PHA News Archive - June 22, 2007

Vol 8, Number 13		June 22, 2007
PHANews is an e-mail newsletter from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association covering PH related topics.

PHANews Editor - Sally Maddox skmaddox@bellsouth.net
Contributing Editors - PHA staff
reaching over 6400 subscribers
www.PHAssociation.org

PHANews is meant to give a picture of recent events and activities affecting the life
of the PH community. This compilation should not be viewed as endorsement of the
information provided or its accuracy.

		Topics For This Issue
	HEADLINES --FDA Approves New Drug for PH Treatment! --Highlights from the PH Community: Rocking Chair-a-Thon and Car Raffle --Highlight from the PH Community: Creator of Snanimals.com Receives "4titude Award" NEWS --MaxCyte to Present at BIOTECH CHINA 2007 --UPMC Transplant Surgeon to Bike across America to Help Raise Funds for Lung Research and Awareness of Organ Donation --Thelin Received Third "Approvable Letter" ANNOUNCEMENTS --Call for Volunteers for Message Board Advisory Committee --New Brochures Available for Medical Professionals --PHA Director of Finance Opening

363 Days to 2008 PHA Conference! Keep checking for updates

BIG NEWS

FDA Approves New Drug for PH Treatment! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Gilead's drug Letairis (chemical name ambrisentan) for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension. Letairis is an endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA) and is now available in the U.S. According to an FDA news release, Letairis significantly improved patients' ability to complete a six-minute walk, compared with placebo, in two international clinical trials. It also delayed the worsening of pulmonary hypertension. Because of the risks of liver injury and birth defects, Letairis will only be issued to patients through the Letairis Education and Access Program (LEAP). LEAP is a distribution program that helps patients learn about the risks of taking Letairis. Only doctors registered with LEAP will be able to dispense and prescribe the drug, and only to patients who are registered and meet all the qualification criteria for LEAP. Gilead has reported that it already has almost 100 doctors registered for LEAP and that once both patient and doctor are signed up for LEAP, the PH patient could receive the drug 48 hours later. Gilead has set up a program to help guide patients through reimbursement issues, including free Letairis for the first month for patients transitioning from ambrisentan clinical trials as well as new patients who start on Letairis in these beginning months (until 10/31/07) as insurance companies work out coverage. For more information about Letairis visit http://www.letairis.com/ or call toll-free 1-866-664-LEAP (5327). Read full article about FDA approval of Letairis

 

Highlights from the PH Community

Alpha Phi Omega Rocks for a Cure (in Rocking Chairs) Do you think 6 hours is too long to sit in a rocking chair? Well, the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) co-ed service fraternity of Towson University in Baltimore, Md., wanted to challenge their fellow students into a rocking-chair-a-thon… for a good cause. Read article Arizona Team Helps Spur A Cure for PH This group of Arizona PHers organized a car raffle, dinner and silent auction that raised $38,000 for PH research. Read article

 

Highlight from the PH Community
	Creator of Snanimals.com Receives "4titude Award" If you'll recall, we reported on Jane Perillo and her Snanimals website where she sells products she's made for children and a portion of the proceeds are donated to PHA. Well, her website, Snanimals.com, just received the "4titude Award" for her efforts. Read article Buy Snanimals

 

NEWS

MaxCyte to Present at BIOTECH CHINA 2007 Current clinical programs with MaxCyte-engineered cells include: a Phase I/II clinical study for treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a Phase IIa study using engineered stem cells for the treatment of primary Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). Read article UPMC Transplant Surgeon to Bike across America to Help Raise Funds for Lung Research and Awareness of Organ Donation Brack Hattler, M.D., Ph.D., the Katherine DuRoss Ford Chair of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Heart, Lung and Esophageal Surgery Institute (HLESI), UPMC, will embark on a 3,300-mile bicycle journey from Seattle to Washington, D.C. beginning June 25 and ending August 11 to help raise funds for the American Lung Association (ALA) of Washington’s “Bike Ride Across America Campaign.” Read article Thelin Received Third "Approvable Letter" Encysive said that the Food and Drug Administration had issued its third approvable letter for the drug. The FDA said Encysive's development program "did not demonstrate the evidence of effectiveness needed for approval." Encysive said the FDA "encouraged the company to conduct an additional study" documenting that the drug improves exercise tolerance. Read article

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WE WANT YOU! Call for Message Board Advisory Committee Volunteers We want to hear from you about how you think the message boards should operate and continue to function in a way that best serves the PH community. We are forming an advisory committee to help inform us about how to best upkeep the boards as well as to help us choose a new, improved message board tool. Contact Diane with your comments or to join the advisory committee at web@PHAssociation.org. New Brochures Available for Medical Professionals The PH Clinicians and Researchers and PH Resource Network brochures have been updated and are now available for free in our online store. We encourage patients and medical professionals alike to pass out these brochures to the PH healthcare professionals in their lives. And as you're passing out the PH Resource Network brochure, be sure to mention the symposium in October. Order brochures Learn more about the PH Resource Network Symposium PHA Director of Finance Opening PHA has an opening for Director of Finance. If you or someone you know is looking for employment, we encourage you to check out the job description.

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