Seattle Genetics Seeks Expanded Use of Lymphoma Drug Following Study Win

SEATTLE ( TheStreet) -- Seattle Genetics (SGEN) will seek to expand the approved use of its Hodgkin lymphomadrug Adcetris following positive results from a phase III study, the company announced Monday.

In the study (known as AETHERA), treatment with Adcetris in "high risk" Hodgkin lymphomapatients immediately after a stem-cell transplant led to a 43% reduction in the risk of disease progression compared to placebo. The result was statistically significant and met the primary endpoint of the study.The Hodgkin lymphoma patients enrolled in the study were deemed to be "high risk" because they had at least one factorthat made them more susceptible to disease relapse.

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Despite delaying disease progression, treatment with Adcetris did not prolong survival compared to placebo in the phase III study at this analysis, which the company blames partly on placebo patients "crossing over" to receive Adcetris once their disease progressed. Another survival analysis of the study will be conducted in 2016. Adcetris' safety profile was "generally consistent" with previous studies, the company said. No further details were disclosed, pending presentation of the results at a future medical meeting.

Adcetris is already approved to treat more advanced Hodgkin patients who don't respond to a stem cell transplant or who are not eligible for stem cell transplants. Seattle Genetics plans to submit the results from the AETHERA trial to the FDA, seeking approval to expand the drug's use.

Seattle Genetics estimates there are about 1,000 to 1,500 post-transplant Hodgkin lymphoma patients. This represents a modest increase in the number of patients eligible for Adcetris and not as significant a commercial opportunity as treating newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Studies investigating Adcetris' role in front-line Hodgkin are underway but not yet completed.

Seattle Genetics shares are up 4% to $43 in Monday pre-market trading.

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Seattle Genetics Seeks Expanded Use of Lymphoma Drug Following Study Win

Revolutionary treatment to extend Goodes' career?

Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes is reportedly set to undergo revolutionary stem cell treatment in a bid to prolong his AFL career.

According to News Corp, Goodes has requested the treatment on his troublesome right knee after also undergoing the procedure in January.

He wants to do it again, Swans medico Dr Nathan Gibbs.

Its saved his career. He would have retired a year ago.

Speculation has mounted that Goodes will hang up the boots after Sydneys humiliating loss in the AFL grand final against Hawthorn.

The fire still burns ... It can't help but burn after that loss.

The 34-year-old was among very few Sydney players who played well in the shock defeat.

He hurt his right knee in the grand final 2012 which damaged joint surface, then he damaged the cartilage in the same knee against Port last year, Gibbs said.

Goodes looks shattered after the grand final. Source: Getty

It was terrible because it was the last thing he needed. The surface damage of his knee was extensive, the medial and lateral sides were pretty bad and he just couldnt recover from it.

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Revolutionary treatment to extend Goodes' career?

Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Addresses His Stem Cell Treatment Recap

Campbell was diagnosed with the cancer in 2013, which briefly went into remission only to return again. He received further treatment and cancer is once again in remission and he will be undergoing the stem cell transplant in an attempt to keep the cancer from returning once again.

He wrote on the band's official website, "As many of you know, I've been scheduled to start a stem cell transplant and as soon as I got home from tour I began the necessary tests and preparations. I'll be admitted to hospital soon for all the yucky bits, so in the meantime I'm headed to Target to stock up on cozy pajamas, fresh underwear, and a sackful of car-porn.

"Unfortunately, this means that I won't be able to perform with the band on the upcoming NFL broadcast on Sept. 28th, nor will I be able to do the shows scheduled for Oct/Nov.

"While I can't say that I'm looking forward to the process ahead, I'm very much looking forward to what I feel will be a most successful outcome. Next year will be very busy for Def Leppard with a new album and a world tour, and frankly, I don't think they would sound as loud without me, so I have no intention of letting the team down!

"See you all (with hair!) in 2015. - Viv" -

...end

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Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Addresses His Stem Cell Treatment Recap

Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Having Stem-Cell Surgery Recap

Campbell is officially in remission for the second time and will be receiving the treatment in hopes that it will prevent the cancer from returning. Elliot told Las Vegas radio station KOMP 92.3's '92 Minutes of Hair With Mel' show (via Loudwire), "Vivian, for the second time, is now in remission.

"The first time we were told he was in remission and he was, but it didn't take. It didn't stay; it came back. But this time, through clever management with his doctors, they were able to monitor him through the whole tour, so he could do the tour with KISS this summer."

Elliot went on to say, "As we speak, he's getting ready to go in to have stem-cell surgery, which will hopefully get rid of this thing once and for all. So, up until Christmas, he's gonna be kind of out of action, because once they start on this, they have to keep him so locked down and away from germs and stuff.

"I think anybody visiting him has to put on one of those nuclear suits. He'll be locked away and he'll be the boy in the bubble, but he's very confident that he can do this and his spirits are great."

