could cause harm. So David Liu of Harvard University and the Broad Institute turned to base editing, a DNA-changing method originally inspired by CRISPR and developed in his lab. Unlike CRISPR, which makes double-strand cuts in DNA, the base editor used in the progeria study nicks just one strand and swaps out a single base. Base editors have treated liver, eye, ear, blood, and brain disorders in mice, and Liu wanted to try one on an infamous and devastating disease that involves multiple organs or tissues.

Lius group teamed up with Vanderbilt University cardiologist Jonathan Brown and Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, whose group was one of two that identified the progeria mutation in 2003. The team first tested the base-editing approach in cultured cells from two progeria patients, finding that it corrected the mutation while making few unwanted changes elsewhere in the genome. They then packaged DNA encoding the base editor into adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), a standard delivery vehicle for gene therapies, and injected these into young mice with the progeria mutation.

The results were far better than we had dared to hope, Collins says. When the mice were examined 6 months later,between 20% and 60% of their bone, skeletal muscle, liver, heart, and aorta carried the DNA fix. Progerin levels fell and lamin A levels rose in several tissues. Even though the mice were already 2 weeks old when treated, or about age 5 in human years, their aortas months later bore virtually no signs of the fibrous tissue growth or loss of smooth muscle cells seen in mice and children with progeria. It hits home the potential of this technology, says gene-editing researcher Charles Gersbach of Duke University.

Some of the rodents eventually developed liver tumors, a problem seen before in mice receiving high-dose AAV gene therapy. No people have been shown to have developed liver tumors as a result of such treatments. Still, lowering the AAV dose to improve safety is a goal, Liu says. He and Collins are evaluating more efficient base editors to that end.

Study co-author Leslie Gordon, a Brown University physician whose son died from progeria and who co-founded the Progeria Research Foundation, doesnt want to wait for the next iteration before developing plans and raising money to test the treatment in children. Her foundation is talking to companies, including Beam Therapeutics, which Liu co-founded, in hopes of launching a clinical trial. We will find a way to get this done for these kids, Gordon says.

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'Incredible' gene-editing result in mice inspires plans to treat premature-aging syndrome in children - Science Magazine

During Tuesday's Mad Money program Jim Cramer cautioned viewers against the CRISPR stocks hoping that human genome editing will usher in the cure for cancer and other ailments. Genomics is indeed a hot science, he said, but it's also incredibly risky. Let's take a look at the charts of CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) again.

On Dec. 22 we looked at CRSP and concluded that, "if you are still long CRSP then you are way smarter than me. Longs should risk to $145. The round number of $200 and then the Point and Figure target of $230 are the price objectives for now."

In this updated daily bar chart of CRSP, below, we can see that prices remain in a strong uptrend above the rising 50-day moving average line and the rising 200-day moving average line. The On-Balance-Volume (OBV) line has moved higher to confirm the price gains while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is above the zero line and poised for a new buy signal.

In this weekly bar chart of CRSP, below, we can see a 2-1/2-year base pattern in place before the strong gains of this year. Prices are in an uptrend above the rising 40-week moving average line. The weekly OBV line is strong and so is the MACD oscillator.

In this daily Point and Figure chart of CRSP, below, we can see a price target of $200.

In this second Point and Figure chart of CRSP, below, we used weekly close-only price data with a five-box reversal filter. Here our $230 price target is confirmed.

Bottom-line strategy:Continue to hold longs risking to $149 now. Our price targets are $200 and $230 for now.

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CRISPR Therapeutics Is Still Looking Strong - RealMoney - RealMoney

DUBLIN, Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "CRISPR Technology Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth and Change" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

CRISPR Technology Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth and Change provides the strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global crispr technology market.

Major players in the CRISPR technology market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, GenScript Biotech Corporation, CRISPR Therapeutics AG, Editas Medicine, Horizon Discovery Plc., Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. (Danaher), Origene Technologies, Inc., Transposagenbio Biopharmaceuticals (Hera Biolabs), Intellia Therapeutics Inc., and GeneCopoeia, Inc.

The global CRISPR technology market is expected to increase from $0.76 billion in 2019 to $0.92 billion in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.91%. The exponential growth is mainly due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has led to the research for drugs for COVID-19 with gene-editing using CRISPR technology. The market is expected to reach $1.55 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 19.13%.

The CRISPR technology market consists of sales of CRISPR technology products and services which is a gene-editing technology that allows researchers to alter DNA sequences and modify gene function. The revenue generated by the market includes the sales of products such as design tools, plasmid & vector, Cas9 & gRNA, libraries & delivery system products and services that include design & vector construction, screening and cell line engineering.

These products and services are used in genome editing/genetic engineering, genetically modifying organisms, agricultural biotechnology and others which include gRNA database/gene library, CRISPR plasmid, human stem cell & cell line engineering by end-users. The end-users include pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, academic & research institutes and contract research organizations.

North America was the largest region in the CRISPR technology market in 2019. Europe was the second-largest region in the CRISPR technology market in 2019.

In 2019, Cardea Bio Inc., a US-based biotechnology infrastructure company that manufactures biology-gated transistors (Cardean transistors) that utilizes biocompatible graphene instead of silicon and replaces optical signal observations with direct electrical molecular signal analysis, merged with Nanosens Innovations, Inc. The merger is aimed at accelerating the development of the genome sensor that combines Nanosens' CRISPR-Chip technology with Cardea's graphene biosensor infrastructure and is the first DNA search engine globally that runs on CRISPR-Chip technology. Nanosens will be operating as a subsidiary of Cardea Bio. Nanosens Innovations, Inc. is a US-based biotechnology company that develops CRISPR-Chip and FEB technology.

