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The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Quebec Division, Pays Tribute to Three Quebecers at the Opal Awards Dinner

MONTREAL, QUEBEC–(CCNMatthews – March 21, 2006) – The fourth Opal Awards Dinner, named for Evelyn Opal, the founder of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (MSSC), was held on Wednesday, March 1st, at the Sheraton Centre in Montreal. This prestigious awards ceremony pays tribute to the outstanding achievements and social commitment of three Quebecers. This year’s Opal Awards Dinner raised $451,100 in donations and services for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Quebec Division. The money will be used to support research and services for people with multiple sclerosis and their families.

Robert E. Brown, President and CEO of CAE Inc., received the highest distinction of the evening, the Grand Merit Opal Award, for his career achievements and philanthropy.

The Opal Ambassador Award was presented to Robert Gervais, President and CEO of Pre2Post Inc., for his commitment to the MSSC. He has been a member of the MS Leadership Awards selection committee since 2002 and currently chairs this committee. It is because of Robert Gervais that the MSSC has been able to expand its visibility within the business community.

Nathalie Brouard, a Partner, Tax Services with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, received the Tribute Opal Award in acknowledgement of her courage and leadership. A volunteer with the MSSC since 1998, Nathalie Brouard formed what has become the number one team in the Super Cities WALK for MS, raising over $110,000 to fight the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is the most widespread neurological disorder among young adults in Canada. It mainly strikes between the ages of 15 and 40 and there is no cure. Some 12,000 Quebecers have MS.

For more information on the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Quebec Division, see the Web site at www.mssociety.ca/qc .

A division of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada – Registered Charitable Organization No. 10490 2523 RR0001

Source and Photo will be available on CP picture wire.

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:

www.ccnmatthews.com/em/1111

CONTACT INFORMATION
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Quebec Division
Isabelle Laplante
Communications Coordinator
(514) 849-7591 or 1 800 268-7582
isabelle.laplante@mssociety.ca

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STATINS TO HELP MS

17 March 2006

A DRUG to lower cholesterol could also help multiple sclerosis sufferers, say researchers.

Tests on mice with a similar auto-immune condition produced remarkable results when cholesterol busting statin Lipitor was combined with MS drug Copaxone.

It helped prevent or reduce paralysis, said scientists at the University of California and Stanford University Medical Center in California.

Team member Dr Olaf Stuve said: “It represents a potential new strategy for treating MS.” The MS Society said: “These are promising results.”

Source

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Multiple Sclerosis Drug Combined with Lipitor May Stop or Reverse Disease – Dosages Cut in Half with Fewer Negative Side Effects

March 16th 2006

Combining treatments may improve outcomes for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), according to research done on mice and published online by the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Scott S. Zamvil and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco found that mice treated with a combination of Glatiramer acetate (GA) and atorvastatin (Lipitor) demonstrated “a significant prevention and reversal of clinical MS severity” of MS symptoms.

Lipitor is a cholesterol lowering drug that has previously been shown to improve MS symptoms. Glatiramer acetate (Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.’s Copaxone) is a drug currently approved for MS treatment. The researchers found that treating MS with combinations of immune modulating drugs can greatly reduce MS disease.

According to the researchers, treating EAE (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis) mice with the combination therapy caused the animals to lose less myelin, prevented CNS inflammation, and MS disease incidence.

The researchers then treated isolated inflammatory cells called macrophages with these drugs and found that the combination therapy mediated its effects by promoting the secretion of the anti-inflammatory molecule IL-10 and suppressed production of the proinflammatory molecules IL-12 and TNF-alpha.

The researchers believe that the combined delivery of drugs, which act through different mechanisms, may enhance the therapeutic efficacy of MS and reduce the negative side effects. Also the drug dosages were less than the dosages used in regular single drug treatments.

Copaxone has been shown to be 30 to 35 percent effective alone. According to Bloomberg News, all MS drugs have to be injected, and have “severe side effects”. None of the MS drugs are very potent.

Lipitor on the other hand can be taken orally and is considered relatively safe. Lipitor, the best selling drug in the world, appears to block production of immune system agents, called cytokines, involved in the disease process. Currently the University of California, San Francisco is looking for 152 patients at 14 hospitals to participate in clinical trials. These trials will investigate the effect Lipitor alone has on MS. Contact the office of Scott Zamvil, associate professor of neurology at University of California, San Francisco, for more information.

There are 400,000 MS sufferers in the US. The illness causes neurological symptoms that include loss of motor control, blindness and temporary recurring paralysis. The condition occur when the body’s natural defenses are over stimulated and begin stripping the protective insulation, called myelin, from nerve fibers in the central nervous system, which includes the brain, optic nerves and spinal cord.

Dan Wilson
Best Syndication

Source

Copyright 2005 Best Syndication
Last Updated Thursday, March 16, 2006 06:07 PM

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FDA Advisers Endorse Return of Multiple Sclerosis Drug

03.08.06, 12:00 AM ET

WEDNESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) — A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously Wednesday to allow the promising but controversial multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri back on the market.

