Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Mourns Loss Of Aretha Franklin

The family of Aretha Franklin confirmed Thursday that the 18-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter best known for hits like “Respect,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Spanish Harlem,” died of pancreatic cancer. She was 76 years old.

Pancreatic cancer has the lowest five-year survival rate of any major cancer in the United States at only 9 percent. In 2018, more than 55,000 people will be diagnosed and approximately 44,000 will die from the disease.

Franklin died from a form of pancreatic cancer known as pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer (pancreatic NETs or PNETs), which account for about six percent of all pancreatic tumors. They develop from the abnormal growth of endocrine (hormone-producing) cells in the pancreas called islet cells. This is why these tumors are sometimes referred to as “islet cell tumors.”

Also important to note, African-Americans have the highest incidence rate of pancreatic cancer, between 28 percent and 59 percent higher than the incidence rates for other racial/ethnic groups.

“We mourn the loss of a legend and urge the public to take action against pancreatic cancer,” said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, president and CEO of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN). “We are working diligently to change outcomes for patients but we need more people to get involved and help fund critical research.”

Franklin joins a growing list of other notable public figures, actors and musicians who’ve passed away from pancreatic cancer. Just this year, the disease has claimed the lives of Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the Jackson music dynasty, as well as “Diff’rent Strokes” and “The Facts of Life” actress Charlotte Rae.

PanCAN has an urgent goal to improve outcomes for patients battling the disease today and double survival by 2020. The organization attacks pancreatic cancer using a comprehensive approach focused on research, clinical initiatives, patient services and advocacy.

Support the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s urgent goal to double survival by 2020. Follow the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network 
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is dedicated to fighting the world’s toughest cancer. In our urgent mission to save lives, we attack pancreatic cancer on all fronts: research, clinical initiatives, patient services and advocacy. Our effort is amplified by a nationwide network of grassroots support. We are determined to improve patient outcomes today and to double survival by 2020.

https://bit.ly/2MSGDGs

KeyBanc: 3 Reasons Why Invacare Is No Longer A Buy

Invacare Corporation IVC 3.94%, a manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment used in non-acute care settings, signaled in its second-quarter earnings report a turnaround is not progressing as rapidly as expected, according to KeyBanc Capital Markets.

The Analyst

KeyBanc Capital Markets’ Matthew Mishan downgraded Invacare from Overweight to Sector Weight.

The Thesis

Invacare’s earnings report does show some signs of improvement in the business, but it is not enough to support a bullish stance, Mishan said in the downgrade note. (See the analyst’s track record here.)

For example, the portable oxygen concentrator strategy hasn’t gained sufficient traction to offset declines in the company’s legacy products, the analyst said. The home medical equipment segment is “stable” for now, and any woes in Europe can no longer be offset by favorable foreign exchange rates, he said.

Invacare decided in 2016 and 2017 to deprioritize low-margin products and focus on a more clinical complex portfolio, Mishan said. At the same time, the company also guided toward $28 million in annualized savings from various initiatives, and any benefits are now reflected in the company’s results, he said.

Invacare needs to show better sales acceleration moving forward for the company to hit its $100-million EBITDA target by late 2020, Mishan said. The company has shown it is making some progress, but there are simply too many “moving pieces,” he said.

https://bit.ly/2waxC4i

Jefferies Downgrades AstraZeneca, Sees Limited Additional Upside

The best kind of analyst downgrade for investors is the one that comes because a stock has performed so well that it has exceeded expectations. On Thursday, AstraZeneca plc (ADR) AZN 1.25% was hit with just such a downgrade.

The Analyst

Jefferies analyst Ian Hilliker downgraded AstraZeneca from Buy to Hold and raised the price target for the London-listed stock to $39.46 per U.S. ADR share.

The Thesis

With AstraZeneca stock up 12.5 percent in the past six months, Hilliker said the stock is fairly valued at this point. (See the analyst’s track record here.)

Jefferies had upgraded the stock to Buy back in March based on expectations that the company would be able to grow CORE EPS by 20 percent annually from 2020 to 2022 due to new product growth and expanding margins, the analyst said. With the stock up about 22 percent since his Buy call, Hilliker said additional near-term upside is likely limited.

There’s no reason for long-term investors not to like the stock, but without double-digit upside in the near-term, there’s simply no way to justify the Buy rating, he said.

Looking ahead, Hilliker said there are still a number of potential positive catalysts coming in the second half of the year.