The CRISPR technology market covered in this report is segmented by product type into design tools; plasmid and vector; CAS9 and G-RNA; delivery system products. It is also segmented by application into genome editing/ genetic engineering; genetically modified organisms; agricultural biotechnology; others and by end-user into industrial biotech; biological research; agricultural research; therapeutics and drug discovery.

Stringent government regulations are expected to retard the growth of the CRISPR technology market during the period. There is no existence of internationally agreed regulatory framework for gene editing products and countries are in the process of evaluating whether and to what extent current regulations are adequate for research conducted with gene editing and applications and products related to gene editing. In July 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that it would treat gene-edited crops as genetically modified organisms, subject to stringent regulation.

In April 2019, the Australian government stated that the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) will regulate only the gene-editing technologies that use a template, or that insert other genetic material into the cell. According to an article of 2020, in India, as per the National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research, genome modification including gene-editing by CRISPR-Cas9 technology of stem cells, germ-line stem cells or gamete and human embryos is restricted only to in-vitro studies. Thus, strict regulations by the government present a threat to the growth of the market.

Several advancements in CRISPR technology are trending in the market during the period. Advancements in technology will help in reducing errors, limiting unintended effects, improving the accuracy of the tool, widening its applications, developing gene therapies and more. In 2019, a study published in Springer Nature stated the development of an advanced super-precise new CRISPR tool that allows researchers more control over DNA changes. This tool seems to have the capability of providing a wider variety of gene edits which might potentially open up conditions that have challenged gene-editors.

Also, in 2020, another study in Springer Nature stated that researchers have used enzyme engineering to boost the accuracy of the technique of error-prone CRISPR-Cas9 system to precisely target DNA without introducing as many unwanted mutations. The advancements in CRISPR technology will result in better tools that are capable of providing better outcomes.

The application of CRISPR technology as a diagnostic tool is expected to boost the market during the period. The Sherlock CRISPR SARS-CoV-2 kit is the first diagnostic kit based on CRISPR technology for infectious diseases caused due to COVID-19. In May 2020, FDA announced the emergency use authorization to the Sherlock BioSciences Inc's Sherlock CRISPR SARS-CoV-2 kit which is a CRISPR-based SHERLOCK (Specific High-sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter unLOCKing) diagnostic test.

This test helps in specifically targeting RNA or DNA sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from specimens or samples such as nasal swabs from the upper respiratory tract and fluid in the lungs from bronchoalveolar lavage specimens. This diagnostic kit has high specificity and sensitivity and does not provide false negative or positive results. Widening the application of CRISPR technology for the diagnosis of infectious diseases will increase the demand for CRISPR technology products and services.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. CRISPR Technology Market Characteristics

3. CRISPR Technology Market Size And Growth

3.1. Global CRISPR Technology Historic Market, 2015 - 2019, $ Billion

3.1.1. Drivers Of The Market

3.1.2. Restraints On The Market

3.2. Global CRISPR Technology Forecast Market, 2019 - 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

3.2.1. Drivers Of The Market

3.2.2. Restraints On the Market

4. CRISPR Technology Market Segmentation

4.1. Global CRISPR Technology Market, Segmentation By Product Type, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

4.2. Global CRISPR Technology Market, Segmentation By Application, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

4.3. Global CRISPR Technology Market, Segmentation By End-User, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

5. CRISPR Technology Market Regional And Country Analysis 5.1. Global CRISPR Technology Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5.2. Global CRISPR Technology Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vnvkue

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [emailprotected]

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Global CRISPR Technology Market Report 2020: COVID-19 Growth and Change - Market is Expected to Recover to Reach $1.55 Billion in 2023 - Forecast to...

Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) stock has gained 35.58% over the past week and gets a Bullish rating from InvestorsObserver's Sentiment Indicator.

In investing, sentiment generally means whether or not a given security is in favor with investors. It is typically a pretty short-term metric that relies entirely on technical analysis. That means it doesnt incorporate anything to do with the health or profitability of the underlying company.

Recent trends are a good indicator of current market sentiments. In its most basic form, stocks that are trending up are desirable by investors while stocks currently falling must be unattractive.

InvestorsObserver's Sentimental Indicator tracks both changes in price and volume to analyze the most recent trends. Typically an increase in volume indicates ongoing trends are getting stronger, while a decrease in volume usually signals an end to the current trend.

Available options can also represent current sentiments for a given stock. Since investors are able to bet on future trends of stocks using options, we consider the ratio of calls to puts when analyzing market sentiments .

Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) stock is trading at $207.58 as of 10:53 AM on Friday, Jan 8, an increase of $13.15, or 6.76% from the previous closing price of $194.43. The stock has traded between $196.11 and $210.39 so far today. Volume today is below average. So far 1,482,585 shares have traded compared to average volume of 2,079,604 shares.

To see InvestorsObserver's Sentiment Score for Crispr Therapeutics AG click here.

CRISPR Therapeutics AG is a gene-editing company. It is engaged in the development of CRISPR/Cas9-based therapeutics. CRISPR/Cas9 is a technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. The company advanced programs target beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease, two hemoglobinopathies that have a high unmet medical need.

Click Here to get the full Stock Score Report on Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) Stock.

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What is the Market's View on Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) Stock's Price and Volume Trends - InvestorsObserver