There is no word is Vivian will be joining the band this Sunday when they perform the pregame show at the NFL game between The Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins in London.

Elliott had this to say about the show, "Having most recently visited Wembley in May to watch Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final, I know what the atmosphere in the ground is like for 'our' football so I'm really looking forward to performing there before the NFL game and of course soaking up the excitement of the actual match. I can't wait!"

Listen to the full interview at Loudwire - here.

...end

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Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Having Stem-Cell Surgery Recap

Stem cell therapies making slow but promising progress

Edgar Irastorza was just 31 when his heart stopped beating in October 2008.

A Miami property manager, break-dancer and former high school wrestler, Irastorza had recently gained weight as his wifes third pregnancy progressed. I kind of got pregnant, too, he said.

During a workout one day, he felt short of breath and insisted that friends rush him to the hospital. Minutes later, his pulse flat-lined.

He survived the heart attack, but the scar tissue that resulted cut his hearts pumping ability by a third. He couldnt pick up his children. He couldnt dance. He fell asleep every night wondering if he would wake up in the morning.

Desperation motivated Irastorza to volunteer for a highly unusual medical research trial: getting stem cells injected directly into his heart.

I just trusted my doctors and the science behind it, and said, This is my only chance, he said recently.

Over the last five years, by studying stem cells in lab dishes, test animals and intrepid patients like Irastorza, researchers have brought the vague, grandiose promises of stem cell therapies closer to reality.

Stem cells broke into the public consciousness in the early 1990s, alluring for their potential to help the body beat back diseases of degeneration like Alzheimers, and to grow new parts to treat conditions like spinal cord injuries.

Progress has been slow. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research, an early supporter of stem cell research, pulled its financial backing two years ago, saying that it preferred to invest in research that was closer to providing immediate help for Parkinsons disease patients.

But researchers have been slowly learning how to best use stem cells, what types to use and how to deliver them to the body findings that arent singularly transformational, but progressive and pragmatic.

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Stem cell therapies making slow but promising progress

How stem cells help cure diseases

MANILA -- The use of stem cell therapy has become an option in treating different medical conditions.

Stem cells are the body's natural healing cells. They are used by human tissues to repair and regenerate damaged cells. In the right environment, stem cells can change into bone, cartilage, muscle, fat, collagen, neural tissue, blood vessels, and even some organs.

There are two kinds of stem cells: adult or embryonic. Adult stem cells appear to be particularly effective against painful joints, repairing cartilage and ligaments, and even painful conditions along the spine.

Adult stem cells are usually harvested from fat tissues. By using technology, the collagen that binds the fat and the stem cells are broken down, separating a solution rich in the patient's own stem cells, which will then be used for treatment.

Stem cells may be effective in the treatment of macular degeneration, Crohns disease and numerous pulmonary conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and fibrosis. Stem cells are also being used for patients suffering from kidney failure and ailments of the bone, cartilage and joints.

However, stem cell therapy is not recommended for patients with active infections or cancer.

In the Philippines, fat-derived stem cell therapy is available through StemCare Institute. At present, the clinic employs an orthopedic team of doctors and surgeons with international qualifications.

StemCare, with the advancement of stem cell technology and the refinement its of clinical protocols through international experts, now offers more accessible treatment options for patients suffering from these degenerative orthopedic conditions.

Kim Atienza and Inno Sotto. Composite Image

Among the personalities who have used stem cell therapy in the country are Inno Sotto, a fashion designer who is suffering from a tear in his right elbow, and Kim Atineza, who is using fat stem cell injections to help strengthen and repair his knee joints after suffering from Guillain-Barre disease.

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How stem cells help cure diseases

Stem cell storage deal aims to boost donation levels

Expectant parents will have the option of donating the stem cells to the Governments public bank, or storing them with Precious Cells private bank, at a charge, for their own use.

The deal is the first of its kind for the NHS, and 15 more trusts are holding firm talks with Precious Cells, the company said. The partnership could significantly increase the number of stem cells available for transplants and scientific research in the UK.

Currently, the levels of cord blood donations in Britain are a fraction of those in the US and Australia, and lower than in most European countries.

The company is aiming to broaden its reach to 90 NHS trusts, adding that such widespread partnerships could generate a 180m windfall for the health service.

Dr Husein K. Salem, chief executive of Precious Cells, said the initiative aimed to tackle the UKs laggard position in terms of investment in cord blood stem cell collection and banking.

Stem cell treatment has become increasingly common and is now used for diseases ranging from diabetes to Parkinsons. It is estimated that one in five people will use the regenerative cells to treat a condition or for diagnostics.

The global stem cell market was worth nearly 2.5bn in 2012 and is expected to grow to 3.87bn by 2016.

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Stem cell storage deal aims to boost donation levels

Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Addresses His Stem Cell Treatment

09/26/2014 . Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell has issued a statement about his upcoming stem cell transplant, which he hopes will keep Hodgkin's lymphoma from returning again.

