JANUVIA™, First In New Class Of Oral Treatments Known As DPP-4 Inhibitors, Recommended For Approval For The Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes, EU

JANUVIA™ (sitagliptin phosphate), Merck & Co., Inc.’s treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes, today received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) in Europe. The CHMP opinion recommends that JANUVIA be approved in the European Union for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Following the conclusion of the CHMP review, the opinion for JANUVIA will be transmitted to the European Commission (EC). If the EC adopts the opinion, JANUVIA will be the first and only prescription medication in a new class of drugs known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, which enhance the body’s own ability to lower blood sugar (glucose) when it is elevated. The decision will be applicable to the 27 countries that are members of the European Union, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Marketing authorization from the European Commission is expected in early April after the adoption of the opinion. JANUVIA is currently approved in 11 countries including the United States and Mexico.

In October 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved JANUVIA as monotherapy and as add-on therapy to either of two other types of oral diabetes medications, metformin or thiazolidinediones (TZDs), to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in patients with type 2 diabetes when diet and exercise are not enough. The recommended dose of JANUVIA is 100 mg once daily. JANUVIA should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis, as it would not be effective in these settings.

The CHMP, comprised of regulators from all European Union countries, gave the positive opinion following a review of comprehensive data supporting the efficacy, safety and tolerability profile of JANUVIA. The submission package consisted of studies involving approximately 4,000 patients with type 2 diabetes treated with JANUVIA.

JANUVIA has been investigated in patients with type 2 diabetes to improve glycemic control in combination with metformin when diet and exercise, plus metformin, do not provide adequate glycemic control. JANUVIA has also been studied as add-on therapy with PPAR agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes in whom use of a PPAR agonist (e.g. a thiazolidinedione) is appropriate. In addition, it has been studied as monotherapy in many patients.

In clinical trials, JANUVIA demonstrated an overall incidence of side effects comparable to placebo. The most common side effects reported with JANUVIA (>5 percent and higher than placebo) were stuffy or runny nose and sore throat, upper respiratory infection, and headache. The incidence of selected gastrointestinal adverse reactions in patients treated with JANUVIA was as follows: abdominal pain (2.3 percent; placebo, 2.1 percent), nausea (1.4 percent; placebo, 0.6 percent) and diarrhea (3.0 percent; placebo, 2.3 percent).

About JANUVIA

JANUVIA is an oral, once-daily, selective DPP-4 inhibitor. DPP-4 inhibitors work by enhancing a natural body process that lowers blood sugar, the incretin system. When blood sugar is elevated, incretins work in two ways to help the body regulate high blood sugar levels: they trigger the pancreas to increase the release of insulin and signal the liver to reduce its production of glucose. DPP-4 inhibitors enhance the body’s own ability to control blood sugar levels by increasing the active levels of these incretin hormones in the body, helping to decrease blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Sitagliptin phosphate is also being investigated as part of Merck’s single tablet combination with metformin, a widely prescribed medicine for type 2 diabetes. JANUMET is the proposed trademark for the combination tablet. The mechanism of action of DPP-4 inhibitors is distinct from that of metformin and other drugs in the currently available classes of glucose-lowering agents. JANUMET has been accepted for standard review by the FDA. FDA action is expected on the New Drug Application by the end of March 2007. The Company is also moving forward with regulatory filings in countries outside the United States.

Dosing of JANUVIA

The recommended dose of JANUVIA is 100 mg once daily, with or without food, for all approved indications. No dosage adjustment is needed for patients with mild to moderate hepatic insufficiency or in patients with mild renal insufficiency (CrCl >50 mL/min). To achieve plasma concentrations of JANUVIA similar to those in patients with normal renal function, lower dosages are recommended in patients with moderate and severe renal insufficiency as well as in ESRD patients requiring hemodialysis. For patients with moderate renal insufficiency (CrCl >30 to
Use in specific populations

JANUVIA should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed. Caution should be exercised when JANUVIA is administered to a nursing woman. Because elderly patients are more likely to have decreased renal function, care should be taken in dose selection in the elderly and it may be useful to assess renal function in these patients prior to initiating dosing and periodically thereafter.

