PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL MEDICINE NEWS BUREAU
Contact: Leonard N. Karp
lkarp@philadelphiamedicine.com
215-735-3989
For Immediate Release:
In this month’s issue:
1. Fox Chase Among the First To Offer Radioimmunotherapy for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
2. Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Renovation Project to Improve Patient Care
3. Jefferson To Establish Faber Institute of Neurosciences
4. Penn's OncoLink Cancer Website To List Clinical Trials
Fox Chase Among the First To Offer Radioimmunotherapy for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
Philadelphia - Fox Chase Cancer Center, a member of Philadelphia International Medicine, was a lead research site for the clinical trials leading to the first radioimmunotherapy to receive FDA approval for treating cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Zevalin* (IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation) for the treatment of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) on Feb. 19, 2002.
The new therapy is now available to patients at Fox Chase and Philadelphia International Medicine. For more information, call 215-735-3575.
"Radioimmunotherapeutic agents are made by linking monoclonal antibodies with radioactive isotopes," explains Russell Schilder, MD, medical oncologist and the principal investigator of the Zevalin study at Fox Chase Cancer Center. "The antibodies are created in a laboratory and have a very high degree of specificity to recognize and attach to substances on the surface of certain cells."
Antibodies are naturally occurring proteins that the body creates in response to infections. They attach to targets, such as viruses, in a very specific manner and direct the body's defense against the disease. In this case, the antibodies were generated by immunizing mice with human NHL cells and therefore are specific for NHL. The mouse cells that produced these antibodies were isolated and immortalized to provide a source of large quantities of identical, or monoclonal, antibodies to NHL. Zevalin is more likely to be available at sites that are equipped to develop and administer the radioactive material.
At Fox Chase Cancer Center, Zevalin is assembled in the laboratory of Gregory P. Adams, PhD, an associate member in the department of medical oncology, by using a strong linking agent to bind the radioactive isotope (yttrium-90) to the mouse monoclonal antibody.
"When injected into a patient with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the monoclonal antibodies carrying radioactive particles circulate in the body until they locate their specific target (antigen) found on the surface of normal and malignant B-cells," explains Adams. "Then, Zevalin attaches itself to the cancer cells and delivers its radioactive payload (yttrium-90) destroying the cancer cells and some normal B-cells. The normal B-cells subsequently are regenerated by the body."
Dr. Schilder adds, "NHL is an inherently radiation-sensitive malignancy, making radioimmunotherapy an excellent treatment method for this disease. This cancer regimen is administered on an outpatient basis.
"Zevalin does not require that patients be quarantined. After treatment, patients are able to return home and resume relatively normal activities." The primary side effect of Zevalin, is a reduction in blood-cell counts due to myelosuppression (decreased blood-cell production by the bone marrow). However, these toxicities are manageable for most patients treated with Zevalin. In some instances supportive medications or transfusion may be necessary. Blood counts usually are at the lowest about 4-6 weeks after treatment and recover after another two-to-four weeks.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a group of several closely related cancers that affect the body's lymphatic system. Once a rare disease, NHL is now the fifth most common cancer in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 300,000 people are currently living with NHL in the U.S.
Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Renovation Project to Improve Patient Care
Magee Rehabilitation Hospital has just completed a renovation project that enhances patient rooms as well as common areas for patients and their families. Magee is a member of Philadelphia International Medicine and is a national leader in the treatment of spinal cord injuries.
The Renovation Project to Improve Patient Care embodies Magee's efforts to enhance the comfort level of patients and their families as well as enhance the efficiency of Magee staff. The overall appearance and operation of the Hospital has greatly benefited from many of these renovations.
Renovations entailed transforming six four-bedded rooms into semi-private two-bedded rooms and adding two private rooms to each floor. Additionally, most rooms have been updated with modern equipment, including ceiling lifts, a device that allows easier and safer ways for nurses to move patients.
To enhance and improve patient/staff communication on each floor, the nurse's stations were also renovated, placing them in more convenient and effective locations to improve patient care. A satellite nurse's station has been added to each floor to improve the response time to patient needs. By locating nurses in closer proximity to patient rooms, patient concerns can be addressed more quickly.
This project also produced the addition of a patient lounge on each of Magee's three floors. The lounge features televisions, game tables, magazines and a small kitchenette with a sink, refrigerator and ice machine for patients and their visitors. This homelike atmosphere provides patients a comfortable setting in which to relax.
The Renovation Project provided a Chapel for Magee's Pastoral Care Program in which to offer patients and their families observance of sacred holidays in all of the major religions.
