Apr
12
2008
Enbrel to try to cure Alzheimers
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The Daily Mail in England has this very interesting story that seems to give hope to the millions of people worldwide that suffer from Alzheimers disease. Doctors are calling for a clinical trial of an experimental drug treatment that it is claimed can reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease “in minutes”. U.S. researchers say the treatment allowed an 82-year- old sufferer to recognize his wife for the first time in years. In the UK, specialists believe the claims should be properly tested as only a few patients have been treated so far. ENBREL is a type of protein called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker that blocks the action of a substance your body’s immune system makes called TNF. People with an immune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, or psoriasis, have too much TNF in their bodies. ENBREL can reduce the amount of active TNF in the body to normal levels, helping to treat your disease. But, in doing so, ENBREL can also lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. Serious infections, including tuberculosis (TB), have happened in patients taking ENBREL. Some of these serious infections have been fatal. Many serious infections occurred in people prone to infection. Serious infections have also occurred in patients with advanced or poorly controlled diabetes. Do not start ENBREL if you have an infection or are allergic to ENBREL or its components. Once on ENBREL, if you get an infection or have any sign of an infection, including fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms, or have open sores, tell your doctor. Your doctor should test you for TB before starting ENBREL and should monitor you closely for signs and symptoms of TB. Patients are then tilted to encourage blood flow into the brain where the drug is designed to block a chemical responsible for inflammation. At least one Alzheimer’s patient had his symptoms reversed “in minutes” while others have shown some continuing improvement in problems such as forgetfulness and confusion after weekly injections. They needed less help from carers during treatment, which appears to reach a plateau at three months. Around 50 people are being treated by the Institute of Neurological Research, a private clinic in California, with some having had injections for three years. In one case, the clinic has video evidence of Marvin Miller, 82, which showed he was unable to answer basic questions by a nurse, or identify-everyday objects like a bracelet and a pencil. Shortly afterwards he is injected with the drug and it is claimed that five minutes later he could greet his shocked wife, who said he had not recognized her for years. The experiment follows the discovery that levels of TNF (tumour necrosis factor) can be up to 25 times higher in the fluid surrounding the brain in sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease. Enbrel, a biologic treatment licensed for rheumatoid arthritis, binds to excess TNF in the body and makes it inactivate. When used by arthritis sufferers, the drug is self-administered by injection and researchers had to develop a way of injecting the drug into the spine in order to get an effect in brain cells. Enbrel is not approved for treating Alzheimer’s in the U.S. or in the UK and is regarded at this stage as a highly experimental therapy. Professor Edward Tobinick, of the University of California Los Angeles and director of the Institute for Neurological Research, is leading the research. He said the latest report was an in-depth account of one patient’s response to treatment.
Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “On the surface these results are exciting but we need to treat the study with caution. “There are large gaps in the research, which only involved a small pilot group and we cannot draw any conclusions until a controlled trial is carried out.” Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: “It is too early to speak of a miracle cure and we need to do more research into this.” If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Be sure to find out how you can change your life with the Free Fitness program. If you like this post then you will probably like these other related items as well
6 Responses to “Enbrel to try to cure Alzheimers”
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Why must we wait through interminable amounts of time for trials and studies, when millions of people are slipping into the pits of hell we call alzheimers. What does anyone with alzheimers have to lose? Get things out there if there is even the slightest possibility they can work, what could be worse than dying the slow torturess death of alzheimers.
It is terrible to put people through this waiting for treatment. If someone is going to die shortly, because of this disease, they should be able to get treatment. This is bad for the family and the person with the disease.
I agree with D Bader and Marion. We can’t sit around while doctors play with mice for years and then beggingly ask permission from the so called “FDA” to try and rescue our elderly Alzheimer suffering loved ones. I got a South African doctor who is still from the old school of doctors, who agreed to inject my mother (84) with this peri-spinal method. It is like a miracle as the progress is definite and surely. Whoever disputes this, have, in my opinion, a hidden agenda. This is your hope people . . . grab it before it is too late. Don’t let some burocrats stop your elderly from getting better. I have no interest whatsoever in medicine or whatever everybody uses but strongly wishes to recommend people to try this “Enbrel” and see for themselves. I have tried all known drugs for over 10 years to try and help my mother and this has been the only one I will “kill for” to keep on helping her. My e-mail, jcjnot@mweb.co.za
I know this article is from last year, as are the comments. That is part of what makes my posting here so sad. It has been more than a year since this wonderful information has been “put out there” but instead of helping countless tortured souls, it is yet another “factoid” that has slipped away into non-relevance, unimportance and non-urgency.
Five years ago, my 58 year old father was a thriving diesel mechanic. Now, he is reduced to a babbling, drooling, violent, drugged up, hollow shell of a man. He doesn’t know me, himself, his sister who visits him in his very restrictive nursing home. When he is visited, he cries, just cries now, I am told. I live too far away now to visit. I told my Aunt about Enbrel when I first heard about it last year ( my husband had been taking it for arthritis so I heard early) but there was no way she could get it. Now it is too late for him.
When it comes to illnesses like alzheimers, especially when the patient doesn’t have long – If it’s a PRE-EXISTING medication KNOWN to be safe then just frikkin GIVE IT TO THEM.
All alzheimers patients should be taking Enbrel, smoking POT and CIGGARETTES, taking aspirin and garlic (if no blood thinning problems exist) and be put on a strict diet crafted by nutritionists. LOOK IT UP.
My father is lost forever. I can only pray he doesn’t suffer much. He will never know he is newest grandchildren or even know they exist. He will never leave his nursing home or eat pepperoni pizza with jalpenos again. It is too late for him.
I will pray that somehow, mankind gets some COMMON F***IN SENSE and just helps these people. Too much BS and not enough brains………
Dear Tabitha and whoever reads this. I must “repent” contrary to my previous comment. ENBREL did not have lasting effects. . . It helped at first but like Steroids it was temporary. Our joy with this “miracle” cure was suddenly and sadly brought to a sudden dishearten end. At the extremely expensive cost, my conclusion is that we were ripped off. Dr Tobinic and his farmacuitile friends should be ashamed for making a fortune out of desperate people. My mother seemed to deteriorate at a faster rate than she was deteriorating after Dr. Tobinic’s false cure. I am sorry for my posting my previous comments as it might have unjustly fattened Dr Tobinic and his coherer’s pockets…
Hi Johann,
I am so sorry to hear you got ripped off and that Enbrel did not work out for your mother. I suppose it’s not quite the miracle cure I had thought either. In the end though, I would still try it, if I could, if I didn’t think it was too late, just to have one good visit with my Dad where he could talk and remember and meet his new grandkids. If nothing else, for that. Maybe it could be developed as last chance booster therapy, for those who are losing it. You know, like, the doctor says, “you only get 12 doses before it stops working – use them wisely”, or something. 12 chances to plug the mind back in before it’s lost forever. I don’t know, it’s just a thought. Again i’m sorry you got ripped off. I’m sorry you had to pay out of pocket and I KNOW how expensive Enbrel is. Best wishes to you and your mother, Tabitha