| Posted by melissal ® , Apr 19,2002,09:15 |
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How about Doxil experiments? what exactly is it?
"By Jonathan D. Wirtschafter, M.D.
Doxil Trial Newsletter
Essential blepharospasm is a brain disease that causes functional blindness.
Enrolling 28 patients, age 18 or older, to participate in a single-blind randomized trial of three doses of liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin in essential blepharospasm or hemifacial spasm.
The goal of the Doxil treatment is permanent non-surgical releif of blepharospasm, eliminating or at least substantially reducing dependence on non-permanent treatment with botulinum toxin.
The purpose of the study is to establish the best dosage, safety and effectiveness of this treatment.
Two patients have completed the treatment phase of the study and the results are promising.
Patients will be required to come to the initial study site in Minneapolis, Minnesota 17 times within the first 29 months of the study. We are seeking to establish additional study sites. Contact:
Jonathan D. Wirtschafter, M.D.
Department of Ophthalmology
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0501
Phone (612) 625-4400
Email: wirtsch@umn.edu"
Permanent non surgical relief? Sounds great to me!!
Re: Doxil?
Dr. W. reported on this at the Lexington conference in 2000. Others, please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the patient must bear the cost to participate in the study and that was around $3000.
Re: Doxil?
Cynthia, I believe you are correct. We've heard about and read about this before and it did not sound all that promising ... plus the expense and repeated traveling.Sally in North Idaho who wants to participate in a "cure" but will weigh the pros and cons.
Re: Doxil?
From what i understand it did not sound promising either, but the doctor did not attend the conference last year so we won't know til he explains if it is working for some with beb, will we?
Re: Doxil?
It is my understanding that a few patients have been helped with this treatment. The study is continuing.
Dr. Wirtschafter was not at last year's conference so the trials weren't discussed in any great detail but a couple of physicians did comment on it after questions were asked and they did not feel like it was going to be that promising a treatment. It is basically a chemical myectomy which is permanent. When injecting the drug, there is no easy way to know how much to inject or how far it will go. Even with BOTOX injections, we don't always know if some is going to seep over to the levator muscle because of injection technique and cause a ptosis. If that would happen to be some of the doxorubicin (sp)that was injected, you now have a permanent ptosis. The physicians that commented on it, I believe, felt like there would be too much room for error with a very potent drug that permanently destroyed the muscle.
The trials are still ongoing but I personally don't think that it is going to be a "treatment of choice" thing. Time will tell.Shirley in Arkansas
--modified by Shirley-Arkansas-USA at Sun, Apr 21, 2002, 17:29:06
Re: Doxil?
doxirubicinI think you did it on purpose to see if I was paying attention. Virginia in AL, just back from Garden Club convention
Re: WRONG-got cha
Is not-doxirubicin!
Is-doxorubicin
See below link: :-) http://www.med.umn.edu/ophthalmology/dbnews.html I thought that it was spelled with an "i" also. It just goes to show that you are spending way too much time with your Garden Club and not enough with your Webster's Club. Shirley who is tickled pink to see Virginia scream "WHAT?". Don't worry Virginia, we know that it is the drugs. :-)
Re: WRONG-got cha
The funny thing is that I looked it up before I posted the spelling and that is the way it was. Guess I have to find a new place to look stuff up.
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