http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/news.html?d=104239

DENVER, Aug. 23, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Coram, Inc., a leading national provider of specialty home infusion and specialty pharmaceutical distribution services, has announced that it has been approved to provide Tysabri(r) (natalizumab), the monotherapy treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Coram treated its first Tysabri patient at its Boise, Idaho branch on August 14, 2006. Currently, Tysabri is offered at select Coram Infusion Suites throughout the country; it is anticipated the treatment will be available through all Coram suites by the end of September, 2006.

"We are pleased to add Tysabri to the extensive list of treatments available at our infusion suites," said John J. Arlotta, Coram's Chairman and CEO. "Coram's 25-year history as a provider of specialty infusion services makes us the perfect choice for the administration of Tysabri, and our nationwide network of infusion suites provides patients with a safe, convenient environment in which to receive these treatments."

Reintroduced June 5, 2006 by Elan and Biogen Idec, Tysabri is indicated for patients with relapsing forms of MS to slow the worsening of disabilities associated with the disease and to decrease the number of exacerbations. Generally, it is prescribed for patients who don't respond to or tolerate other treatments for MS.

Tysabri is administered through a highly restricted distribution program called the TOUCH(tm) Prescribing Program. With over 50 current and planned ambulatory infusion suites throughout the country, Coram will have the capability to perform Tysabri treatments nationwide.

About Coram

Coram is a leading national provider of specialty home infusion and specialty pharmaceutical distribution services. With more than 70 full-service branch pharmacies, the company offers both national presence and comprehensive local coverage. Coram's 25 years of experience, clinical expertise and commitment to positive outcomes has earned it a reputation for excellence among patients, clinicians and payors nationwide. The company is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. For more information about Coram, visit www.coramhc.com or call 1.800.CoramHC.

CONTACT:  Coram, Inc.
         Media Inquiries: 
         Carlota Bentley
         (303) 292-4973
         bentleyc@coramhc.com

21.08.2006

Common brain cells may have stem-cell-like potential

Innovations Report

University of Florida researchers have shown ordinary human brain cells may share the prized qualities of self-renewal and adaptability normally associated with stem cells.

Writing online today (Aug. 16) in Development, scientists from UF's McKnight Brain Institute describe how they used mature human brain cells taken from epilepsy patients to generate new brain tissue in mice.

Furthermore, they can coax these pedestrian human cells to produce large amounts of new brain cells in culture, with one cell theoretically able to begin a cycle of cell division that does not stop until the cells number about 10 to the 16th power.

"We can theoretically take a single brain cell out of a human being and - with just this one cell - generate enough brain cells to replace every cell of the donor's brain and conceivably those of 50 million other people," said Dennis Steindler, Ph.D., executive director of UF's McKnight Brain Institute. "This is a completely new source of human brain cells that can potentially be used to fight Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and a host of other brain disorders. It would probably only take months to get enough material for a human transplant operation."

The findings document for the first time the ability of common human brain cells to morph into different cell types, a previously unknown characteristic, and are the result of the research team's long-term investigations of adult human stem cells and rodent embryonic stem cells.

Last year, the researchers published details about how they used stem-like brain cells from rodents to duplicate neurogenesis - the process of generating new brain cells - in a dish. The latest findings go further, showing common human brain cells can generate different cell types in cell cultures. In addition, when researchers transplanted these human cells into mice, the cells effectively incorporated in a variety of brain regions.

The human cells were acquired from patients who had undergone surgical treatment for epilepsy and were extracted from support tissue within the gray matter, which is not known for harboring stem cells.

When the donor cells were subjected to a bath of growth agents within cell cultures, a type of cell emerged that behaves like something called a neural progenitor - a cell that is a bit further along in development than a stem cell but shares a stem cell's vaunted ability to divide and transform into different types of brain cells.

Even when the cells from the epilepsy patients were transplanted into mice, bypassing any growth enhancements, they were able to take cues from their surroundings and produce new neurons.

"It was a long and difficult process, but we were able to induce what are basically support cells in the human brain to form beautiful new neurons in a dish," said Noah Walton, a graduate student in the neuroscience department at the UF College of Medicine. "But what we really needed is for these support cells to turn into neurons in the brain, and we found we could get them to do it. Something in the environment in the rodent brain is sufficient to get these cells to become neurons."

