“Michelle Obama highlights breast cancer awareness - The Gouverneur Times” plus 4 more |
- Michelle Obama highlights breast cancer awareness - The Gouverneur Times
- White House Goes Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month - ABC News Blogs
- KISS drummer a breast cancer survivor - Health 24
- Halozyme Announces Roche Doses First Patient in Phase 3 Clinical Trial ... - Phramalive.com
- How Drug-Industry Lobbyists Got Their Way on Health Care - Democratic Underground.com
| Michelle Obama highlights breast cancer awareness - The Gouverneur Times Posted: 24 Oct 2009 06:29 AM PDT
But that's where the Rockford, Ill., woman was Friday as she stood in a White House flower garden and shared her story of being repeatedly denied health insurance because of the cancer in her past. In less than four minutes at the microphone, Lownsdale helped the Obama administration mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, more importantly, provide a flesh-and-blood illustration for why President Barack Obama wants to overhaul the system. First lady Michelle Obama said the U.S. has come a long way from the days when people thought breast cancer was something to be ashamed of and kept a secret, when it was treated as something not discussed in polite company. More women are getting mammograms, the five-year survival rate is above 90 percent and research spending is at $900 million — 30 times the amount spent in 1982. But 1 in 8 women will still be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and 40,000 women a year still die from the disease, she said, and the current health care system doesn't work for many women who are living with the cancer. "It's a system that only adds to the fear and stress that already comes with the disease," the first lady said. At the end of her treatment for a pea-sized tumor, Lownsdale said her doctor said she had a 94 percent chance of remaining cancer free, "very similar to a woman who's never had breast cancer." Then in 2005, her insurer notified her that her health care premiums would more than double. The married, 40-something graphic designer shopped around for new coverage and repeatedly was denied. She ended up with coverage through Illinois' high-risk pool, and currently pays $600 a month for her coverage alone. Despite her good health, she said the diagnosis "left a target on my back." "I will most likely be cancer free for the rest of my life, but having the word 'cancer' written on my medical chart is enough to generate an automatic rejection from insurance coverage," Lownsdale told a gathering of breast cancer survivors, advocates, members of Congress and Jill Biden, the vice president's wife. Mrs. Biden started a breast cancer education program in Delaware after some close friends were diagnosed. Mrs. Obama said health care changes the president is pushing Congress to pass would help consumers by barring insurers from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions, like breast cancer, and require coverage for preventive screenings like mammograms. "Perhaps most heartbreaking of all is the fact that right now, today in America, there are people in this country who have breast cancer but don't even know it because they can't afford a mammogram," said Mrs. Obama, a former hospital administrator in Chicago. One in five women age 50 or older haven't had a mammogram in the past two years, she said, citing a Health and Human Services Department report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| White House Goes Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month - ABC News Blogs Posted: 24 Oct 2009 11:37 AM PDT « Previous | Main | Next » October 24, 2009 2:10 PM
On Saturday morning pink ribbons, the symbol of the breast cancer awareness movement, will be hung on the columns outside the White House front doors and will remain there over the weekend. First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden held an event on Friday at the White House to bring attention to the challenges that some cancer patients face finding and maintaining health insurance. "In this country getting sick shouldn't mean going bankrupt," Mrs. Obama told a crowd of lawmakers and cancer survivors, "If you've already fought cancer you shouldn't also have to fight with insurance companies to get the coverage that you need at a price that you can afford." -Karen Travers October 24, 2009 in White House | Permalink | Share | User Comments (0) Post a comment This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| KISS drummer a breast cancer survivor - Health 24 Posted: 23 Oct 2009 03:17 AM PDT
Last updated: Friday, October 23, 2009