The advisers continued to discuss certain controls on who could use the drug, which has been linked to a rare but potentially fatal brain infection. The panel members agreed to a manufacturer plan for a mandatory patient registry; they were scheduled to decide later in the day who would be allowed to enroll in the registry, and how tightly drug use would be limited, the Associated Press reported.

While the full FDA generally follows the recommendations of its advisory panels, it is not required to do so. The agency is expected to render its final decision on the drug by the end of the month.

Physicians and MS patients alike were heartened by the decision, which came during the second day of two days of deliberations.

“Tysabri is a very important step forward despite the fact that there are some concerns and limitations concerning its safety, but the safety risk at the moment, in the range of about one in 1,000, is probably well worth taking for patients with more severe or unstable disease,” said Dr. Joseph Herbert, director of the Multiple Sclerosis Care Center and chief of neurology at New York University/Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City.

“Patients with rapidly progressive or aggressive MS are probably at far greater risk because of the disease than they are from a potential rare side effect of the drug,” Herbert said.

MS patient and attorney Karen Miller, 49, told the committee that Tysabri “is as close as it comes” to a miracle drug. Miller credited the drug with a renewed ability to ride her bike, wash her windows and run daily errands, the AP said.

“I am at the end of my road, in terms of what I can take. I want it to be my choice,” another MS patient, Barbara Crooks, 48, told the news service.

Tysabri’s manufacturers, Biogen Idec Inc. and Elan Corp, pulled the drug off the market in February 2005 after three patients taking it developed progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML), a progressive, neurodegenerative disease. Two of those patients died.

The removal took place just three months after the FDA had granted accelerated approval of the drug for the treatment of relapsing forms of MS.

In February, the FDA announced that Biogen and Elan could resume clinical trials for MS patients who were previously treated with the drug under an investigational study.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that can range from relatively benign to somewhat disabling to devastating. Most MS patients experience their first symptoms between the ages of 20 and 40, and most suffer muscle weakness in their extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance. These symptoms may be bad enough to hamper walking or even standing; in worst cases, MS can produce partial or complete paralysis.

Tysabri is a monoclonal antibody, engineered to attach itself to white blood cells called lymphocytes and prevent them from entering the brain, where they do damage that causes the disabling symptoms of MS. Tysabri had also been used to treat Crohn’s disease.

One of the biggest issues in bringing the drug back to market is what kind of risk-management plan should be implemented. An initial plan submitted to the FDA by the manufacturers was considered insufficient.

“There’s no question with this kind of essentially lethal risk that there is going to have to be some kind of risk-management program,” Dr. Robert Temple, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said at a Tuesday news conference.

Other features of a risk-management plan could include restrictions on who gets the drug, administering the drug at a registered infusion center, and monitoring all patients on the drug for at least five years. The drug may be restricted only to individuals with more severe forms of the disease, patients who have failed other therapies, and patients who are not taking other immunosuppressants.

“The three cases that did develop PML were all patients who were on other immune modulator drugs,” Herbert noted. “If we use Tysabri judiciously and as a monotherapy, it is possible that the risk will turn out to be lower than we imagine.”

Tysabri is only the second prescription drug to be returned to the market after being taken off. The other was Lotronex, used for irritable bowel syndrome, which was withdrawn in 2000 but allowed back on the market two years later.

“Lotronex was a unique drug with value for some people,” Temple said. “The drugs that disappear permanently tend to be drugs that tend to have substitutes.”

More information

Find out more about Tysabri at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Source

© Forbes.com Inc.™ All Rights Reserved

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How I Quit Smoking

My official “Quit-Smoking” day is November 7, 2001. I have not had a cigarette since this date.

I was never a casual smoker, because I have smoked since I was about 12 or 13 years old. Since about 1980’s I have been consistent with my smoking, reaching about 3 packages of cigarettes for every 2 days or so. On average, I smoked about 40 cigarettes per day – every day – for about the last 25 years. On stressful days or days when I would just light up a cigarette and was super busy and left it burning in an ashtray, the count could have been as high as 50 cigarettes per day.

And I have never wanted to quit smoking. I was never one of those people that said .. “Oh, I can quit anytime” .. or “I’d like to quit, but I can’t” … or “I plan to quit in the near future” ..

With me .. it was more like .. “Quit Smoking? Shaddup! I have no intention of quitting .. I like smoking! Why would I want to quit smoking?” There never was an issue about the money .. I worked for a living and earned the money I used to pay for my cigarettes. Throughout my entire life, I did not ever hear of any stories about people who quit smoking actually saved the money for cigarettes.

I felt bad for Yvonne though .. when I met her in March 1997 .. she was off-and-on quitting smoking. After a while, she gave up on that! We were living together and between the two of us .. we would be going through at least 3 cartons of cigarettes every 10 days. That’s 24 packs of 25 cigarettes or about 60 cigarettes per day between the two of us!

I am an accountant, and have quite detailed financial statements of all my business and personal expenses. Because Yvonne’s grocer of choice was Superstore, she had to buy cigarettes separately at the customer service counter, and received a separate receipt. I began to keep records of how much groceries we spent, and how much we spent on cigarettes alone. In early 2001, when I showed Yvonne our “combined” financial statements for YE 2000, and it showed something like $6900.00 combined cigarette purchases … she (naturally) freaked .. and decided to quit smoking.