Scientists speculate a small amount of existing progenitors may be emerging from the gray matter of the brain and multiplying in torrents, or perhaps the aging clock of the mature cells actually turns backward when the donor cells are in a new environment, returning them to past lives as progenitors or as stem cells.

"It's been shown that the same sorts of tissue from the mouse brain can give rise to rapidly dividing cells, but this shows it is true with human cells," said Ben Barres, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine who was not involved in the research. "That these cells were able to integrate into tissue in an animal model and actually survive - it was extremely important to show that. Now the question is what will these cells do in a human brain? Will they be able to survive for the long term and rebuild circuitry? This work is a first step toward that end."

In addition to using the cells in treatments to repair or replace damaged brain tissue, the ability to massively expand cell populations could prove useful in efforts to test the safety and efficacy of new drugs. It is also possible to genetically modify the cells to produce neurotrophins - substances that help brain tissue survive, researchers said.

John D. Pastor | Quelle: EurekAlert!
Weitere Informationen: www.ufl.edu

21.08.2006

Common brain cells may have stem-cell-like potential

Innovations Report

University of Florida researchers have shown ordinary human brain cells may share the prized qualities of self-renewal and adaptability normally associated with stem cells.

Writing online today (Aug. 16) in Development, scientists from UF's McKnight Brain Institute describe how they used mature human brain cells taken from epilepsy patients to generate new brain tissue in mice.

Furthermore, they can coax these pedestrian human cells to produce large amounts of new brain cells in culture, with one cell theoretically able to begin a cycle of cell division that does not stop until the cells number about 10 to the 16th power.

"We can theoretically take a single brain cell out of a human being and - with just this one cell - generate enough brain cells to replace every cell of the donor's brain and conceivably those of 50 million other people," said Dennis Steindler, Ph.D., executive director of UF's McKnight Brain Institute. "This is a completely new source of human brain cells that can potentially be used to fight Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and a host of other brain disorders. It would probably only take months to get enough material for a human transplant operation."

The findings document for the first time the ability of common human brain cells to morph into different cell types, a previously unknown characteristic, and are the result of the research team's long-term investigations of adult human stem cells and rodent embryonic stem cells.

Last year, the researchers published details about how they used stem-like brain cells from rodents to duplicate neurogenesis - the process of generating new brain cells - in a dish. The latest findings go further, showing common human brain cells can generate different cell types in cell cultures. In addition, when researchers transplanted these human cells into mice, the cells effectively incorporated in a variety of brain regions.

The human cells were acquired from patients who had undergone surgical treatment for epilepsy and were extracted from support tissue within the gray matter, which is not known for harboring stem cells.

When the donor cells were subjected to a bath of growth agents within cell cultures, a type of cell emerged that behaves like something called a neural progenitor - a cell that is a bit further along in development than a stem cell but shares a stem cell's vaunted ability to divide and transform into different types of brain cells.

Even when the cells from the epilepsy patients were transplanted into mice, bypassing any growth enhancements, they were able to take cues from their surroundings and produce new neurons.

"It was a long and difficult process, but we were able to induce what are basically support cells in the human brain to form beautiful new neurons in a dish," said Noah Walton, a graduate student in the neuroscience department at the UF College of Medicine. "But what we really needed is for these support cells to turn into neurons in the brain, and we found we could get them to do it. Something in the environment in the rodent brain is sufficient to get these cells to become neurons."

Scientists speculate a small amount of existing progenitors may be emerging from the gray matter of the brain and multiplying in torrents, or perhaps the aging clock of the mature cells actually turns backward when the donor cells are in a new environment, returning them to past lives as progenitors or as stem cells.

"It's been shown that the same sorts of tissue from the mouse brain can give rise to rapidly dividing cells, but this shows it is true with human cells," said Ben Barres, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine who was not involved in the research. "That these cells were able to integrate into tissue in an animal model and actually survive - it was extremely important to show that. Now the question is what will these cells do in a human brain? Will they be able to survive for the long term and rebuild circuitry? This work is a first step toward that end."

In addition to using the cells in treatments to repair or replace damaged brain tissue, the ability to massively expand cell populations could prove useful in efforts to test the safety and efficacy of new drugs. It is also possible to genetically modify the cells to produce neurotrophins - substances that help brain tissue survive, researchers said.

