Articles

The Five Most Important Actions Needed to Take Control of Parkinson’s Disease

I am not a doctor, I am a Parkinson’s Patient with 51 years of experience. These are the actions, which have helped me:

1.    Regular Energetic Exercise

2.    An MAO-b Inhibitor as the only Medication       

3.    Learn how to Take Conscious Control of all movements

4.    Manage Stress Levels

5.    Adopt a Positive Attitude

John Pepper

Vaccine for Parkinson’s Disease Enters Phase 1 Clinical Trial

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Update

Katie Pratt

Brain Blogger - The word “vaccination” generally brings to mind the prevention of infectious disease. However, significant advances have recently been made in the field of therapeutic vaccination for the treatment of chronic human disorders including neurological conditions and cancer.

Simply put, a vaccine is a mixture of compounds (most often proteins) that are selected for their ability to activate the immune system. These compounds, also known as antigens, are then injected into the body where they prepare the immune system for a future assault. The result of such prophylactic vaccination is either complete immunity to the illness, or at least a significant reduction in disease severity.

While a prophylactic vaccine is administered as a preventative measure, therapeutic vaccines are intended to help fight a disease that has already taken root. For example, a therapeutic vaccine might be given to a patient with cancer in order to enlist the patient’s own immune system in the fight against the disease.

The problem with this kind of approach is ensuring that the antigen used in the vaccine does not induce an immune response against healthy parts of the body. Again, using cancer as an example, diseased cells often contain mutated proteins, or proteins that are not usually expressed in adult tissue (known as onco-fetal genes). This means that vaccines using these antigens specifically target cancer cells.

Recently, a therapeutic vaccine for Parkinson’s disease developed by Austrian pharmaceutical company Affiris entered a clinical trial, a landmark move in the management of a disease that is currently only treated at a symptomatic level.

Patients with Parkinson’s disease suffer from a number of debilitating symptoms that are the result of the loss of a particular class of neurons in the brain. These neurons are involved in the control of muscle function and are particularly sensitive to the neurotransmitter dopamine. It is for this reason that current treatments revolve around modulation of the levels of this chemical.

The underlying molecular cause of the disease is a protein called alpha-synuclein. Ordinarily this protein is found throughout the neocortex, hippocampus, thalamus, substantia nigra, and cerebellum, although its precise function remains unknown. Importantly, this protein is very unusual in that it does not fold up like the majority of proteins. Its “floppy”, unfolded appearance means that it is particularly susceptible to getting tangled up and forming protein aggregates within brain cells, thus sentencing the affected cell to death. The formation of protein aggregates also underlies other brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and Creutzfeld-Jacob disease.

It is the alpha-synuclein protein tangles that are targeted by the vaccine currently in trials, PD01A. The study, funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation to the tune of $1.5 million, will assess the safety of the vaccine in both men and women with Parkinson’s disease, with the results expected in July of 2014.

Given the prevalence of protein aggregates in brain diseases, therapeutic vaccination might therefore represent a promising future treatment for several neurological conditions.

http://brainblogger.com/2012/09/14/vaccine-for-parkinsons-disease-enters-phase-1-clinical-trial/

Parkinson's extended-release drug fails to win FDA approval for U.S.

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Update

www.nj.com - Impax Laboratories failed to win U.S. approval for a new version of an extended-release drug used to relieve spasms in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

The Food and Drug Administration requires a re-inspection of a plant involved in the development of the medicine called Rytary, which combines standard Parkinson’s medications in a new sustained release formulation, the Hayward, California-based company said today in a statement. A warning letter was issued in May 2011, Impax said.

“We will work with the FDA on the appropriate next steps for the Rytary application,” said Larry Hsu, president and CEO of Impax, in the statement. “We remain committed to resolving the warning letter and bringing this new treatment option to patients who are suffering from Parkinson’s disease.”

The medication would likely be used most among patients for whom the standard medicines, levodopa and carbidopa, have stopped working as reliably, said David Amsellem, an analyst with Piper Jaffray & Co. in New York. Rytary could generate peak sales of $200 million to $300 million, Amsellem said.

“A controlled-release product is something that has been elusive over the years,” Amsellem said in a telephone interview.

Impax, which specializes in controlled-release drugs, will develop and sell Rytary in the U.S. and Taiwan while GlaxoSmithKline, based in London, will market it in other regions throughout the world. Impax already markets a generic version of a longer-acting combination called Sinemet, sold by Merck & Co.