Expanding clinical trial program for JANUVIA

Merck’s clinical development program for JANUVIA is robust and continues to expand with 43 studies completed or under way, and four more studies set to begin this year. There are about 6,700 patients in the Company’s clinical studies with about 4,700 of these patients being treated with JANUVIA. Additionally, about 1,100 patients have been treated with JANUVIA for more than a year.

About Merck

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck currently discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The Company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service. For more information, visit http://www.merck.com.

Forwarding-looking statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. The forward-looking statements may include statements regarding product development, product potential or financial performance. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Merck’s business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements in Item 1 of Merck’s Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2005, and in its periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, which the company incorporates by reference.

JANUVIA™ is a registered trademark of Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck
http://www.merck.com

Detecting Salmonella In 24 Hours

The food and drink we consume have to pass strict quality controls. Nevertheless, these measures are not always sufficient, given that sometimes certain foodstuffs can still give rise to food poisoning, most often caused by micro-organisms. The Salmonella bacterium is undoubtedly one of the best known of these. At the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) they are developing a new, rapid-detection system (within 24 hours) for Salmonella.

It is currently a laborious process to detect Salmonella in food. An analytical study is carried out in the laboratory by means of conventional microbiological techniques and the results take a week, a delay which creates problems for the food industry

In 2002 the Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology at the UPV/EHU together with the company, Laboratorios BromatolГіgicos Araba, and the Leioa Technological Centre, decided to carry out collaborative work in order to try to develop new, faster methods for Salmonella detection.

Genetic methods

A requisite for such genetic methods is to know the genome of this bacterium well. Fortunately there are several strains of Salmonella which have been totally sequenced. It is also known that there are certain genes that are specific to Salmonella that are not found in any other bacteria nor, for that matter, in any other living being. Thus, if we detect these genes, it means the presence of Salmonella. Although we may not detect the entire micro-organism, we can find the DNA of this bacteria.

The study of this DNA has given rise to technical developments which enable the detection of the presence or absence of Salmonella within 24 hours in food. Nevertheless, these methods based on the detection of DNA have a drawback. DNA is a very stable molecule that enables its study in persons who have died many years before. The same can happen in bacteria, i.e. it may be that we are identifying the DNA but that the bacteria have been destroyed by pasteurisation or sterilisation. The researchers have shown that the detection of the DNA in itself is not sufficient to identify the Salmonella given that, using this technique, it is not possible to know if the bacterium is dead or alive.

So the UPV/EHU found another, more specific marker for the viability of the bacteria – messenger RNA; an unstable and easily degradable molecule which is only produced when the bacteria is in the multiplication phase (and thus capable of producing infection), and is subsequently destroyed. Armed with this knowledge, the UPV/EHU research team designed a procedure to extract this RNA from foodstuffs, with subsequent transformation of this RNA into DNA and the detection of the latter.

Working with RNA means working with great precision and speed, because it can give us false negative results, i.e. indicate that there is no salmonella when, in fact, there is, the molecule having degraded. The extraction procedure is a fundamental one: once the messenger RNA is extracted, it is transformed into DNA by means of inverse transcription; a process whereby a DNA copy is synthesised. This DNA copy is detected by certain probes previously developed by the research team. In fact, the probes are DNA chains that are complementary to Salmonella genes marked with a fluorescent compound. If the DNA copy and the complementary DNA unite, the fluorescent compound emits a signal detectable in real time. This device, moreover, enables the quantification of the reaction, i.e. it tells us the number of Salmonella cells present in the food sample.

What the UPV/EHU researchers are proposing, in fact, is a combination of techniques: extraction on the one hand; the design of probes for and detection of DNA and RNA molecules on the other. They are techniques complementary to the traditional cell cultures and that enable the analysis of more samples in less time, thus enhancing food safety globally.