John D. Pastor | Quelle: EurekAlert!
Weitere Informationen: www.ufl.edu

Hundreds wrongly told they are MS sufferers
Times Online Tue, 22 Aug 2006 4:29 AM PDT
FOR more than two decades, John Simper was resigned to a slow and painful death from multiple sclerosis. Unable to work or drive, plagued by recurrent headaches, bouts of confusion, short-term memory loss and weakness in his limbs, he feared that he would end up paralysed and in a wheelchair.
Nutura Pharma announce positive results of pain drug study
PharmaBiz Tue, 22 Aug 2006 5:45 AM PDT
Nutra Pharma Corp., a biotechnology company, has announced that its subsidiary, ReceptoPharm, has published positive results from its recent study on the use of cobratoxin, for the relief of pain.

A former motorcycle racer diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) 26 years ago believes he has been saved from ending his life in a wheelchair.

John Simper, 60, from Ipswich, is convinced he has been suffering from Hughes Syndrome which thickens the blood and slows down the brain.

This condition, discovered in 1993, mimics MS but can be easily treated with blood thinning drugs or aspirin.

Mr Simper has now started a crusade to make the condition more well known.

He believes other people who have been told they have MS may have Hughes Syndrome.

It could save the government millions of pounds on care and drugs if many people diagnosed with MS have Hughes Syndrome instead
John Simper

More than 150,000 people in the UK have the condition, which also causes recurrent miscarriages and chronic migraine.

"When I first heard about it I contacted my doctor and he had never heard of the condition," he said.

People with Hughes Syndrome suffer abnormal movements, dizzy spells, short-term memory loss, headaches and angina.

For more than a quarter of a century Mr Simper has been in fear of ending up in a wheelchair or even dying.

'Wary of developments'

Mr Simper said that his problems began after he was seriously assaulted and knocked out in 1980.

He had a legacy of injuries to all parts of his body from crashes as a motorcycle racer.

"The tests for MS are a matter of eliminating other conditions and I had nothing else.

"Then a few months ago my daughter drew my attention to an article about Hughes Syndrome. I'm wary of new developments in my condition but asked my doctor about it and he had never heard of it.

"Now I am doing all that I can to make people aware.

"I'm not jumping up and down with joy yet because I am going to have my first referral at St Thomas's Hospital in London, which is the main treatment centre, in October.

"I have spoken to neurological hospitals, other GPs and even NICE to draw attention to the condition.

"It could save the government millions of pounds on care and drugs if many people diagnosed with MS have Hughes Syndrome instead."

Causes miscarriages

A spokeswoman from the Hughes Syndrome Foundation said the condition was discovered by Dr Graham Hughes when a group of people he was treating for Lupus, the immune-system disease which is his speciality, did not fit the classic mould.

After painstaking detective work he found they all had a strange antibody in their blood which caused it to thicken and clot.

This caused less oxygen to reach the brain, body organs and the placenta in pregnant women.

It accounted for migraine, one in five recurrent miscarriages, deep vein thrombosis in young people and many other conditions which could be treated by aspirin, heparin injections and in more serious cases with warfarin.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/suffolk/5273968.stm

Published: 2006/08/22 09:30:37 GMT

© BBC MMVI

I need your assistance and ask if you could vote for Maria in the upcoming Volvo for Life Awards, which has recognized our efforts in disability advocacy. Please go to:

1. www.volvoforlifeawards.com

2. click on VOTE

3. Type in Maria Telesca of New York State

4. and VOTE please

Please feel free to pass this on to your friends, family, and colleagues. Should we be lucky to win the grand prize of $50,000, all funds will be used to assist the disability community for accessible housing , scholarships, etc.

Thank you.

Maria Telesca

http://www.mssociety.ca/en/help/services.htm#equip
_______________________________________

The MS Society offers two types of funding; equipment purchase and permanent loan as well as special assistance programs. Please note that funding programs vary from province-to-province.

