A NOTE FROM DR WALFORD

[Guest guest]

Most of you know that Dr. Walford has a degenerative illness thought to be

Lou Gehrig's disease. It is believed that this was caused by toxic gases in

the biosphere experiment. See the file: " Dr Walford's Posts " for more

information. I received this note from him today and needless to say, urge

everyone to take action.

Dear Friends,

There is a new treatment out for Lou Gehrig?s disease,

may even be reversable (see below), but Genentech, which

makes the product, refuses to proceed with FDA-approved

clinical trials. I have talked with Dr. Schwartz (see below), and a wave

of protest against the attitude of Genentech, may be persuasive.

Anything you can do to help, like emailing your congressman

or senator, or Tommy , Sec. for Health and Human

Services (hhsmail@...),

or stimulating media coverage, would be appreciated.

thanks // Roy

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Research to Be Presented Suggesting Reversal of Lou Gehrig's Disease May

Now Be Possible. Annual Meeting: American Spinal Injury Association, April

2-6, 2003.

Hotel Inter-Continental Miami, Florida

MIAMI, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Reversal of Lou Gehrig's disease may now be

possible using thrombopoietin and thyroid hormone to cause regeneration of

endogenous stem cells of the central nervous system. Evidence suggests

spinal cord injury can be reversed through regeneration by stem cells.

This >research will be presented by R. Schwartz, M.D., a senior

researcher

at Neuroregeneron Co., this week at the annual meeting of the American

Spinal Injury Association held in Miami, Florida.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) biologics division approved a unique

clinical trial in May 2002, authorizing the use of thrombopoietin for Lou

Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in a 40-year-old mother of

three small children whose clinical condition was deteriorating rapidly.

She >was more than 90% paralyzed, with minimal speech capability, tremendous

difficulty swallowing, and rapidly failing respiratory function.

The new treatment was approved for a clinical trial after it was

demonstrated that platelet growth factors could be tremendously

increased through use of thrombopoietin. Platelet growth factors

act as stimulants for the growth and >development of glial cells which

act as repair cells for dying nerve cells. In addition, platelet growth

factors

can stimulate immature cells to

differentiate into cells which act as neurons. Thyroid hormone was added

to >the trial after experimental evidence demonstrated that thyroid hormone

acted >as a signaling substance helpful for repair cells to function.

Platelets were raised in cycles to more than 10 times the normal level

resulting is blood serum rich in platelet growth factors.

At day 42 of this clinical trial, this patient showed remarkably improved

head and neck control and strength. At day 45, she exhibited improvement

in >tongue strength and motion with improved swallowing functions. As a

result, >a feeding tube was not necessary.

At day 60, increased leg muscle strength was clearly evident. Along with

this motion, the patient was able to turn her arms and hands which had been

paralyzed for more than a year. At day 110, she began to move her hands.

Muscle strength throughout her body increased and her pelvic muscles could

support more weight. The patient showed clear reversal of a previously

deteriorating condition, and return of functions. Her downhill course

stopped.

The nerve cell regeneration and reversal of paralysis in this patient with

Lou Gehrig's disease suggests that spinal cord injury and paralysis can

also >be treated with re-growth of the nerve cells of the spinal cord.

Further trials are urgently needed since the average length of life in ALS

patients is 3-5 years after diagnosis. There is also some indication that

regeneration in cases of spinal cord injury would be more effective soon

after the injury.

The FDA has been extremely supportive of this clinical trial and has urged

that other trials be conducted as soon as possible. " If this proves out,

it >is a very exciting result indicating a new treatment and approach to Lou

Gehrig's disease and spinal cord injury, " said a senior neurologist with

the >FDA in Rockville, land.

However, despite the encouraging results and excitement generated by this

clinical trial, the Genentech company has decided not to release the drug

thrombopoietin for any further trials in neurologic disease or injury.

" We will not proceed with any further trials at this time, " said

Stutts, director of corporate relations at Genentech. The medication was

manufactured in substantial quantity in the late 1990s and the current

stock of clinical grade thrombopoietin will expire in the year 2003.

" Remanufacture is not planned at this time, " confirmed Mccauley,

spokeswoman at Genentech. She offered no other explanation for the

decision not to conduct any further clinical testing.

A director of the Lou Gehrig's clinic at the Massachusetts General Hospital

and a professor at the Harvard Medical School, has prepared a trial for ten

people with this disease. " I am totally puzzled, " commented the doctor,

who was rebuffed when he approached Genentech with his proposal. " This

defies

all common sense and scientific responsibility. We have no other treatments

for

these conditions, " he explained.

Dr. Schwartz, who has been following his patient closely with the FDA

approved trial, is also puzzled. " Are they blind to the implications of

this drug for use in neurologic diseases or injury? " he remarked.

Collier, one of the researchers who has been following this

patient's ground-breaking clinical course, expressed amazement at the lack

of

compassion shown by the spokespeople at Genentech.

" I cannot understand their approach, " she said.