Campbell was diagnosed with the cancer in 2013, which briefly went into remission only to return again. He received further treatment and cancer is once again in remission and he will be undergoing the stem cell transplant in an attempt to keep the cancer from returning once again.

He wrote on the band's official website, "As many of you know, I've been scheduled to start a stem cell transplant and as soon as I got home from tour I began the necessary tests and preparations. I'll be admitted to hospital soon for all the yucky bits, so in the meantime I'm headed to Target to stock up on cozy pajamas, fresh underwear, and a sackful of car-porn.

"Unfortunately, this means that I won't be able to perform with the band on the upcoming NFL broadcast on Sept. 28th, nor will I be able to do the shows scheduled for Oct/Nov.

"While I can't say that I'm looking forward to the process ahead, I'm very much looking forward to what I feel will be a most successful outcome. Next year will be very busy for Def Leppard with a new album and a world tour, and frankly, I don't think they would sound as loud without me, so I have no intention of letting the team down!

"See you all (with hair!) in 2015. - Viv"

...end

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Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Addresses His Stem Cell Treatment

Knee Stem Cell Injections – Video

Knee Stem Cell Injections
Knee Stem Cell Injections can be a treatment for chronic pain such as Avascular Necrosis as a means of non-surgical treatment as opposed to surgery. Stem Cell Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis...

By: Dr. Lox

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Knee Stem Cell Injections - Video

Stem cell transplant does not cure SHIV/AIDS after irradiation of infected rhesus macaques

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

25-Sep-2014

Contact: Guido Silvestri gsilves@emory.edu 404-727-9139 PLOS

A study published on September 25th in PLOS Pathogens reports a new primate model to test treatments that might cure HIV/AIDS and suggests answers to questions raised by the "Berlin patient", the only human thought to have been cured so far.

Being HIV-positive and having developed leukemia, the Berlin patient underwent irradiation followed by a bone-marrow transplant from a donor with a mutation that abolishes the function of the CCR5 gene. The gene codes for a protein that facilitates HIV entry into human cells, and the mutationin homozygous carriers who, like the donor, have two defective copiesprotects against HIV infection.

Several factors could have contributed to the cure of HIV/AIDS in the patient: (1) the ablation of blood and immune cells following irradiation killed all or many of the viral reservoir cells that are not eliminated by antiretroviral treatment (ART); (2) the CCR5 deletion mutation in the donor cells protected them and their progeny from HIV infection; (3) a "graft versus host" reaction occurred, where the transplanted cells and their progeny recognize the host cells as foreign and attacked and eliminated HIV-positive reservoir cells that survived the irradiation.

Guido Silvestri, from Emory University in Atlanta, USA, and colleagues investigated the relative contribution of the irradiation to eliminate the reservoir of HIV-infected cells. The scientists worked with the animal model of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV, a close relative of HIV that infects primates and causes a disease similar to AIDS) infection in rhesus macaques. Using a total of six monkeys (three of which served as controls and did not receive transplants) they performed, for the first time, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in rhesus macaques infected with a chimeric simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) and treated with ART.

The researchers harvested hematopoetic stem cells from three macaques prior to infection (of all six animals) with SHIV. They also treated the macaques with ART to reduce viral load and mimic the situation in human HIV-infected patients on ART. They then exposed the three monkeys from which they had collected hematopietic stem cells to a high dose of radiation. This killed most of their existing blood and immune cells, including between 94 and 99% of their CD4-T cellsthe main target of HIV infectionin the blood. The irradiation was followed by transplantation of each monkey's own virus-free hematopoietic stem cells. The latter can regenerate the blood and immune cells, and did so in all three monkeys within 3 to 6 weeks. Because the transplanted cells are not from a different donor, no graft versus host disease would be expected, and none was observed.

After that time, the scientists stopped ART in all six monkeys. As expected, the virus rebounded rapidly in the control animals. Of the three transplanted animals, two also showed a rapid rebound. The third monkey developed kidney failure two weeks after ART was stopped and was euthanized. It still had undetectable levels of virus in the blood at that time, but post-mortem analysis showed low levels of viral DNA in a number of tissues, arguing that none of the three transplanted monkeys was cured.

The researchers acknowledge a number of limitations of the study, including the small number of monkeys, and the relatively short period of ART prior to irradiation and transplantation. Nonetheless, they say their study "supports the hypothesis that myeloablative total body irradiation can cause a significant decrease in the viral reservoir in blood cells, even though it was not sufficient to eliminate all reservoirs". Their results, they say, suggest that in the cure of the Berlin patient, "the use of the CCR5 mutant donor and/or the presence of graft versus host disease played a significant role".

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Stem cell transplant does not cure SHIV/AIDS after irradiation of infected rhesus macaques