New Cheap and Effective Cancer Drug: But Big Pharma Says NO WAY!

Will Dr. Evangelos Michelakis' Invention be blocked by a Profit Driven Pharmaceutical Industry?

University of Alberta Researcher Dr. Evangelos Michelakis has developed an effective drug which can be used to treat cancer. The project of this inexpensive drug does not fit the plans of the Pharmaceutical industry



CTV Background Article

Researchers at the University of Alberta have reported that a drug that has been used for decades in the treatment of rare disorders of metabolism, holds promise as a potential effective drug for the treatment of several forms of cancer. Dichloroacetate (DCA) appears to alter the metabolism of cancer cells, without affecting that of normal cells, leading to regression of cancers in test tubes and animals, without apparent toxicity.

These results are exciting and offer hope that similar success might follow its use on the treatment of patients with cancer. The work was published in a prestigious medical journal (Cancer Cell) and has already attracted the interest of media and patients around the world. The interest of the public focuses around two important questions:

1) What do these findings mean for real patients with cancer and how likely are that the tumors growing in patients will respond to the drug in a manner similar to the tumors growing in animals?

There are numerous examples in the history of Medicine of therapies or drugs that failed to show benefit in real patients despite promising effects in animals. The research team at the University of Alberta is optimistic because the tumors studied were actually human cancers growing into animals. In addition, DCA has already been used in real patients for decades and has shown a good safety profile (although the number of patients was relatively small and these were not cancer patients). However, one has to wait for properly performed clinical trials before any conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of this drug can be drawn.

2) Since the drug is already used and no company owns a patent or its rights (meaning that the drug will not bring the huge profits that other patented drugs bring in pharmaceutical companies), who will fund the many millions of dollars required for multicenter, multinational clinical trials?

The research team at the University of Alberta has been working on this project for more than 2 years now. Early on, two of the investigators (Drs Michelakis and Archer) filed for a “use” patent. Although no patent could be filed for DCA itself, a patent could be claimed for its specific use in cancer. Instead of forming a company in order to pursue this privately, Drs Michelakis and Archer requested a partnership with their University. The University of Alberta sponsored the patent application, which became successful as a “provisional” use patent. However, despite trying for a year, the University failed to attract the interest of any investors or biotech companies for the development of the drug. This is likely the result of the fact that the “use” patents are generally considered to be “weaker” than standard patents and therefore they cannot guarantee profit. Eventually, the University considered this patent “high risk” and withdrew its sponsorship, returning the rights and the cost to support it back to the investigators. In theory, it is still possible that investors will still be interested to take over and sponsor the development of the drug. However, there is no question that for the completion of the large amount of the clinical research that will be required before DCA is proven to be effective and safe in humans with cancer, support from non-profit government organizations, like the CIHR or NIH, will be critical.

Either way, the performance of such trials requires time. The time required for the DCA trials will be shorter compared to brand new drugs that have never been tried in humans before. DCA has already passed phase one trials and can enter directly phase 2 trials in patients with cancer. In addition, at least for Canada, DCA has to be purified, sterilized and appropriately formulated before it can receive approval from Health Canada for oral use in humans. The agony of the public for their loved ones already suffering from advanced forms of cancer can be dramatic but the appropriate steps need to be followed.

To address such concerns, the University of Alberta and the Alberta Cancer Board have created a dedicated website (www.depmed.ualberta.ca/dca) in order inform physicians and patients regarding the commitment to initiate clinical trials in the near future and record the progress towards this goal. In addition, in order to address the large number of calls expressing interest to donate funds for this effort, this website will have a user-friendly mechanism to facilitate donations to the University for these efforts. It is important to say that, so far, there is an impressive number of people expressing their wish to contribute with donations; while there is no indication yet of interest from large companies or industries.

source: CTV

Plastics / BPA and how they are poisoning us everyday with harmful products that are sold as safe.

The Disappearing Male

"We are conducting a vast toxicological experiment in which our children and our children's children are the experimental subjects." Dr. Herbert Needleman

The Disappearing Male is about one of the most important, and least publicized, issues facing the human species: the toxic threat to the male reproductive system.

The last few decades have seen steady and dramatic increases in the incidence of boys and young men suffering from genital deformities, low sperm count, sperm abnormalities and testicular cancer.

Some researchers say that declining male fertility rates could be the first sign of extinction.

At the same time, boys are now far more at risk of suffering from ADHD, autism, Tourette's syndrome, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia.

The Disappearing Male takes a close and disturbing look at what many doctors and researchers now suspect are responsible for many of these problems: a class of common chemicals that are ubiquitous in our world.

Found in everything from shampoo, sunglasses, meat and dairy products, carpet, cosmetics and baby bottles, they are called "hormone mimicking" or "endocrine disrupting" chemicals and they may be starting to damage the most basic building blocks of human development.