Merck’s Sinemet extended-release carbidopa-levodopa tablet received approval in 1991 though it’s not widely used, Amsellem said. People who use it are more likely to suffer impairment of voluntary movement than those who use the immediate-release version, according to the label for the medication.

Involuntary Movements

Patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease who used Rytary experienced a 34 percent decrease in the amount of time during waking hours when the medication wore off and involuntary muscle movements returned, the companies said in an August 2011 statement. This was compared with a decrease of 10 percent for those who used the immediate-release generic drugs combined with entacapone, a medicine that helps more of the other treatments reach the brain.

The starting point was 5.9 hours, improving to 3.8 hours of “off time” when Rytary wore off compared with 5.2 hours for the generics.

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder that causes body tremors, the loss of muscle control and impaired movement, according to the National Institutes of Health. There is no cure. A variety of medicines provide relief from symptoms for the estimated 10 million people worldwide with the disease.

Leukemia drug may benefit, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease patients

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Update

Robin Wulffson, MD

Examiner.com - A drug that is currently used to treat leukemia has been found to slow the production of toxic proteins in the brain. These proteins have been linked to Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of dementia. Researchers affiliated with Georgetown University in Washington, DC published their findings on May 10 in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.

The investigators treated mice with small doses of the drug nilotinib, which is used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia; they found that it eliminated abnormal protein build-up in their brains. They focused on the alpha-Synuclein and tau proteins, which have been implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and other neurodegenerative conditions. In these diseases, these proteins accumulate in brain cells and destroy them. Nilitonib works by removing these toxic proteins from brain cells.

When they began their research, the investigators were not sure whether nilitonib could cross the blood-brain barrier. The blood–brain barrier is a separation of circulating blood from the brain extracellular fluid in the brain and spinal cord. It restricts the passage of microscopic objects such as bacteria and large molecules, while allowing the passage of small molecules such as oxygen and carbon dioxide as well as hormones and glucose. However, they found that it could pass this barrier; thus, the same form of the drug used to treat leukemia patients could be used to treat patients with neurodegenerative diseases. The only difference was that they used much lower doses of nilotinib than the amount used to treat leukemia. They estimated that humans would only need 1% of the dose typically used in chemotherapy to see neurological benefits. This finding is likely to decrease the already minimal side-effects of nilotinib, such as dizziness.

Mice treated with nilotinib experienced an improvement in cognitive (thinking) and motor functions (muscle control). In addition, they also lived longer compared to mice treated with a placebo. Thus, the investigators are optimistic that the drug will quickly enter phase two clinical trials, provided they are able to secure funding. They note that the drug is also FDA-approved to treat leukemia; it is well tolerated in humans and toxicity studies have been done. This situation is likely to speed up the approval process.

The researchers are particularly anxious to use nilotinib to treat Lewy body dementia, which is a condition in which patients develop Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s simultaneously. Currently, there is no treatment for the disorder. Although exploring this drug as a treatment for Lewy body dementia will be the researcher’s main priority going into clinical trials, they hope to expand to clinical trials on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients as well.

NEUPRO PATCH READY FOR LONG-AWAITED U.S. COMEBACK

MJFF

April 3, 2012

An important development today for Americans with Parkinson’s disease (PD): Neupro, the only extended-release dopamine agonist in the form of a skin patch, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the symptoms associated with both early and advanced stage PD, and is expected to return to pharmacy shelves this July.

Developed by pharmaceutical company UCB and initially approved by the FDA in 2007, Neupro patches were withdrawn from the U.S. market in April 2008 when a manufacturing problem made it impossible for UCB to guarantee proper dosing. Now, it appears, those concerns have been addressed.

“The specific benefit of Neupro, like other extended-release dopamine agonists, is that it maintains as constant a level of drug as possible throughout the day, which could translate into longer ‘on’ periods for people with Parkinson’s,” says MJFF associate director of research programs Maurizio Facheris, MD.

Read more about today’s Neupro decision on the Foundation’s blog.

                                                     Placebos

In the early 1800s Isaac Jennings, M.D. quietly started a revolution in health care when he noticed that changes in lifestyle produced EXCELLENT RESULTS.

Dr. Jennings, after practicing as a traditional medical doctor for 20 years without getting any significant results, one day he faced a shortage of drugs during a fever outbreak in the summer of 1815, so people in town came to see him with all kinds of symptoms. But he didn’t treat them because there weren’t any drugs available.

All he could tell them was to go home, rest, and drink lots of fluids.

