Anavex Life Sciences Corp (AVXL)

[XenaLives]

Metal toxicity from implants causing serious neurological issues:

We conclude that all clinicians, including those working the fields of orthopaedic, psychiatry and primary care should be aware of the need to assess the neuropsychiatric state of their patients after MoM implant operations. The MMSE and BDI, or similar instruments, would be convenient tools for this. An important corollary of this would be that patients presenting with neuropsychiatric symptoms de novo and who have had orthopaedic implant surgery, should have investigations for chrome and cobalt toxicity.

Other than revision surgery there is no effective adsorption or chelation therapy for chromium and cobalt, and if such therapies could be safely developed, it may avoid the need for further surgery. In the meantime, to preserve neurocognitive function implant removal conceivably should be as soon as possible after toxicity is detected.

There is a possibility of identification of the neuropathological substrate to dementia in such patients [17]. There is to date no neuroimaging study or any autopsy brain tissue analysis on these patients and this would be a future area of research, as would studies looking at the mediating process linking any toxicity with neurocognitive impairment including studies on allergic response and protein accumulation in the brain or direct neurotoxicity

There are additionally potential public health implications for the care needed by many thousands of patients who have potentially suffered MoM related cobalt and chrome toxicity, should progressive cognitive decline be found in this group and the associated requirements for dementia care. This has some and relevance to product liability litigation worldwide. However we believe that any commercial factors should be set aside in the interest of public safety and the bioethical principle of social justice.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5259873/