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Denver Post Examines Efforts To Establish Needle-Exchange Programs In Colorado
The Denver Post on Friday examined efforts to establish needle-exchange programs in Colorado to reduce the risk of HIV and hepatitis C among injection drug users. According to the Post, 185 cities in Colorado have needle-exchange programs, but legislation that would have legalized needle exchanges statewide did not advance in the Legislature this year. "The issue is more complex than it perhaps first appears," Evan Dreyer, a spokesperson for Gov. Bill Ritter (D), said, adding that "law enforcement and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment both expressed serious reservations" about a proposal that would have legalized needle-exchanges statewide. A coalition of public health officials, treatment providers and advocates are increasing efforts to establish a needle-exchange program in Denver, the Post reports. The Denver Drug Strategy Commission in February recommended that Mayor John Hickenlooper consider a pilot needle-exchange program, DDSC Director Karla Maraccini said. The commission is looking at different programs to develop a model following Hickenlooper"s request for additional research. However, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey has concerns that a local needle-exchange program would violate state law, according to Morrissey"s spokesperson Lynn Kimbrough. Eric Brown, a spokesperson for Hickenlooper, added, "Anything in contradiction to city or state law would have to be carefully considered." Proponents of needle-exchange programs say they prevent HIV and hepatitis C, but opponents say they condone injection drug use. Mark Thrun, director of HIV prevention for Denver Public Health, said, adding that needle-exchange programs prevent IDUs from "getting these chronic, potentially fatal diseases" and give public health workers "an opportunity to link them into treatment; and it lessens the economic burden on the already overburdened health care system." Thrun noted that several studies have found that needle-exchange programs do not encourage or prolong injection drug use and make IDUs more likely to seek treatment. In addition, a 2005 CDC study found that 86% of exchange programs make treatment referrals and that more than 80% offer counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.Nancy Steinfurth, executive director of the Hep C Connection, noted that an estimated 10% of HIV cases and 70% of hepatitis C cases are transmitted through needles (Auge, Denver Post, 5/15).
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Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Receives European Medicines Agency Approval To Proceed With Phase 3 Development Of OnaltaTM
Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIPI) announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has approved its Phase 3 protocol for Onalta (Yttrium-90 edotreotide). Onalta is the Company"s lead radiotherapeutic product candidate under development for the treatment of metastatic carcinoid and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in patients whose symptoms are not controlled by conventional therapy. The compound has shown the potential to selectively deliver lethal radiation to cancer cells. The proposed Phase 3 trial will confirm that administration of Onalta results in stabilization, regression or complete remission of the carcinoid tumor, and improves carcinoid-related symptoms when compared to a high-dose regimen of the current standard therapy for this disease, Sandostatin®. With EMEA"s approval of its proposed Phase 3 protocol in hand, Molecular Insight can proceed with the final clinical trial that will position Onalta for marketing authorization in the EU.
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Good Governance Guidance Published For Primary Care Trust Provider Committees, UK
The Appointments Commission and the Department of Health have published guidance to help Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) with their governance arrangements for Provider Committees.
Diagnostics

Protein From Algae Shows Promise For Stopping SARS

A protein from algae may have what it takes to stop Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) infections, according to new research. A recent study has found that mice treated with the protein, Griffithsin (GRFT), had a 100 percent survival rate after exposure to the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), as compared to a 30 percent survival for untreated mice. The research will be presented at the American Thoracic Society"s 105th International Conference in San Diego on Wednesday, May 20. Despite its dramatic entrance into the domain of worldwide public health threats in 2002, little headway has been made therapeutically toward preventing or treating SARS after infection. But GRFT, a lectin protein derived from algae, offers a new possible hope. GRFT is thought to exert its anti-viral effects by altering the shape of the sugar molecules that line the virus" envelope, allowing it to attach to and invade human cells, where it takes over the cells" reproductive machinery to replicate itself. Without that crucial ability, the virus is unable to cause disease. "While preliminary, these results are very exciting and indicate a possible therapeutic approach to future SARS or other coronaviral outbreaks," stated Christine Wohlford-Lenane, senior research assistant at the department of pediatrics University of Iowa and the lead author of the study. Researchers treated experimental mice with GRFT or a sham treatment and then inoculated them with the SARS virus. They analyzed the antiviral activity of GRFT and the extent to which the virus was able to invade and replicate in the mice at two, four and 10 days after infection. They found that mice who had not been treated with GRFT showed 20 times more plaque-forming units of virus than treated mice. They also noted that the lungs of untreated infected mice showed extensive necrotizing bronchitis and prominent edema, while mice treated with GRFT showed evidence of significantly less severe lung damage. Additionally, mice treated with GRFT did not experience the drastic weight loss of untreated mice, which lost 35 percent of their body mass. "This indicates that not only did the GRFT stop the virus from replicating, but also prevented secondary outcomes, such as weight loss, that are associated with infection," said Ms. Wohlford-Lenane. "We are planning future studies to investigate prophylaxis, versus treatment interventions with GRFT, in the SARS mouse model in collaboration with Barry O"Keefe at the National Cancer Institute," she concluded. "In addition, we want to learn whether mice protected from SARS by GRFT develop protective immunity against future infection." American Thoracic Society (ATS)


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