I want combo trials, and now!!

[Wise Young]

Please take a look at the post that I made in 2004.

07-25-2004, 07:34 PM
1. rolipram and db cAMP
a. with Schwann cells (Bunge, et al, Miami)
b. with bone marrow stem cells (Tuszynski, et al., UCSD)
2. GDNF and chondroitinase with Schwann cells (Xu, et al., Louisville).
3. L1 with radial glial cells (Grumet, et al., Rutgers)

All of these have several significant obstacles to clinical trial both in the United States and around the world. First, none of the studies gave the treatments to chronic spinal cord injury and some animal data will probably be required before the combinations will be tried in chronic human spinal cord injury. Second, it may take a little time to negotiate the drugs from their sources: chondroitinase is available from Seikagaku and possibly from Acorda Therapeutics, db cAMP is just a common chemical, and GDNF should be available from Amgen. Third, the sources of the cells will require a lot of work. Finally, we need to find a funding source for these trials. I suspect that these obstacles will require at least a year or two to overcome.

Wise.

It may be useful to remind people what happened in 2004. George W. Bush was re-elected President, resulting in another four more years of White House suppression of NIH funding not only of stem cell but spinal cord injury research. NIH clinical trials that began in the Clinton years had ended and were not replaced. Industry funding reached an all-time low. The few companies investing in spinal cord injury clinical trials dropped out of the field, i.e. Proneuron, Acorda, Diacrin, and Aventis. In October 2004, Christopher Reeve died. The years 2005-2008 were the hardest years for spinal cord injury field in memory, culminating in the worst recession the world has suffered since the Great Depression.

In 2004, DA and I went to a Neurotrauma meeting in Mississippi where he had gotten very excited about combination therapies being presented by Xiaoming Xu. But, we did not have the infrastructure to move the therapies into clinical trial. We had no team to develop and move combination therapies to clinical trials. In fact, we had no players who could step up to the plate and hit the ball, much less a home run that everybody seems to be expecting. There was little funding and even less community support for clinical trials in those days.

We have come a long ways since 2004. The first and most important step is our realization that nobody else will do it for us. If we want the cure, we must do it. Second, spinal cord injury clinical trials have started again, despite the worst recession and the lowest fundraising period for industry and charity in memory. Third, several companies are beginning to invest seriously into developing spinal cord injury therapies. This includes Novartis, Acorda, Galaxo-Smith-Kline, Stemcyte, Geron, and hopefully Alseres. Even Proneuron is picking itself out of the dust.

Let us make it so.

Wise.

[keeping on]

Wise, one thing that sticks out is that an irresponsible person or persons can derail progress for EIGHT years!!! I think that functional progress is being made and the awareness of the community is formidable enough to cause havoc if they try it again. A suceessful trial will put to rest the supposed men of God who actually think they are God.

[Schmeky]

Originally Posted by CPaul

BTW: I thought CDRPA was supposed to have passed and the $$$ for a clinical trial network was already in place. For a long time the cry was we need money. At the recent Spinal Cord Workshop the cry now is "we have money but no Clinical trial network" What gives?

The CDPRA was symbolic; it's an unfunded mandate; there is no money here.

[DA]

Originally Posted by Wise Young

Please take a look at the post that I made in 2004.


It may be useful to remind people what happened in 2004. George W. Bush was re-elected President, resulting in another four more years of White House suppression of NIH funding not only of stem cell but spinal cord injury research. NIH clinical trials that began in the Clinton years had ended and were not replaced. Industry funding reached an all-time low. The few companies investing in spinal cord injury clinical trials dropped out of the field, i.e. Proneuron, Acorda, Diacrin, and Aventis. In October 2004, Christopher Reeve died. The years 2005-2008 were the hardest years for spinal cord injury field in memory, culminating in the worst recession the world has suffered since the Great Depression.

there is still negative in your post. you want to remove this part or can i too point out how obama is screwing us as well as how clinton screwed us too? or is that heresy.

In 2004, DA and I went to a Neurotrauma meeting in Mississippi where he had gotten very excited about combination therapies being presented by Xiaoming Xu. But, we did not have the infrastructure to move the therapies into clinical trial. We had no team to develop and move combination therapies to clinical trials. In fact, we had no players who could step up to the plate and hit the ball, much less a home run that everybody seems to be expecting. There was little funding and even less community support for clinical trials in those days.

