VA starts clinical trial of prostate cancer drug Firmagon for COVID-19

VA launches clinical trial for Veterans with COVID-19 based on prostate cancer drug

Department of Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began a new clinical trial to test a Food and Drug Administration-approved prostate cancer drug as a potential treatment for male Veterans with COVID-19.

In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, VA scientists will compare the drug degarelix (trade name Firmagon) to a placebo for improving the clinical outcomes of nearly 200 Veterans who have been hospitalized with COVID-19.

“Veterans who have contracted this virus are in need of immediate care,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This trial is an important step in advancing knowledge of a potential treatment for those infected with COVID-19. We are here to do everything in our power to preserve and protect life.”

Degarelix is often used to treat advanced cases of prostate cancer. It works by rapidly, but temporarily, suppressing the body’s production of male hormones. These hormones can fuel the growth of prostate cancer. Scientists are testing degarelix because lab evidence suggests male hormones trigger the production of a protein called TMPRSS2 on lung tissue. The virus that causes COVID-19 relies on TMPRSS2 to enter lung tissues.

Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Columbia University applied advanced artificial intelligence and computational genomics techniques and used that lab evidence for this COVID-19 data. The researchers collaborated with VA to plan the new trial.

Potential side effects of degarelix are typically linked to long-term treatment. In the trial, patients will be administered only one dose of the drug that will last 28 days. Any side effects of degarelix are thus expected to be temporary.

By temporarily lowering male hormone levels, researchers believe they can reduce the production of TMPRSS2 in lung tissue and thus prevent the virus from penetrating lung cells. Hormone levels will return to normal at the end of treatment.
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Drug trials:Had a nice trip. Wish you could, too.

Had a nice trip. Wish you could, too.

By Billy Cox


Published: Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 12:51 a.m.
SARASOTA - Unlike graying peers who refuse to acknowledge youthful drug use, Rick Doblin celebrates his. He will tell crowds of strangers about the dizzy days of tripping on acid and getting arrested for swimming naked at his alma mater, New College, in the 1970s.

He 'fesses up to dropping out his freshman year in pursuit of truth through psychedelics. He will tell them that the cedar-and-granite Sarasota home he built three decades ago -- described by Rolling Stone magazine as a "Frank Lloyd Wright on acid design" -- was conceived to enhance the experience. He endorses the aboriginal bonding traditions of parents sharing psychedelic drugs with their children.

To be sure, at 55, the controversial drug reform activist has graduated into the sobering realities of middle age. But with the first wave of baby boomers edging closer to the shadow of America's average lifespan of 78 years, Doblin is racing the clock to drag a great taboo out of the closet and into the light of mainstream science.

Working within the system, in a shift that would have been unthinkable during the Just Say No era 20 years ago, Doblin and the benefactors to his nonprofit initiative have persuaded the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its ban on testing psychotropic agents for medicinal purposes.

Today, no less than four clinical studies involving Ecstasy, or MDMA, and psilocybin, the mindbending ingredient of "magic mushrooms," are being monitored by the FDA. Among their potential remedies: helping war veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and easing end-of-life anxieties for the terminally ill.
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ANTHONY J. PRINCIPI DEFENDS HIMSELF

Anti-smoking drug study investigated
Audrey Hudson (Contact)
Sunday, July 20, 2008

Officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs are preparing to determine who was at fault for failing to quickly notify participants in a smoking-cessation study about the potentially dangerous side effects of a drug they were prescribed and whether the study will be ended.

Dr. Tom Puglisi, chief officer of the VA's Office of Research Oversight, says he has several concerns that veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were prescribed the smoking-cessation drug Chantix without receiving timely written information or warnings about its possible side effects, which can include psychosis and suicidal behavior.

Dr. Puglisi said he also is concerned that similar notification problems exist throughout the agency's human subject testing programs, particularly those that target participants with PTSD.

"The secretary has asked my office to look at this study in great detail, as well as all of the studies involving PTSD patients, and we will make very specific recommendations about how the system needs to be changed to make sure this doesn't happen again, and we will make specific recommendations relative to accountability of individuals who appeared not to have fulfilled their responsibilities," Dr. Puglisi said.
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http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/20/
officials-investigating-anti-smoking-drug-study/

This is what Principi wrote

For the record
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA
LETTER TO EDITOR: For the record

Sunday, July 20, 2008
Having spent more than 35 years of my professional life in public service, I must take issue with your July 9 Page One article "Principi prodded VA on Chantix."

As a combat-decorated Vietnam veteran, Republican staff director of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs (1984-88), deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (1989-93), chairman of the Commission on Veterans Transition Assistance (1996-98) and secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs - I know of few people more committed to veterans and their health and welfare than I. Therefore, it is important that I set the record straight.

The VA first lifted the co-payment requirement for veterans participating in a smoking-cessation program in 2004. I stand by that decision to help veterans quit smoking. At that time, I had no direct or indirect contact with anyone at Pfizer. The drug Chantix had not been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval, and I knew nothing of its existence.

