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Crawford--great post made my afternoon much more pleasant
I believe the pr stated july 21st
welcome back--eom
Thank you! eom
google group for actc -- i believe jham started it but not sure
thanks for help
Anyone have the link to jham s board at google thanks
Farviewhill-GREAT post!and I agree-eom
ROCKY-THANK YOU!!!eom
ROCKY: thanks for your help!!!eom
Latest M HILL BLOG
by Maurie Hill on September 24, 2012
A photo of the Octopus 900 machine
This is a photo of the Octopus 900 machine where I take the Goldmann visual test
The Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) has been my main portal for information about the mechanics of eye disease, potential therapies, clinical trial updates, as well as practical living and coping skills through their website, blog, and Visions conferences for a long time. But I learned at the last major FFB conference that you can’t be in two great places at one time. Now “Visions 2012 Rewind” allows me to listen to some other interesting topics and sessions I missed while at that conference in Minneapolis, helping me with some lingering questions.
My FFB education has taught me a few important points about eye research. First of all, the chase for the targeted treatment of retinal degenerative diseases using drug, gene, or stem cell therapy is leading the way by moving years of laboratory research into actual human trials and treatment. Turns out that in the real world, the eye is an easy study – it’s accessible, it’s contained (what goes in the eye stays in the eye), it’s largely invisible to the immune system, and there are a myriad of tests available, along with high definition and cross-sectional photography, that help to track disease progression and prove trial progress.
Perhaps due to my background as a technician, my current participation in the stem cell clinical trial has led me to my latest obsession – the tests. Because this is only a Phase I/II clinical trial, the endpoints (measurements proving trial success) focus mainly on safety, as they should. But being the human subject, I also want to know what’s going on inside there. Lacking any notable changes in my vision as of yet, I want to know if there are indicators that I can’t measure by simply closing one eye. As I explained in a previous post, my baseline (pre-surgery) central vision was pretty non-existent, so perhaps it would take major internal progress before I’d notice a functional difference, like if it became easier for me to cross the street.
As many of you who have visited retina specialists know, there are numerous forms of visual testing torture – bright lights and big cities. But two tests have caught my attention lately – the Goldmann perimetry test and the multifocal ERG. Perhaps they could indicate that the thick fog I’m always looking through is becoming thinner. I’ve had promising, yet mixed results in the Goldmann test, which has a subjective component – am I really seeing a light move across my blind spot now? One day it was obvious; I can still visualize that light where I hadn’t seen it before. However on another, perhaps more tired day, my guarded and skeptical personality may have been slow to pull the trigger. But subjectivity is completely removed during the multifocal ERG, where all I do is sit there while patterns of light flash before my eye In the meantime, it plots out photoreceptor response based on electrical impulses, so you can daydream away while it does all the work.
I’m not sure if any other organ has such a diverse and technical array of devices for testing and observation. It seems that every time I go to a retina center, there is a new or updated piece of equipment. And with computer software, it’s possible to automatically compare results to a normal eye (even based on age) as well as your own baseline results.
And while contemplating other questions I had about testing Stargardt progression, I came across this recently announced FFB Stargardt study called ProgStar:
“The study has three primary goals: 1) determine the best outcome measures to accelerate evaluation of emerging treatments; 2) better understand disease progression for selecting future clinical trial participants; and 3) identify potential participants for forthcoming clinical trials.”
Their findings may pave the way for Phase III trials and beyond, involving a larger number of people and where the treatment’s effectiveness is at the heart of the matter. Beyond that, I wonder if it will become commonplace to predict the effectiveness of certain treatments based on the patient’s medical history and progression of vision loss. Using a combination of therapies for retinal degenerative diseases appears to be on the radar for researchers …pretty incredible given that most of these diseases currently have no FDA approved treatments. I can understand why the eye is leading the way and has the medical community watching, learning and hoping to apply these methods and conclusions to future medical treatments that extend well beyond the eye.
Disclosure: Maurie Hill is a patient in this Stargardt clinical trial and is also an Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) stockholder. ACT is the trial’s sponsor.
Form 8-K for ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS INC
18-Sep-2012
Triggering Events That Accelerate or Increase a Direct Financial Oblig
Item 2.04 TRIGGERING EVENTS THAT ACCELERATE OR INCREASE A DIRECT FINANCIAL OBLIGATION OR AN OBLIGATION UNDER AN OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENT.
The Company has received notice from the holder of its currently outstanding $2,750,000 secured note that as of September 13, 2012 the note had become due and that payment was demanded. The Company did make its required interest payment of $330,000 on the note. The Company currently does not have the resources to repay the note and is in discussions with the holder for an extension.