We have come a long ways since 2004. The first and most important step is our realization that nobody else will do it for us. If we want the cure, we must do it. Second, spinal cord injury clinical trials have started again, despite the worst recession and the lowest fundraising period for industry and charity in memory. Third, several companies are beginning to invest seriously into developing spinal cord injury therapies. This includes Novartis, Acorda, Galaxo-Smith-Kline, Stemcyte, Geron, and hopefully Alseres. Even Proneuron is picking itself out of the dust.

Let us make it so.

Wise.

So does mean when should give our money to private companys?

[maglito]

Originally Posted by DA

So does mean when should give our money to private companys?

Private companies have investors and don't need your pennies.

You choose to spend your time complaining and giving people every excuse NOT to fund clinical trials (Xprize - a joke of a solution in human medicine, private companies, etc.). The one place your pennies could make a small difference, and in turn by convincing others to put their pennies there too, you rally against.

To me, your posts are very, very sad. You fail to see your negative attitude helps nothing and in fact hurts progress towards a "cure" or some treatment to improve function because you dis-wade people to help in probably the only way many are currently capable.

Support clinical trials with your pennies/one dollar a day or waste your time complaining and helping nothing, the choice is yours. But, telling people to not support clinical trials only hurts progress towards a cure and makes all your posts appear quite pathetic, short-sighted and sad.

[DA]

Originally Posted by maglito

Private companies have investors and don't need your pennies.

You choose to spend your time complaining and giving people every excuse NOT to fund clinical trials (Xprize - a joke of a solution in human medicine, private companies, etc.). The one place your pennies could make a small difference, and in turn by convincing others to put their pennies there too, you rally against.

To me, your posts are very, very sad. You fail to see your negative attitude helps nothing and in fact hurts progress towards a "cure" or some treatment to improve function because you dis-wade people to help in probably the only way many are currently capable.

Support clinical trials with your pennies/one dollar a day or waste your time complaining and helping nothing, the choice is yours. But, telling people to not support clinical trials only hurts progress towards a cure and makes all your posts appear quite pathetic, short-sighted and sad.

liar, but ofcourse you need to lie. i'll give you a fair shot. for all the forum to see, please post...copy and paste...where i said i didnt support clinicial trials?

[maglito]

Originally Posted by DA

liar, but ofcourse you need to lie. i'll give you a fair shot. for all the forum to see, please post...copy and paste...where i said i didnt support clinicial trials?

This argument is tired.
http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showpos...4&postcount=14

It seems everyone can see, but you, the only thing you are doing is hurting progress towards a cure.

Please stop.

[DA]

Originally Posted by maglito

This argument is tired.
http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showpos...4&postcount=14

It seems everyone can see, but you, the only thing you are doing is hurting progress towards a cure.

Please stop.

i dont see anything about clinical trials in your link. stop wasting time. COPY AND PASTE WHERE I SAID I OPPOSE CLINICAL TRIALS...

COPY AND PASTE...OK... YOU GOT IT?


damn, even in my x-prize idea requires clinical trials...

[maglito]

DA,
I'll make this simple.
By saying things like 'the current system is broken' or an 'x-prize for an SCI cure would be the better way' you hurt the chances people that read and buy into your posts will help in a constructive way.

You say, I lie.
You say there are no posts that I could copy and paste that show you don't support clinical trials. I would argue that a great number of your posts (especially here in the Cure forum) serve to undermine the support of clinical trials. If you fail to see that, this is truly sad.

Please, please PROVE me wrong by supporting clinical trials, not with words but with action. Go to the link in my signature and donate 30 dollars a month or simply $365 and do it each year. Then, you COPY AND PASTE the message into your signature. Then no one can say you don't support clinical trials because you have proof and you'll be advocating to others to do the same, the exact opposite of what myself and many others (including Wise Young) accuse you of doing.

I somehow doubt you will prove me wrong by proving you support clinical trials, but I wholehearted hope you do.

Goodnight DA.

[Buck503]

Originally Posted by maglito

DA,
By saying things like 'the current system is broken' or an 'x-prize for an SCI cure would be the better way' you hurt the chances people that read and buy into your posts will help in a constructive way.

I don't like DA's approach to cure advocacy or his politics. But I
understand why he's frustrated. It seems like every goal that's
supposed to speed up the process ends up doing little or nothing
to help.

Examples since I've been around:

Pass the CDRPA. Done. Nothing.
Overturn the federally funded escr ban. Done. Nothing
FDA approval for Geron to start clinical trials. Done. Nothing. Rescinded.
Numerous breakthroughs on a weekly basis in the five years
that I've been injured. Disappear.

No doubt, Bush and the economy hurt progress, but I can't understand
why something as valuable as a cure for sci has been ignored by
private investment, especially if the research is so close to providing
a treatment.