Upon leaving office in early 2005, I entertained several employment options in the private sector. I accepted a position with Pfizer, but my tenure lasted a matter of months. In March, 2005, President Bush asked me to return to public service as the chairman of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC).

I concluded my work on BRAC in the fall of 2005. Soon thereafter, I accepted the position as chairman of the board for a California-based company. My intention was to move West eventually. Again, Pfizer contacted me. I decided to rejoin the company in March 2006.

I first learned of Chantix after its FDA approval in May 2006. I had no knowledge of any smoking-cessation studies involving veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder until I read The Washington Times' article. I never lobbied or prodded VA on behalf of Pfizer.

For anyone to assert that any decision I made as a Cabinet secretary was designed to benefit my life after public service, or for anyone to suggest that I have used my public service for profit is not only unfair but untrue.

My decision to resign from a senior executive position with Pfizer after two months to return to public service as chairman of BRAC is evidence of my willingness to put public service above self.

If The Washington Times believes we, as a nation, need to further review the employment options available to former members of any administration, so be it. But the facts simply do not support The Washington Times using this former Cabinet secretary to support its case.

ANTHONY J. PRINCIPI

Easton, Md.

It's hard to believe that all of this went on while no one seemed to care about any of this. I did some checking to see what was known and when it was known other than what has already been posted on this blog. The first thing I discovered was a report from 1996. Not about this drug, but what was found by Pfizer looking at the brain and stress. Just one more time where researchers are researching what was already studied when you think of the reports that have come out over the last few years. This study was done by Pfizer in 1996.

Sep 16, 96
15:56 ET
Pfizer Scientists Discover Chemical Block For Brain's Response To Stress
Pfizer Scientists Discover Chemical Block For Brain's Response To Stress
Discovery holds potential for new generation of drugs for depression, anxiety
/ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EST, TODAY/
/ADVANCE/ GROTON, Conn., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists at Pfizer
Central Research have designed a molecule that blocks the cascade of events in
the brain that occur in response to stress. Described in this week's
Proceedings of The National Academy of Science, the discovery molecule can be
administered orally, and has been shown in preclinical experiments to have
potential for treating depression and anxiety.
The Pfizer compound arrests the action of a neurotransmitter,
corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), which scientists believe is an important
chemical messenger for transmitting the stress response in the brain.
Excessive levels of this chemical signal may ultimately produce a host of
central nervous system disorders such as depression, anxiety, anorexia and
post-traumatic stress disorder.
"This breakthrough Pfizer compound has implications as a revolutionary
tool for researchers," said George M. Milne, Jr., Ph.D., president of Pfizer
Central Research. "This first non-peptide CRF antagonist should offer an
opportunity, for the first time, to probe the important function of CRF in the
brain. The compound could ultimately emerge as a novel therapy for treating
depression, anxiety and other diseases triggered by increased CRF activity."
Dr. Milne emphasized that while this is a pathfinding scientific discovery, it
will be some years before it is determined whether it will yield a new drug
that is available to patients.
Research has shown that patients with stress-related conditions have a
high concentration of CRF in their cerebrospinal fluid and that CRF levels
decrease following treatment with antidepressant therapies. The challenge for
scientists seeking to block CRF's activity has been to discover a small
molecule that is both effective and can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, a
membrane filtering system that permits entry of some chemicals into the brain
while denying access to others.
Although there have been reports of compounds that successfully block the
CRF receptor--the site on the nerve cell where CRF binds--these compounds have
been large peptide molecules, incapable of crossing the blood-brain barrier.
These drugs could only be administered by direct injection to the brain, and
thus have no practical utility as a medicine.
The report published today describes key attributes of the Pfizer
molecule: Its potency (determined by its ability to bind to CRF receptors and
block CRF's activity at very low concentrations); its unique ability to
penetrate the blood-brain barrier; and its selectivity for the CRF receptor
(decreasing the chances of side effects that can result when numerous
receptors are blocked simultaneously). Finally, preclinical tests, according
to the study, show that the compound has strong anxiolytic and anti-depressant
activity.
Where previous blockers of CRF's effect, could not be developed into
practical medicines because they were peptides, the Pfizer compound is the
first CRF antagonist that is a small non-peptide molecule. "This is the first
non-peptide antagonist of CRF receptors," the authors wrote, "and possesses
clear pharmaceutical advantages over peptide antagonists."
Pfizer Central Research, with major worldwide research facilities in
Groton, Connecticut; Sandwich, England; Amboise, France; Nagoya, Japan; and
Terre Haute, Indiana, is the principal pharmaceuticals, and animal health
research and development arm of Pfizer. Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) is a research-
based health-care company with global operations. In 1995, the company
reported sales of over $10 billion and, in 1996, expects to invest
approximately $1.7 billion in research and development.
SOURCE Pfizer Central Research

This is when they announced Zoloft.

