by Buena Bernal Posted on 07/06/2013 9:06 PM |Updated 07/08/2013 2:15 PM

DOH ON STEM CELL. (Left) Health Secretary Enrique Ona and (right) FDA Director Kenneth Hartigan-Go talks to Rappler about stem cell therapy. Photos by Rappler/Naoki Mengua

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) Rappler talked to Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director Kenneth Hartigan-Go to clarify the governments stance on stem cell therapy.

Stem cell therapy or regenerative medicine is a medical intervention that uses the bodys repair cells to substitute old cells. It is done for medical and aesthetic purposes that are still being investigated, according to the health secretary.

Asked why the treatment was allowed in the market despite no definitive curative and preventive benefits, FDA's Hartigan-Go said authorities never allowed the treatment to begin with.

Its just there. Now, the DOH under Secretary Ona's leadership took action," he said.

(READ: DOH: Stem cell therapy not yet proven to be curative)

On March 18, the DOH issued the rules and regulations for the accreditation of health facilities engaging in human stem cell and cell-based or cellular therapies in the Philippines.

The FDA has also released a circular on Monday, Jully 8, regarding the guidelines on registering stem cell-based products. The circular covers all products with a "claim, label, or poster" that says stem cells.

(READ: FDA Circular: Registration of Stem Cell-Based Products)

More here:
6 things you need to know about stem cell therapy

Alzheimer’s Disease is a critical health condition that cannot be defined in a specific way.It is a very common form of Dementia. Dementia in itself is not a disease. Rather, it is a group of symptoms that start occurring due to occurrence of some other disease or medical condition.Person suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease can face difficulty in remembering even the most recently happened events. This is the initial stage. The disease can lead to death of a person too! The disease starts to occur in people who have crossed 65 years of age or more. Those who get diagnosed with this difficult disease, a good doctor needs to be consulted at the earliest. There are certain questions that need to be placed before the doctor related to the disease. Some of the most important questions are listed below:

What is the usual course of the Alzheimer’s disease?

Life long.

What type of new treatments are available?

Since it is not a disease, there is no particular treatment available. However, some medicines are available but that too works at the early stages.

Are the drugs used to treat the AD symptoms effective?

Yes, at times and mostly during the early stages.

Does these drugs have any sort of side effects?

At time, yes. It can cause poor eyesight problem, gaining weight, as well itching problems.

Does the AD affects a person for the remaining part of his/her living days?

Yes, definitely.

What is the total time period for a person to act in a very normal way post Alzheimer’s diagnosis?

The first and middle stages are still OK with the patients. Although slight changes start taking place but still the behavior doesn’t get completely out of the mark. But, once the patient reaches advanced stage, scenarios tend to become more complicated.

Can a patient of Alzheimer’s Disease be a threat to other or themselves?

The Patient can be a real threat to him/herself. At advanced stage, the patient can even forget her/his own address, name, etc. Scenarios can get real complicated when the patient fails to identify his/her relatives, family members and friends.

Is home or nursing home the best place to take care of the person suffering from AD?

No, there is no such a thing. A lonely person with no one to take care of can stay best in a nursing home. But a person with good family and friends can easily stay in the home. Alzheimer’s is a not a disease but a syndrome that can be as deadly as any other disease. But, there is no specific treatment for it. So, there is no need to spend unnecessary money booking a bed in the nursing home.

What are the necessary precautions to take in order to make the home surroundings safe for someone who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s?

A clean surrounding can definitely help. The person suffering from AD should be kept stress free. The patient should have more interaction with family members and friends. However, by no means the patient should be made excited or furious. It can provide extra stress on the brain. This can cause some negative repercussions.

What are the best available support and services are available in the local area related to Alzheimer’s disease?

This is a very important question to ask the doctor. Remember, if local medicinal help can be availed, then much of worries are eliminated.

Is Alzheimer’s considered a hereditary disease?

Yes, definitely. But it is only a small part of the bigger process. AD can develop due to several factors, most important being strong stress.

