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VANCOUVER, B.C., March 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — March 15, 2023 – USA News Group – According to a 2022 study of more than 6 million patients 65 and older, the risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease increases by 50-80% in older adults who caught COVID-19. With Statista stating nearly 11.5 million COVID-19 cases of people over 65 years old as of November 23, 2022, and the Alzheimer’s Association forecasting global dementia cases to triple by 2050, society is about to get hit with a tsunami of this devastating disease. Thankfully the biotech sector is working diligently to try and combat this coming onslaught of Alzheimer’s and dementia, through new diagnostic methods and treatments, including work from companies such as Marvel Biosciences Corp. (TSXV:MRVL), Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB), Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA), Intra-Cellular Therapies (NASDAQ:ITCI), and Roche Holding AG (OTC:RHHBY).
In the case of Marvel Biosciences Corp. (TSXV:MRVL), the biotech company is moving forward with its lead asset MB-204 in targeting Alzheimer’s and depression. MB-204 is a novel fluorinated derivative of Istradefylline, the only clinically approved adenosine A2a receptor antagonist used for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Both Istradefylline and MB-204 are highly active derivatives of caffeine, the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world. Caffeine consumption has been associated with a reduced risk for developing Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and improving mood and concentration.
Through Marvel Biotechnology, its wholly-owned subsidiary, Marvel BioSciences initiated its 7-day dose-ranging, toxicology study, using rats, for MB-204, marking a vital step in preparation to initiate FDA Phase I human clinical trials.
“We have significantly de-risked the development of our lead drug candidate MB-204 and have a strong understanding of its safety and risk profile, as we have redeveloped this candidate from an existing FDA-approved drug Istradefylline,” said Rod Matheson, CEO of Marvel Biosciences. “We are on time and on budget to enter FDA Phase I human trials by early 2023. MB-204 will be highly disruptive to the existing market and, we believe, will be a welcomed therapy for patients who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease and Depression. Our studies, as noted in previous press releases, have been extremely encouraging and we look forward to introducing a novel product that we have full commercial rights to for a very large and growing market that is in real need of a new and effective approach to treatment.”
After completing the maximum tolerated single dose studies, the FDA requires another short study before entering the industry standard Good Lab Practice toxicology studies. This type of study requires toxicology studies in two species, typically rats and dogs, to test the safety of new drugs before being able to run trials on humans.
“This is the final milestone experiment we need to execute in order to identify the optimal doses for our upcoming 4-week GLP rat study, which in combination with our dog studies, will allow us to start human clinical testing of MB-204,” said Dr. Mark Williams, Chief Science Officer of Marvel BioSciences. “We are commencing the dog dose ranging study shortly and will update the market on our progress shortly thereafter.”
Through partners Eisai Co., biotech company Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) recently announced the full results from a Phase 3 Confirmatory Clarity Ad Study of Lecanemab for the treatment of Early Alzheimer’s Disease.
Lecanemab is an investigational anti-amyloid beta (Aβ) protofibril antibody for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild AD (collectively known as early AD) with confirmed presence of amyloid pathology in the brain.
What the closely watched trial showed was a slowing of cognitive decline, however also may carry a risk of serious side effects for certain patients, including bleeding in the brain.
“All of these amyloid-lowering drugs carry a risk for increased brain hemorrhage,” said Dr. Ronald Petersen of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “I think the primary outcomes, the secondary outcomes, the amyloid-lowering is pretty impressive.”
Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA) is currently testing an amyloid-targeting shot, which RBC Capital Markets analyst Brian Abrahams says “from a profile standpoint (Prothena’s drug) is significantly more potent.”
Prothena’s Alzheimer’s disease portfolio spans next generation antibody immunotherapy, small molecule and vaccine approaches, geared toward building upon first generation treatments to advance the treatment paradigm.
The company has initiated a Phase 1 study of PRX012, a potential best-in-class, next-generation anti-amyloid beta (Aβ) antibody under investigation for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Back in April, PRX012 was granted Fast Track designation by the FDA.
“With its substantially higher binding strength that allows for simple subcutaneous administration, PRX012 is positioned to potentially lead a paradigm shift in Alzheimer’s treatment,” saidGene Kinney, CEO of Prothena.
Intra-Cellular expects to commence clinical conduct in Phase 2 clinical trials in agitation in patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease, in dementia-related psychosis and certain depressive disorders in the elderly in 2023. However, ITI- 1284 is still an investigational agent and has not been approved for use for any indication.
A Phase 1 program found that ITI-1284 ODT-SL was rapidly absorbed into the systemic circulation, was metabolically stable, and resulted in high systemic exposure.
“We are excited about our late-stage lumateperone programs in depressive disorders and the advancement of a long-acting injectable formulation into clinical trials as well as further expanding our pipeline with ITI-1284,” saidSharon Mates, PhD, Chairman and CEO of Intra-Cellular Therapies.
Helping to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease more accurately and in a more timely fashion, Roche Holding AG (OTC:RHHBY) received FDA clearance for its Elecsys Alzeheimer’s disease (AD) CSF assays. Currently, the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is a diagnosis of exclusion, largely based on various cognitive tests, routine laboratory tests and structural imaging (MRI or CT scan).
Clinical criteria are currently limited and lead to an accurate diagnosis in only 70-80% of cases, whereas the Elecsys AD CSF assays achieve 90% concordance with the Amyloid PET scan imaging, and have the potential to provide a more affordable and accessible routine option to confirm the presence of amyloid in the brain.
“Globally, up to 75% of people living with Alzheimer’s disease have not been diagnosed, and those who have, often report a long and complicated process,” said Thomas Schinecker, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. “The Elecsys AD CSF assays have the potential to guide more people with suspected Alzheimer’s disease towards a diagnosis than ever before. As we are starting to see exciting results for new potential Alzheimer’s treatments, reliable tests that have been clinically validated will be critical in ensuring the right patients are identified and able to benefit from them.”
