Asbestos and Mesothelioma Weekly News Web Page http://onestopmesothelioma.co.uk/ Blog https://rayandmave.wordpress.com
Lawsuit after Mary Pointer killed by Asbestos brought home in husband's work clothes Mary and Ronald Pointer with their son Darryl.
SHE was a devoted wife and mother who lovingly washed her husband’s clothes when he returned from a hard day’s graft.
But little did Mary Pointer know that inside those dusty overalls lurked tiny fibres of a deadly material which would silently build up in her lungs and eventually kill her.
Now the pensioner’s family have made the next step to seek justice for her death by launching legal action against the former Hampshire power station where he worked.
Mrs Pointer, formerly from Hythe, died from the industrial disease mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos fibres.
Now, in a landmark case, lawyers are preparing legal proceedings on behalf of her son against energy giant Eon.
It comes after an inquest heard how the mother indirectly came into contact with the deadly material while washing clothing worn by her late husband Ronald who served at the Central Electricity Generating Board in the old Marchwood Power Station (pictured below) for around 25 years.
Eon was formerly called PowerGen, which had been allocated the power station when the electricity board was privatised in 1989, and the station was eventually decommissioned and a new one built.
Recommended by Mrs Pointer, who lived in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, died in April last year aged 86 from the aggressive disease which attacks the lining of the lungs.
It followed Mr Pointer, her husband of 45 years, dying in 1999, aged 85.
He had worked in the Oceanic Way station’s boiler room and as a turbine operator from 1955 to 1970.
Specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers Irwin Mitchell have issued legal proceedings against Eon in a bid to secure justice for her death.
It is on the behalf of her son Darryl who instructed the law firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate her exposure to asbestos.
Mary explained before her death that his overalls were often covered in dust which she would regularly inhale when shaking them out and washing them.
Darryl Pointer, 50, said: “I was absolutely distraught seeing my mum deteriorate so quickly and seeing her go through so much pain at the end of her life.
“She was a devoted wife and mother, but she was not warned of the dangers of asbestos and shouldn’t have been in a position to be exposed to the deadly dust.
“No amount of money will make up for the loss of my mum, but we hope that by issuing court proceedings we will be able to secure justice for her and honour her memory after losing her in such a terrible way.”
Roger Maddocks, a partner in the asbestos-related disease team at Irwin Mitchell, said: “This is a tragic case in which a widow died of mesothelioma caused simply by inhaling asbestos dust as she cleaned her husband’s overalls and their bedding in the 1960s.
“Darryl is devastated by the loss of his mother, particularly as the disease was caused by her taking care of her family.”
An Eon spokeswoman confirmed the firm had received legal proceedings but said it was “inappropriate” to discuss further details.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/11822234.Family_sue_power_station_after_mum_dies_washing_husband_s_clothes/?ref=mr
Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February each year.
The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives.
The campaign targets primarily the general public and also seeks to raise awareness amongst policy makers, public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, health professionals and anyone who has a genuine interest in rare diseases.
Since Rare Disease Day was first launched by EURORDIS and its Council of National Alliances in 2008, thousands of events have taken place throughout the world reaching hundreds of thousands of people and resulting in a great deal of media coverage.
The political momentum resulting from Rare Disease Day also serves advocacy purposes. It has notably contributed to the advancement of national plans and policies for rare diseases in a number of countries.
Even though the campaign started as a European event, it has progressively become a world phenomenon, with the USA joining in 2009, and participation in a record-breaking 84 countries around the world in 2014. We hope many more will join in 2015. Some countries have decided to raise rare disease awareness further, for example, Spain declared 2013 as the National Year for Rare Diseases.
Our objective is for the World Health Organization to recognise the last day of February as the official Rare Disease Day and to raise increasing awareness for Rare Diseases worldwide.
On rarediseaseday.org you can find information about the thousands of events happening around the world to build awareness for people living with a rare disease and their families.
