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'Chronic Underfunding' Could Hinder Progress In HIV Treatment, Opinion Piece Says
Recent cuts to Arizona"s AIDS Drug Assistance Program and other state services due to "chronic underfunding of HIV services at the state and federal level, the increasing cost of medications and the increasing number of persons living with HIV who lack insurance to pay for these life-saving drugs," will likely reverse the progress made in HIV treatment, J. Kevin Carmichael, an associate medical director at El Rio Community Health Center in Tucson, Ariz., writes in an Arizona Daily Star opinion piece. He continues, "Our legislators need to hear our voices and understand that we cannot accept a shortsighted approach to a fiscal crisis that builds in years of HIV-related illness and guarantees significant future costs" (Carmichael, Arizona Daily Star, 6/15).

New Study Demonstrates NanoScan's Novel Contrast Agent May Identify Heart Attack In Waiting
NanoScan Imaging, LLC announced the publication of new data demonstrating the use of its investigational, radio-opaque contrast agent (N1177) to visualize vulnerable plaques that can cause heart attack or stroke using advanced, non-invasive and high-resolution computed tomography (CT) techniques. Results of the study were published in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Nuclear Medicine (J Nucl Med. 2009 Jun;50(6):959-965).
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Transcept Pharmaceuticals Presents Data From Studies Of Two Product Candidates At Annual Meeting Of The American Psychiatric Association
Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSPT), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary products that address important therapeutic needs in the field of neuroscience, announced today the presentation of two posters at the 2009 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco, California.
Oncology

1/4 Of Patients On Highest Investigational Doses Of CP-690,550 Achieve ACR70 At Week 12

A quarter of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving either 10mg (24.6%) or 15mg (28.1%) twice daily of the investigational oral JAK-3 (janus-associated kinase) inhibitor CP-690,550 (CP) achieved ACR70* after 12 weeks, according to the results of a new study presented at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark. The primary outcome for the study was ACR20*, with 75.4% of patients achieving this measure at 12 weeks for both 10mg and 15mg doses. The study also showed that, comparatively, the ACR70* responses for adalimumab (ADA, a monoclonal antibody and anti-TNF) and placebo, were 3.8% and 5.1% respectively at the same follow up point. At the 12 week interim analysis, three doses (5mg, 10mg and 15mg twice daily) of CP demonstrated statistical superiority to placebo in nearly all clinical outcomes measured, including: ACR20, HAQ-DI** and DAS28***, in patients who had had a previously inadequate response to a DMARD (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug). Of patients receiving 15mg twice daily CP, 75.4% achieved ACR20 and 40.4% reached DAS28 remission; compared with 47.2% of ADA and 28.8% of placebo patients for ACR20; and 4.4% of ADA and 6.7% of placebo patients for DAS28 remission respectively. Dr Roy Fleischmann, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Texas, Dallas, USA who led the study, said: "The development of oral small-molecule JAK inhibitors, such as CP which targets the JAK-1/3 enzyme pathway, represents a new approach in the treatment of RA. These drugs offer the potential for more precise targeting than existing oral DMARD treatments, in addition to a more convenient oral administration than biologic treatments. The results of this study would suggest that the compound appears worthy for future phase III investigation." In the 6-month double-blind phase IIb dose-ranging study, 384 patients were randomised to various trial doses of oral CP: 1mg, 3mg, 5mg, 10mg and 15mg twice daily; or to ADA 40mg subcutaneous injection every other week for 12 weeks followed by CP 5mg twice daily or placebo. The most frequently-reported CP treatment-emergent all-cause AEs were urinary tract infections (4.4%), diarrhoea (4.0%), bronchitis (3.7%), and headache (3.7%). Most frequently-reported ADA treatment-emergent all-cause AEs were bronchitis and pruritus (5.7% each), and blood creatinine increase, dizziness, headache, influenza, nausea, rash, and swelling (3.8% each). The inclusion criteria for the study were as follows: patients with active RA (6 tender joints and 6 swollen joints (66/68 joint count)), and CRP (c-reactive protein) >7 mg/dL or ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) > ULN). 87% of the 384 patients who were randomised to receive a study drug were female, with mean baseline value ranges as follows: age 52.4 - 55.1 years; disease duration 7.7 - 11.0 years; HAQ DI 1.4 - 1.6; DAS28-3 (CRP) 5.4 - 5.6; and 70 - 83% RF positive. The data presented at EULAR are taken from a week 12 interim analysis of the 6-month study and include efficacy and safety assessments taken at weeks: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. The HAQ-DI response was classified as a 0.22 unit improvement from baseline, and DAS28 remission was set at DAS28-3 (CRP) achieving


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