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GVAX Prostate Cancer Vaccine in Phase 3 Clinical Trials

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Doctors at a San Francisco Bay Area hospital are now in phase three clinical trials of GVAX, a prostate cancer vaccine developed by Cell Genesys, Inc. (CEGE)

While vaccines are commonly thought of as a preventive measure, they may also be used to treat an existing disease. Dr. Ari Baron, an oncologist from California Pacific Medical Center is leading the clinical trial on the GVAX prostate vaccine.

According to ABC news, Dr. Baron explains how the vaccine is placed just under the skin to trigger an immune response: "White blood cells in your skin see these foreign cells. They’re stimulated then to respond to them, if you will, and train your immune system to make perhaps antibodies or t-cells against the prostate cancer." GVAX is specifically designed for metastatic prostate cancer.

Dr. Baron says that early data have been promising, and the current Phase 3 trials will provide additional data to determine how effective the vaccine is in treating prostate cancer. California Pacific Medical Center is recruiting patients for its clinical trials.

Source: AB News/KGO TV (7/7/07)

Gene Linked to Childhood Asthma

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A recent study reports that scientists have found a gene that is strongly associated with an increased risk of asthma in children.
The study, published in the journal Nature, encompassed more than 2,000 children, and found that a gene called ORMDL3 was found at higher levels in the blood cells of children with Asthma.
Though the study did not determine how the gene was specifically related to increased risk of asthma, it indicated that the genes are found in primitive organisms such as yeast. The scientists opined that ORMDL3 may be a component of ancient immune mechanisms.

Source: BBC (7/4/2007)

Does Stimulant Treatment For ADHD Increase Risk Of Drug Abuse?

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Parents, doctors, and others have wondered whether common treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inadvertently predispose adolescents to future drug abuse.
The answer may depend on the age at which treatment is started and how long it lasts, say the authors of a new brain-imaging and behavioral study conducted in animals at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Tamiflu May Lead to Dangerous Behavior

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Japan’s health ministry has issued a warning to physicians in Japan that the bird-flu drug Tamiflu should not be prescribed to teenagers after some teens exhibited dangerous behavior after taking the drug.

The ministry reported delerium, hallucinations, and other potentially dangerous psychiatric behavior among some Japanese teens. Two Japanese youth fell from their apartment rooftops while taking the drug.

The drug’s manufacturer, Roche Holdings, indicated that they have seen no study linking the drug with the behavior in these Japanese teens.

Source: AP