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Peter Criss, founding member of rock band KISS, knows that many of his male fans are macho, so he is making the rounds to tell them even tough rocker guys like him can suffer from a disease usually associated with women -- breast cancer. Criss, who was the New York rock band's drummer on and off from its founding in 1972 until 2004 and the voice on some of their most beloved classics, including the 1976 Top Ten hit "Beth" and "Hard Luck Woman", said too many men don't seek treatment and think breast discomfort will go away on its own. But Criss, who discovered a lump in his left nipple in December 2007, said men need to get over their perception that breast cancer is a woman's disease. "It can happen to you, and when it does, if you don't deal with it right away, with your 'dude' and your metal and your tattoos, you'll go in the box and we'll see you," Criss told Reuters during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer in men also deadly While breast cancer among men is one hundred times less common than among women, it can be deadly. The American Cancer Society estimated there will be 1,910 new cases of male breast cancer in 2009, and about 440 US men will die this year from the disease. Criss, who is now cancer-free, acknowledged that the treatment was unpleasant. "Whoever invented (mammogram machines) had to do it in the medieval days," he said, adding that it was nearly impossible to fit a small male breast into the machine. He called the pain "excruciating" but a worthwhile price to pay to be healthy. Criss, who is currently working on an autobiography as well as a new rock album, said his bout with cancer had affected his song writing. "My lyrics are not so deep and dismal," he said. One of the tracks on the album, expected next spring, is called "Hard Rock Knockers." In its 1970s heyday with Criss and Frehley, KISS cranked out hit albums such as "Alive!" and its live performances that were filled with pyrotechnics rocked audiences. Still, Criss said he hopes his heavy metal credentials will help mitigate the stigma around breast cancer for men. "You are no more manly a guy than me - I grew up in Brooklyn," Criss said. – (Reuters Health, October 2009) Read more: This content has passed through fivefilters.org.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Halozyme Announces Roche Doses First Patient in Phase 3 Clinical Trial ... - Phramalive.com Posted: 22 Oct 2009 05:37 PM PDT
Subcutaneous Herceptin Formulated with Halozyme's Recombinant Enzyme Technology
Halozyme to Receive Milestone Payment of $5 Million
New Subcutaneous Route of Delivery May Reduce Hospital Time for Patients with HER2-Positive Breast Cancer and Ease Strain on Medical Resources
SAN DIEGO --(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 22, 2009 - Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:HALO) and Roche today announced dosing of the first patient in a Phase 3 registration trial using Enhanze™ technology (rHuPH20, recombinant human hyaluronidase) in a subcutaneous formulation with Roche's anticancer biologic, Herceptin (trastuzumab). This represents the first Roche product to enter a Phase 3 registration study as part of the Halozyme Roche collaboration and initiation of the clinical trial has triggered a milestone payment of $5 million to Halozyme. Herceptin is approved to treat HER2-positive breast cancer and currently is given intravenously (IV).
This innovative technology is anticipated to allow patients with HER2-positive breast cancer to administer Herceptin themselves with or without the support of a healthcare professional via a simple subcutaneous injection. Infusion-free administration with subcutaneous Herceptin means for example that patients with early breast cancer completing their one year of Herceptin therapy would have greater convenience of being able to receive treatment at their family doctor's office or at home without having to go to a hospital, a significant and welcome benefit.
"The start of this Phase 3 subcutaneous Herceptin trial is a major achievement for the Halozyme and Roche collaboration, representing the first Roche target to reach a pivotal trial. It reflects years of focus, dedication, and teamwork with the aim of providing an innovative solution for improved patient care," said Jonathan Lim, M.D., Halozyme's President and CEO. "I congratulate the alliance on the speed of progress to Phase 3."
In addition, offering Herceptin treatment outside of the hospital setting could reduce costs and potentially help to maximize the efficient use of hospital resources. Subcutaneous Herceptin would come in a ready-to-use administration device instead of an infusion-bag that needs to be prepared by a pharmacist. Physicians and nurses would conduct fewer infusions at the hospital freeing up infusion chair time for other procedures. Additional information about this Phase 3 subcutaneous Herceptin clinical trial can be found at clinicaltrials.gov and roche-trials.com.