And she quit smoking on August 13, 2001 .. (falling on same day as her birthday 13th)

Well, we split household expenses, utilities, etc .. but she wouldn’t buy me any more cigarettes. I was on my own .. but that’s okay. I like to smoke. Been doing it for a lot many years before she was around! But two developments began to take place …

(1) She began to get a better sense of smell ..

She could really smell the nicotine on the clothes, in the air … and the sweet-HART that I am .. I offered to not blow smoke in her face if she promised not to bug me about quitting smoking too … I agreed to smoke either in MY OFFICE, which is upstairs on the 2nd floor … or in the basement. Both areas were fine with me .. because I smoke while I work, and when I’m in the basement I can clean up, do filing, organize (and I setup a secondary stereo and her old speaker system down there too!)

(2) EA Games invented THE SIMS .. I think it was in September 2001 ??

It wasn’t enough that Yvonne wanted to control me, now she wanted to control little SIMulated creatures … she was hooked! Some days she would be on the computer for 18 hours .. it was ridiculous…. but – get this: She still wanted me to only smoke in my office or the basement – even though my computer that she plays THE SIMS was on .. is in my office! And it didn’t really bother her. I think. She was already addicted to Nicorette Gum and as far as I was lead to believe, she had no urge to smoke again.

It just got even more absurd because for the first time in my life, I felt guilty. I think I caused her to smoke again when we first met, and if I continue to work or watch her play THE SIMS and smoke .. she will smoke again … So, I decided to just smoke in the basement.

At the end of September 2001 – we had a cold spell here in Winnipeg, and there’s not much heat in our basement. WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING SITTING IN A COLD BASEMENT SMOKING? Geesh .. that’s when I finally decided.. on October 10th, 2001

I WILL QUIT SMOKING ON OCTOBER 31, 2001

Nobody believed me – but all of a sudden my entire workplace knew about this comment (I work with my dad and Yvonne told my mom.. etc) .. and soon clients would be calling me and congratulating me deciding to finally quit smoking.

One of my clients back then, gave me the best advice that I even remember today …

Remember the day you quit smoking ..
… and you will always remember that you were a smoker who quit smoking ..

Forget the day you quit smoking ..
… and that’s the day you become a non-smoker ..

So I needed a plan. What I did was between October 10th and October 15th .. I counted how many cigarettes I smoked and provided me with a daily average – it turned out to be 44 cigarettes. On October 16th, I determined myself to reduce my smoking by 3 cigarettes per day until I quit, on October 31, 2001. Here’s how my progess actually went – I documented it.

Oct 15 – 44 average calculated
Oct 16 – 41 smokes
Oct 17 – 38 smokes
Oct 18 – 35 smokes
Oct 19 – 32 smokes
Oct 20 – 29 smokes
Oct 21 – 26 smokes
Oct 22 – 23 smokes
Oct 23 – 20 smokes
Oct 24 – 17 smokes
Oct 25 – 14 smokes
Oct 26 – 11 smokes
Oct 27 – 8 smokes
Oct 28 – 5 smokes
Oct 29 – 20 smokes
Oct 30 – 37 smokes
Oct 31 – 49 smokes

(We had a major deadline due October 31, 2001 .. MAN was I stressed!)

Nov 1 – 15 smokes
>> I threw out my cigarettes and bought a rolling machine and rolled my own smokes
Nov 2 – 12 homemade smokes
Nov 3 – 9 homemade smokes
Nov 4 – 6 homemade smokes
Nov 5 – 3 homemade smokes
Nov 6 – 1 homemade smoke
Nov 7 – 1 homemade smoke .. and that was my last cigarette.

I used the patch started November 2nd as well .. and went through the 3 cycle program .. I think it lasted 3 weeks? After the 3rd box was empty – I had no urge to smoke ever again.

Yvonne and I got married August 31, 2002 and she was still addicted to Nicorette gum .. it wasn’t until mid 2003 I got her off of the nicorette gum, but now we both go through quite a bit of Dentyne gum every week.

From November 7, 2001 period to August 31, 2002 .. I probably gained about 35 pounds .. I like to think enjoying the taste of old cuisines that I enjoy .. although some might think food was a substitute for the non-smoking. It’s been a struggle (that I’m documenting on Battling-Obesity.com blog) losing all this excess weight and getting back in shape.

Also – I stopped wearing a watch. It somehow balances both of my arms now (before there used to be a cigarette in my right hand to compensate)

And .. I can still remember the date I quit smoking .. so, I guess I’m not really a true non-smoker … but I’m quite proud of myself for doing it cold turkey – the first time I ever wanted to in my life. My family, friends and relatives can still hardly believe that I was the one that actually quit so easily, where they thought it would be harder for me.

Conclusions?

Well .. if you can’t have a partner to help you quit smoking … just make a plan and do it gradually. Remember – smoking is expensive and it ruins your health. Don’t worry if you quit and start again .. just quit again .. take it one day at a time .. and keep the ultimate goal in mind … YOU WANT TO QUIT SMOKING …

So – Make it happen! Good Luck!