About our partners
Rare Disease Day would not be possible without the continuous efforts of patient organisations around the world, building awareness locally for people living with a rare disease and their families. We especially thank our official partners for Rare Disease Day, the National Alliances. National Alliances are umbrella organisations who regroup several rare disease organisations in a given country or region. You will find the list of the official partners of Rare Disease Day on the bottom of this page and can link to their website by clicking on their logo.
http://www.rarediseaseday.org/article/what-is-rare-disease-day
The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives.
The campaign targets primarily the general public and also seeks to raise awareness amongst policy makers, public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, health professionals and anyone who has a genuine interest in rare diseases.
Since Rare Disease Day was first launched by EURORDIS and its Council of National Alliances in 2008, thousands of events have taken place throughout the world reaching hundreds of thousands of people and resulting in a great deal of media coverage.
The political momentum resulting from Rare Disease Day also serves advocacy purposes. It has notably contributed to the advancement of national plans and policies for rare diseases in a number of countries.
Even though the campaign started as a European event, it has progressively become a world phenomenon, with the USA joining in 2009, and participation in a record-breaking 84 countries around the world in 2014. We hope many more will join in 2015. Some countries have decided to raise rare disease awareness further, for example, Spain declared 2013 as the National Year for Rare Diseases.
Our objective is for the World Health Organization to recognise the last day of February as the official Rare Disease Day and to raise increasing awareness for Rare Diseases worldwide.
On rarediseaseday.org you can find information about the thousands of events happening around the world to build awareness for people living with a rare disease and their families.
About our partners
Rare Disease Day would not be possible without the continuous efforts of patient organisations around the world, building awareness locally for people living with a rare disease and their families. We especially thank our official partners for Rare Disease Day, the National Alliances. National Alliances are umbrella organisations who regroup several rare disease organisations in a given country or region. You will find the list of the official partners of Rare Disease Day on the bottom of this page and can link to their website by clicking on their logo.
http://www.rarediseaseday.org/article/what-is-rare-disease-day
Can Viruses Treat Cancer? For some cancer patients, viruses engineered to zero in on tumor cells work like a wonder drug. The task now is to build on this success By Douglas J. Mahoney, David F. Stojdl and Gordon Laird THIS IS A PREVIEW. or subscribe to access the full article. Already have an account? Sign In
More In This Article In 1904 a woman in Italy confronted two life-threatening events: first, diagnosis with cancer of the uterine cervix, then a dog bite. Doctors delivered the rabies vaccine for the bite, and subsequently her “enormously large” tumor disappeared (“il tumore non esisteva più”). The woman lived cancer-free until 1912. Soon thereafter several other Italian patients with cervical cancer also received the vaccine—a live rabies virus that had been weakened. As reported by Nicola De Pace in 1910, tumors in some patients shrank, presumably because the virus somehow killed the cancer. All eventually relapsed and died, however.
Even though the patients perished, the notion of treating cancer with viruses able to kill malignant cells—now termed oncolytic virotherapy—was born. And investigators had some success in laboratory animals. Yet for a long time only partial responses and rare cures in human trials ensured that the field stayed at the fringes of cancer research. Viral therapy for cancer faced several additional hurdles: uncertainty about its mechanisms and how to use viruses to achieve cures, a dearth of tools with which to engineer more effective viral strains and the habitual reluctance of physicians to infect patients with pathogens. Doctors elected to use poisons (chemotherapy) instead of microbes—mostly because they were more comfortable with those drugs and understood them better.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-viruses-treat-cancer/
More In This Article In 1904 a woman in Italy confronted two life-threatening events: first, diagnosis with cancer of the uterine cervix, then a dog bite. Doctors delivered the rabies vaccine for the bite, and subsequently her “enormously large” tumor disappeared (“il tumore non esisteva più”). The woman lived cancer-free until 1912. Soon thereafter several other Italian patients with cervical cancer also received the vaccine—a live rabies virus that had been weakened. As reported by Nicola De Pace in 1910, tumors in some patients shrank, presumably because the virus somehow killed the cancer. All eventually relapsed and died, however.
