Researchers Develop a New Super Aspirin; Battling Cancer
with a Deadly Poison; Viagra Crosses Gender Line
Aired November 7, 1998 - 7:30 a.m. ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS
FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DR. STEVE SALVATORE, CO-HOST: Today on YOUR HEALTH, a
breakthrough of scientific invention in your medical care. How 40 years in
space brings the cutting edge back down to Earth.
RHONDA ROWLAND, CO-HOST: Some are calling these drugs "super
aspirin." But what makes them so super at fighting pain? We'll investigate.
SALVATORE: And a new medicine intended for men may also give women
some exciting results.
ROWLAND: It's been 100 years since a German chemist developed a drug
to help treat his father's arthritis. Today, we call it aspirin and often take for
granted it's role in treating a variety of ailments.
Hello and welcome to YOUR HEALTH. I'm Rhonda Rowland at CNN
Center in Atlanta.
SALVATORE: And I'm Dr. Steve Salvatore in New York.
The invention of aspirin was born out of the need for a treatment that would
be less irritating to the stomach. But we're still struggling with that problem.
Today, aspirin and aspirin-like drugs have become the largest class of drugs
used in the U.S.
ROWLAND: But with long term use, there can be complications. So for
thousands of pain sufferers, developments of so-called super aspirins can't
come fast enough.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Anyone who suffers from chronic pain can probably relate to
Gloria Baswell. To relieve her rheumatoid arthritis, she tried aspirin and
many similar pain relievers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
They work, but...
GLORIA BASWELL, SUFFERS FROM ARTHRITIS: I took them for at
least nine years, and they really did a job on my stomach. To this day I can't
even take an aspirin.
ROWLAND: Now there's a new class of experimental medicines which
may treat the pain without hurting the stomach. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:
OK, have you experienced any adverse experiences or any changes at all?
ROWLAND: Some already are calling them super aspirin.
DR. THOMAS SCHNITZNER, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: To
call them a super aspirin is probably not correct, in the sense that they are
not stronger than the aspirins we have; they're equally good at pain relief.
But what they are certainly super about is they're super safe.
ROWLAND: The new medicines are known as Cox-2 inhibitors. They
work like this. An enzyme known as Cox-1 protects the stomach. Another
enzyme, Cox-2, triggers pain and inflammation when you're hurt.
Aspirin-like drugs block both Cox-1 and Cox-2, reducing pain, but also
leading to side effects like ulcers. The new drugs block only Cox-2,
providing pain relief without stomach trouble.
Still, not all doctors are convinced the new Cox-2 inhibitors are better then
the old aspirin-like drugs.
DR. CHARLES HENNEKENS, HARVARD/BRIGHAM & WOMEN'S
HOSPITAL: It's a little bit premature to be declaring victory until we've had
a larger enough number of clinical trials and enough people treated for longs
periods of time to understand the risks-to-benefit ratio better.
ROWLAND: The first in the new class of drugs could be approved for use
within months.
SCHNITZNER: Does that hurt?
ERWIN SHAYNE, STUDY PARTICIPANT: No.
ROWLAND: Other Cox-2 inhibitors are in final testing. One test subjects
likes the relief he gets.
SHAYNE: Two of the most painful things that I experience is, when I get
into my car, lifting my left leg up into the car. And it seems to be less painful.
ROWLAND: And using stairs is less painful. And at age 82, Erwin Shayne
says he's thankful to move as much as he can.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLAND: There is more good news for people with arthritis, specifically
for the two million Americans who suffer from a specific form called
rheumatoid arthritis. New help should be hitting your pharmacy shelves
soon. This week, the FDA approved a drug called Embrel for rheumatoid
arthritis patients who have failed existing standard therapies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. LARRY MORELAND, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
BIRMINGHAM: Embrel's a breakthrough drug in that it's the first drug that
specifically targets the noen (ph) process that occurs in the joints. It inhibits
Tumor Necrosis Factor.
ROWLAND (voice-over): Tumor Necrosis Factor, or TNF, is a protein
that causes the inflammation that leads to joint destruction. Embrel works by
binding with or hooking on to the TNF protein before it can cause joint
damage, essentially stopping the disease process. But some, including the
Arthritis Foundation, urge caution.
DR. DOYT CONN, ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION: We know from the
studies that have been done that after it has been stopped, the disease can
come back. So it's certainly not a cure; it's a disease modifier, and it's going
to be very helpful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLAND: Doctors think Embrel and other new drugs under study may
work best when combined with currently available treatments.
SALVATORE: Up next on YOUR HEALTH, what was once science
fiction is now a part of mainstream medicine. And later, could a battle in the
war on cancer be won with a deadly poison? Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SALVATORE: As the proverb goes: "Necessity is the mother of invention."
During America's 40-year adventure into outer space, those of us who are
Earthbound have reaped the benefits of some 30,000 inventions.
CNN's senior medical Correspondent Dan Rutz looks at the space
programs impact on present-day medical technology.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RUTZ, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT
(voice-over): What do you think blast off does to your blood pressure?