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Man In Everest Challenge To Fight Mental Illness Stigma

By Rosamond Hutt, Community Newswire
ADVENTURE Everest Dorset, 2006-03-14 16:18:59.0

A Dorset man was today preparing for the first stages of an epic challenge to become the first person to climb Mount Everest while battling severe mental illness.

Stuart Baker-Brown, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1996, plans to scale the world’s tallest peak in April next year.

The 41-year-old, from Cerne Abbas, is due to begin his preparation for the 8,848m Everest ascent with a five-week expedition to climb Mera Peak, a 6,500m mountain in Nepal, on March 20.

In addition to the physical challenges of climbing in the Himalayas such as altitude sickness and bitter weather, Mr Baker-Brown will also have to cope with the mental strain of paranoid schizophrenia.

Through his Everest expedition Mr Baker-Brown is aiming to send a message of encouragement to the estimated 250,000 Britons diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and to fight the stigma of severe mental illness.

Mr Baker-Brown said: “For too long those who have suffered with schizophrenia and severe mental illness have been unfairly associated with violence and fear.

“I want to help people better understand mental illness, show them we are human beings who need to be treated normally in order make our challenge to live easier.

“I believe that my climb to the top of Mount Everest can only help to dispel these fears.”

News of Mr Baker-Brown’s progress can be followed through his expedition website at www.onemansmountain.com

end

Source

© Thu Mar 16 06:16:26 GMT 2006 The Press Association

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Kick your shopping addiction and get a life

By Jean Chatzky
“Today” financial editor
Updated: 8:41 a.m. ET March 13, 2006

Think you can’t kick your shopping addiction? You haven’t met Mary Carlomagno, who says that until just a few years ago, shopping was her single biggest vice. Today? It isn’t even on the list.

Carlomagno was 35 and stuck in a major rut. She had lived in the same apartment for 10 years — and hated it since the day she moved in — worked at the same job for eight years and in the same industry for 14 years. She wanted to shake things up, but didn’t know how. And though the thought of moving to the woods to find herself had crossed her mind, she was too scared to do anything that major.

Instead, she settled on subtle changes. For a year, she decided to give up something different each month: alcohol, shopping, newspapers, cell phones, dining out, television, taxis, coffee, chocolate and — for good measure — cursing, elevators and multi-tasking.

She soon realized that as a result of all these small changes she was able to live better on less money, and saved thousands of dollars in the process.

“I cut my spending so much that my financial adviser called to ask what I was doing differently,” says Carlomagno, who describes her year in her new (and charming) book “Give It Up: My Year of Learning to Live Better With Less.” Carlomagno’s response: “I quit buying shoes.”

At the end of each month of abstinence, Carlomagno went back to most of her old habits. Today, she takes taxis, eats chocolate and drinks caffeine (though not as voraciously as she did before.) The one category that did permanently change was shopping.

After many garage sales and donations, she pared down from three double closets and an armoire to one single closet. Shopping no longer consumes all her free time. Friendships do not revolve around it. She even started a company, Order, to help others simplify their lives, manage clutter control, and get over shopping addictions.

If you’re suffering with the same, you may be able to benefit from her advice.

Treat your closet like a store. If you truly love clothing and shopping, you should do the things retailers do, such as:

* Take inventory. That means, first off, knowing what you already own. Take mental notes, paying particular attention to what you have put on your body over the past few weeks. Those are the bones of your working wardrobe. Use the rest of what you have to accessorize.

* Display items with care. Retailers display their favorite products — you should, too. If you love hats, put them on a rack where you can see them. Keep in mind that stores do not give good real estate to unimpressive items. If you come across items that aren’t nice enough to display, chances are they’re not nice enough to be worn. Get rid of them. The upshot of this process: You’ll know what you have in your current wardrobe and can begin to think of filling in any holes you find.

* Hit the stores with a list of exactly what you need.
Adhere to the two-week rule. In her closet, Carlomagno dug up over $1,000 worth of clothes with their tags still hanging. So she created what she calls the two-week rule. “If you purchased an item and haven’t worn it in two weeks, return it,” she says. Two weeks is a long enough period to know that you either don’t a) really love it or b) need it.

* Do not be sucked in by “good deals.” Everyone buckles every so often on a sale item. The problem is, sales aren’t as few and far between as they used to be. “Now you can get everything cheap,” Carlomagno says.

Note, however, that there is a difference between falling for a markdown on an item that you buy on impulse and earmarking an item at retail, then waiting for it to go on sale. The latter represents smart shopping behavior. Cultivate a relationship with a salesperson at your favorite store and make her your ally in this process.
Seek support. If you’re actively trying to curb your shopping, get your family and friends on your team. This can be tricky because, Carlomagno notes, you may have particular people in your circle who instigate shopping sprees. In their minds it may be a harmless pastime. But if you are racking up a lot of debt or spending every penny of your disposable income on clothes, it’s harmful to you. You’ll need to explain this — and to offer other, cheaper, ways to pass the hours.