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Skinstitut Holiday Gift Kits take the stress out of gifting
Toronto, October 31, 2024 – Beauty gifts are at the top of holiday wish lists this year, and Laser Clinics Canada, a leader in advanced beauty treatments and skincare, is taking the pressure out of seasonal shopping. Today, Laser Clincs Canada announces the arrival of its 2024 Holiday Gift Kits, courtesy of Skinstitut, the exclusive skincare line of Laser Clinics Group.
In time for the busy shopping season, the limited-edition Holiday Gifts Kits are available in Laser Clinics locations in the GTA and Ottawa. Clinics are conveniently located in popular shopping centers, including Hillcrest Mall, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, Scarborough Town Centre, Rideau Centre, Union Station and CF Markville. These limited-edition Kits are available on a first come, first served basis.
“These kits combine our best-selling products, bundled to address the most relevant skin concerns we’re seeing among our clients,” says Christina Ho, Senior Brand & LAM Manager at Laser Clinics Canada. “With several price points available, the kits offer excellent value and suit a variety of gift-giving needs, from those new to cosmeceuticals to those looking to level up their skincare routine. What’s more, these kits are priced with a savings of up to 33 per cent so gift givers can save during the holiday season.
There are two kits to select from, each designed to address key skin concerns and each with a unique theme — Brightening Basics and Hydration Heroes.
Brightening Basics is a mix of everyday essentials for glowing skin for all skin types. The bundle comes in a sleek pink, reusable case and includes three full-sized products: 200ml gentle cleanser, 50ml Moisture Defence (normal skin) and 30ml1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum. The Brightening Basics kit is available at $129, a saving of 33 per cent.
Hydration Heroes is a mix of hydration essentials and active heroes that cater to a wide variety of clients. A perfect stocking stuffer, this bundle includes four deluxe products: Moisture 15 15 ml Defence for normal skin, 10 ml 1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum, 10 ml Retinol Serum and 50 ml Expert Squalane Cleansing Oil. The kit retails at $59.
In addition to the 2024 Holiday Gifts Kits, gift givers can easily add a Laser Clinic Canada gift card to the mix. Offering flexibility, recipients can choose from a wide range of treatments offered by Laser Clinics Canada, or they can expand their collection of exclusive Skinstitut products.
Brightening Basics 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut, available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
Hydration Heroes 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut – available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
The Canadian Paediatric Society says doctors should regularly screen children for reading difficulties and dyslexia, calling low literacy a “serious public health concern” that can increase the risk of other problems including anxiety, low self-esteem and behavioural issues, with lifelong consequences.
New guidance issued Wednesday says family doctors, nurses, pediatricians and other medical professionals who care for school-aged kids are in a unique position to help struggling readers access educational and specialty supports, noting that identifying problems early couldhelp kids sooner — when it’s more effective — as well as reveal other possible learning or developmental issues.
The 10 recommendations include regular screening for kids aged four to seven, especially if they belong to groups at higher risk of low literacy, including newcomers to Canada, racialized Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. The society says this can be done in a two-to-three-minute office-based assessment.
Other tips encourage doctors to look for conditions often seen among poor readers such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to advocate for early literacy training for pediatric and family medicine residents; to liaise with schools on behalf of families seeking help; and to push provincial and territorial education ministries to integrate evidence-based phonics instruction into curriculums, starting in kindergarten.
Dr. Scott McLeod, one of the authors and chair of the society’s mental health and developmental disabilities committee, said a key goal is to catch kids who may be falling through the cracks and to better connect families to resources, including quicker targeted help from schools.
“Collaboration in this area is so key because we need to move away from the silos of: everything educational must exist within the educational portfolio,” McLeod said in an interview from Calgary, where he is a developmental pediatrician at Alberta Children’s Hospital.
“Reading, yes, it’s education, but it’s also health because we know that literacy impacts health. So I think that a statement like this opens the window to say: Yes, parents can come to their health-care provider to get advice, get recommendations, hopefully start a collaboration with school teachers.”
McLeod noted that pediatricians already look for signs of low literacy in young children by way of a commonly used tool known as the Rourke Baby Record, which offers a checklist of key topics, such as nutrition and developmental benchmarks, to cover in a well-child appointment.
But he said questions about reading could be “a standing item” in checkups and he hoped the society’s statement to medical professionals who care for children “enhances their confidence in being a strong advocate for the child” while spurring partnerships with others involved in a child’s life such as teachers and psychologists.
The guidance said pediatricians also play a key role in detecting and monitoring conditions that often coexist with difficulty reading such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but McLeod noted that getting such specific diagnoses typically involves a referral to a specialist, during which time a child continues to struggle.
He also acknowledged that some schools can be slow to act without a specific diagnosis from a specialist, and even then a child may end up on a wait list for school interventions.
“Evidence-based reading instruction shouldn’t have to wait for some of that access to specialized assessments to occur,” he said.
“My hope is that (by) having an existing statement or document written by the Canadian Paediatric Society … we’re able to skip a few steps or have some of the early interventions present,” he said.
McLeod added that obtaining specific assessments from medical specialists is “definitely beneficial and advantageous” to know where a child is at, “but having that sort of clear, thorough assessment shouldn’t be a barrier to intervention starting.”
McLeod said the society was partly spurred to act by 2022’s “Right to Read Inquiry Report” from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which made 157 recommendations to address inequities related to reading instruction in that province.
He called the new guidelines “a big reminder” to pediatric providers, family doctors, school teachers and psychologists of the importance of literacy.
“Early identification of reading difficulty can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