• Equipment purchase or permanent loan
• Special assistance

The MS Society of Canada does not offer financial assistance for medications or disease modifying therapies, however, for information on funding programs for medication / therapies, please visit:

• Government coverage of MS disease modifying therapies or;
• MS disease modifying therapies in Canada

Equipment purchase or permanent loan

The most common service provided by most divisions and chapters is assistance with equipment to help people with MS maximize their quality of life. Divisions and chapters manage this service in various ways:

• Information and advocacy to assist people in understanding the resources available to them through their own benefits programs and the provincial health system, etc.
• Full or partial purchase of equipment or permanent loan

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — Ballbot, a narrow, meter-and-a-half tall robot, balances delicately on what looks like a bowling ball. Swaying slightly on a laboratory floor, the aluminum-framed droid seems ready to fall at any moment.

But much like a circus animal balancing on a beach ball, Ballbot stays stable, its motors whirring to keep it upright.

Some experts say robots such as Ballbot might one day help provide care and companionship to the disabled and the nation's aging population.

"We're very good at making machines that can compute and play chess really well," said Louis Whitcomb, a professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. "We're very poor at developing machines with which we can interact physically, assistants that can do our bidding."

Related to this article

Robotics Project Scientist George Kantor with Ballbot, an agile robot balanced delicately on what resembles a bowling ball: Some experts say Ballbot could help provide care and companionship to a rapidly aging population. (Carnegie Mellon University/AP)

Latest Comments

• Start a conversation on this story

Ballbot, created by Carnegie Mellon University Professor Ralph Hollis, represents pioneering work in the emerging field of "human-centred robotics," Whitcomb said.

The field is already booming in countries like Japan and Korea, where greying populations are expected to put overwhelming demands on younger health care workers, said Roderic Grupen, director of the Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Robots could help fill the gap, for example, by calling for help for a patient who has fallen down and can't get up, Grupen said. A robot could also monitor the patient's vital signs until help arrives.

Unlike other robots designed to interact with humans, Ballbot is capable of moving in any direction without turning because it pivots on a ball, Grupen said. That makes it capable of operating in the tight, cluttered spaces that people often live in, he said.

Researchers are working to add arms and perhaps a vision system to Ballbot. But while the technology behind the robot is promising, Hollis said practical applications remain far off.

"We don't know whether we'll succeed or not," he said. "But we're trying to push the
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060817.gtrobot0817/BNStory/Technology/?cid=al_gam_nletter_dtechal

Multiple Sclerosis Conference Scheduled in Oklahoma City
RedNova Wed, 16 Aug 2006 8:43 PM PDT
By Journal Record Staff More than 175 participants are expected to attend the sixth annual Focus on Multiple Sclerosis Conference on Aug. 26 at the Mercy Health Center Conference Center, 4300 W. Memorial Rd. in Oklahoma City. A program for medical professionals starts at 8 a.m.
Trial Results Published in Neurology Show Risk of Developing Multiple Sclerosis Significantly Reduced With Interferon
RedNova Thu, 17 Aug 2006 9:27 AM PDT
OTTAWA, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers ha

* 16 August 2006

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19125655.000

When it comes to brainpower they say you either use it or lose it. Now a study in mice suggests that the survival of newly formed adult brain cells depends on the amount of input they receive.

Fred Gage of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, and his colleagues infected genetically engineered mice with a virus that stops new brain cells from producing NMDA receptors - proteins that sit on the surface of brain cells and help them communicate with each other. The virus used infects only newly generated cells, leaving other cells untouched.

Infected cells that lacked NMDA receptors died sooner than their normal counterparts, suggesting that communication is essential for survival (Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature05028).

To confirm this the researchers injected some of the virus-infected mice with a compound that blocks all NMDA receptors. They found this increased the survival rate of the brain cells infected by the virus, and lowered that of the normal, uninfected cells. Gage speculates that preventing any brain cell communication via NMDA receptors levels the playing field, giving all the brain cells an equal chance of survival - indirect evidence that activation of NMDA receptors affects the survival of brain cells.

Since the cells the team studied were in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in learning and memory, Gage suggests that the fate of brain cells generated there helps guide the formation of memories and skills.
From issue 2565 of New Scientist magazine, 16 August 2006, page 17

For Immediate Release: August 15, 2006

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada – Chromos Molecular Systems Inc. (TSX: CHR) has taken several significant steps in the development of its lead product candidate, CHR-1103. A humanized monoclonal antibody, CHR-1103 is being developed for the acute treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Its unique mechanism of action has the potential to reduce the severity of a relapse in patients with MS and also stem the residual neurological damage that often accompanies relapse and leads to progression of the disease.