Source:
http://www.biotechblog.org/entry/questions-doctor-alzheimer-disease/

Cattle Flatulence Doesn't Stink With Biotechnology: Farmers Could Improve Air ... Science Daily (press release) Researchers measured gas output by placing finishing steers in a special corral that traps emissions. Each treatment group was tested four times to ensure accurate results. The researchers also tested a dairy biotechnology called rBST. This ... Cattle flatulence doesn't stink with biotechnologyScience Codex all 7 news articles »

Source:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNF_c6LkDhU8g_fMOvjphH9xWc7m2Q&url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130701163939.htm

Farmers want Rajasthan govt to oppose biotechnology bill Times of India JAIPUR: Seeking an extension of the July 10 deadline for public feedback on the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill 2013, farmers and NGOs have requested the state government to send its objections to the bill in the interests of ...

Source:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGfFymM0q9JdZiDzBh4OKtc3PwrCw&url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Farmers-want-Rajasthan-govt-to-oppose-biotechnology-bill/articleshow/20920768.cms

Prana Biotechnology Limited (ADR) (NASDAQ:PRAN) receives approval from ... NYSE Post Boston, MA, 07/05/2013 (nysepost) - Prana Biotechnology Limited (ADR) (NASDAQ:PRAN) recently announced that it obtained approval from the Austin Health Human Research Ethics Committee to commence an open label study for the company's drug on ... Prana Biotechnology, Ltd. ADR (NASDAQ:PRAN) prospects broaden after ...Avauncer Drug Manufacturers Other Stocks Buzz: Allergan, Inc.(NYSE:AGN), DURECT ...Techsonian Prana obtains HREC approval for open-label extension study in Alzheimer's ...Pharmaceutical Business Review all 4 news articles »

Source:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGcYMhMe2Ag_btRrfI6MW1QhTCccA&url=http://nysepost.com/prana-biotechnology-limited-adr-nasdaqpran-receives-approval-from-the-austin-health-human-research-ethics-committee-2909

RedOrbit

Biotechnology Can Help Lessen The Effects Of Cow Farts RedOrbit The research team also tested a dairy biotechnology called rBST – a synthetic version of a cattle hormone that does not affect humans. Many dairy producers use rBST to help the cows produce more milk. The team injected one group of cattle with rBST and ...

Source:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFnRhFmjwFvoxOjP9DmRt25iIOssQ&url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112889001/farts-from-cattle-less-smelly-with-biotech-070213/

Bloomberg

Monday Sector Leaders: Biotechnology Stocks Forbes In trading on Monday, biotechnology shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 2.7% as a group, led by Onyx Pharmaceuticals (ONXX), trading higher by about 50.6% and Ariad Pharmaceuticals (ARIA), trading higher by about 12.6% on Monday. Biotechnology company Onyx rejects Amgen's $10 -bn takeover biddomain-B Onyx Rejects Amgen's Takeover Bid, Then Places Itself on the MarketNew York Times ETFs For an Onyx Takeover BattleFox Business Bloomberg all 215 news articles »

Source:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHj31AfiSrQ2gN8Y6-Vy9ToQ9oC4w&url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketnewsvideo/2013/07/01/monday-sector-leaders-biotechnology-stocks/

India, Vietnam to begin collaborative multi-disciplinary research in biotechnology pharmabiz.com To build on the combined strengths of academic research groups within India and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, both the countries will soon begin collaborative multi-disciplinary research in the areas biotechnology including medical biotechnology ...

Source:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFmKUu6gGY_c7aud2DdcDKhXkHDEg&url=http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid%3D76303%26sid%3D1

Penny Stocks Alert - Medora Corp(OTCMKTS:XUII), Generex Biotechnology ... SBWire (press release) Generex Biotechnology Corporation(OTCMKTS:GNBT) stock is at $0.0395, up +12.54 percent from its previous close of $0.0351. Its today's volume is 10.07 million shares in comparison to its usual trading volume of 4.73 million shares. The stock opened the ... Penny Stocks Buzz: Imageware Systems (OTCMKTS:IWSY), Generex ...Techsonian Today's High Gainers: Xumanii (OTCMKTS:XUII), Generex Biotechnology ...NIS all 10 news articles »

Source:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFefPB50BqExAN4JjBXCCqxfdscdg&url=http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/penny-stocks-alert-medora-corpotcmktsxuii-generex-biotechnology-corporationotcmktsgnbt-octagon-88-resources-incotcmktsoctx-kenergy-scientific-incotcmktsknsc-277914.htm

