Florida Funding attract Key Myotonic Dystrophy Researchers to University of Florida

Building a Preeminent Research Program: The Center for NeuroGenetics

As an introduction to this newsletter, please check out a video created by Eric Wang, Ph.D., who is joining UF as an assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology in the Center for NeuroGenetics. This edition of On The Same Page is the story of how new and existing faculty can come together to create preeminent research programs.

In the UF community, the concept of “preeminence” has been used quite a bit of late. Florida’s “Preeminence Bill,” signed into law during the 2013 legislative session, designated the University of Florida as a preeminent university in the state. To help UF attain its goal of becoming a top 10 public university, a section of this bill provides funds to UF for the purpose of attracting outstanding faculty to advance our research mission.

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More potential good news…. TWEAK Treatment for DM1?

A new article was published from one of the major research centers that researches myotonic dystrophy…. While drug trials are starting very few people this year will be able to access the drug and only 1/2 will get the drug and the other 1/2 will get placebo. Now comes news that a therapeutic agent that is currently available has the theoretical ability to help with myotonic dystophy muscle restoration. While the full article is not available yet here is the abstract from PubMed (below)

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ISIS Issues Press Release on New Myotonic Dystrophy Drug

ISIS Pharmecuticals announces testing of new Drug to Treat Myotonic Dystrophy.

If you have this disease call you local research center and ask to be added to list of potential patients if you want to participate.

Isis Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase 1/2 Study of ISIS-DMPK Rx in Patients With Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1

ISIS-DMPK Rx Extends the Targeting of Antisense Drugs to Include Muscle Tissue

CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS) announced today that it has initiated a study for ISIS-DMPKRx in patients with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 (DM1).  DM1 is a rare genetic neuromuscular disease caused by the production of toxic dystrophia myotonica-protein kinase (DMPK) RNA in cells.  ISIS-DMPKRx is specifically designed to reduce toxic DMPK RNA.

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Full Phase I Drug Trial Recruiting for Myotonic Dystrophy (DM1)

This week ISIS pharmaceuticals announced the commencement of recruiting for Phase I of the Myotonic Dystrophy Drug Trial. This is tremendous news for the myotonic dystrophy community. The promise of scientific research to define the DNA site, identify the cause of the disease,  then begin to develop treatments that would reverse the problems in the cell are culminating  to the promise of hope for all that suffer from this horrible affliction.

If you want to participate in this study you must act quickly and contact the centers that are conducting the research. Find the closest location and contact the person via email or phone. You must meet all (meaning all) the qualifications for the trial. The full information is on CLINICALTRIALS

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ISIS Announces Phase I trials For Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Drug

Happy Days! A clinical Trial is going to start on Phase one of Myotonic Dystrophy Drug. That means that a small number of patients in the US usually under 50 will get a chance to try the drug. The purpose of the Phase I trial is to

Try out the drug
Find an optimum dose
Assess Safety of Drug

More on what a phases of clinical testing mean  (From MD Anderson site)

What are Phase 1 Clinical Trials?

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