Chromos recently completed its first meeting with officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The two parties discussed Chromos’ clinical approach, proposed preclinical safety evaluation program and manufacture of CHR-1103. Chromos is now moving forward with preclinical safety evaluation studies in preparation for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in Q3 2007.

Using its proprietary ACE System, Chromos engineered a stable clonal cell line expressing its product, CHR-1103 and transferred it to AppTec for process development, scale up and manufacture. The ACE System demonstrated the ability to perform well in large-scale manufacturing, validating the use of the platform for clinical and commercial scale manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. The Company is now preparing to begin its preclinical safety evaluation studies with Charles River Laboratories.

Chromos has engaged two leading MS clinicians to act as clinical consultants for its CHR-1103 program. Lily Jung, M.D. is the Medical Director of the Seattle Neuroscience Institute at Swedish Medical Centre in Seattle, WA, and a clinical associate professor in Neurology at the University of Washington Medical School. Mariko Kita, M.D. is a clinical investigator and Director of the Virginia Mason Multiple Sclerosis Center in Seattle, WA. Drs. Jung and Kita will advise and assist with the clinical development of CHR-1103 as it enters clinical trials.

About Chromos

Chromos is a biopharmaceutical company with two drug development programs focused on inflammatory diseases and thrombotic disorders. The Company's lead program, CHR-1103, is a humanized monoclonal antibody being developed as a treatment with an initial focus on the treatment of acute relapses associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Chromos generates revenue from its proprietary ACE System technology to engineer production quality cell lines to manufacture biopharmaceutical products including monoclonal antibodies. For more information visit our website at www.chromos.com.

Risks and Uncertainties

Certain of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Chromos (the “Company”), or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

To the extent possible, management implements strategies to reduce or mitigate the risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s operations. Operating risks include (i) the continued availability of capital to finance the Company’s activities; (ii) the Company’s limited cash position, (iii) the ability to successfully obtain proof of the effectiveness of the Company’s technology (iv) the ability to complete and maintain corporate alliances relating to the development and commercialization of the Company’s technology; (v) the ability to obtain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for the Company’s technology; (vi) market acceptance of the Company’s technology; (vii) the competitive environment and impact of technological change; (viii) the Company’s ability to attract and retain employees to carry out its business plans and (ix) the timely development and commercialization of any technology or products that are contingent on the completion and maintenance of corporate alliances with third parties. Further details on Chromos’ operating risks can be found in the Company’s Quarterly and Annual Reports to Shareholders.

-30-

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Joseph Zendegui, Ph.D.
Vice President, Corporate Development
Tel: 604-415-7128
Email:jzendegui@chromos.com
Website: www.chromos.com

http://www.chromos.com/home_frames.htm

Researchers have completed an extensive study of more than 3,000 patients who received a Natalizumab ( Tysabri ), that was linked to three cases of a serious brain infection in large clinical trials halted in early 2005.

The new study found no new cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy ( PML ) and confirmed the three previously identified cases of PML associated with use of the drug. One fatal and one nonfatal case of PML occurred in a trial using Natalizumab as a multiple sclerosis treatment; a second fatality happened in a trial that used the drug to treat patients with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease ( IBD ).

" Our analysis suggests about one in every 1,000 people who took Natalizumab contracted this disease; however, there weren't enough patients exposed to the drug to allow us to precisely estimate the risk, which could be as low as one in 5,000 or as high as one in 300," says senior author David Clifford, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The results of the study, along with two separate studies of Natalizumab's effectiveness as an multiple sclerosis treatment, are published in The New England Journal of Medicine ( NEJM ).

. Natalizumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to inflammatory immune T cells and prevents them from crossing membranes that protect the brain and the central nervous system.
Prior to the studies that were halted last year, earlier studies showed a 66 percent reduction in the rate of relapses in multiple sclerosis patients treated with the Natalizumab, which has to be injected on a monthly basis.

A number of factors can affect the survival of patients with multifocal leukoencephalopathy, but for now Clifford believes that developing a method to diagnose PML early in its development may be the best approach to averting future fatalities linked to Natalizumab.

" It takes two months or more for the drug's effects to stop, but if multifocal leukoencephalopathy is discovered early and has started in a less-than-critical region of the brain, that may give us time to stop therapy and prevent serious brain injury or death," he explains. " We may also want to look at whether there are ways to end Natalizumab's effects on a patient more quickly."