San Francisco Chronicle

Biotechnology experts win food prize San Francisco Chronicle Des Moines, Iowa -- The World Food Prize Foundation on Wednesday took the bold step of awarding this year's prize to three pioneers of plant biotechnology whose work brought the world genetically modified crops. The private, nonprofit foundation, which ... Monsanto Crop Biotechnology Reseacher is Among World Food Prize LaureatesReason (blog) World Food Prize shared by Syngenta Biotechnology founderDurham Herald Sun Three biotechnology scientists awarded 2013 World Food PrizeAgri-Pulse Food Business News (registration) -Reuters all 88 news articles »

Source:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNG6YjiTPqkpGjTQvNjNMviLWHuTug&url=http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Biotechnology-experts-win-food-prize-4611366.php

Biotechnology market poised to reach $414.5B in 2017, says report BioOptics World A new report from Transparency Market Research cites that the global biotechnology market was valued at $216.5 billion in 2011, and expects that it will reach $414.5 billion in 2017. Covering several market segments—including polymerase chain reaction ...

Source:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNE6gBrkHi6xxOre668T_Ob94Bcd_A&url=http://www.bioopticsworld.com/articles/2013/07/biotechnology-market-poised-to-reach-414-5b-in-2017-says-report.html

'Grinder' can listen to music player by wearing a loose wire coil around his neckDon't offer Rich Lee a pair of headphones to listen to music: he's already got a pair, even though you can't see them. They're implanted in his ears – a procedure carried out by a "body modification" expert.Now, by connecting his music player to a loose wire coil around his neck (which he can tuck under his shirt), Lee can listen to music without blocking out the outside world. The tiny magnets implanted invisibly in his outer ears pick up the signal and generate sound.But that's only the beginning. Lee, 34, who works as a salesman, intends to hook it up to an ultrasonic rangefinder – effectively giving himself bat-like echolocation. And he would like to have X-ray vision, super-strength, and anything else...

Source:
http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=7397462&cid=c_449_58_f&fid=36473&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Ftechnology%2F2013%2Fjul%2F04%2Fheadphones-implanted-ear-grinder-rich-lee

“Myriad did not create anything. To
be sure, it found an important and useful gene, but separating that
gene from its surrounding genetic material is not an act of
invention.”

"WARF did not create or alter the
properties inherent in stem cells any more than Myriad created or
altered the genetic information encoded in the DNA it claimed.” 

“We don't want to do anything that
gets in the way of finding treatments for some of the biggest killers
today, so we feel that all patients with all kinds of diseases
deserve to have access to these kinds of cells.”

"Human embryonic stem cells hold
great promise for advancing human health, and no one has the ethical
right to own them.”

 “The best course if WARF truly
cares about scientific advancement would be to
simply abandon these over-reaching patent claims.”

“A successful use of the Myriad case
as a precedent for throwing out the foundation’s patent would open
the door to similar challenges in just about any biotech product
using material derived from life.”

WARF made no immediate comment.

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/LuLuZLLjyDo/challenge-to-warf-hesc-patents-cites.html

California legislation to allow women
to be paid for their eggs for scientific research is sailing toward
final passage literally swaddled in motherhood and apple pie
arguments. Missing from the debate is a key reason behind
the bill – building profits for what some call the “baby
business.”

The legislation is touted as providing
equal treatment for women, permitting them to be paid for supplying
eggs for stem cell and other research, much as men are paid for
sperm. It also would put women who sell their eggs for research on an
equal economic footing with women who sell their eggs for fertility
treatments, which is currently permitted under state law. Payments to
those women range from an average of $9,000 to as much as $50,000,
according to a legislative analysis of the bill.

 Assemblywoman Susan Bonillla,
D-Concord, author of the bill(AB926), says,

“It is time to let women, just as any
other research subject, make an informed decision as to
participation, and justly compensate them for doing so.”

“It has led to a de facto prohibition
on women’s reproductive research in California, adversely
impacting the same women that the ban intended to protect. With few
oocytes donated, fertility research and fertility preservation
research has been at a standstill. This greatly affects women
suffering from fertility issues and women facing cancer who would
like to preserve their oocytes.”

“Unlike infertile women who are
considered patients, egg donors are treated as vendors( (her italics).
When they walk out of the IVF clinic, no one keeps track of them. 
My daughter’s death was not reported. The long-term risks of egg
donation are unknown."

“I fear that cases like mine are
buried deep by fertility centers concerned about their image. An
industry thriving on profits and reputation has little incentive to
report adverse events, or protect the health and medical rights of
donors.”