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2008/disappearingmale/#

Eminent Cancer Scientist Found Dead in His Car with Toxic Chemicals

April 25th, 2009

There’s not much information right now.

Via: Perthshire Advertiser:

A SCIENTIST researching ways to help raise cancer survival rates was found dead in Blairgowrie this week.

Dr Thomas Friedberg, a notable member of the medical research team at Dundee University, was found dead in his car on Wednesday evening, close to the family’s Blairgowrie home on Emma Terrace.

But the police officers and ambulance staff who first arrived at the scene had to be taken to hospital after a number of unidentified substances found in Dr Friedberg’s car and home prompted a chemical scare.

A full-scale cordon was established around the Emma Road area while Tayside Police along with the fire and rescue service, forensic experts and chemists worked to establish the type of chemicals found.

Dr Friedberg (59) worked in the Biomedical Research Institute, part of the School of Medicine at the University where staff have described him as warm, kind and well-loved part of the team.

Professor Martin Pippard, Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Dundee, said: “We are deeply saddened by news of Dr Thomas Friedberg’s death.

“Dr Friedberg was an eminent scientist in his field who had made many important contributions in the field of cancer research, particularly in drug development and toxicology.

“He was a much respected and loved colleague of many in the School of Medicine and across the University.

“Our thoughts at this time are with his family,” the Dean added.

And colleague Professor Roland Wolf, Director of the Biomedical Research Institute, added: “Thomas was a warm, kind and much-loved member of the Biomedical Research Institute.

“He made an exceptional contribution to the research programme of the institute and will be greatly missed.”

Dr Thomas Friedberg had been researching ways to improve anti-cancer therapy, identifying people with an increased risk of the disease and methods to prevent it.

The area in Blairgowrie close to where Dr Friedberg’s body was found remained cordoned off until the chemicals were identified.

All the emergency staff taken to Ninewells Hospital amid the chemical scare were checked over and released without the need for treatment.

Police established there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Dr Friedberg’s death and, as with all sudden deaths, a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

‘Cancer risk of nicotine gum and lozenges higher than thought’

Mark Henderson
London Times
April 22, 2009

Nicotine chewing gum, lozenges and inhalers designed to help people to give up smoking may have the potential to cause cancer, research has suggested.

Scientists have discovered a link between mouth cancer and exposure to nicotine, which may indicate that using oral nicotine replacement therapies for long periods could contribute to a raised risk of the disease. A study led by Muy-Teck Teh, of Queen Mary, University of London, has found that the effects of a genetic mutation that is common in mouth cancer can be worsened by nicotine in the levels that are typically found in smoking cessation products.

The results raise the prospect that nicotine, the addictive chemical in tobacco, may be more carcinogenic than had previously been appreciated. “Although we acknowledge the importance of encouraging people to quit smoking, our research suggests nicotine found in lozenges and chewing gums may increase the risk of mouth cancer,” Dr Teh said. “Smoking is of course far more dangerous, and people who are using nicotine replacement to give up should continue to use it and consult their GPs if they are concerned. The important message is not to overuse it, and to follow advice on the packet.”

Read entire article

Report Shows Long Term Use of Cell Phones Linked to Brain Tumors

David Gutierrez
Natural News
Monday, Dec 29, 2008

A report by Toronto Public Health advises children to limit their use of cell phones as much as possible, citing studies that have linked long-term mobile phone exposure to an increased risk of brain tumors.

“We think it’s responsible to limit children’s exposure,” the researchers wrote.

“While scientists were pretty dismissive of any risk years ago, with the accumulation of studies, it appears people who have been using their phones for a long period of time are at greater risk of certain kinds of brain tumors.” said report co-author Loren Vanderlinden.

Toronto Public Health recommends that children use land lines whenever possible, using mobile phones only for “essential purposes.” When cell phones are used, the report urges children to keep calls shorter than 10 minutes and to use headsets or other hands-free devices as much as possible. Limiting cellular phone use is especially important for pre-adolescents, the authors said.

“Teach [children] the ways to use a cell phone responsibly,” Vanderlinden advised parents. “To make shorter calls, to use other modes of communication; if it’s possible, use a landline.”

Researchers suspect that the thinner skulls and smaller heads of children place them at greater risk than adults from the same degree of mobile phone radiation. Indeed, some studies have confirmed that cell phone radiation penetrates deeper into the brains of children than adults.

The use of cellular phones has dramatically increased in Canada over the last 10 years, particularly among children. Approximately 61 percent of children between the ages of 12 in 19 now use mobile phones. The numbers for children under the age of 12 are not known.

The Toronto warning is the first warning against cellular phone use in Canada, and is similar to warnings that have been issued in Belgium, England, France, Germany and Russia. Health Canada, the country’s public health agency, said it had no plans to follow Toronto’s lead.