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Contact: Irati Kortabitarte
Elhuyar Fundazioa

ActoGenix Raises 11.5 Million Euro’s In Series A Stock Financing

ActoGeniX NV, a recently founded biopharmaceutical company, announced the successful closing of its Series A financing round, raising €11.5 million (US$15 million) from a syndicate of leading life sciences investors. The transaction was co-led by GIMV (Antwerp, Belgium) and Life Sciences Partners (LSP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands), with Biotech Fund Flanders also participating. ActoGeniX is a spin-off from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology (VIB) and Ghent University and was founded last June with seed capital from GIMV, VIB and individuals of the management team.

This financing will allow ActoGeniX to initiate development of a pipeline of therapeutic products based on its TopActTM technology platform. TopActTM is a proprietary delivery system comprising living non-pathogenic micro-organisms for the oral administration of biopharmaceuticals. VIB and Ghent University, the original inventors of this technology, transferred to ActoGeniX the TopActTM patent portfolio. ActoGeniX’ products will address a broad range of diseases, including gastrointestinal diseases, auto-immunity, allergy and metabolic diseases. The Company’s lead product for the treatment of Crohn’s disease has already been successfully tested in patients.

Dr. Mark Vaeck, who joined the company as CEO, brings considerable experience in the start-up and growth of biotech businesses in Europe and the USA. In his former position, as the co-founder and CEO of Ablynx NV (Ghent, Belgium) he raised €30 million in equity financing and concluded several corporate deals with major pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Bernard Coulie joins ActoGeniX as Vice President Research & Development coming from Johnson & Johnson Europe where he held the position of Therapeutic Area Leader Internal Medicine. Dr. Lothar Steidler, the principal inventor of the TopAct technology, will become Director Technology Development at ActoGeniX.

Commenting on the financing, Mark Vaeck said: ‘I am delighted with the completion of this successful financing round, which provides ActoGeniX from the start with a substantial amount of money from high-quality and knowledgeable biotech investors, which is a clear endorsement of the future potential of this company. ActoGeniX is now well-positioned to execute its ambitious business plan and quickly build a valuable portfolio of preclinical and clinical-stage products based on its proprietary TopActTM platform.’

‘We have built a proprietary position around the TopAct technology and products and we are glad to be able to transfer this platform into the hands of an experienced management team, supported by highly reputed international venture capital funds’ said Rudy Dekeyser, vice-general director of VIB. ‘We strongly believe that Actogenix will successfully apply this platform to develop innovative therapeutics for the benefit of its shareholders and the benefit of patients worldwide.’

Patrick Van Beneden, Director Life Sciences of GIMV added: ‘We see Actogenix as one of the more promising companies that recently have been started here in Flanders. The combination of world class science, experienced management and strong financial backing should be the ingredients for a life sciences company that will develop new medical treatments for large unmet medical needs like Crohn’s disease and other gastrointestinal disorders.’

‘We see ActoGeniX as an interesting investment opportunity in our home market based on excellent science and with broad applicability of the technology platform,’ said Martijn Kleijwegt, Managing Partner of Life Sciences Partners. ‘The availability of clinical data, as is the case for ActoGeniX’ lead program, is something that is rarely seen in such start-up initiatives. We are excited to be part of this venture and look forward to working with the management team to make this a success.’

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Contact: Sooike Stoops
VIB, Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology

Brazil To Install Condom Vending Machines In Schools As Part Of HIV Prevention Campaign

Brazil’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday pledged to continue plans to install condom vending machines in schools nationwide as part of the country’s HIV prevention efforts, Reuters/Washington Post reports. The health ministry recently launched a contest for technical schools to design an improved condom vending machine and will award the winning team with $25,000. Trial vending machines might be installed in schools as early as 2008, and the health ministry aims to install the machines in bars, clubs and 24-hour gas stations. In addition, a survey recently released by UNESCO found two-thirds of parents responded that they approve of the government offering teenagers increased access to no-cost condoms and sex education. The survey was conducted among 135 schools that participate in the condom distribution efforts, as well as a smaller number of nonparticipating schools, in about half of Brazil’s states. It found that 45% of students ages 13 to 19 responded that they had active sex lives and that 60% to 70% reported using condoms to prevent sexually transmitted infections. About 10% of students said that they have had sex without a condom because they could not afford one, and 42% of students responded that they did not have a condom available (Reuters/Washington Post, 2/7).

“Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Not Enough Of The Right Fats Can Make Children Overweight

Swedish scientists have discovered that children can become overweight if they don’t have enough of the right kind of fat in their food. Or, in other words, eating a diet with the right kind of fat in it can stop kids getting overweight.

The findings of the dissertation based at Sahlgrenska Academy at Goteborg University are published online by the Swedish Research Council. The key is in the amount of unsaturated fat that a child consumes.

The study investigated the lifestyle, dietary intake, eating habits and insulin levels of nearly 200 healthy 4 year old children living in Göteborg, Sweden. Very few of the children were from deprived areas.

The scientists measured their weight and height to work out Body Mass Index (BMI). Based on the BMI measures, 23 per cent of the children were overweight and 2 per cent were classed as obese. The researchers say they would expect more overweight and obese children if they had come from a wider socio-economic range.

The results showed a curious correlation between fat intake and BMI. High BMI children were gaining weight because their bodies were storing too much fat. But these children were not the ones consuming the most fat. Children with low or ideal BMI ate more fat than those who had high BMI.

The key is in the amount of unsaturated fat that a child consumes and omega-3 in particular. Omega-3 is found in fatty fish and vegetables.

A third of the children in the group were not eating enough unsaturated fat, and by far the greatest deficiency was the level of omega-3 fat in their diet, according to lead researcher and Dietician Malin Haglund Garemo.

Other studies have also suggested a link between lack of omega-3 and obesity, she said.

Another important discovery was that the highest insulin levels were found in the children who had put on the most weight. Girls in particular showed this tendency, the researchers said. And girls with the lowest insulin levels were the ones who consumed the most unsaturated fat.

The study also found that many of the children were eating unhealthily. 70 per cent of them were deficient in iron, and 20 per cent of them were not getting enough calcium. Their daily intake of fruit and vegetables was only 140 g a day, instead of the recommended daily amount of 400 g.

And over 25 per cent of their daily energy was coming from what might be called “junk” foods such as soft drinks, candy or sweets, cookies, biscuits and ice cream.

The children who watched more than one hour of TV every day also had a higher BMI.

The researchers want to conduct further studies “to see if the early increase in insulin is causing obesity. Such results would go against the common perception that fat causes increased insulin production as a result of insulin resistance,” said Malin Haglund Garemo.

Healthy Eating for Kids (Australian government website).

Written by: Catharine Paddock
Writer: Medical News Today

Food Allergies An American Obsession?

Food allergies are increasingly top-of-mind for many Americans. In fact, one out of every three people in this country claim to have a food allergy of one kind or another.* But the science doesn’t support these fears. Government and medical association estimates put the actual incident rate at only between one in 25 and one in 70.

Parents are one of the groups most concerned about food allergies, especially as kids go back to school and eat more meals away from home. In many cases, they’re also ill-informed about the differences between allergies and intolerances, and the proper course of treatment for each. A new survey conducted among California parents last month reveals that many are self-diagnosing food allergies and eliminating nutrient-rich foods from their child’s diet without seeing a doctor first.

“Medical self-diagnosis is risky business,” says Dr. Stuart Epstein, Beverly Hills Allergist, Associate Clinical Professor David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Attending Allergist. “Without professional advice, suffering is almost always extended and important foods eliminated unnecessarily.”

And milk is often the “fall guy.” In fact, nearly two-thirds (63%) of parents surveyed in this recent Omnibus Poll admitted to eliminating — or limiting their children’s intake — of milk at the first sign of problems, believing dairy products to be at least partially responsible for their symptoms.