Halozyme Roche Collaboration
In December 2006, Halozyme entered into an agreement with Roche to apply Halozyme's proprietary Enhanze technology to Roche's biological therapeutic compounds. Under the terms of the agreement, Roche made an initial payment to Halozyme for the application of its recombinant human enzyme, rHuPH20, to three pre-defined biologic targets exclusive to Roche. In December 2008, Roche selected a fourth biologic target followed by selection of a fifth target in June 2009 and has the option to exclusively develop and commercialize rHuPH20 with an additional eight potential targets. Pending the successful achievement of a series of clinical, regulatory, and sales events, Roche will pay Halozyme additional milestones as well as royalties on future product sales. Under the collaboration, Roche has access to Halozyme's expertise in developing and applying rHuPH20 to Roche biologics directed at multiple targets. Roche obtained a worldwide, exclusive license to develop and commercialize product combinations of rHuPH20 and Roche compounds resulting from the collaboration.
About Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide.i Each year more than one million new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed worldwide, and nearly 400,000 people will die of the disease annually.ii In HER2-positive breast cancer, increased quantities of the HER2 protein are present on the surface of the tumor cells. This is known as ˜HER2 positivity' and affects approximately 20-25% of women with breast cancer.
About Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc.
Halozyme is a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products targeting the extracellular matrix for the endocrinology, oncology, dermatology and drug delivery markets. The company's portfolio of products and product candidates is based on intellectual property covering the family of human enzymes known as hyaluronidases and additional enzymes that affect the extracellular matrix. Halozyme's Enhanze™ technology is a novel drug delivery platform designed to increase the absorption and dispersion of biologics. The company has key partnerships with Roche to apply Enhanze technology to Roche's biological therapeutic compounds for up to 13 targets and with Baxter BioScience to apply Enhanze technology to Baxter's biological therapeutic compound, GAMMAGARD Liquid®. Halozyme's research pipeline candidates target significant areas of unmet medical need. For more information visit www.halozyme.com.
References
i World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/cancer/detection/breastcancer/en/
ii Ferlay J, et al., GLOBOCAN 2002. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide. IARC CancerBase No.5, Version 2.0. IARCPress, Lyon, 2004. 2004
Safe Harbor Statement
In addition to historical information, the statements set forth above include forward-looking statements (including, without limitation, statements concerning, (i) Roche's progress under the collaboration, (ii) the potential achievement of various milestones, and (iii) the advantages of subcutaneous Herceptin) that involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are also identified through use of the words "believe," "enable," "may," "will," "could," "intends," "estimate," "anticipate," "plan," "predict," "probable," "potential," "possible," "should," "continue," and other words of similar meaning. Actual results could differ materially from the expectations contained in forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including regulatory approval requirements and competitive conditions. These and other factors that may result in differences are discussed in greater detail in the company's reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact: Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. Robert H. Uhl Senior Director, Investor Relations 858-704-8264
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| How Drug-Industry Lobbyists Got Their Way on Health Care - Democratic Underground.com Posted: 24 Oct 2009 11:44 AM PDT Full article. http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,193159... Thanks to malaise for posting this article in her thread. By Karen Tumulty and Michael Scherer Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 "...The Generic Nudge The question before Waxman's committee last summer was this: How many years of monopoly protection should be afforded to biotechnology drugs, known as biologics, before cheaper alternatives are allowed on the market? These miraculous drugs — which differ from traditional, chemical-based pharmaceuticals because they are derived from living matter — are widely regarded as the future of the pharmaceutical industry and, indeed, of medicine itself. While only 20% of drugs on the market today are biologics, it is expected that, with 633 biotechnology medicines in development last year for more than 100 diseases, half the new drugs approved in 2015 will be. Biologics average more than 20 times the cost of traditional drugs: treating breast cancer with a year's worth of the biologic Herceptin can cost $48,000; Remicade, for rheumatoid arthritis, can cost $20,000 annually. For other, rarer diseases, the price of biologic treatments can be as high as $200,000 a year...
...How it is resolved — in favor of protecting the biotech industry or opening up the market to generics — may say a lot about which interest groups will ultimately reap the windfall of the big-stakes battle in Washington. What it means for consumers is somewhat murkier: Will a miracle cure be there when you need one? And if it is, will you be able to afford it? Those are questions that hinge on whether the rest of us can trust Congress to find proper balance between competition and innovation." This content has passed through fivefilters.org.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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