Dec 07, 99
13:48 ET
Pfizer Drug Zoloft(R) Receives FDA Approval For Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Pfizer Drug Zoloft(R) Receives FDA Approval For Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
NEW YPRNewswire/ -- Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) said today that
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its anti-depressant Zoloft(R)
(sertraline hydrochloride) for an indication of posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD).
A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor discovered and developed by
Pfizer, Zoloft is the first medicine to receive a FDA approval for the
treatment of PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD may develop following any extreme
traumatic event in which there was threatened death or serious injury, and the
individual's response involved intense fear, helplessness or horror. Such
events may include physical and sexual abuse and natural disasters.
Approximately 50 percent of the general population are exposed to a
traumatic event during their lifetime. Ten to twenty percent of those develop
PTSD. The prevalence of PTSD is twice as high in women as in men. Symptoms
can include persistent intrusive thoughts of the event, flashbacks, overall
emotional numbness, or being easily startled.
"Patients suffering from PTSD experience significant distress or
impairment in normal functioning," said Dr. Joseph Feczko, Senior Vice
President, Pfizer Inc. "In clinical trials, Zoloft was shown to have
considerable impact on these symptoms, thus giving physicians a new treatment
option for this major medical need."
"Pfizer's commitment to innovative research and development is reflected
in the approval of Zoloft for the treatment of PTSD," said Karen Katen,
President, U.S. Pharmaceuticals. "In an effort to improve the quality of life
of those suffering from this debilitating illness, we intend to launch a
broad-based campaign to educate and increase awareness among health care
professionals and consumers that PTSD is a treatable medical condition."
Zoloft is currently indicated for major depression, panic disorder, and
obsessive-compulsive disorder. More than 100 million prescriptions for the
medicine have been written in the United States since its launch in 1992.
Zoloft is contraindicated until at least 14 days have passed since
discontinuing a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) and a MAOI is
contraindicated for at least 14 days after discontinuation of Zoloft. MAOI's
are usually used to treat depression and related conditions. A patient should
never take Zoloft while taking MAOI's. The most common side effects of Zoloft
include nausea, insomnia, diarrhea, ejaculation problems (mainly ejaculatory
delay) and somnolence. Full prescribing information is available upon
request.
Pfizer Inc is a research-based global pharmaceutical company that
discovers, develops, manufactures and markets innovative medicines for humans
and animals. The company reported revenues of more than $13.5 billion in 1998
and expects to spend about $2.8 billion on research and development this year.
In 1999, Pfizer celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Just goes to show we have not come very far at all when we think of the newer troops still suffering today when all this was known in 1996.

As for the connection between Principi, the VA and Pfizer, who knows where this will lead. As for now, I'm sick enough just thinking about all the wasted time topping all of this off.

VA $30 lab rats and Chantix

VA testing drugs on war veterans
Experiments raise ethical questions
Audrey Hudson (Contact)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The government is testing drugs with severe side effects like psychosis and suicidal behavior on hundreds of military veterans, using small cash payments to attract patients into medical experiments that often target distressed soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, a Washington Times/ABC News investigation has found.

In one such experiment involving the controversial anti-smoking drug Chantix, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) took three months to alert its patients about severe mental side effects. The warning did not arrive until after one of the veterans taking the drug had suffered a psychotic episode that ended in a near lethal confrontation with police.



ROD LAMKEY JR./THE WASHINGTON TIMES Veteran James Elliott arrives at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington for his scheduled substance-abuse class in April. Mr. Elliott, a chain smoker, served 15 months in Iraq as an Army sharpshooter and suffers post-traumatic stress disorder.


ROD LAMKEY JR./THE WASHINGTON TIMES Iraq war veteran James Elliott opted for a government clinical trial for a smoking-cessation drug for $30 a month, starting in November. Two weeks later, the FDA informed the VA of serious side effects.


ROD LAMKEY JR./THE WASHINGTON TIMES STILL SMOKING: Iraq war veteran James Elliott smokes on his porch in Silver Spring as he talks about his experiences in war and dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Mr. Elliott suffered a psychotic episode while taking the anti-smoking drug Chantix.

James Elliott, a decorated Army sharpshooter who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving 15 months in Iraq, was confused and psychotic when he was Tasered by police in February as he reached for a concealed handgun when officers responded to a 911 call at his Maryland home.


Mr. Elliott, a chain smoker, began taking Chantix last fall as part of a VA experiment that specifically targeted veterans with PTSD, opting to collect $30 a month for enrolling in the clinical trial because he needed cash as he returned to school. He soon began suffering hallucinations and suicidal thoughts, unaware that the new drug he was taking could have caused them.

Just two weeks after Mr. Elliott began taking Chantix in November, the VA learned from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the drug was linked to a large number of hallucinations, suicide attempts and psychotic behavior. But the VA did not alert Mr. Elliott before his own episode in February.

In failing to do so, Mr. Elliott said, the VA treated him like a "disposable hero."

"You're a lab rat for $30 a month," Mr. Elliott said.

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http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jun/17/va-testing-drugs-on-war-veterans/