Doe
Wed, Jun-26-02, 20:56
Any opinions ..? Would / could this be considered .. gouging?
This seems afterall to be natural substances and then could
not be considered to be a 'cost of developement' ..?
PSYCHIATRY UPDATE Exciting new research was plentiful at the
American Psychiatric Association meeting held recently in
Philadelphia. Two of the studies presented here delved
deeper into the problem of side-effects associated with
antipsychotic use. In one, a team from England and China
tapped into a genetic factor that may explain why most
patients gain weight on antipsychotics. A movement
disorders expert from New York also released intriguing
findings on branched-chain amino acids, which she has
spent 20 researching as a way to help men with
drug-induced tardive dyskinesia. Staff writer Jenny Manzer
files these reports.
Drink reduces movement disorder symptoms in men
Amino acids formula aids in tardive dyskinesia By Jenny Manzer
PHILADELPHIA – A drink formula made of branched-chain amino
acids (BCAA) appears to improve drug-induced tardive
dyskinesia symptoms in men.
Dr. Mary Richardson (PhD), who created the formula, found
men who drank it three times a day experienced a 37%
reduction in the movement disorder symptoms after three
weeks of treatment.
Ds. Richardson, director of movement disorders and
molecular psychiatry at the Nathan S. Kline Institute
in Orangeburg, N.Y., has spent the past 20 years
studying tardive dyskinesia and developing the BCAA
formulation. In her latest study, presented here, she
tested the BCAA powder in 30 men and compared them to
18 on placebo. The two groups had similar tardive
dyskinesia symptoms at baseline. Most subjects were
younger than 45 years old, had schizophrenia and had
been on neuroleptic treatment for many years. They were
most commonly taking risperidone (Risperdal). The
active treatment group received the powder three times
a day for three weeks. Symptoms were assessed weekly by
videotaping patients and counting the number of
involuntary movements over a four-minute period. A 62%
response rate was found in those taking the drink, with
a median movement decrease of 37%, compared to 6% in
placebo—a highly significant difference. Response was
defined as at least a 34% decrease in movement. "The
patients were happy. I think on the spectrum of who's
happiest about these things, it's the family," said Dr.
Richardson, a research professor at New York
University. There were no significant differences
between the two groups in gastrointestinal complaints,
glucose changes or neuroleptic plasma levels. Both
groups gained weight over the three weeks, but there
were no significant differences between them.
Dt. Richardson began her research by looking at risk
factors for the disorder, which affects 15% to 20% of
patients taking anti-psychotics. In the 1980s, she
discovered phenylketonuria, a disorder of phenylalanine
metabolism, was a strong risk factor for tardive
dyskinesia in men. Further research showed a
relationship between decreases in men's plasma
phenylalanine levels and decreases in their tardive
dyskinesia symptoms. She never found reduced clearance
of phenylalanine in women with tardive dyskinesia,
however, and the drink powder has only been proven
effective in men. In 1984, she served a group of men
with tardive dyskinesia a high-protein meal, including
eggs, cheese, ham and a waffle. "We found,
unexpectedly, that one-half of the patients lost their
tardive dyskinesia symptoms two hours after the meal,"
said Dr. Richardson. BCAA, required for protein
synthesis, appears to decrease levels of phenylalanine,
a precursor to tyrosine, and a known neurotoxic agent,
said Dr. Richardson. Searching for a way to deliver
BCAA without a load of harmful fats, she finally
developed the drink powder, comprised of leucine,
valine and isoleucine. The drink formula is considered
a "medical food" by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), which requires it be taken under
a physician's guidance. The product was just introduced
in the U.S. under the brand name Tarvil, but is only
available in Canada through the compassionate release
program. The pineapple-flavoured powder contains almost
no fat, 52 calories, and 6 g of amino acids per 15 g
packet. The number of packets taken per dose is
dictated by body weight. It is only indicated for men.
The drink is intended to be taken three times a day,
and costs about $100 US per case of 30 packets.
Du. Gary Remington, of Toronto's Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health (CAMH), said BCAA seemed promising. "The
data are fairly robust, so you can't overlook that,"
said Dr. Remington, director of the medical assessment
program for schizophrenia at the CAMH. "Anything that
would help in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia that
is well tolerated would certainly be useful in this
syndrome. It's not something we've had a lot of
effective treatments for." He said BCAA treatment
appears to be expensive, however. Treating a heavy
patient requiring 12 packets a day would add up to
about $100 every three days, he said.
Dv. Remington said if the treatment was widely available in
Canada, he would definitely use it in clinical
practice—if it was affordable.
Dw. Richardson said the disorder acts like a bulletin
board, announcing a patient's illness, recalling one
young patient who isolated himself because of his
symptoms. "He would stay in his room. He wouldn't let
his parents see him. He would only go out at night."
The disorder puts U.S. clinicians in a tough spot,
since patients need neuroleptics, yet development of
tardive dyskinesia can lead to malpractice suits, said
Dr. Richardson. "They have a terrible therapeutic
dilemma." The Nathan S. Kline Institute is part of the
N.Y. State Office of Mental Health, which owns the
patent for the product. The product is licensed to SHS
North America, a medical food company based in
Rockville, Md. CEO Mark De Fries said the company is
negotiating with Health Canada to make the product
available to Canadian physicians. "We're working very
closely with Ottawa."
Dx. Richardson does not stand to profit financially from
the formula. Her most recent study was funded by the
U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
Who loves ya. Tom
Jesus was a vegetarian! http://www.nucleus.com/watchman Moses
was a mystic! http://www.nucleus.com/watchman/light.html
This seems afterall to be natural substances and then could
not be considered to be a 'cost of developement' ..?
