Small trial with amazing results

[ccrawford]

The Journal of the AMA recently released the results of a small trial (only 36 people with advanced artherosclorosis (sp?) were given the experimental drug called ApoA-I Milano. The drug is a synthetic form of the good cholesterol HDL, and it actually caused a regression of plaque in the blood vessels of about 4% over a period of five weeks. The drug was found via researchers in Italy who uncovered a patient with extremely low levels of normal HDL, yet he had a very good vascular system. He was found to have a mutant gene that produces ApoA-I Milano. While researchers are very please with the results, indications are that it will take at least a couple of years to do a full scale trial and bring the grug to market. Chris

 

[Karlynn]

Chris,
I heard about that on the news last night. They are calling it the Roto Rooter for the coronary system.
Karlynn

 

[ccrawford]

Karlynn- If it works like I think it might work, this could be a very significant drug that could rehabilitate a lot of vascular systems that have been trying to "keep even" for a long time with a lot of statin drugs. I'd not characterize it as a fountain of youth drug, but it would seem to come close. Just think what one might do if your vascular system could turn back the clock twenty or thirty years ?

 

[khan2]

The main limitation is that the drug is given by an IV infusion. It is not in pill form. This makes it hard to take. Still, it is an exciting development. A colleague of mine has been doing animal studies on apo-A1 Milano at our hospital for several years and I think we now have some of the healthiest lab rats in the country.

 

[hensylee]

Sounds promising. Dr Rich wrote about it, too. He added that this is very promising - and that there are several other drugs in process of development that are sposed to do the same thing. Modern medicine is wonderful and all of us in here have benefitted.