And what happened? Surprise, surprise… these people got well, WITHOUT ANY MEDICINE!

Based on this, he decided to carry out an experiment: he was going to treat people using only placebos (dummy pills) and some common sense instructions – that is, he would advise his patients to correct their lifestyle and diet to a more natural approach.

The results were excellent: his patients recovered in absolute record time compared to patients who had been medicated.

In 1822 he gave up medical pills, plasters, powders and potions and treated patients with pills made from bread and coloured water.

He then practised for a further 20 years the "do nothing mode of treating disease." Yale University conferred an honorary degree upon him in recognition of his great success substituting pills with placebos.

NOW WE KNOW THAT OUR BODY IS INHERENTLY HEALTHY AND SELF-HEALING AND ALWAYS STRIVES TO MAINTAIN OR RE-ESTABLISH OPTIMAL HEALTHFUL CONDITIONS.

There is no healing force outside the body.— Dr. Isaac Jennings

Dr. Jennings is also the founder of the Natural Hygiene Philosophy. Natural Hygiene is a set of principles that people throughout human history have practiced to achieve and MAINTAIN optimum health. Natural Hygiene principles are based upon meeting the body's inherent, natural needs.

Remember, you can never poison your body into being healthy.

“Twenty-five years in which I used prescribed drugs, and 33 years in which I have not used prescribed drugs, should make my belief that drugs are unnecessary and in most cases injurious, worth something to those who care to know the truth.”

—John H. Tilden, M.D. (1940)

April 3, 2012

Dear Friend,

Welcome to FoxFlash, The Michael J. Fox Foundation's monthly update designed to keep the Parkinson's community apprised of MJFF activities and breaking Parkinson's news. Please visit www.michaeljfox.org for more information on any of the stories below, to read archived editions of FoxFlash, and to sign up for our mailing list.

NEUPRO PATCH READY FOR LONG-AWAITED U.S. COMEBACK

An important development today for Americans with Parkinson’s disease (PD): Neupro, the only extended-release dopamine agonist in the form of a skin patch, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the symptoms associated with both early and advanced stage PD, and is expected to return to pharmacy shelves this July.

Developed by pharmaceutical company UCB and initially approved by the FDA in 2007, Neupro patches were withdrawn from the U.S. market in April 2008 when a manufacturing problem made it impossible for UCB to guarantee proper dosing. Now, it appears, those concerns have been addressed.

“The specific benefit of Neupro, like other extended-release dopamine agonists, is that it maintains as constant a level of drug as possible throughout the day, which could translate into longer ‘on’ periods for people with Parkinson’s,” says MJFF associate director of research programs Maurizio Facheris, MD.

Read more about today’s Neupro decision on the Foundation’s blog.

Pharma not in the business of health.

Click the link!! Listen carefully

http://youtu.be/UjiBlsLBQNA

This message is a well put-together account of the Pharmaceutical Industry's attitude towards 'Health-care'. Listen carefully to it. It is the message that my book, ‘Reverse Parkinson’s Disease’, has been trying to preach to Pd sufferers for the past eight years. I could not put it as well as this article does, but my book is my own personal account of what I have been able to do to reverse my Pd symptoms. I stress that I have not been cured of my Pd, but have managed to reduce its effects to the level that I am able to live a normal life, no worse than anybody else who has not got Pd.

My Pd symptoms started in the early 1960's, but I was only diagnosed with Pd, twenty-five years later, in 1992 and I have been doing regular energetic exercise since 1970. I am now 77 years of age and still look forward to many more years of life, God permitting. I no longer take any Pd medication, since 2003 and only took an MAO-b inhibitor for ten years. I refused to take any other type of Pd medication. To the best of my knowledge, only MAO-b inhibitors have the ability to slow-down the progression of Pd. All the others deal with some of the symptoms, but have no effect on the progression of the Pd. That is only my opinion, but I have not seen any literature that contradicts this opinion.

Certain types of energetic exercise has been clinically proven to produce a chemical in the brain, which is capable of repairing the damaged brain cells. This gives some idea of the reason why it took twenty-five years for my Pd to be diagnosed. The exercise was affectively reversing the Pd at a rate that was almost as fast as the Pd was progressing. When the exercise was joined by the intake of the MAO-b inhibitor, my symptoms started to improve. Ten years later, nobody would ever have known that I still have Pd!

