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Biotech / Medical : TITAN PHARMACEUTICAL (TTP) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Icebrg who wrote (265)	5/6/2004 7:33:43 PM
From: Miljenko Zuanic	Respond to of 362

Too slow with DITPA, again they need pharmacokinetic? clinicaltrials.gov Press Release Source: Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Titan Reports First Quarter 2004 Results Thursday May 6, 9:31 am ET SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amex: TTP - News) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2004. DITPA Titan is developing DITPA for the potential treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF). DITPA has completed Phase I and preliminary controlled Phase II clinical testing in the treatment of CHF, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is expected to initiate a 150 patient, randomized, double blind Phase II clinical study in CHF during the second quarter of 2004. This multicenter study is funded by a $3.8 million grant from the VA. In addition, Titan plans to initiate Phase II clinical testing with DITPA in the second half of 2004 in Class III and Class IV CHF patients who have low serum T3 levels. clinicaltrials.gov

To: Icebrg who wrote (265)	5/26/2004 2:40:19 PM
From: Icebrg	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 362

Eye Cell Transplants Aid Parkinson’s Patients By Hilary Blue [This is a nice little "story" about one of the first Spheramine patients]. It is common knowledge among the Parkinson’s community that Parkinson’s disease is caused by the slowing down of dopamine production in a region of the brain known as the substantia nigra. What is not as popularly known is that there are several other sites in the human body that manufacture dopamine. One of these is the retina of the eye. The dopamine producing cells are called retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE cells). Spheramine therapy aims to increase the production of dopamine in the PWP’s (person with Parkinson’s) brain, by implanting RPE cells into the brain, where they produce L-DOPA, directly enhancing the brain levels of dopamine. Cell transplants into the brain have been carried out with mixed results. The most promising area of research - stem cells – is surrounded by ethical controversy. Spheramine therapy provides an alternative. Phase II studies are presently being conducted to test its efficacy, safety and tolerability as a treatment for Parkinson’s. The study was launched by Titan Pharmaceuticals, and Schering Ag in Europe is sponsoring the clinical development of spheramine. Spheramine uses normal human RPE cells attached to a microcarrier that enables long-term survival and function of the cells without immunosuppressors. This microcarrier is a microscopic, gelatinous, spherical globule encasing the RPE cells; hence the name “spheramine”. The cells themselves are obtained from human eye tissue that has been donated to a tissue bank. One tissue sample can provide many thousands of doses of Spheramine. Spheramine is injected into the regions of the brain that are lacking in dopamine, using a surgical technique called stereotactic injection, under general anesthesia. The patient’s head is surrounded by an open framework that holds his/her head perfectly still during the surgery. Small holes are drilled in the skull, through which the neurosurgeon inserts a needle into the brain and injects the Spheramine. No immunosuppressant drugs are required. A pilot study of six patients was carried out at Emory University in Atlanta under Dr Ray Watts, and Titan Pharmaceuticals. One of these patients was Peggy Willocks. She, as did the other five, had late stage Parkinson’s (late stage III or IV on the Hoehn and Yahr Scale). Three years later, they all showed substantial (40 to 60 per cent) improvement. Peggy Willocks is a former school principal whose life was disrupted by Parkinson’s. In 1997, she was awarded Tennessee State Principal of the Year; a year later she retired on disability, depressed and believing she had come to the end of the road. But she didn’t give up. She immersed herself in writing - poems, letters, short stories; even two still-to-be-completed books. And then, in August, 2000, she underwent experimental surgery as part of the Spheramine pilot study at Emory. The change was amazing. Her “ons” were longer, her “offs” shorter and less profound, she required less medication, and she had the energy to do things she had despaired of ever doing again. Today, three years later, she is a vocal and very effective advocate for the Parkinson community. She is the Coordinator for PAN (Parkinson’s Action Network) for the State of Tennessee, co-editor and frequent contributor to the Grassroots Connection, a website that is a popular source of information on all aspects of Parkinson’s, and a local support group leader. Although the Emory study was very small and no widespread conclusions may be drawn at present, the research so far on Spheramine therapy seems to indicate that there is reason for hope. This is by no means a cure, but it appears that Spheramine may prove to be a highly effective palliative. Even a 40% improvement over the base line is significant and can provide relief from the ravages of Parkinson’s disease. Thanks to Peggy Willocks for her assistance and for allowing me to tell her story. For more information on Spheramine, you may wish to visit the following website: www.titanpharm.com/products/spheramine_product.html www.neuro-mancer.harvard.edu/ubb/Forum71/HTML/009026.html www.titanpharm.com/clinical_studies/spheramine_study.html Aricle from: parkinsonfoundation.org