“Further catalysts still expected over [the second half of 2018] include: Farxiga PIII DECLARE CV outcomes data, Anifrolumab PIII SLE data and Imfinzi /Treme PIII (KESTREL & EAGLE) data in head & neck cancer.”

https://bit.ly/2w9RJiZ

AcelRX Shares Should More Than Double On Painkiller Assets: Ladenburg

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals Inc ACRX 5.08%, with two product candidates in its pipeline, is a specialty pharma company focusing on pain management therapies.

The Analyst

Ladenburg Thalman analyst Michael Higgins initiated coverage of AcelRx with a Buy rating and $7 price target.

The Thesis

The company’s lead candidate Dsuvia, a 30mcg sufentanil NanoTab placed sublingually by a health care professional via a single-dose applicator, is being touted as a substitute for intravenous opioids, currently the gold standard to treat moderate-to-severe pain in emergency departments, Higgins said in a Thursday note.

The other pipeline asset is Zalviso 15mcg, placed under the tongue by devices controlled by a health care practitioner, the analyst said.

Both the assets have been approved in Europe but have received complete response letters in the U.S. The initial review and CRL have reduced regulatory risks for Dsuvia, Higgins said, adding that he expects the drug to become ubiquitous in some ERs given its risk and tolerability profile.

“For Zalviso, device improvements have been tested and validated in a post-CRL Phase 3 trial,” the analyst said.

Ladenburg projects that an emergency department shortage and shortage of IV opioids will lead to a higher rate of adoption for Dsuvia than the Street expects.

The firm estimates Dsuvia’s market share to cross 2 percent in 2021, and subsequently increase to 12 percent in 2029, with peak revenue of more than $500 million.

“Our Zalviso outlook is more modest as we look for $200 million in peak revenues but for $50 million in 2022 revenues to boost AcelRx’s profitability,” Higgins said.

Dsuvia’s Adcom, PDUFA and launch updates are the next key events AcelRX, the analyst said.

https://bit.ly/2BhKStF

Scientists discover chemical which can kill glioblastoma cells

Aggressive brain tumour cells taken from patients self-destructed after being exposed to a chemical in laboratory tests, researchers have shown.

The study could be the first step in tackling cancers like glioblastoma, which led to Dame Tessa Jowell’s death earlier this year.

The research, led by the University of Leeds, found that the synthetic chemical, named KHS101, was able to cut the energy source of tumour cells from glioblastoma, leading to the death of the cells.

Published in Science Translational Medicine, the research represents an important step forward in tackling this disease, which is one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of less than¬ five per cent.

Over 2,000 people are diagnosed with glioblastoma in the UK every year, and it has recently been discussed in Parliament as a disease which urgently requires improvements in treatment options.

Funded initially by the Medical Research Council, the new study showed promising results which may lead to the development of a therapy to fight brain cancer in years to come.

Dr Heiko Wurdak, from the University of Leeds who led the international research team, said: “When we started this research we thought KHS101 might slow down the growth of glioblastoma, but we were surprised to find that the tumour cells basically self-destructed when exposed to it.

“This is the first step in a long process, but our findings pave the way for drug developers to start investigating the uses of this chemical, and we hope that one day it will be helping to extend people’s lives in the clinic.”

The study revealed that the chemical was disrupting the mitochondria and metabolism within the tumour cells, and shutting off the energy supply leading to their self-destruction.

To test whether KHS101 could cross the blood brain barrier in mammals, essential for it to be effective in stopping brain cancers, tumour cells were transferred from humans into mice. The blood brain barrier stops most molecules from entering the brain and severely limits treatment options.

The chemical successfully crossed the blood-brain barrier and significantly decreased tumour growth (by around 50 per cent) in mice treated with KHS101 compared with those given a placebo, leading to an increase in survival. Importantly, normal brain cells were unaffected by the chemical.

The team also reviewed how effective KHS101 would be against the different genetic profiles of cells within a tumour, and between tumours in different patients. Genetic variation in tumours has complicated efforts to identify treatments in the past, but the team found that all tested variations of glioblastoma subtype cells responded to the treatment.

Professor Richard Gilbertson, Cancer Research UK’s brain tumour expert who wasn’t involved in the research, said: “Treatment for glioblastoma has remained essentially unchanged for decades, so there is a pressing need for preclinical research like this to identify and characterise potential new drugs.

“While the findings are encouraging, as an experimental chemical, further rigorous testing and refinement of KHS101 is required before trials in people can begin.”

Further research into the properties of KHS101 may lead scientists to discover similar drugs which also disturb the energy sources causing self-destruction of tumour cells, and thus broaden the range of treatment options available in the fight against brain tumours.

