GenoMed Inc. (GMED)

[stakddek]

GMED NEWS -- Repost
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Posted by: Teamlasvegas
In reply to: None Date:9/9/2003 10:54:15 AM
Post #of 5547

.061 .062 L .062 V 409.400
V Be4 Open V 1,746,600
Hmmmmmmm!

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GMED News
News Alert from GenoMed, Inc.

Encephalitis Again Avoided in GenoMed's Second Case of West Nile Virus Fever
Working with Infectious Disease specialist Robert G. Penn, MD, at Methodist Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, GenoMed has seen its unique approach prevent encephalitis in a second case of West Nile virus.

A 50 year old white man taking BENICAR (olmesartan) for blood pressure was admitted with a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The patient tested positive for West Nile virus antibodies. He never had a stiff neck, which is a sign of meningitis, nor did he become confused or paralyzed, a sign of encephalitis. He remains on olmesartan 20 mg a day, still without encephalitis or meningitis.

At the same time, a 50 year old white woman who also had high blood pressure was admitted to the same hospital. She also tested positive for West Nile virus antibodies. However, she was admitted with paralysis of both legs. She had been taking a beta blocker-thiazide combination for her high blood pressure, not an angiotensin II blocker like the first patient, nor an ACE inhibitor. ACE stands for "angiotensin I-converting enzyme."

Since May, GenoMed has predicted that blocking angiotensin II is a specific way to avoid complications of West Nile virus and SARS.

GenoMed's first treated case of presumed West Nile virus encephalitis was a 41 year old Mexican woman whose headache and confusion disappeared within 12 hours of being given two doses of COZAAR (losartan), 50 mg each, 6 hours apart, followed by losartan daily. Her headache never recurred. She feels fine now, 3 weeks after her initial fever.

Many patients with West Nile virus continue to feel weak for weeks or months after their infection, probably due to an ongoing overly exuberant, quasi-autoimmune response. GenoMed is continuing ARB treatment for at least 1 month to avoid late-term sequelae such as chronic fatigue in its first two patients.

Losartan (COZAAR) and olmesartan (BENICAR) both belong to the class of angiotensin II receptor blocker drugs known as "ARBs". There are 5 other members of this class currently marketed in the US: candesartan (ATACAND), eprosartan (TEVETEN), irbesartan (AVAPRO), telmisartan (MICARDIS), and valsartan (DIOVAN). They are ideal for patients with normal blood pressure who nevertheless need angiotensin II blockade. ACE inhibitors are preferred for patients with significantly high blood pressure.

GenoMed currently receives no financial support nor collaboration from any of the drug companies which manufacture ARBs, the NIH, the World Health Orgnaization, nor any State Department of Health. The CDC is following GenoMed's case reports with interest but provides no direct support. None of the media (TV, radio, newspapers) have yet reported on GenoMed's novel approach to West Nile virus. GenoMed encourages you to pass this email notice along, since the West Nile virus epidemic is expected to peak in the next 1-2 weeks. By preventing encephalitis, GenoMed believes that its treatment will save lives over the next few weeks.

To volunteer for GenoMed's free clinical trial designed to prevent encephalitis from West Nile virus, just click on:



About GenoMed

GenoMed, Inc. is a Next Generation Disease Management(TM) whose mission is to improve patient outcomes by identifying the molecular pathways that cause disease. A St. Louis Business Journal article (http://www.stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2002/05/13/story8.html) first reported that the company has applied for patents based on its finding that the ACE gene is associated with a large number of common diseases including virtually all autoimmune diseases, as well as drug allergies to pencillin and sulfa. GenoMed’s research results are more fully described on its website, www.genomedics.com (see "Company News").

GenoMed believes that this same approach will prevent the severe lung inflammation and death from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS, like the West Nile virus, are both currently untreatable RNA viruses. Like West Nile virus encephalitis, SARS involves an overly exuberant response of the body's innate immune system, specifically of the body's macrophages, a kind of white blood cell.

The major difference is that SARS involves the lungs, whereas West Nile virus affects the brain. But the same immune cell is intimately involved in both diseases: the macrophage. Macrophages express ACE on their surface membrane when they become activated, suggesting that the enzyme's main product, angiotensin II, is involved in priming the immune response.

GenoMed has found that blocking angiotensin II has turned out to be a very safe and effective way to decrease overly exuberant host immune responses in several diseases, including psoriasis and alopecia. The latter two are skin diseases which involve T cells rather than macrophages. But T cells, like macrophages, also express ACE on their surface membrane when they become activated, so blocking angiotensin II is a logical approach. It has also been an effective approach.

GenoMed owns the relevant patents pending for this novel approach to viral and autoimmune diseases and is eager to license these out to patients and providers of health care.

For questions, or to volunteer, please contact David W. Moskowitz MD, MA(Oxon.), FACP at 314-977-0110, FAX [phone], email: [e-mail], [e-mail], or [e-mail], or visit us at www.genomedics.com and click on "Clinical Outcomes Improvement Program(tm)".

This press release contains forward looking statements, including those statements pertaining to GenoMed, Inc.’s (the Company’s) treatments. The words or phrases "ought to,” “should,” “may,” or similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: (a) whether other patients with West Nile virus encephalitis will respond to GenoMed's treatment approach; (b) whether this treatment will prevent SARS in patients infected with SARS coronavirus; (c) whether we will have sufficient financing to conduct our research and development; and (d) our research and development being subject to other economic, regulatory, governmental, and technological factors. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, we specifically disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.

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Stakddek (thanks TEAM for initial post on DNAP board.