“Parents are sometimes quick to point the finger at cow’s milk when their child comes down with unexplained symptoms like intestinal problems or allergic reactions,” stresses Dr. Epstein. “Eliminating milk from your diet, especially a child’s diet, without talking to your doctor first, is not a smart idea.”

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement last week urging parents not to eliminate dairy foods from their children’s diet for lactose intolerance reasons. Dairy foods like milk are an important source of calcium and other nutrients that facilitate growth during a critical bone building time.

Americans often confuse food allergies with food sensitivities or intolerances. An allergy is a specific condition that involves immune response, where as an intolerance — like lactose intolerance — is very rare among young people. Medical experts like Dr. Epstein recommend seeking medical attention at the first sign of a problem.

From August 14th to 22nd Market Tools surveyed 551 California parents online to gauge food allergy and lactose intolerance awareness and milk allergies as a health concern for their children.

Key Findings:

– Sixty-three percent (63%) of California parents eliminate milk from their child’s diet at the first sign of a food-related health issue.

– Forty percent (40%) of parents do not consult a doctor before eliminating foods from their child’s diet.

About the CMPB

The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of GOT MILK? is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. GOT MILK? is a federally registered trademark that has been licensed by the national dairy boards since 1995. GOT MILK? gifts and recipes can be viewed at http://www.gotmilk.com. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

— National Institute of Health, Food Allergy Citation & Incidence Rates, pp 1-2, http://www.nih.org.

— Paajanen L et al. Cow milk not responsible for most gastrointestinal immune-like syndromes — evidence from a population-based study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005; 82:1327-1235.

— Heyman, Melvin B., M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, Lactose Intolerance in Infants, Children and Adolescents (Pediatrics, 2006;118:1279-1286).

The California Milk Processor Board
http://www.gotmilk.com

Adiponectin Helps Clear Away Apoptotic Cells

Although it is becoming clear that inflammation induced by obesity is an important factor linking obesity to type 2 diabetes, the effects of one of the most abundant soluble factors known to have both anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects (adiponectin) remain to be completely determined. But now, in a study appearing online in advance of publication in the February print issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from Boston University show that in mice, adiponectin facilitates the uptake, by immune cells known as macrophages, of cells dying by a process known as apoptosis.

Kenneth Walsh and colleagues found that mice lacking adiponectin were impaired in their ability to clear apoptotic cells when there were very high numbers of apoptotic cells present. By contrast, mice administered adiponectin exhibited enhanced macrophage uptake of apoptotic cells when there were very high numbers of apoptotic cells present. Further analysis showed that adiponectin bound the apoptotic cells and provided a bridge between the apoptotic cells and a protein on the surface of the macrophages known as calreticulin. As the accumulation of large numbers of apoptotic cells triggers inflammation, the authors of this study have identified another anti-inflammatory mechanism of adiponectin. This might contribute to the link between inflammation and diabetes because adiponectin levels are decreased in individuals who are obese.

TITLE: Adiponectin modulates inflammatory reactions via calreticulin receptor – dependent clearance of early apoptotic bodies

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JCI table of contents: January 25, 2006

Contact: Karen Honey
Journal of Clinical Investigation

New Recommendations Against A Major Opportunistic Infection — Cryptococcosis

CRNS and the Institut Pasteur conducted research in France on patients diagnosed with cryptococcosis which ranks second among fatal opportunistic infections in patients infected by HIV and who are profoundly immunosuppressed. A multicentric prospective study, published in PLoS Medicine, uncovers parameters associated with more severe infections, such as the patient’s sex and the infecting serotype. In light of the results, the authors propose a modification in the therapeutic treatment of individuals suffering from cryptococcosis.