When Alan Shepard became the first American to fly in space 37 years ago,
project Mercury scientists had to invent and automatic measuring device to
find out.
Today, you can go into a drug store for an instant check-up -- one of an
ever-growing number of medical spin-offs from space.
If you wear modern glasses, it will be easier to read the numbers, thanks to
scratch resistant lenses. That invention comes straight from the stars, too.
NASA needed something to protect satellites from getting nicked by space
debris.
And speaking of satellites, how do they sort of spring open after being
cramped in a rocket for the ride up? Introducing, Nitinol (ph), a medical
alloy with an almost magical ability to spring back into shape from the
tightest contortion.
And wouldn't you know it, Nitinol makes wearing dental braces just a little
bit easier.
DR. MOODY WILLIAMS, ORTHODONTIST: It allows me to engage
every tooth in the mouth, pretty easily put it in, and it works for a very long
time. It never loses it's activity.
RUTZ: Great ideas from America's greatest adventure are a bonus as
NASA's Chief Historian.
ROGER LAUNIUS, NASA HISTORIAN: The spin-offs are essentially
serendipity. The primary mission of the agency is to fly in space.
RUTZ (on camera): In the early years of the space program, not a whole lot
was said about applied science or medical spin-offs. In those days, NASA
got it's clout from the space race with the Soviet Union.
LAUNIUS: In that sense, it was a cold war agency. It emerged as a direct
aftermath of Sputnik.
RUTZ (voice-over): After the moon walks in the mid '70s, NASA started to
make more of the medical achievements it helped foster. Neurosurgeon
Richard North of Johns Hopkins Medical School was a student then,
collaborating with space physicist and medical engineers.
DR. RICHARD NORTH, JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICAL SCHOOL:
They have this expression "launch it" as a point in time at which one would
have to rely on remote programing and interrogation to control this device.
RUTZ: Whether a satellite sent into space or an electronic pain controlled
device implanted in a frail woman, once launched, both are out of reach,
adjustable only by telemetry born of the space program.
NORTH: And it's just like a little satellite. This is your ground station.
RUTZ: With less effort then it takes to change channels, she finds relief,
thanks to miniature electronic components inside her body.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll be darned. I didn't know I had so much
material inside of me.
RUTZ: And how well is the rabbi's pacemaker working? Through electronic
monitorings similar to that used to operate satellites orbiting the Earth, doctor
and patient get an instant reading.
UNIDENTIFIED DOCTOR: The pacemaker is supplying a ventricular beat
because you have heart block, and it's working very well. And I can print
out a copy of this.
RABBI SHOLEM KOWALSKY: We thought that going on the moon, they
are going to the heavens. But what will it do for me, most people did not
know, especially as a layman.
RUTZ: Sam Zaccari also has come to appreciate the medical spin- offs from
space. The implantable insulin pump that has kept his diabetes under control
for years borrows from the mechanical robot arm of the first Mars probes.
SAM ZACCARI, DIABETIC: It's wonderful, because without this
technology that we've got today, I wouldn't have the control I have and
maybe I might not be here.
RUTZ: For many, the greatest achievements in space will always be right
here on Earth.
Dan Rutz, CNN Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SALVATORE: John Glenn's achievements in space once earned him the
title of hero. But after his current mission, he'll also be hailed as a pioneer of
medical research.
ROWLAND: We've looked at the future of medicine. When we come
back, we'll peer into the past for some answers to current medical questions.
We'll tell you why some doctors are prescribing an ancient poison to save
lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERESE FIMOGNARI, CANCER PATIENT: Just to think that you have
to take a poison that would kill somebody who's healthy, to make myself
live, it was kind of -- it's scary, really.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLAND: That's next on YOUR HEALTH.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROWLAND: Welcome back. I am CNN medical correspondent Rhonda
Rowland with the YOUR HEALTH "Headlines."
Feeling tired? Having trouble concentrating at work? You could be one of
the eight million Americans who suffer from diabetes and doesn't know it.
But there's help. Researchers say patients who are diagnosed can greatly
improve their performance by simply controlling their blood sugar levels.
Your doctor can tell you how.
Hoping to head off osteoporosis? Doctors have some new guidelines.
Post-menopausal women should get at least 1200 milligrams of calcium a
day, and get plenty of vitamin D; avoid alcohol and cigarettes; and do
regular weight-bearing or strength-training exercises.
And finally, a stunning scientific discovery which might lead to new ways to
fight disease. Scientists created human stem cells using a human sperm and
egg. The development is important because stem cells are blank cells that
can develop into virtually any cell in the human body, and perhaps, one day,
be used to grow entire organs. Those are this week's health "Headlines".
SALVATORE: In the quest to find new treatments for disease, doctors
sometimes look to the unusual. For example, leeches are commonly used to
control bleeding. Phalidemide (ph), the drug that caused birth defects in the
1960s, has shown promise in AIDS and leprosy. Now researchers say the
poison arsenic may help people with cancer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): When 44-year-old Terese Fimognari was told her leukemia
called APL, or Acute Promilacitic (ph) Leukemia, had relapsed, she was
shocked. But she was more shocked to learn that arsenic, a well known
poison, might be the one drug that could save her life.