“There are a lot of things you can do to appreciate fashion and clothing without shopping,” says Carlomagno. Visit a fashion or photography museum. Or simply grab a cup of coffee and perform your own impromptu Fashion Police. You just may find you can have an even better conversation over a cappuccino than over the Bloomingdale’s rack.

Jean Chatzky is an editor-at-large at Money magazine and serves as AOL’s official Money Coach. She is the personal finance editor for NBC’s “Today Show” and is also a columnist for Life magazine. She is the author of four books, including “Pay It Down! From Debt to Wealth on $10 a Day” (Portfolio, 2004). To find out more, visit her Web site, www.jeanchatzky.com.

Source

© 2006 MSNBC.com

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No shortage of methadone say addiction treatment officials

Last updated Mar 14 2006 09:53 AM EST
CBC News

Methadone treatment centres across Ontario are assuring their patients that there is no shortage of the drug, despite recent fears clinics would run out after two major suppliers were shut down.

Monday was the deadline for two Kitchener-based suppliers to stop shipping methadone to clinics across the province, including to those in Toronto.

The Ontario College of Pharmacists ordered them to cease the shipments after accusing the suppliers of professional misconduct for sending the drug to clinics without appropriate supervision.

Methadone is a drug that is given to patients suffering narcotic addictions. It’s considered the most effective way to treat heroin addiction.

On Tuesday, the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres (OATC) said there is still an adequate supply of methadone available.

“Published media reports in recent days have indicated that there might be a shortage of methadone for OATC patients,” says a message posted on the OATC website.

“This is not the case. Your methadone prescription will continue to be available as usual.”

OTAC supplies daily doses of methadone to 2,000 people across the province.

Source

Copyright © CBC 2006

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New call for investment in alcohol treatment services

Tue 14 Mar 2006

ONLY one in 18 alcoholics is getting the necessary help to cope with their addiction, the Government has revealed.

Alcohol Concern today called on the Department of Health to invest more in services for people with alcohol problems.

The charity wants the Department of Health to address the under-funding of treatment services across the country.

The “Spend £1, Get £5 Free” campaign aims to highlight the findings of the UK Alcohol Treatment Trial, published last year in the British Medical Journal, which showed each pound invested in treatment saved the public purse £5.

According to Alcohol Concern, drink-related problems cost the UK economy £18 billion a year and cause 22,000 deaths.

There are around 8.2 million people with an alcohol problem in Britain, with 1.1 million dependent on the substance.

Source

©2006 Scotsman.com

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Genetic Technologies Reports Breakthrough in the Genetic Basis of Drug Addiction

3/14/2006 9:24:00 AM EST

Genetic Technologies Limited (“GTG”) (Nasdaq:GENE) (ASX:GTG) is pleased to refer to a “breaking news” item released in London yesterday by BBC News. BBC reported a significant breakthrough had been made in understanding the genetic basis of cocaine addiction, quoting a scientific paper just published online by the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (“PNAS”).

The report announced a genetic variation had been identified which could significantly increase the risk of an individual developing cocaine addiction or dependence. The discovery also validates the logic of a new basis for the design and use of novel drugs to treat cocaine abuse in the future.

The BBC article stated that this research was funded by the British Medical Research Council.

What is especially relevant to GTG stockholders is that this research was in fact co-funded by GTG, that the genetic variations identified by this project are non-coding, that new patents have just been filed on the relevance of these genetic variations to cocaine addition and that GTG has secured world-wide exclusive rights to commercialize these new discoveries. Indeed, this whole project arose from the foresight of King’s College London, who took a license to the GTG non-coding patents in 2004.

This project is yet another example of the original GTG non-coding patents today spawning new research, new discoveries and new patents and creating new opportunities for GTG into the future.

By way of further background information, the UN Office for Drug Control estimates the number of illegal drug users now exceeds 150 million worldwide. However, other studies suggest this is an under-estimate. Until now, the global pharmaceutical industry has not made treatment of substance abuse a priority. The current market is estimated to exceed US$1.1 billion, and is expected to grow to US$1.3 billion by 2008. Industry experts see this market as having great potential. It is also an area where fundamental patents are likely to prove extremely valuable, especially when combined with new genetic testing methods (genotyping), which will permit cheap and efficient whole genome scanning for susceptibility to cocaine addition.

About Genetic Technologies Limited

Genetic Technologies was an early pioneer in recognizing important new applications for “non-coding” DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid). The Company has since been granted patents in 24 countries around the world, securing intellectual property rights for particular uses of non-coding DNA in genetic analysis and gene mapping across all genes in all multicellular species. Its three-pronged business strategy includes: 1) the global commercialization of its patents through an active licensing program; 2) the expansion of its dominant commercial genetic testing business in Australia; and, 3) the commercialization of its various research and development projects aimed at generating further intellectual property of global commercial significance.

