AMGEN DRUG MAY LESSEN THYROID DISORDER.Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer THOUSAND OAKS - Amgen Inc.'s cinacalcet helps reduce bone loss in patients with kidney disease, according to a study expected to be released this weekend by the biotechnology powerhouse. Though the orally administered drug has yet to receive approval from U.S. regulators, the late-stage study suggests that a promising treatment may soon be on its way for patients who are suffering the effects of hyperparathyroidism hyperparathyroidism /hy·per·para·thy·roid·ism/ (-par?ah-thi´roid-izm) excessive activity of the parathyroid 1. situated beside the thyroid gland. 2. see under gland. par·a·thy·roid (p  r glands. Primary h. is associated with neoplasia or hyperplasia; the excess of parathyroid hormone parathyroid hormone or parathormone, a hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands that regulates the metabolism of calcium and phosphate in the body. It has been purified extensively and appears to be a protein containing 84 amino-acid residues, a sequence of which about 33 to 35 are necessary for biological activity. leads to alteration in function of bone cells, renal tubules, and gastrointestinal mucosa. Secondary h. occurs when the serum calcium tends to fall below normal, as in chronic renal disease, etc. Tertiary h.. The condition is often a symptom of kidney disease, and can lead to bone decay and cardiovascular complications. ``We're optimistic that people will be able use this drug by next year,'' said Dr. Geoffrey Block, director of clinical research at Denver Nephrology nephrology /ne·phrol·o·gy/ (ne-frol´ah-je) the branch of medical science that deals with the kidneys. ne·phrol·o·gy (n  -fr. Cinacalcet is designed to help regulate parathyroid hormone, which is responsible for controlling calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood. The average dosing of cinacalcet is one pill a day. Block said cinacalcet helps trick the body into believing there is more calcium in the bloodstream. The drug's side effects include nausea and vomiting. Studies showed that 36 to 48 percent of the patients receiving cinacalcet achieved safer levels of parathyroid hormone, compared with the four to seven percent of the patients receiving standard therapy. Amgen estimates that about 90 percent of the more than 300,000 kidney dialysis patients in the United States suffer from hyperthyroidism 1. Pathologically excessive production of thyroid hormones. 2. The condition resulting from excessive activity of the thyroid gland, characterized by increased basal metabolism. hy . Competing with cinacalcet is Abbott Laboratories' Zemplar. The product is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The Abbott Park, Ill.-based company has recently initiated an aggressive study to improve Zemplar's marketing breadth. per·thy roid adj.Amgen and Abbott are gathering in San Diego this weekend for the American Society of Nephrology symposium. Thousand Oaks-based Amgen is poised to announce that its blockbuster drug Aranesp can be administered only once a month to maintain healthy hemoglobin levels. ``This is all very positive news for Amgen,'' said Dennis Harp, an analyst with Deutsche Bank in New York. Incidentally, the firm does have investment banking ties to Amgen. Amgen shares declined $1.70 to close at $58.25 Friday on the Nasdaq market and Abbott added 34 cents to close at $44.20 on the New York Stock Exchange. Evan Pondel, (818) 713-3662 evan.pondel(at)dailynews.com |
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