Patrick Cox 6/7/11 Article About Meeting Pt.1
I’m thoroughly overwhelmed at the moment. So much has happened recently, both positive and otherwise, I feel lucky just to tread water.
First of all, we’re just finishing up next month’s issue for you with a truly spectacular company and technology. Even though I preach the gospel of accelerating scientific progress, I was startled to learn of our next company’s remarkable biotechnology. It was by the way, the detective work of my associate Ray Blanco, co-editor of Technology Profits Confidential, that brought the company to my attention.
In fact, I couldn’t have done this issue without Ray. My physical move, though it was only a few miles in distance, was unexpectedly disruptive. Scientific change is great. Relocating my office I could do without.
Also, John Mauldin asked me to write a piece for his list on the impact of Moore’s law on regenerative medicine. I’ve also started to put together my presentation for the Vancouver event in July.
Last week’s schedule was thrown off further when Ray and I went back to Roskamp Institute in Sarasota for an update on Star Scientific’s (NASDAQ: CIGX) anatabine research. I was very interested in the event for several reasons. One, I knew two important endocrinologists from Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Paul Ladenson and Dr. Patrizo Caturegli, would be there. I’ve followed Ladenson’s work for years and have spoken with him by phone. I’d never met Ladenson face to face, though. Also, I expected Caturegli to present new data on his mouse thyroiditis studies.
In fact, Caturegli’s data demonstrated, as expected, that anatabine shows significant efficacy in preventing reversing disease in mice. (I’ll get you a link to that data at some point, as this finding is historic.) Ladenson explained that anatabine is the only substance known thus far that demonstrates this effect. Numerous anecdotal accounts indicate to me that it will have the same effect in humans. A 500-person thyroiditis study has been initiated at the University of Pisa in Italy.
Dr. Michael Mullen also recapped the institute’s research into the effects of anatabine on Alzheimer’s disease. During questions, he responded that he would recommend anatabine to a relative with AD.
Fundamentally, as I’ve explained, he believes that by reducing chronic low-level inflammation, the mechanism that leads to amyloid beta deposition in the brain is down-regulated. I’ve given an awful lot of thought to this mechanism and what it means to the Alzheimer’s drug market. Essentially, my conclusion at this point is that anatabine will delay, or even reverse, AD. It will not, however, be the best Alzheimer’s drug on the market. There are several other candidates for that prize, including the Anavex (OTCBB: AVXL) sigma receptor drug.
It could also be Nilvadipine, incidentally, which was approved for Phase III in Europe yesterday. Nilvadipine was developed at Roskamp Institute and is owned by Archer Pharmaceuticals, a private company whose principals include Robert Roskamp and Drs. Michael Mullan and Fiona Crawford. Phase I/IIA human clinical trials were conducted in partnership with the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience in Dublin, Ireland.
A combination of all three substances may, in fact, turn out to be the optimal AD treatment. I believe, though without evidence as of now, that we will find that all three are actually disease modifying. All three work through different mechanisms, and different people respond differently to different drugs. There is more than enough room in this huge dementia market for multiple blockbusters
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