The links between Natalizumab and multifocal leukoencephalopathy onset are still unclear, but based on their prior dealings with the disorder, experts strongly suspect an immune system connection.

" As many as half of all adults are infected with the virus that causes multifocal leukoencephalopathy, which normally doesn't bother us," he says. " It only becomes a problem in those with suppressed immune systems, where it can enter the brain and cause PML. That includes AIDS patients, organ transplant patients and patients with blood-related malignancies such as leukemia. And even in those patients it's still rare. We've seen about 50 cases over the last decade at Washington University School of Medicine."

In patients with multifocal leukoencephalopathy, the virus ( named the JC virus for the first patient it was identified in ) destroys the cells that make protective sheaths surrounding brain cells.
Symptoms include vision loss, mental deterioration, speech disturbances, loss of coordination and, in advanced phases, paralysis and coma.

" It leaves the brain short-circuited," Clifford says. " It's a very bad disease that normally progresses to death within a few months unless we can reverse the immune suppression."

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease believed to result from misguided immune system attacks on nervous system tissues. It comes in various forms and affects an estimated 400,000 Americans, with 200 new diagnoses of multiple sclerosis every week.
Researchers have tried with limited success to treat MS with immune suppression drugs before, Clifford notes, without ever previously unleashing the JC virus on the brain.

" There has to be something very specific about the way the body controls the JC virus that is being affected by the action of Natalizumab," he says.

Source: Washington University School of Medicine, 2006


XagenaMedicine2006

http://www.xagena.it/news/medicinenews_net_news/144b646e159cb47f13a4ebb4c8d00628.html

Commenting on the quarter, David B. McWilliams, chief executive officer of Opexa, stated, "This has been a very dynamic and rewarding time for Opexa. We implemented an important capital restructuring and name change during the quarter, and completed a $23 million financing that provides the financial underpinnings for our Phase IIb trial with Tovaxin and funds our other business activities. We also strengthened our corporate governance with the addition of four new directors, each of whom brings a valuable skill set and perspective to Opexa."
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=4681986

By Marc Lichtenfeld
Senior Columnist
8/14/2006 2:25 PM EDT
Click here for more stories by Marc Lichtenfeld

If you've spent any time on Lower Grand Canal Street in Dublin this past year, you're probably wondering what that incessant beeping is.

Turns out Fidelity Investments has been backing up the truck to Elan's (ELN - commentary - Cramer's Take) doors and loading up on the Irish drugmaker's shares. In January, Fidelity already owned more than 20 million shares -- a greater than 5% stake. Then, sometime in February or early March, the fund giant began to build on its holdings.

Eventually, Fidelity had accumulated nearly 61 million shares, or 14% of the company, as of Aug. 4, according to regulatory filings.

That's a far cry from early 2005, when Fidelity, like so many others, fled Elan after its multiple sclerosis therapy Tysabri was pulled from the market in February of that year. Elan had been trading in the mid-$20s at the time, but after the Tysabri withdrawal, the stock quickly fell below $9 and ultimately dropped to around $3.

During that time, Fidelity dumped about 16 million shares, leaving it with about 20 million, and that's where it stayed until the beginning of this year. The problem isn't with Fidelity's faith in Elan in and of itself but with the timing of its buying and selling.

Source: Investegate

Fidelity doesn't have a great track record in the stock. The asset manager got burned last year by the Tysabri debacle after loading up on Elan. As the price recovered from the single digits, Fidelity sat tight. Not until the stock hit the mid-teens does it appear that Fidelity became more involved. A similar pattern played out in 2002, when Elan shares cratered and Fidelity sold on the way down and picked up shares well after the recovery was under way.

History could be repeating itself. Mike Hurley, chief technical strategist at M.S. Howells & Co., says Elan is headed lower.

"The stock has been in an uptrend since April of 2005," he says. However, "the uptrend looks like it's starting to break." For the intermediate term, Hurley says the chart looks neutral to bearish, but for the short term it's decidedly bearish, with the stock making lower highs and lower lows for the past few months. The fact that the stock failed at resistance and at its 50-day moving average in the mid-$15s is meaningful, according to Hurley.

Elan trades on emotion, and that's what worries me about the stock. I don't doubt the efficacy of Tysabri, and after speaking with many people in the industry I suspect it's safer than some people fear.

