‘Fountain of Youth’ Pill Could Restore Aging Immune System. Science Daily.
Thalidomide to the rescue! Huh?
Looks like the drug removed from the world market in the 1960′s for treating nausea during pregnancy, after being linked with children born without limbs, has now found a potentially special nook in preventive medicine.
The team found that extremely low doses of the drug lenalidomide can stimulate the body’s immune-cell protein factories, which decrease production during aging, and rebalance the levels of several key cytokines – immune proteins that either attack viruses and bacteria or cause inflammation that leads to an overall decline in health.
The initial study, which was designed to define the dose range of such a therapy in a group of 13 patients, could lead to a daily pill to boost immunity in the elderly, the researchers said. Data will appear in the January issue of the journal Clinical Immunology.
Thalidomide is currently used to treat multiple myeloma, and some skin conditions from leprosy. It will be interesting to see if the researchers can eventually find safe ways to use it to improve those inflammatory cytokine levels that decrease with aging and other diseases such as cancer. To boost the immune system during critical times could be potentially life-saving. Or it could just help to improve quality of life as people get older.
Just as long as it is never used to treat nausea during pregnancy ever again. Thalidomid.
Even a single dose [1 capsule (regardless of strength)] taken by a pregnant woman during her pregnancy can cause severe birth defects.
Researchers have their work cut out for them.
See:
I see good and bad with this medication. The good…it would be wonderful to find a way to eradicate cancer, AIDS, and other diseases that we deal with today. Wouldn’t it be great if this also helped those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease? They didn’t mention that, but I have to wonder if it would be possible.
On the other hand, like most drugs, this one will probably be so expensive that only those who are rich will be able to afford it. You know the insurance companies will do all they can to keep from spending money on a pill that will be a “preventative”. So, the rich will be well and healthy and live a long life and the poor will be left to the diseases.
Thalidomide may be a good solution for some diseases. If it’s used appropriately. Trouble is that there remains to be seen other problems which may outweight its benefits. For the diseases it is being used now, it sounds worthwhile. Just not during pregnacy. For sure.
As per the cost, Thalidomide is old per se, but apparently still has patent protection on it becasue of some more recent safety program associated with it. FDA approval given in 1998. Thalidomid (R) is the name brand. Generics are typically cheap compared to name brands. It has about 10 years still left to go with name brand market protection. Then there there are the new Thalidomide variants that are making inroads with patent protection, which will drive costs high
for some time, unfortunately.
A company may be looking to market Thalidomide generic now, by getting around the patents. We shall see.
“Celgene says Barr seeking generic of thalidomide”
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1345685420061213