PSYCHIATRY UPDATE Exciting new research was plentiful at the
American Psychiatric Association meeting held recently in
Philadelphia. Two of the studies presented here delved
deeper into the problem of side-effects associated with
antipsychotic use. In one, a team from England and China
tapped into a genetic factor that may explain why most
patients gain weight on antipsychotics. A movement
disorders expert from New York also released intriguing
findings on branched-chain amino acids, which she has
spent 20 researching as a way to help men with
drug-induced tardive dyskinesia. Staff writer Jenny Manzer
files these reports.
Drink reduces movement disorder symptoms in men
Amino acids formula aids in tardive dyskinesia By Jenny Manzer
PHILADELPHIA – A drink formula made of branched-chain amino
acids (BCAA) appears to improve drug-induced tardive
dyskinesia symptoms in men.
Dr. Mary Richardson (PhD), who created the formula, found
men who drank it three times a day experienced a 37%
reduction in the movement disorder symptoms after three
weeks of treatment.
Ds. Richardson, director of movement disorders and
molecular psychiatry at the Nathan S. Kline Institute
in Orangeburg, N.Y., has spent the past 20 years
studying tardive dyskinesia and developing the BCAA
formulation. In her latest study, presented here, she
tested the BCAA powder in 30 men and compared them to
18 on placebo. The two groups had similar tardive
dyskinesia symptoms at baseline. Most subjects were
younger than 45 years old, had schizophrenia and had
been on neuroleptic treatment for many years. They were
most commonly taking risperidone (Risperdal). The
active treatment group received the powder three times
a day for three weeks. Symptoms were assessed weekly by
videotaping patients and counting the number of
involuntary movements over a four-minute period. A 62%
response rate was found in those taking the drink, with
a median movement decrease of 37%, compared to 6% in
placebo—a highly significant difference. Response was
defined as at least a 34% decrease in movement. "The
patients were happy. I think on the spectrum of who's
happiest about these things, it's the family," said Dr.
Richardson, a research professor at New York
University. There were no significant differences
between the two groups in gastrointestinal complaints,
glucose changes or neuroleptic plasma levels. Both
groups gained weight over the three weeks, but there
were no significant differences between them.
Dt. Richardson began her research by looking at risk
factors for the disorder, which affects 15% to 20% of
patients taking anti-psychotics. In the 1980s, she
discovered phenylketonuria, a disorder of phenylalanine
metabolism, was a strong risk factor for tardive
dyskinesia in men. Further research showed a
relationship between decreases in men's plasma
phenylalanine levels and decreases in their tardive
dyskinesia symptoms. She never found reduced clearance
of phenylalanine in women with tardive dyskinesia,
however, and the drink powder has only been proven
effective in men. In 1984, she served a group of men
with tardive dyskinesia a high-protein meal, including
eggs, cheese, ham and a waffle. "We found,
unexpectedly, that one-half of the patients lost their
tardive dyskinesia symptoms two hours after the meal,"
said Dr. Richardson. BCAA, required for protein
synthesis, appears to decrease levels of phenylalanine,
a precursor to tyrosine, and a known neurotoxic agent,
said Dr. Richardson. Searching for a way to deliver
BCAA without a load of harmful fats, she finally
developed the drink powder, comprised of leucine,
valine and isoleucine. The drink formula is considered
a "medical food" by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), which requires it be taken under
a physician's guidance. The product was just introduced
in the U.S. under the brand name Tarvil, but is only
available in Canada through the compassionate release
program. The pineapple-flavoured powder contains almost
no fat, 52 calories, and 6 g of amino acids per 15 g
packet. The number of packets taken per dose is
dictated by body weight. It is only indicated for men.
The drink is intended to be taken three times a day,
and costs about $100 US per case of 30 packets.
Du. Gary Remington, of Toronto's Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health (CAMH), said BCAA seemed promising. "The
data are fairly robust, so you can't overlook that,"
said Dr. Remington, director of the medical assessment
program for schizophrenia at the CAMH. "Anything that
would help in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia that
is well tolerated would certainly be useful in this
syndrome. It's not something we've had a lot of
effective treatments for." He said BCAA treatment
appears to be expensive, however. Treating a heavy
patient requiring 12 packets a day would add up to
about $100 every three days, he said.
Dv. Remington said if the treatment was widely available in
Canada, he would definitely use it in clinical
practice—if it was affordable.
Dw. Richardson said the disorder acts like a bulletin
board, announcing a patient's illness, recalling one
young patient who isolated himself because of his
symptoms. "He would stay in his room. He wouldn't let
his parents see him. He would only go out at night."
The disorder puts U.S. clinicians in a tough spot,
since patients need neuroleptics, yet development of
tardive dyskinesia can lead to malpractice suits, said
Dr. Richardson. "They have a terrible therapeutic
dilemma." The Nathan S. Kline Institute is part of the
N.Y. State Office of Mental Health, which owns the
patent for the product. The product is licensed to SHS
North America, a medical food company based in
Rockville, Md. CEO Mark De Fries said the company is
negotiating with Health Canada to make the product
available to Canadian physicians. "We're working very
closely with Ottawa."
Dx. Richardson does not stand to profit financially from
the formula. Her most recent study was funded by the
U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
Who loves ya. Tom
Jesus was a vegetarian! http://www.nucleus.com/watchman Moses
was a mystic! http://www.nucleus.com/watchman/light.html