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/0ke5iLQwGdA/california-legislation-human-egg-sales.html

Manila, Philippines -- Philippine Medical Association (PMA) President Dr. Leo Olarte said yesterday Filipinos need not go abroad or seek foreign consultation if they want to undergo stem cell therapy to cure an ailment.

Olarte warned of the risks and complications involved in stem cell therapy when improperly administered, citing the case of a government official who complained of feeling weak after the procedure was performed on him by a group of foreign medical team inside a posh hotel in Mandaluyong City.

The PMA chief said there are local experts who are capable of performing safe and reliable stem cell treatments in the country using the patient's own stem cells.

The other day, a lawyer for Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Chairman Antonio Villar faced the media and revealed that her client is filing charges against the foreign medical team who performed the procedure on him.

Lawyer Claire Pagayanan said the lead doctor who performed the stem cell therapy was from Germany while the other two doctors and nurses who assisted him were from Thailand.

Villar reportedly paid 15,000 euros or approximately P1.2 million for the procedure.

"Doctors who perform this therapy should be licensed by the Philippine Food and Drugs Administration. Before foreign doctors could perform here, they should apply for a license from the Professional Regulation Commission," he said. Those who fail to do so will be in "clear illegal practice of medicine in violation of the Medical Act of 1959," Olarte added.

For his part, PMA spokesperson Dr. Mike Aragon lamented how colonial mentality has affected the decision-making process of some Filipinos. "Maybe they are not well-informed about stem cell therapy, or it is the colonial mentality. Many of us think that if it is foreign, it is something good," Aragon said.

In the country, the only Department of Health (DoH)-approved stem cells that can be used for treatment are the patient's own stem cells harvested from his or her blood, bone marrow and fat.

Follow this link:
Stem cell therapy can be done in PH — PMA President

LONDON - Two men with HIV have been off AIDS drugs for several months after receiving stem-cell transplants for cancer that appear to have cleared the virus from their bodies, researchers reported on Wednesday.

Both patients, who were treated in Boston and had been on long-term drug therapy to control their HIV, received stem-cell transplants after developing lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

Since the transplants, doctors have been unable to find any evidence of HIV infection, Timothy Henrich of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston told an International AIDS Society conference in Kuala Lumpur.

While it is too early to say for sure that the virus has disappeared from their bodies altogether, one patient has now been off antiretroviral drug treatment for 15 weeks and the other for seven weeks.

Last July Henrich first reported that the two men had undetectable levels of HIV in their blood after their stem-cell treatment, but at that time they were still taking medicines to suppress HIV.

Using stem-cell therapy is not seen as a viable option for widespread use, since it is extremely expensive, but the latest cases could open new avenues for fighting the disease, which infects about 34 million people worldwide.

The latest cases resemble that of Timothy Ray Brown, known as "the Berlin patient", who became the first person to be cured of HIV after receiving a bone marrow transplant for leukaemia in 2007. There are, however, important differences.

While Brown's doctor used stem cells from a donor with a rare genetic mutation, known as CCR5 delta 32, which renders people virtually resistant to HIV, the two Boston patients received cells without this mutation.

"Dr. Henrich is charting new territory in HIV eradication research," Kevin Robert Frost, chief executive officer of the Foundation for AIDS Research, which funded the study, said in a statement.

Scientific advances since HIV was first discovered more than 30 years ago mean the virus is no longer a death sentence and the latest antiretroviral AIDS drugs can control the virus for decades.

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Stem-cell therapy wipes out HIV in 2 patients

Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for DuchenneMuscular Dystrophy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India.
Improvement seen in just 5 day after Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for DuchenneMuscular Dystrophy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. After Stem Cell Therapy 1. Stair climbing is easy now. 1....

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Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for DuchenneMuscular Dystrophy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. - Video

PMA Probes Stem Cell Therapy in Hotels
Please like the official Facebook page of Philippine Medical Association https://www.facebook.com/PhilippineMedicalAssociation The Philippine Medical Association is calling for a probe into...

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PMA Probes Stem Cell Therapy in Hotels - Video

Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Distal Peripheral Neuropathy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India.
Improvement seen in Gujarat boy just 5 day after Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Distal Peripheral Neuropathy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. After Stem Ce...

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Stem Cell Therapy and Regenexx KUSA TV News

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Stem Cell Therapy and Regenexx KUSA TV News - Video