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with respect to the financial condition, results and business achievements/performance of Genetic Technologies Limited and certain of the plans and objectives of its management. These statements are statements that are not historical facts. Words such as “should,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “believes” or similar expressions, as they relate to Genetic Technologies Limited, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect Genetic Technologies’ current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. Any changes in such assumptions or expectations could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

CONTACT:
Genetic Technologies Limited Dr. Mervyn Jacobson or Tom Howitt, +61-3-9415-1135 tom.howitt@gtg.com.au www.gtg.com.au or Investor Relations Contacts: Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates Kim Sutton Golodetz / Lisa Lindberg, 212-838-3777 kgolodetz@lhai.com / llindberg@lhai.com or Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100 bvoss@lhai.com www.lhai.com

Source
© 2006 Genetic Engineering News, All Rights Reserved

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Obesity And Your Child

Obesity And Your Child. Stop The Cycle

My own personal concern with overweight children is that the children have not been taught by the school, their parents or their doctors the importance of nutrition.

Children need to be taught as soon as they go shopping with mom or dad how to pick healthy foods. Explain to them. Look at labels, tell them why you are looking at labels.

As they get older, make your child read the label of any food they would like you to buy. Help your child to be able to make a healthy choice themselves. Help them make these choices.

Teach! Teach! Teach!

Go to classes, read books and watch videos on nutrition. You do not need to go overboard,but, become aware of what you eat. Become aware of food and disease. Also, of food and health.

Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fat. Obesity is present when total body weight is more than 25 percent fat in boys and more than 32 percent fat in girls (Lohman, 1987)

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has risen dramatically in the past several decades. Although 25 to 30 percent of children are affected, this condition is underdiagnosed and undertreated.

The world’s largest online library has tons of books and journals on childhood obesity. Just do a search for “largest online library”

The problem of childhood obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. I know this also applies to Canada. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is among the easiest medical conditions to recognize but most difficult to treat.

Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year. The annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they change to a healthier lifestyle.

What is obesity?

A few extra pounds do not suggest obesity. However they can be warning signs to change to a healthier lifestyle, one that includes exercise and healthy meals and snacks… Generally, a child is not considered obese until the weight is at least 10 percent higher than what is recommended for the height and body type.

Obesity most commonly begins in childhood between the ages of 5 and 6, and during adolescence. Studies have shown that a child who is obese between the ages of 10 and 13 has an 80 percent chance of becoming an obese adult.

This is where we must start to intervene, and teach our kids how they can change the course of their life. I have noticed that food in the schools leave far to be desired. There are vending machines full of pop and junk food. Cafeterias serve French fries, gravy, and more junk food high in fats and sugars.

Children are smart, they can learn, they need to be shown and taught what is right for their bodies. They need to know they have choices! They need to know that choices can wipe out obesity.

What causes obesity?

The causes of obesity are complex and include genetic, biological, behavioral and cultural factors. Basically, obesity occurs when a person eats more calories than the body burns up.

If one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that the children will also be obese. However, when both parents are obese, the children have an 80 percent chance of being obese.

Although certain medical disorders can cause obesity, ess than 1 percent of all obesity is caused by medical conditions. Contact your doctor. Get advice. Get help. Do not just sit and watch your child put on weight.

Go to nutritional seminars. Learn about nutrition, health and weight. Take your kids. Read labels. Learn what the ingredients on the labels mean. If you don’t understand even one ingredient, look it up.

Obesity can be caused by

poor eating habits
overeating or binging
lack of exercise (i.e., couch potato kids)
family history of obesity
family and peer problems
low self-esteem
when parents do not teach their child proper nutrition.
weh parents themselves set bad examples
boredom
too much television and computer.

When the body is idle, one tends to want to eat
depression or other emotional problems
And one of the biggest reasons! LACK OF EDUCATION! Lack of knowledge.

What are risks of obesity?

There are many risks, and some of the more obvious ones:

high blood pressure
heart disease
diabetes
breathing problems
trouble sleeping
emotional problems
stomach problems, taking strong medicines already at an early age

Kids that are obese feel depressed and worthless. Sure, adults do too. Children are just short little adults. They have the same feelings of shame and embarassment as adults do.

Ways to manage obesity in children and adolescents include:

start a weight-management program Get the whole family involved
change eating habits. Go to nutritional seminars, classes, groups.
plan meals and make better food selections (eat less fatty foods, avoid junk and fast foods)

Involve the child.
go to cooking classes with your child
increase physical activity
know what your child eats at school. Make lunches. Encourage your child to help with lunch selections. Talk! Explain! Teach!
eat meals as a family instead of while watching television or at the computer
do not use food as a reward or punishment
limit snacking to healthy choices

Engage in family activities. Go swimming, bicycling, hiking with your kids.
Make good nutrition a family affair. Get a dog and go for walks. If you have a dog, take your dog and kid and go for daily walks.

Attend a support group (e.g., Weight Watchers, Overeaters Anonymous)

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Low Glycemic Breakfast Cereal

ProductDetail:

Finally, With this product, the line is complete. Come and see Dr Sears New Cereal, Ruth

“Each serving of delicious and satisfying Dr. Sears Honey Almond Zone Cereal contains 14g of Protein and 5g of Fiber. Zone Cereal is a Low Glycemic Index food. When tested, Zone Cereal was determined to have an average Glycemic Index of only 22!

You have to try a bowl to believe how tasty this Honey Almond Zone Cereal really is! Read more

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Obesity Risk ? Fat causes Killer Inflammation

For a number of years now I have been “preaching ” (grin) about Dr Barry Sears disease, weight, and inflammation.