Caused by a microscopic fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans, cryptococcosis affects immunosuppressed individuals, most of whom are infected by HIV, but who also suffer from other immunological disorders or who are receiving immunosuppressive treatments. Most often, the fungus causes meningoencephalitis, but the infection can also be localised in the lungs. The incidence of cryptococcosis in France has decreased by half with the availability of antiretroviral combination therapies, and now represents around 100 cases annually. However, in Africa and Asia, it remains the second most fatal opportunistic infection after tuberculosis in individuals infected by HIV, in some countries affecting up to 30% of them in the absence of access to antiretroviral drugs. It is now the first cause of meningitis among adults in Africa.

A vast cohort study was performed on patients diagnosed with cryptococcosis between 1997 and 2001 in France by Françoise Dromer, head of the Molecular Mycology unit (CNRS URA 3012) and National Reference Centre for Mycoses and Antifungals at the Institut Pasteur, and Olivier Lortholary, from the same Pasteur unit and the Necker-Pasteur Infectiology Centre, in collaboration with the French Cryptococcosis Study Group, which is composed of mycologists and clinicians in 77 centres throughout the territory.

Aiming to analyse the factors influencing the clinical presentation of the disease and its evolution (prognostic factors), this study enrolled 230 patients infected (HIV+) or not (HIV-) by HIV.

It demonstrates that the disease is more severe in men than women, suggesting influence of sex hormones. It is also more severe in HIV+ than in HIV- individuals. In terms of mortality, it is those patients suffering from a haematological malignancy (such as lymphoma or chronic leukaemia) in which cryptococcosis is the most serious. The study also demonstrates that between the two serotypes of C. neoformans present in France (A and D), serotype A is associated with a more severe presentation and evolution of the disease. Finally, the patients having neurological defects and/or abnormal consciousness, or abnormal neuroimaging at the time of diagnosis, have a worsened prognosis for survival.

Along with these different factors, the researchers studied the impact of the initial “fungal load” (the quantity of fungi in the organism) and the evolution of cryptococcosis according to the particular antifungal drugs used.

In light of all of the factors analysed, the authors advocate that all patients in whom a diagnosis of cryptococcosis has been established should have an assessment of their fungal load to evaluate the severity of the disease.

According to the researchers, this systematic assessment should include a cerebrospinal fluid culture, a blood culture, a urine culture, and a determination of the quantity (titration) of the circulating antigen of Cryptococcus.

“For patients who have a very high fungal load, we recommend starting an initial therapy combining two antifungals, a treatment that is currently only recommended in cases of meningitis and severe pneumonia”, concludes Dromer.

The authors stress that the three-month mortality rate from cryptococcosis remains 15-20% in Western countries, and that this is much higher in Africa and Asia: this greatly justifies improving the therapeutic management of this disease in the future.

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To learn more about cryptococcosis, read the Institut Pasteur information sheet: http://www.pasteur.fr/actu/presse/documentation/mycoses.htm#crypto

Source:

“Determinants of disease presentation and outcome during cryptococcosis : the cryptoA/D study”: PLoS Medicine, 6 February 2007.

Françoise Dromer1, Simone Mathoulin-Pélissier2, Odile Launay3, Olivier Lortholary1,4, the French Cryptococcosis Study Group

1. Molecular Mycology Unit, Mycology and Antifungals National Reference Centre, CNRS URA 3012, Institut Pasteur, Paris

2. Institut BergoniГ©, Regional Cancer Centre of the Southwest, Bordeaux

3. Faculty of Medicine, UniversitГ© Paris V, Cochin Hospital (Public Assistance-Paris Hospitals), Internal Medicine Department, Vaccinology Clinical Investigation Centre , Cochin-Pastuer, Paris

4. Faculty of Medicine, UniversitГ© Paris V – Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department, Necker Infectiology Centre (Public Assistance-Paris Hospitals) – Pasteur, Paris

Contact: Monica McCarthy
CNRS

Allergy-free Cats For Sale At $3,950 Each

If you are allergic to cats, would like to have one and have $3,950 spare, this may be your lucky day. Allerca Inc., California, USA, says it has managed to breed the world’s first hypoallergenic cats. People who are allergic to cats and buy one of these will not experience sneezing, red and itchy eyes or asthma – except in very acute cases.