Elan, along with partner Biogen Idec (BIIB - commentary - Cramer's Take), took Tysabri off the market after its use was linked to a potentially fatal disease called PML, an infection of the brain. The companies revisited their clinical data on 3,000 patients, and all told, three cases of PML were found; this led to the nonscientific estimate that the risk was roughly 1 in 1,000. After the MS drug was unavailable for more than a year, the Food and Drug Administration reapproved it in June.

Patients who came down with PML were taking Tysabri along with other medications for MS. Additionally, doctors didn't realize the symptoms were related to PML, so patients continued to receive Tysabri. Now, Tysabri is used as a monotherapy, and physicians are on alert to look for signs of PML. Theoretically at least, patients showing signs of the infection would immediately stop taking the medication.

Keep in mind that the FDA is unlikely to take action even if new cases of PML are reported, provided the rate of infection is less than 1 in 1,000. One hedge fund manager, whose fund owns a significant chunk of Elan's stock, says the PML "incidents will be less than expected."
The fund manager, who didn't want his name used, well may be right. Still, if another case linking Tysabri to PML is suspected, I believe you'll see Elan's shares implode again. Investors who know the stock's track record will shoot first and ask questions later.

That's just fine with the fund manager, who is a long-term holder. "After one or two years, if PML incidents are fewer than expected, the drug has a 'hockey stick' projection," he declares.

He also says that the company's therapies for Alzheimer's disease, being developed in collaboration with Wyeth (WYE - commentary - Cramer's Take), could be worth more than Tysabri, should they become marketable drugs. The manager says the potential success of treating Alzheimer's isn't even priced into Elan's stock at current levels.

For investors who have the ability to put Elan away and not look at it for a few years, I suspect they will be rewarded if the fund manager's prognostications come true. However, with the emotion and risk involved in the stock, don't be surprised if the stock suffers serious damage at some point along the way.

And considering its track record in the stock, the axiom "buy when there's blood in the streets" may be especially true when it's Fidelity's blood that's spilled.

http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/markets/marketfeatures/10303522.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5245048.stm

MS affects the brain and spinal cord

Scientists say they have found a drug target for new therapies to aid people with multiple sclerosis.

Blocking a cell signal in the nervous system alleviated MS symptoms in mice, the German team told Nature Immunology.

Experts say more work is now needed to check that blocking this signalling molecule, called NF-kB, will achieve the same desired effect in humans.

Every week in the UK about 50 people, typically aged between 20 and 40, are diagnosed with MS.

Immune system malfunction

The exact causes of MS are not known, but it is believed that MS is caused by something foreign to the body, like a virus or a pollutant.

This causes the body's immune system to malfunction and start attacking and destroying the protective myelin sheath that coats the nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

The disease affects people differently and symptoms can last for several weeks to several months at a time.

Initially MS causes loss of balance, reduced vision and bouts of localised paralysis. Eventually, patients may become totally paralysed and wheelchair-bound.

This looks exciting. More and more is being discovered about MS at the cell level Chris Jones, chief executive of the MS Trust

Scientists have known for some time that NF-kB is involved in MS. But it was not clear whether NF-kB protected the brain cells against the consequences of the disease or aggravated the damage.

To investigate this, Dr Marco Prinz and colleagues studied genetically altered mice with an MS-like condition.

In these mice it was possible to turn NF-kB on and off by manipulating two proteins, called IKK2 and NEMO, which activate the molecule.

Blocking IKK2 and NEMO, thereby switching off NF-kB, alleviated MS symptoms in the mice.

Given that the human NF-kB signalling network is very similar to that of mice, the researchers believe compounds that inhibit IKK2 and NEMO should be investigated further as potential MS treatments.

Dr Prinz said: "NF-kB regulates the production of messengers that are released during inflammation to recruit and activate immune cells.

"Generally this is a good strategy to protect the body from infections. But in MS it is exactly these immune cells that cause the problem and their hyperactivation through NF-kB only makes the situation worse."

Chris Jones, chief executive of the MS Trust, said: "This looks exciting. More and more is being discovered about MS at the cell level."

However, he stressed that much more work was needed to determine whether the same effects would be seen in humans.