TERESE FIMOGNARI, CANCER PATIENT: Just to think that you have
to take a poison that would kill somebody who's healthy, to make myself
live, it was kind of -- it's scary, really.
SALVATORE (on camera): Arsenic has been used as a medicinal for
thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. But it
was the Chinese that made the connection for the treatment of leukemia.
(voice-over): Doctors at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer in New York
tested their results.
DR. RAYMOND WARRELL, JR., MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING
CANCER CENTER: We confirmed the Chinese results that there is a very
high incidence of complete clinical remissions in patients who are treated
with low doses of arsenic teroxide (ph) with this type of leukemia.
SALVATORE: The results of the study were published in this weeks "New
England Journal of Medicine." Of the 12 patients studied, 11 had complete
remissions of their APL after treatment with arsenic. Arsenic can still be
lethal, but in this case at extremely low doses, it's lethal only to the cancer
cells.
WARRELL: The arsenic induces this program cell death, as we call it, and
these cells are then naturally eliminated by the body.
SALVATORE: And doctors say unlike chemotherapy, there are very few
side effects.
WARRELL: With the use of very, very low doses, the major side effect in
most of our patients have been boredom.
SALVATORE: But experts say caution is warranted. Because in higher
doses, arsenic can be deadly.
DR. ROBERT GALLAGHER, MONTEFORE MEDICAL CENTER:
There have been reports of toxic neuro effects and kidney effects, and we're
going to have to be careful as we increase the doses in clinical trials.
SALVATORE: Still, the future looks bright for arsenic, with more studies on
the way. Doctors say if all goes according to plan, they'll have a cure for
APL by the millennium.
Terese Fimognari may be there already.
FIMOGNARI: I had bone marrow just this past Wednesday, and I was still
in remission. So that was a really good sign.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SALVATORE: Doctors are still concerned about resistance to arsenic
therapy and are afraid that higher doses of the poison may be necessary. But
higher doses may be toxic and too much for the body to handle.
Still to come on YOUR HEALTH, Viagra has crossed the gender line. It's
not just men seeking satisfaction from this popular drug.
Stay with us to find out more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN HEALTH QUIZ)
Q: How many patients have taken Viagra since it hit the market in March of
1998?
A: Over three million.
Source: Pfizer Inc.
(END HEALTH QUIZ)
ROWLAND: The drug Viagra has been on the market for seven months
now. It was made for impotent men, but now, thousands of women with
sexual problems are taking it.
CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports on whether it works
and whether it's safe for women.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT
(voice-over): So far, about a 150,000 women who've been prescribed
Viagra, according Pfizer, the company that makes the drug -- women like
JoAnn Dorman. Eight years ago, she had a hysterectomy, which some
doctors say can lead to a decrease interest in sex.
JOANNE DORMAN, VIAGRA USER: It was more of a job or a task, not
a pleasurable event.
COHEN: But after taking Viagra...
DORMAN: It's fabulous. It's an enjoyable moment of our life. COHEN:
The reason the drug appears to work for both men and women is simple.
Viagra increases blood flow to the genitals. Women need this blood flow
just like men do to achieve sexual arousal.
Dr. Irwin Goldstein has been a researcher for Pfizer. He and his colleagues
at Boston University Medical Center have not done a Viagra study with
women, but they have prescribed it to about 50 female patients. He says for
most of them, it's worked.
DR. IRWIN GOLDSTEIN, BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL
CENTER: It has already shown evidence of enhanced lubrication, less pain,
more arousal, less problems with orgasm, that kind of thing.
COHEN (on camera): The Food and Drug Administration has approved
Viagra only for men. Doctors can prescribe it to women if they want to, but
is it safe for women to take it?
(voice-over): Doctor Goldstein says there's no reason to think the side
effects of Viagra will be any different in women then they are in men -- side
effects like headaches and temporary vision problems. And Viagra can be
deadly if taken with heart medicines called Nitrates.
At this time, there's no definitive research on Viagra in women? So
Bioethicist Arthur Caplan, who's also been a consultant to Pfizer, says it's
not safe for women to take Viagra.
ARTHUR CAPLAN, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: I think it's
worth exploring whether Viagra might be beneficial to women. It is
absolutely not time to be prescribing it to women.
COHEN: JoAnn Dorman disagrees.
DORMAN: I think that if we want to continue to have a caring
family-oriented relationship amongst couples, that there are women who
have needs that must be addressed as equally as their male counterparts.
COHEN: Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Altanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLAND: It will be next year before Pfizer releases it's results on studies
with Viagra and women. Meanwhile, other pharmaceutical companies are
investigating other treatments for women with sexual problems.
Stay with us when YOUR HEALTH returns. The story of a courageous boy
who is finally on his way home after six long years.
cnn.com |