Even though the patients perished, the notion of treating cancer with viruses able to kill malignant cells—now termed oncolytic virotherapy—was born. And investigators had some success in laboratory animals. Yet for a long time only partial responses and rare cures in human trials ensured that the field stayed at the fringes of cancer research. Viral therapy for cancer faced several additional hurdles: uncertainty about its mechanisms and how to use viruses to achieve cures, a dearth of tools with which to engineer more effective viral strains and the habitual reluctance of physicians to infect patients with pathogens. Doctors elected to use poisons (chemotherapy) instead of microbes—mostly because they were more comfortable with those drugs and understood them better.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-viruses-treat-cancer/
Verastem Receives Orphan Drug Designation from FDA for VS-5584 in Mesothelioma BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 2015-- Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM), focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat cancer by the targeted killing of cancer stem cells, today announced that VS-5584 has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of mesothelioma. The designation was created to encourage the development of drugs that may provide significant benefit to patients suffering from rare diseases.
“This is an important regulatory milestone for Verastem and, together with our European orphan medicinal product designation, will facilitate our global development of VS-5584 to help improve the available treatment options for patients suffering from this highly aggressive cancer,” said Robert Forrester, Verastem President and Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to taking full advantage of the opportunities that orphan designation allows in order to bring this potential new treatment option to patients as rapidly as possible."
Verastem recently initiated a Phase 1 clinical study evaluating the combination of VS-5584 and VS-6063 in patients with relapsed or progressive malignant pleural mesothelioma. The combination clinical trial is supported by preclinical work demonstrating the synergistic activity of VS‐6063 and VS‐5584 in mesothelioma models in vitro and in vivo. VS-5584 is also being evaluated in a Phase 1 study in advanced solid tumors where the compound has been generally well tolerated and preliminary activity has been observed, including in mesothelioma. Some patients have been on study for over 6 months and the maximum tolerated dose of VS-5584 has not been reached.
In the U.S., under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA's Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) grants orphan drug status to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally a disease that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the country. Upon approval, if received, the designation provides VS-5584 with certain benefits, including seven years of U.S. market exclusivity in the specified indications if the sponsor complies with certain FDA requirements. Additional incentives for the sponsor include tax credits related to qualified clinical trial expenses and a possible exemption from FDA application fees.
About Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that occurs in the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and other organs. Mesothelioma is associated with exposure to asbestos in most cases. According to the World Health Organization, there are a total of 59,000 cases of mesothelioma worldwide each year. Most mesotheliomas begin as one or more nodules that progressively grow to form a solid coating of tumor surrounding the lung leading to eventual suffocation and death. A high percentage of mesotheliomas contain cancer stem cells which are generally resistant to the currently available treatment options for mesothelioma. Current treatment in the front line setting consists of 4-6 cycles of Alimta (pemetrexed) in combination with platinum-based therapy. Alimta is the only approved treatment for mesothelioma and there are no approved therapies for relapsed mesothelioma. Relapsed mesothelioma is highly aggressive with a median time to disease progression of only 6 weeks.
About VS-5584
VS-5584 is an orally available compound that has demonstrated potent and highly selective activity against class 1 PI3K enzymes and dual inhibitory actions against mTORC1 and mTORC2. In preclinical studies, VS-5584 has been shown to reduce the percentage of cancer stem cells and induce tumor regression in chemotherapy-resistant models. Verastem is currently conducting a Phase 1 dose escalation trial of VS-5584 in patients with advanced solid tumors as a single agent and a combination trial of VS-5584 and VS-6063 in patients with relapsed mesothelioma. VS-5584 has been granted orphan drug designation in the EU for use in mesothelioma.