Obesity Risk Fat causes Killer Inflammation Response in the Obese and Overweight

Obesity Risk  Fat causes Killer Inflammation Response in the Obese and Overweight
March 10th, 2006  

Fat Cells

Multiple research studies are coming to the same conclusion that excess body fat causes an inflammation response in their body that can be deadly. Read more

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Repair Damaged Myelin

I thought you would like to read the attached article:

DALLAS – Novel therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis are being developed to remove barriers to natural repair processes that might restore damaged myelin.                 

Click here for the full story: www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/MultipleSclerosis/tb2/2777

About MedPage Today
MedPage Today(TM) provides physicians and Expert Patients real-time coverage of breaking medical news and the top stories in health and medicine.   Physicians may also receive Category 1 CME credit as part of our news coverage.  Our content is reviewed and accredited by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME). OCME is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide CME for physicians.  There is no cost to use the service and you can sign up for Daily Headlines email.  Visit MedPage Today www.medpagetoday.com/ now.  At MedPage Today, we are Putting Breaking News into Practice(TM)

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Protein Test Could Spot Multiple Sclerosis Early

03.09.06, 12:00 AM ET

THURSDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) — A spinal fluid protein may prove useful in identifying people with the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), say researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Currently, MS cannot be diagnosed with a simple blood sample or any other type of test.

“There is the possibility now that the protein we identified, 12.5 kDa cystatin, can be used to diagnose MS, perhaps in its earliest stages, and also to monitor treatment by measuring its levels in cerebrospinal fluid,” study author Dr. Avindra Nath, a professor in the department of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

She and her colleagues analyzed samples of cerebrospinal fluid from 29 people with MS or pre-MS symptoms, and found 12.5 kDa present in about two-thirds of the patients.

The Hopkins scientists showed that 12.5 kDa is a breakdown product of a larger protein called cystatin C, which blocks the activity of some enzymes, including cathepsin B. This enzyme has been linked to the demyelination — nerve sheath destruction — that occurs in people with MS.

About 10,000 Americans, mostly women, are diagnosed with MS each year. The disease causes muscle weakness, numbness, loss of muscle coordination, and problems with speech, vision and bladder control. In people with MS, the immune system destroys myelin, the covering of the nerves that helps transmit signals.

More information

The American Medical Association has more about MS.

Source

© Forbes.com Inc.™ All Rights Reserved

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Multiple sclerosis drug to return with caveats

By Associated Press
March 10, 2006

WASHINGTON – A multiple sclerosis drug pulled from the market a year ago because of a rare but life-threatening side effect is on track to return – but with some strong restrictions on how it’s used.

Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration have unanimously recommended that the government let Tysabri’s manufacturers resume sales – but only to patients enrolled in a mandatory registry designed to track, if not minimize, the risk of a rare brain infection linked to the drug.

The FDA usually follows its advisers’ recommendations, and agency drug chief Robert Temple signaled it would do so with Tysabri.

“Devastating diseases often are treated by drugs that have problems of their own,” Temple noted.

But he cautioned that deciding to take Tysabri would be “a tough decision,” because as many as one in every 1,000 users might get the brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML. Perhaps more troubling, there’s no evidence that early detection of PML improves chances of survival.

“It may not kill you all the time, but it doesn’t leave you in very good shape,” Temple warned. “I think our major objective will be to explain as clearly as possible to people the nature of the risk and its severity.”

The move delighted patients who had clamored for a second chance at Tysabri because, while not a cure, it does work differently than standard treatments for nerve-damaging multiple sclerosis.

“We have our hope back,” said Christy Cooksey-Dressell, who told FDA’s advisers how her mother, Janet Dressell, improved so much after a single Tysabri dose that she abandoned her walker – but now, 13 months later, is deteriorating badly again.

Only one other prescription drug, the irritable bowel treatment Lotronex, has ever returned to the market after being pulled because of dangerous side effects.

Tysabri’s manufacturers voluntarily stopped sales last year, only four months after FDA initially approved the drug, because three users were diagnosed with PML. Two of them died.

Now, calling the risk remote and the drug’s promise great, manufacturers Biogen Idec and Elan Corp. want to resume sales, and pledged Wednesday to work closely with the FDA on a risk-management program.

Multiple sclerosis afflicts about 350,000 Americans. The cause is unknown and there is no cure. The most common form causes periodic flare-ups of symptoms, which include trouble seeing and walking.

Recently published studies found that Tysabri cut the rate of relapse by as much as two-thirds, and reduced the number of people whose MS got worse. It appears to work by blocking destructive immune cells leaving the bloodstream and entering the brain, where they can inflame and damage nerves.

PML, the apparent side effect, is caused by a common virus that usually lies dormant. When it does cause disease, the most common victims are people with very weak immune systems, such as AIDS patients.

The question for would-be Tysabri users is how big a risk PML really poses. The one-in-1,000 risk that Temple cited could be higher, depending on the overall health of Tysabri users and how long they take the drug – or it might ultimately turn out to be lower.