---

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Leeds. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Euan S. Polson, Verena B. Kuchler, Christopher Abbosh, Edith M. Ross, Ryan K. Mathew, Hester A. Beard, Bárbara da Silva, Andrew N. Holding, Stephane Ballereau, Eulashini Chuntharpursat-Bon, Jennifer Williams, Hollie B.S. Griffiths, Hao Shao, Anjana Patel, Adam J. Davies, Alastair Droop, Paul Chumas, Susan C. Short, Mihaela Lorger, Jason E. Gestwicki, Lee D. Roberts, Robin S. Bon, Simon J. Allison, Shoutian Zhu, Florian Markowetz, Heiko Wurdak. KHS101 disrupts energy metabolism in human glioblastoma cells and reduces tumor growth in mice. Science Translational Medicine, 2018; 10 (454): eaar2718 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aar2718

https://bit.ly/2BdNl8t

1 in 4 in U.S. Has a Disability: CDC

One in four American adults (61 million people) has a significant physical or mental disability, the federal government reported Thursday. And these disabilities are more prevalent among women, people in the South, and those living in poverty.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed 2016 data on six types of disability:

• Mobility (serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs).
• Cognition (serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions).
• Serious difficulty hearing.
• Serious difficulty seeing.
• Independent living (difficulty doing errands alone).
• Self-care (difficulty dressing or bathing).

Mobility is the most common type of disability, affecting one in seven adults. The next most common disabilities are cognition, difficulty with errands, hearing, vision and self-care, the report found.

“At some point in their lives, most people will either have a disability or know someone who has one,” Coleen Boyle, director of the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in an agency news release.

“Learning more about people with disabilities in the United States can help us better understand and meet their health needs,” Boyle added.

The report, the first of its kind, found that disability is more common among women, American Indians/Alaska Natives, adults with lower incomes, and adults living in the South.

Disability increases with age, affecting about two in five adults 65 and older. But compared with middle-aged and younger adults with disabilities, older adults with disabilities are more likely to have health insurance and a primary care doctor, and to have received a routine health checkup during the previous 12 months, the researchers said.

The lower a person’s income, the more likely they are to have a disability, the findings showed. For example, mobility disability is nearly five times more common among adults aged 45 to 64 who are living below the poverty level compared with those whose income is twice the poverty level.

In addition, there are disability-specific differences in access to health care, particularly among young and middle-aged adults. For example, adults with vision disability have the least access to health care, while those with self-care disability have the most access to care.

The study was published in the Aug. 17 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

According to Dr. Georgina Peacock, director of the CDC’s Division of Human Development and Disability, “People with disabilities will benefit from care coordination and better access to health care and the health services they need, so that they adopt healthy behaviors and have better health.”

So, Peacock said, “Research showing how many people have a disability and differences in their access to health care can guide efforts by health care providers and public health practitioners to improve access to care for people with disabilities.”

More information

The CDC has more on disabilities.

SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news release, Aug. 16, 2018

https://bit.ly/2wd6py5

US production quota cuts for six opioids proposed

The Trump administration on Thursday proposed that U.S. drugmakers cut production quotas of the six most abused opioids by 10 percent next year to fight a nationwide addiction crisis.

In a statement, the U.S. Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said the proposed cut would be in keeping with President Donald Trump’s effort to cut opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years.

Trump on Thursday also pressed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to sue drug manufacturers over the opioid crisis.

“I’d like to bring a federal lawsuit against those companies,” Trump said during a meeting of his Cabinet at the White House. He did not name the companies.

Addiction to opioids – mainly prescription painkillers, heroin and fentanyl – is a growing U.S. problem, especially in rural areas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in more than 49,000 deaths in the country last year.

The Justice Department and the DEA said they are proposing to cut production quotas for oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl by 7 percent to 15 percent, depending on the compound, in 2019.

Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by states, counties and cities against opioid manufacturers including Purdue Pharmaceuticals LP, Endo International Plc (ENDP.O), Mallinckrodt Plc (MNK.N) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) seeking to hold them responsible for contributing to the epidemic.

Endo International PLC15.95

ENDP.ONASDAQ

-0.11(-0.68%)

• ENDP.O
• MNK.N
• JNJ.N

Those companies were not immediately available for comment.

In March, Trump unveiled a plan to get tough on opioids, including cutting opioid prescriptions by changing federal programs, funding for other initiatives and stiffer sentencing laws for drug dealers.

He also suggested the death penalty for dealers, a proposal that has gained little support from drug abuse and judicial experts.

https://reut.rs/2MWVi3y