The company says that as soon as the news got out people rushed to place orders and now there is a waiting list.

The company tested thousands of cats, looking for those tiny few that do not have glycoprotein Fel d1. Glycoprotein Fel d1 is what triggers allergic reactions in humans – it can be found in the fur, pelt, saliva, serum, urine, mucous, salivary glands, and hair roots of the cat. On finding a decent number of cats that did not carry glycoprotein Fel d1, the scientists selectively bred them.

The kittens of these selectively chosen cats do not produce human allergic reactions – they are hypoallergenic cats.

The company stressed that their cats are not the result of genetic engineering. About one in 50,000 cats do not carry Glycoprotein Fel d1 – it was a question of finding them and breeding them, there was no genetic modification.

It is estimated that about one third of all humans are allergic to cats. The market for hypoallergenic pets could be huge.

The company says its cats are friendly, playful and affectionate. They have cats in several coat colours and patterns. The coat is “medium-long, with low maintenance and minimal shedding.”

Symptoms of Cat Allergy

Eyes
— eyes become red, itchy and watery, and/or swollen

Nose
— nose may be itchy, runny and congested, the patient may sneeze a lot

Ears
— ears can become itchy and/or plugged (blocked)

Throat
— nasal drip may make its way down to the throat. The throat can feel sore. The patient may often clear his/her throat. He/she may also experience hoarseness.

Skin
— skin can be itchy, with rashes or hives

Lungs
— patient may cough frequently, wheeze, experience tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, and often suffer from bronchitis

http://www.allerca.com

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today

AHF Bans Pfizer Sales Representatives From Facilities In Response To Company’s Promotion Of Erectile Dysfunction Drug

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation last week announced that it will ban Pfizer sales representatives from its facilities during business hours in response to how the drug maker markets its erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, the AP/Forbes reports (AP/Forbes, 2/8). AHF last month filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Pfizer for allegedly promoting recreational use of Viagra in advertisements. AHF said Pfizer’s ads for the drug have increased risky sexual behavior, as well as cases of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, among men. The suit asks that Pfizer stop running ads that promote Viagra as a lifestyle drug and that the company fund ads promoting awareness about the risks associated with Viagra and STIs. In addition, the suit asks that Pfizer forfeit profits gained from the “misleading” ads and pay for AHF’s costs of treating cases of HIV/AIDS and other STIs that it has linked to Viagra. AHF in December 2006 launched an ad campaign against Pfizer because it said the company’s ads for Viagra promote recreational use. Pfizer at the time denied that the ads encourage recreational use of the drug and said that its advertising states that the drug does not protect against STIs (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/22).

Recent Actions
According to AHF, Pfizer representatives will not be allowed in its health care centers worldwide, including 14 centers in California and Florida (AHF release, 2/8). “After repeated attempts to engage Pfizer on the negative impact of its marketing and advertising strategy and tactics for … Viagra, there has been no recognition by [Pfizer] of the documented correlation between Viagra and the recent rise in sexually transmitted diseases and HIV in men who have sex with men,” AHF in the release said. The group added that Pfizer has “made no attempt to address this alarming trend.” Pfizer in a statement said that AHF’s decision is “unfortunate” because the “reality is Pfizer sales representatives provide very valuable and important information about medical conditions and Pfizer medicines designed to treat these conditions.” The company added, “As a result, we believe this decision may negatively impact patients receiving care at local AHF clinics” (AP/Forbes, 2/8). In related news, an FDA advisory panel announced last week that it will meet on April 24 to examine the safety and efficacy of Pfizer’s CCR5 blocker maraviroc, the AP/365Gay.com reports. Pfizer plans to offer the drug, which is taken twice daily, with a test developed by Monogram Biosciences that determines if people likely will respond to the treatment (AP/365Gay.com, 2/8).

“Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.