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To: Icebrg who wrote (2739)	10/31/2003 7:20:56 PM
From: Shawn Donahue	Respond to of 7143

Dear Erik (Icebrg), You are more than welcome, for my response! I agree with what you have written, as the more that everyone posts factual information and opinions (constructive:whether pro or con) on biotech news, the better chance we all have for getting more complete DD on our investments. This has certainly helped me over the years in my investments, and I appreciate the time and effort that others put into sharing their research, as it helps level the playing field that we individual investors have in competing with brokers... I must admit that I did question your motive (as I am sure that we all try and figure out why someone and probably everyone is posting a particular article or research ...especially, if it concerns a company or companies (or even a region) that they have a vested interest in...) for posting old research, then imho, a negative so-called scientific research article, and finally when you followed up with those articles promoting India for pharmaceutical companies, I figured that you were trying to eliminate all the competition available from other companies and countries. It does seem to be getting more difficult to get truly objective and complete information, as even the media seem to show a preference in how and what they report of regional companies or industries, and certain scientific reporting can be subjective at best; where I would think that they would feel a responsibility to be more objective and comprehensive in their coverage!? Regards, Shawn

To: Icebrg who wrote (2739)	11/4/2003 10:41:24 AM
From: Icebrg	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 7143

Effectiveness of Leech Therapy in Osteoarthritis of the Knee A Randomized, Controlled Trial Andreas Michalsen, MD; Stefanie Klotz, RN; Rainer Lüdtke, PhD; Susanne Moebus, PhD, MPH; Günther Spahn, MD; and Gustav J. Dobos, MD 4 November 2003 \| Volume 139 Issue 9 \| Pages 724-730 Background: Leech therapy was commonly used in traditional medicine for treating localized pain. Clinically significant pain relief after leech therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee has been demonstrated by preliminary data. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of leech therapy for symptomatic relief of osteoarthritis of the knee. Design: Randomized, controlled trial. Setting: Outpatient department for integrative medicine of an academic teaching hospital. Patients: 51 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee (leech therapy: 24 patients, mean age [±SD], 62.5 ± 10.2 years; topical diclofenac therapy: 27 patients, mean age [±SD], 65.5 ± 6.7 years). Intervention: A single treatment with 4 to 6 locally applied leeches (leech therapy group) or a 28-day topical diclofenac regimen (control group). Measurements: Mean of the pain, function, and stiffness subscores of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index and physical sum score of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey with group comparisons at days 3, 7, 28, and 91. Results: The primary end point, pain at day 7, was reduced from a mean (±SD) of 53.5 ± 13.7 to 19.3 ± 12.2 after leech therapy compared with 51.5 ± 16.8 to 42.4 ± 19.7 with topical diclofenac (estimated group difference, -23.9 [95% CI, -32.8 to -15.1]; P < 0.001). Although the difference between group pain scores was no longer significant after day 7, differences for function, stiffness, and total symptoms remained significant in favor of leech therapy until the end of study and for quality of life until day 28. Results were not affected by outcome expectation. Conclusions: Leech therapy helps relieve symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. The potential of leech therapy for treating osteoarthritis and the pharmacologic properties of leech saliva remain to be clarified. annals.org Editorial comments: annals.org