Karl Kieburtz of the University of Rochester, who chaired the FDA advisory committee, cautioned that there are complicating factors: Clinical trials of Tysabri have included fairly young people whose MS wasn’t too severe. And PML’s symptoms are hard to distinguish from those of an MS relapse, because the two diseases both attack the coating of nerve cells.

All those unknowns helped push FDA’s advisers to call for fairly stringent restrictions, Kieburtz said. In addition to a mandatory patient registry, the drug should be administered only in specially designated sites, such as infusion centers, trained in Tysabri’s use – and only to patients with relapsing MS who take no other MS medicines.

Source

2006 © The Albuquerque Tribune

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8th annual Multiple Sclerosis walk

3/12/2006 6:44 PM
By: News 10 Now Web Staff

It was a packed house at Carousel Center this weekend. But they were not window shopping, they were walking.

More than 500 people participated in the eighth annual Multiple Sclerosis walk. The walk kicked off MS Awareness Month. Participants walked either a three or eight mile course around the mall.

Multiple Sclerosis effects the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord.

Annette Simiele, Associate Director said, “There’s so much multiple sclerosis in this area that we really need to create awareness of the disease and need to raise funds for our clients so their needs can be met.”

Organizers hoped to raise $35,000 to $45,000 with the walk. All of the money will stay in Central New York.

Source

Copyright ©2006 TWEAN News Channel of Syracuse, LLC, d/b/a News 10 Now.

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Early lung cancer detection needed

When Dana Reeve, widow of actor Christopher Reeve, died of lung cancer, the stories of her death pointed out that she didn’t smoke. She was young, only 44; she had nursed her paralyzed husband for eight years; she left a 13-year-old son an orphan. And how could she have gotten lung cancer? She had never smoked.Lung cancer is often preventable, and it is usually fatal.

Unfortunately I will also become a victim of this disease. Not for myself, but a victim because I am a friend of a lung cancer person. One of my very dearest friends will undergo a lung operation this coming Tuesday.

According to the American Lung Association, 87 percent of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Another 12 percent are linked to radon exposure.

Only 15 percent of people diagnosed with the disease will still be alive five years after the diagnosis; 60 percent die within the first year. What is Chemoprevention? For individuals who demonstrate the greatest risk, researchers are currently conducting several new trials to test the use of natural and synthetic substances to prevent development of the disease. This new research has been coined, chemoprevention. Read more

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FDA approves depression patch

Thu 09 Mar 2006 12:00 AM CST
WASHINGTON DC (myDNA News)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first antidepressant skin patch last month despite several warnings associated with the drug.

To be sold under the name Emsam, the transdermal patch delivers a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), a chemical that blocks an enzyme in the brain that breaks down neurotransmitters.

Somerset Pharmaceuticals Inc. developed the drug, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company will be marketing it.

Doctors usually don’t prescribe MAOIs unless a patient doesn’t have a favorable response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil.

That’s because MAOIs, when combined with certain foods, can suddenly increase a person’s blood pressure, putting him or her at risk for stroke or even death.

The Emsam patch will be available in three doses: 6 milligram, 9 milligram or 12 milligram of selegiline per 24 hours. The lowest dose can be used without dietary restrictions, according to the FDA.

The higher doses will carry a warning label listing foods and beverages patients should avoid while using the patch. Patients shouldn’t eat foods containing a substance called tyramine. This includes fava beans, draft beer, aged cheeses, red wine, salamis and soy sauce.

“The dietary warnings that will appear on the higher doses are the same as with any other MAOI,” said David Fassler, M.D., a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont. “Psychiatrists are already familiar with the need for careful patient selection, education and monitoring when using these medications.”

The warning label will also stress that the patch is meant for adult use only. The FDA will require a warning about children and adolescents, who sometimes have suicidal thoughts and show suicidal behaviors when treated with antidepressants.

So, should you consider a prescription?

“MAOIs work best for those with an ‘atypical’ depression that hasn’t responded to treatment with an SSRI and/or an SNRI [serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor],” Fassler said. “Because the mechanism of action is different, they are unique from other antidepressants. They do represent a significant alternative for the 30 percent of patients who don’t respond to other medications.

“It is a useful alternative in the continuum of treatment options. In the clinical trials, patient compliance was also much higher than it is with [oral] medication. This could also be an important factor for some patients who suffer from depression,” Fassler said.

To learn more visit myDNA’s Depression Center Read More

Reviewed: March 10, 2006 Rick Nauert PhD
Source: myDNA.com
Copyright: ©RHG

Source

Copyright © 2001-2006 All rights reserved.

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Money for Ottawa Cancer Care

 

Ontario gives Ottawa cancer care $140M boost

Last updated Mar 10 2006 08:25 AM EST
CBC News 

The Ontario government announced Thursday it will invest $140 million to upgrade cancer care facilities at two Ottawa hospitals, a boost that doctors say could dramatically reduce wait times.

Premier Dalton McGuinty announced the $140 million project at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital.

It’s a “huge 200 per cent improvement in our wait time and access problem,” said Dr. Hartly Stern, vice-president of the Regional Cancer Centre. Read more

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