Kyprolis Approved for Multiple Myeloma

HealthDay – 1 hr 23 mins ago FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- Kyprolis (carfilzomib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat certain people with multiple myeloma who have already been given at least two prior therapies.

Multiple myeloma is a form of cancer that arises from blood plasma, usually starting in the bone marrow, the agency said in a news release. More than 21,000 people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year, and about 10,700 will die from it, the American Cancer Society estimates.

Kyprolis has been approved for people treated previously with the anti-cancer drug bortezomib, and an immunomodulatory therapy such as thalidomide.

The most common side effects observed during clinical testing of Kyprolis included fatigue, low blood cell counts, low platelet counts, diarrhea and fever. More serious but less common adverse reactions included heart failure and shortness of breath, the FDA said.

Kyprolis is marketed by San Francisco-based Onyx Pharmaceuticals.

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Medline Plus has more about multiple myeloma.

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U.S. FDA OKs Onyx's Kyprolis for multiple myeloma

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Botox May Ease Tremors in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

HealthDay – 8 mins ago MONDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- The drug Botox, best known for paralyzing muscles in the forehead to reduce wrinkles, can also relieve shaking in the limbs of patients with multiple sclerosis, a small new study suggests.

The treatment, which requires several times the amount of Botox (botulinum toxin type A) used for wrinkles, could be expensive and it's not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this use. However, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients can still legally get the treatment in the United States.

"Most patients tolerate the injections very well and are keen to continue the treatment once they see the benefits they get from it," said Dr. Anneke van der Walt, lead study author and a neurologist and research fellow at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, in Australia.

The shaking, known as a tremor, can affect one or both arms, or less commonly the legs, in MS patients. "The shaking affects them when they're just trying to hold the arms up or do common daily tasks such as eating and drinking, shaving and, particularly, writing," van der Walt said. "As with many MS symptoms, the tremor can be worse on very hot days and worse when the person is tired."

Physicians may turn to medications to treat the tremors, but the drugs often have little effect, van der Walt said. Brain surgery to implant electrodes is another option to relieve the tremors, but the benefits may not last long.

In the new study, researchers randomly gave Botox or an inactive placebo by injection to 23 MS patients with tremors in their arms. Twelve weeks later, they reversed the injections so each arm ultimately received both Botox and placebo.

The investigators assessed tremor severity and a variety of motor skills before and after treatment.

According to the study, published in the July 3 issue of the journal Neurology, after Botox injection, the patients had "significant" improvement in tremors as well as in drawing and writing ability, as rated on a 10-point scale.

One side effect, weakness in the limb, was very common in the patients who received Botox -- 42 percent reported it, compared with 6 percent among those who received the placebo. However, the weakness was mild to moderate in the patients and went away within two weeks.

It's not clear how the drug relieves tremors, but it may have something to do with changing the way muscles, nerves and the brain interact, van der Walt said.

The patients received an average of 83 international units of Botox, about three to four times the amount used for wrinkles, although less than the typical amount that migraine patients get. The injections are needed from two to four times a year and cost the equivalent of about $500 to $1,000 in Australia, van der Walt said.

She recommended that "patients who are interested in exploring Botox treatment for their tremor

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Pot Might Help Ease Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

HealthDay – 1 hr 38 mins ago MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking pot can help relieve muscle tightness, called spasticity, and pain in people with multiple sclerosis, a new, small study suggests.

"Spasticity is a major problem

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Silymarin Helps Bones by Multiple Mechanisms

Silymarin (milk thistle) is best known for its role in protecting your liver and defending you from multiple toxins commonly found in today’s environment, not to mention alcohol. A new study shows that this potent antioxidant herb modulates multiple genes in favor of helping you build bone and prevent bone loss.

Maintaining healthy bones requires additional steps beyond adequate calcium, vitamin D, protein, and other cofactor nutrients that are required for bones to form.  There is a dynamic bone rejuvenating process going on which must be kept functioning properly especially as you age.  Bone-building carpenter cells called osteoblasts must keep up with the demo crew run by osteoclasts Type of bone cell that removes old, damaged bone by the process bone resorption..  You need both types of cells working in balance with each other.  A key problem occurs when osteoclasts Type of bone cell that removes old, damaged bone by the process bone resorption. run wild, leading to inappropriate bone loss.  Science now demonstrates that this problem is caused by the impact of excessive inflammation within bone, reflected in part by your overall trend of wear and tear.

Nutrients that help turn off inflammatory genes within bone help to calm down the problem of osteoclasts Type of bone cell that removes old, damaged bone by the process bone resorption. going wild.  Nutrients such as DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement., tocotrienol Specialized form of vitamin E. Powerful antioxidant showing positive benefits for cholesterol, cardiovascular, neurological health and cancer risk reduction. E, quercetin, magnesium, and many others have been shown to assist in this situation.  We can now add silymarin to this list, as the new study demonstrates that it has a potent effect on stopping excessive osteoclast activity by regulating key inflammatory genes within bone cells. 

Additionally, silymarin was shown to promote the growth of new bone tissue by stimulating many of the key systems involved with how osteoblasts carry out their bone-building activities.  This included enhanced calcium deposition into new bone, up regulation of key bone-building enzyme called alkaline phosphatase, and stimulation of collagen and connective tissue growth factors needed for new bone to form.

It is somewhat surprising that silymarin would be able to influence so many aspects of bone health.

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