"FailedTBDrugMayBeKeyInDefeatingAIDiseases" | Arthritis Information
"Teaching An Old Drug New Tricks"
http://www.prohealth.com/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=14293&B1=EG020409
"
“Teaching an old drug new tricks” – failed TB drug developed in 1890s may be key to defeating autoimmune diseases
by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
January 30, 2009
One of 3,000 drugs in the Johns Hopkins “Drug Library” undergoing
systematic screening for new uses – this compound effectively “short
circuits” a signaling pathway involved in autoimmune activity.
A century-old drug that failed in its original intent to treat
tuberculosis but has worked well as an anti-leprosy medicine now holds
new promise as a potential therapy for multiple sclerosis and other
autoimmune diseases."
More from Science Daily:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090130182928.htm""We never expected that an old antibiotic would hit this target that
has been implicated in multiple sclerosis, psoriasis
and type 1
diabetes," says Johns Hopkins pharmacologist Jun O. Liu "People have
been working for years and spending tens of millions of dollars on
developing a drug to inhibit a specific molecular target involved in
these diseases, and here, we have a safe, known drug that hits that
target," known as the Kv1.3 potassium channel."
That passage sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it? And psoriasis is mentioned.
Suzanne2009-02-05 10:45:33Here is the wiki entry for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ClofazimineLooks like one side effect is nearly guaranteed, skin discoloration (75%-100%!)
HOLY IMPENDING EFFECTIVE TREATMENT, BATMAN!
How ironic, collecting dust all this time.
What an amazing find, Suzanne. Thank you!I see BLOCKBUSTER for the first co. to patent a non-skin discoloring version!
Thanks for the article Suzanne. It sure would be nice to see something come from this. I would put up with the skin discoloration for a stop to RA. It sure has a long half life though, huh?
[QUOTE=waddie]Thanks for the article Suzanne. It sure would be nice to see something come from this. I would put up with the skin discoloration for a stop to RA. It sure has a long half life though, huh?
[/QUOTE]
Some skin discoloration sounds like a fair trade off, but it said it drove someone to suicide, that's pretty bad. I guess if you were prepared up front, you wouldn't freak out when it happened.
WOW, I'd much rather take this than the dmards and tnfs if it works for me. Have lots of questions but I'll continue reading whatever is on the net and will talk to my RD when we get back to the states. Lindy
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