Jefferson To Establish Faber Institute of Neurosciences
Thomas Jefferson University, whose hospital is a member of Philadelphia International Medicine, will establish a new neurosciences research institute through a $10 million gift of the Faber Family Foundation Inc., one of the largest gifts the university has ever received.
The new institute, to be named the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University, will be a multidisciplinary center initially focusing its efforts on basic and clinical research in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders.
The institute's researchers will continue to build on already-established Jefferson strengths in many of these fields, while establishing new and revitalized research programs in others. At the same time, the new institute will enable additional neurosciences faculty and postdoctoral fellows to be recruited to Jefferson. In the future, endowed chairs for two senior investigators in the neurosciences will be created.
"The Farber Institute, to be based in the newly created Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, will in time become a powerful vehicle through which accomplishments in basic research will ultimately find their way to the bedside," says Thomas Nasca, MD, dean of Jefferson Medical College and senior vice president at Thomas Jefferson University.
"This new institute will buttress Jefferson neuroscientists' efforts in a wide range of research fields and allow us to establish new and stronger areas of expertise," says Elliott Mancall, MD, professor and interim chairman, Department of Neurology, Jefferson.
Alzheimer's disease specialist Samuel E. Gandy III, MD, PhD, has been named the first director of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Gandy will also be professor of neurology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
Dr. Gandy has been senior research scientist at the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, N.Y., where he was directing a $3.7 million grant funded by the National Institute on Aging on an interdisciplinary approach to Alzheimer drug discovery. He also has $1 million in funding support from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to study the role of hormone deficiency in the onset of Alzheimer's and the role of hormone replacement in delaying or preventing Alzheimer's.
He has also served as professor of psychiatry at New York University Medical School and adjunct professor of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience at the Rockefeller University. Dr. Gandy was also director of Molecular Basis of Human Neurological Diseases at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, New York. His research interests include Alzheimer's disease, ALS, Parkinson's disease, molecular cell biology, head trauma and neuroimaging.
Penn's OncoLink Cancer Website To List Clinical Trials
OncoLink, the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center's award-winning web site, and EmergingMed are pleased to announce the launch of a new "Clinical Trial Match & Referral Service." The University of Pennsylvania Medical Center is a member of Philadelphia International Medicine.
Available free to visitors of OncoLink.com, this service is the first phase of a three-year exclusive collaboration between Penn's Cancer Center and EmergingMed.com. It enables visitors to learn about clinical trials available through the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center and to easily identify trials for which they or a loved one might be eligible.
One of the largest cancer information web sites and cited as one of the best internet sources of medical information by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA - May 24, 2001), OncoLink recently underwent a dramatic expansion and re-design. The updated graphics and layout introduce improved navigation features to better accommodate the over 11.2 million visits from patients, families and providers who access the site monthly.
"We at EmergingMed and OncoLink share a steadfast commitment to improving patient access to cancer clinical trials and accelerating the process of finding better cancer treatments," said Courtney Hudson, chief executive officer and founder of EmergingMed.
"Through this collaboration we can further empower patients with easy to locate treatment options they might otherwise never know about," added James Metz, MD, assistant professor of Radiation Oncology at Penn and editor-in-chief of OncoLink. "At the same time, we've streamlined the process of getting eligible patients into clinical trials, making the experience as easy and convenient as possible."
Patients access the Clinical Trial Match & Referral Service at http://www.oncolink.com under "Treatment Options" and "Clinical Trials." From there, visitors can either view a listing of available trials by cancer type or they can fill out a simple on-line questionnaire to determine their eligibility. All submitted information is kept strictly confidential. Within seconds, a response will show if a patient's profile matches the enrollment criteria for any clinical trials at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center. If a match is made with one or more clinical trials, an EmergingMed customer service specialist-upon request-will help facilitate contact with the team conducting the trials.
The service strives to respond to requests by phone the same day an application is submitted and within 48 hours for e-mail requests. Additional support for the Clinical Trials Match and Referral Service has been provided by Aventis Pharmaceuticals.
Philadelphia International Medicine is an organization that provides medical and patient support services to international patients. It also provides continuing medical education and health care training and education to international physicians, administrators and other practitioners. As the international department of several Philadelphia-area hospitals, international patients gain access to physicians and hospitals rated among the best in the world through one telephone call to PIM. You can reach PIM by calling 1-215-735-3575; fax, 1-215-790-1267; or e-mail, physicians@philadelphiamedicine.com. You can find out more about PIM through its Website at www.philadelphiamedicine.com.