Very lengthy but worth the read

[donna01]

Hi Everyone,

If you haven't joined facebook, please do so and join PBCers Organization. There is a new medicine study which is good news, for people not responding well to Urso. There is a Dr who is trying to get more studies and get those of us with PBC the help and more attention to this disease. Here is the link of the study and I will copy and past what is on the facebook post from Dr Gershwin out of California.

clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT...

UPDATE FROM DR. GERSHWIN

Hi Ya'll,

Below is an update from Dr. Gershwin with some exciting news.

Everyone have a good day.

Linie

M.Eric Gershwin M.D., MACP, MACR

Distinguished Professor of Medicine

The Jack and Donald Chia Professor

Chief, Division of Rheumatology Allergy and Clinical Immunology

451 Health Sciences Drive Suite 6510

Genome Building

University of California at Davis

Davis California 95616

The new therapeutic efforts in PBC are at a major cross road. Ten years ago, because PBC is relatively uncommon, pharmaceutical companies were not interested in working with researchers to help to develop new therapies.

This is now dramatically changed and, in particular, there are large numbers of new molecules being developed that have theoretical potential to either slow down or maybe even stop the progression of PBC, only science and clinical studies will tell the true answers.

A lot has happened based on the mouse models that have been developed in the Gershwin Lab at UC Davis. Most recently, Bristol Meyers Squibb has funded a study to test the effectiveness of a new drug called Abatacept or Orencia. This is being given to patients with PBC who have not responded completely to URSO and remain at risk for progression of their disease. Orencia is currently used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, where it has been approved by the FDA and shown to be safe and effective.

In the study involving patients with PBC, the people that enter will receive six months of Orencia and be closely followed. Dr. Chris Bowlus, who works with Dr. Gershwin, is in charge of the clinical phase and can be reached at 530-752-6128. If anyone is interested, they can email their research coordinator, Sandeep Dhaliwal at [e-mail]

But, even more importantly, Dr. Gershwin is organizing a special conference called "PBC: Finding the Cure." This meeting will be held uniquely in Iceland in July. Iceland was chosen because it is a less expensive venue and easy for scientists from Asia, Europe and North America to meet. There will be only about 25 people at this meeting and the entire theme is devoted to prioritizing and developing new treatments. The conference will bring together the leading scientists in liver immunology in the world. It will be the first such meeting ever held on PBC, whose entire goal is to focus on therapy and on how new molecules (drugs) can be developed and made available for people with PBC.

End....

[Karaliz]

Hi Donna,

Thanks very much for taking the time to post this information of which I had not heard before.

I am part of the OCA trial for those who have an incomplete response to Urso but it is exciting to learn of other drugs such as Orencia being trialled for PBC.

I await the news out of the Iceland meeting with interest !

Thanks again Donna.

Karaliz