Thank you for your postings! eom
Sounds good Lode---eom
thank you for the great post emperor--glta
thank you--eom
I start selling a few shares at $5.00 to pay some bills and go from there!!!glta
Some smart investor bought at .076eom-gltu
happy healthy fourth to all--eom
Thank you Rocky as always for being here for us--eom
I and many others have ridden this stock up and down in the past several years...I am shaken but not stirred to sell (please forgive the attempt at humor) I believe that one day I will wake up to a M. Vincent gift wrapped JV and a prosperous future for ACTC. All imho glta
Crawford--thank and gltu and all
Agreed and I am hoping that the CHA trials start injecting and other sites are announced -- building our credibility for a JV sooner than later.
The reality about the pps is that we have given away hundreds of millions of shares recently with more to follow from lawsuits. Some of those shares are being sold for a guaranteed quick gain and with no news, lawsuit uncertainty, trials that look like they will not be completed for another year or two at the rate we are going at with the potential for more dilution in the wings, a R/S, A/S up to 2.75 billion, a penny stock on the OTC...The only two things that will move the pps upward in the long term will be a buyout (hopefully a bidding war) or the announcement of a significant JV with a large chunk of cash upfront. Disclosure: that being said I am long and not selling. I believe that eventually the dust will settle, we will be on the Nasd bd and the pps will move to its true value with a JV that Rabin puts together. Yes, I thought that the pps would be much higher after the Lancet article and have pushed back my plans for some high priced purchases. I hate what is going on but I hate the prospect of giving up on this opportunity even more. All IMHO--GLTA
Then you should not be invested in this stock--it should be easy to find a better investment??? good luck with that
fwiw-- I vote yes on 1 billion shres glta
thank you eom
JMHO--but sometimes you have one or two negative/positive people with multiple names
Speety --hate to say it but you are correct as far as I know--glta
Rabin presents at rodman renshaw conf on sept 13th at 10:25am in NEW York City and sept 14th at the USA stem cell conf in boston at 2:35 pm---info on Boston conf below
Gary Rabin,
Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology
Gary Rabin has a 23-year career in finance and operations that primarily encompasses investing in, managing and capital-raising for small-cap and emerging growth companies. From 2007 to 2010, he was the Managing Partner of GR Advisors, LLC, investment manager for two long/short hedge funds focused on the media and communications industry. Until June 2007, he was a Portfolio Manager at MACInvestment Management, LLC (“MAC”), which he joined in November 2005. MAC was a long/short fundamental equity hedge fund concentrating on growth-oriented stocks including technology, communications and healthcare. Previously, he was a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Marketus Associates, a long/short hedge fund where he focused on communications, healthcare services, energy and special situations. Prior to that, he was Managing Director and Co-Head of the Media and Telecom Investment Banking Group at CIBC World Markets (“CIBC”), where he was responsible for all corporate finance and M&A, financial restructurings, and principal investing activities (both debt and equity) within the sector. Before joining CIBC, Mr. Rabin served in an operating capacity at a broadband services company when he was Chief Strategy Officer of CAIS Internet, Inc. (“CAIS”). At CAIS, he was responsible for raising over $500 million of financing commitments in both the public equity markets and from his relationships at Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts & Co., Qwest Communications, Cisco, Nortel, 3Com and Microsoft. Mr. Rabin has also started and served as Managing Director and Head of the Global Telecom Investment Banking Group at ING Barings Furman Selz, and was a founder of the telecom group at UBS Securities. He began his career in finance in 1987, and concentrated on energy, utilities, and metals until 1993. Throughout his career, Mr. Rabin has been responsible for building and developing businesses. Mr. Rabin earned an AB in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Appearing:
Conference Day 2: Wednesday 14th September - Afternoon stream A
2.35pm
Using ESC-derived RPE cells for Dry AMD and Stargardt’s disease
Clinical update on ACT’s studies of sub-retinal transplantation for Dry AMD and Stargardt’s disease
What were the major challenges encountered to date? What can other organizations learn from ACT’s experiences?
Applying lessons learned to future development: is this the light at the end of the tunnel for stem cell therapies’ acceptance?
Gary Rabin,
Chairman and CEO,
Advanced Cell Technology
two week anniversary for 1st injections-eom
Thanks Rocky-eom
do not make assumptions
i was pushed into retirement-I am waiting for actc to give me the funds to do so-ALSO and more important, for those waiting for the science to help them or someone they know!!glta
You are very wise spetty-glta-eom
I believe that this will put the DOD at ease for working together in the (hopefully) near future-including DOD funding and political support jmho
Lanza probably already knows-imo
ME TOO!!!EOM
isn't there a cc in august -- hopefully with some good news??
Atomic-I am not new but I share your foolishness-eom
the future looks bright --we have attracted the bashers