Dr Lee Dunster, head of research and information at the Multiple Sclerosis Society, agreed, saying: "We have to remember that what works in mice does not unfortunately always work in men."

Multiple Sclerosis in genetically susceptible twins is augmented by the northern environment
EurekAlert! Thu, 10 Aug 2006 6:58 AM PDT
A new study of twins suggests that living farther north of the equator significantly increases risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) among those with genetic susceptibility due to some environmental factor.

http://www.healthcentral.com/video/408/2350/Diabetes_Drug_Helps_Multiple_Sclerosis.html

Alleviating The Burden Of Multiple Sclerosis
Medical News Today Tue, 08 Aug 2006 8:15 PM PDT
Depression, coordination and speech problems, muscle weakness and disability are just a few of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). [click link for full article]

Teen creates nationwide MS support group KARE 11 Minneapolis-St. Paul Tue, 08 Aug 2006 3:26 PM PDT Multiple Sclerosis affects 400,000 Americans. Around 10,000 of them have been diagnosed in their teenage years. But because of those smaller

Researchers discover a cellular signal that aggravates the symptoms of multiple sclerosis
News-Medical-Net Sun, 06 Aug 2006 1:06 PM PDT
Depression, coordination and speech problems, muscle weakness and disability are just a few of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Teva Initiates Phase III Study To Confirm Increased Efficacy Of Higher Dose Of Glatiramer Acetate For
Medical News Today Mon, 07 Aug 2006 0:16 AM PDT
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. [click link for full article]

http://www.montelshow.com/featuredpromo/?Date=2006-08-07

On the show, "The Faces of Multiple Sclerosis," we spoke with a wide
variety of people living with MS, including author Jeffery Gingold. In
his book, Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis, he
discusses how the "thinking" disability of multiple sclerosis affects many
people with the disease, which disconnects mental pathways in the brain
and causes confusion. Through this book, he is not only able to
document his struggle, but also to shed light on those who are privately
dealing with this disease's cognitive symptoms and potential disabilities.

Author Kimberly Harrold was just a young girl when her mother was
diagnosed with MS, prompting her to write her book, Sometimes MS is Yucky.
Acknowledging that "...even the little people in the family have their
own big views and concerns regarding the illness...," Kim wrote her book
for children ages 3-8 years old. In her book, she educates children and
also provides emotional support for those who have a parent or loved
one with Multiple Sclerosis.

Why are doctors so reluctant to prescribe treatment for MS?
Times Online Thu, 03 Aug 2006 6:14 AM PDT
A 62-year-old divorced academic, who was found to be suffering from multiple sclerosis in November 2004, has written to ask why we don’t write about his condition more often. The professor is especially interested in any association between climate and multiple sclerosis and the effect of smoking.

HEALTH: Former MP campaigns for specialist nurses The Evening Telegraph Thu, 03 Aug 2006 9:56 AM PDT A FORMER Peterborough MP is now focusing all her efforts to help MS sufferers in Peterborough and across the country.

tysabri

Elan CEO: 'Very pleases' with initial Tysabri activity
MarketWatch - USA
... Corp. PLC's (ELN) chief executive said Tuesday he was "very pleased" with the initial activity for multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri. ...
See all stories on this topic

Elan cuts losses, pins hopes on Tysabri
Ireland Online - Dublin,Ireland
Elan is banking on MS drug Tysabri to return the company to the black, having launched it in recent weeks in Germany, Ireland, UK and Sweden and re-introduced ...

Elan Q2 losses narrow as Tysabri costs fall UPDATE
Hemscott - London,UK
LONDON (AFX) - Irish drug maker Elan Corp revealed narrowing second-quarter losses and said it is 'confident' the revenues from re-launched Tysabri will drive ...
See all stories on this topic

Elan Reports Second Quarter 2006 Financial Results
Genetic Engineering News (press release) - Larchmont,NY,USA
... business results. We recently received approval in the US and Europe to make Tysabri available to patients suffering from MS. We ...

Elan narrow Q2 losses
MoneyWeek (Subscription) - London,UK
... Elan reintroduced its multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri after US Food and Drug Administration approval at the start of June. ...

Elan says pleased with Tysabri after relaunch
Reuters - USA
... Aug 1 (Reuters) - Irish drugmaker Elan (ELN.I: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it was pleased with the performance of its Tysabri multiple sclerosis ...
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