I am not going so far as saying, "I told you so!", but I am thankful for having had the good fortune to have been forced to do energetic exercise, early on in my life. God works in funny ways, what he takes away in the one hand, he gives back in the other. If you don't believe in God, maybe I should have used the word, 'Creation'. The human race could not have survived if we were not supplied with the ability to overcome injuries and natural health problems. We may not like doing exercise, but it is better than the alternative.

Your health is really in YOUR HANDS!

Don't give it away to someone else to control.

Parkinson's Insights – My Story Part 1

 There is no doubt that, contrary to established thinking, the progression of Parkinson’s disease, can be reversed. Although it has not been done by very many people, the fact remains that I've done it, and many others have followed, and will continue to follow.

 My name is John Pepper and I have successfully reversed my Parkinson’s disease, to the point where I no longer need to take any Parkinson’s disease medication, since 2003, and nobody would ever know that I still have Parkinson’s disease.

 How did I do this?

 My case was quite unique, for the three following reasons:

1. My neurologist had prescribed a monotherapy of a unique type of Parkinson’s disease medication, which was the only medication that the manufacturers claimed - as a result of conducting extensive double-blind scientific studies on a wide range of patients – could possibly slow down or even reverse the progression of this condition. I know of nobody else, who has only been prescribed this type of medication and nothing else.

2. I was in the habit of doing regular energetic exercise, for over twenty years, before I was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I was therefore bodily very fit, which was not a unique occurrence amongst newly diagnosed patients, but it was, and is, not the norm; especially as it was accompanied by reason number one. I have continued to do rigorous exercise, since I was diagnosed, which is not common amongst Parkinson's patients at all.

3. I gave up my high-powered job, three months after I was diagnosed. I was aware that my job had become very stressful to me and I would have done anything at that stage to help me cope with the Pd. I also stopped singing in the church choir. It was not just the services that ate into my time it was all the rehearsals and the travelling to get there and back that was the problem. I wanted to simplify my life. I also left my Rotary club, which was not a burden, but I did not want to be amember who did nothing active in the club. Stress is one of the major triggers for many health issues. It affects many of my symptoms.

     The combination of a Monotherapy of a special type of medication, regular energetic exercise and the management of stress, all urned out to be the crucial changes I had made in my lifestyle that have reversed the progression of my Pd, and they made my circumstances unique.

In addition to these three unusual circumstances, I made the following changes to my life style, during the next eight years, after diagnosis:

1. I decided to change my type of exercise.

2. I learned how to control my movements by focusing my full attention on controlling each movement!

3. I examined and changed my whole attitude.

4. After having given up my job, and having experienced the huge improvement in my health, I came to the realization that ‘Stress’ had played a major roll in the progression of my Parkinson’s disease.

5. Many people ask me about diet. I have found only one food item that must not be eaten by Parkinson’s disease sufferers and several other interesting substances that should be avoided.

6. Two years after my diagnosis, I realized that I had to learn to manage my sleeping problems.

7. The last change I made to my lifestyle was to start doing regular brain exercises.

I hope you have found this Insight helpful.

John Pepper

More about Sleep

My name is John Pepper. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1992.

Insomnia is a very common symptom of Parkinson’s disease. It has a very real affect on patient’s lives, which can prove to be very difficult to treat!

Why is insomnia so difficult to treat?

Medication is the obvious route to use, when faced with the inability to sleep! The problem that I faced was that my body became accustomed to whatever type of sleeping tablet I took, with the result that I had to continually increase my dosage, in order to be able to sleep. That was no good for anybody. There was also the problem of possible addiction, which I did not want or need.

I did find that there are some off-the-shelf medications that worked, but I was not happy about taking any regular medication for sleeping, because all medication is toxic, and the body has to cope with enough problems without any unnecessary medication.

I found that when I cut out any daytime ‘dozing’ or ‘cat-napping’, my night time sleeping became a lot better. I have now got to the stage, where I get five to six hours a night, without any medication, and that appears to be enough for me.

I have to avoid watching TV during the daytime, as that sends me to sleep very easily. I also have to avoid anything else, which causes me to fall asleep.

I did find that if I read a book, during the night, when I was unable to sleep, I often was able to go back to sleep again. I organised my bedside light to be positioned above my head, facing away from the other side of the double-bed. I did the same for my wife’s light. In that way, I did not disturb her, when I read during the night.

I found that walking also helps me to sleep better. Walking also helps in other ways with the progression of Pd. 

Why not get a copy of my book, ‘Reverse Parkinson’s Disease!’, and see what other methods I used to overcome movement and other problems?