About VS-6063
VS-6063 (defactinib) is an orally available compound designed to target cancer stem cells through the potent inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of tumor resistance to chemotherapy, recurrence and ultimate disease progression. Research by Robert Weinberg, Ph.D., scientific cofounder and chair of Verastem’s Scientific Advisory Board, and Verastem has demonstrated that FAK activity is critical for the growth and survival of cancer stem cells. VS-6063 is currently being studied in the registration-directed COMMAND trial in mesothelioma (www.COMMANDmeso.com), a “Window of Opportunity” study in patients with mesothelioma prior to surgery, a Phase 1/1b study in combination with paclitaxel in patients with ovarian cancer, and a trial in patients with Kras-mutated non-small cell lung cancer and a trial evaluating the combination of VS-6063 and VS-5584 in patients with relapsed mesothelioma. VS-6063 has been granted orphan drug designation in the U.S. and EU for use in mesothelioma.
About Verastem, Inc.
Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) is discovering and developing drugs to treat cancer by the targeted killing of cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of tumor recurrence and metastasis. Verastem is developing small molecule inhibitors of signaling pathways that are critical to cancer stem cell survival and proliferation including FAK and PI3K/mTOR. For more information, please visit www.verastem.com.
Forward-looking statements:
This press release includes forward-looking statements about the Company’s strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements regarding the development of the Company’s product candidates, including VS-5584 and VS-6063, the timeline for clinical development and regulatory approval of the Company’s product candidates, including the impact of and any potential benefits from FDA’s orphan drug designation, and the structure of the Company’s pending clinical trials. The words “anticipate,” “appear,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Each forward-looking statement is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include the risks that the preclinical testing of the Company’s product candidates and preliminary or interim data from clinical trials may not be predictive of the results or success of ongoing or later clinical trials, that data may not be available when we expect it to be, that enrollment of clinical trials may take longer than expected, that the Company will be unable to successfully complete the clinical development of its product candidates, including VS-5584 and VS-6063, that the development of the Company’s product candidates will take longer or cost more than planned, and that the Company’s product candidates will not receive regulatory approval or become commercially successful products. Other risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and in any subsequent SEC filings. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events, and the Company does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Source: Verastem, Inc.
Verastem, Inc.
Brian Sullivan, 781-292-4214
[email protected]
“This is an important regulatory milestone for Verastem and, together with our European orphan medicinal product designation, will facilitate our global development of VS-5584 to help improve the available treatment options for patients suffering from this highly aggressive cancer,” said Robert Forrester, Verastem President and Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to taking full advantage of the opportunities that orphan designation allows in order to bring this potential new treatment option to patients as rapidly as possible."
Verastem recently initiated a Phase 1 clinical study evaluating the combination of VS-5584 and VS-6063 in patients with relapsed or progressive malignant pleural mesothelioma. The combination clinical trial is supported by preclinical work demonstrating the synergistic activity of VS‐6063 and VS‐5584 in mesothelioma models in vitro and in vivo. VS-5584 is also being evaluated in a Phase 1 study in advanced solid tumors where the compound has been generally well tolerated and preliminary activity has been observed, including in mesothelioma. Some patients have been on study for over 6 months and the maximum tolerated dose of VS-5584 has not been reached.
In the U.S., under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA's Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) grants orphan drug status to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally a disease that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the country. Upon approval, if received, the designation provides VS-5584 with certain benefits, including seven years of U.S. market exclusivity in the specified indications if the sponsor complies with certain FDA requirements. Additional incentives for the sponsor include tax credits related to qualified clinical trial expenses and a possible exemption from FDA application fees.
About Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that occurs in the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and other organs. Mesothelioma is associated with exposure to asbestos in most cases. According to the World Health Organization, there are a total of 59,000 cases of mesothelioma worldwide each year. Most mesotheliomas begin as one or more nodules that progressively grow to form a solid coating of tumor surrounding the lung leading to eventual suffocation and death. A high percentage of mesotheliomas contain cancer stem cells which are generally resistant to the currently available treatment options for mesothelioma. Current treatment in the front line setting consists of 4-6 cycles of Alimta (pemetrexed) in combination with platinum-based therapy. Alimta is the only approved treatment for mesothelioma and there are no approved therapies for relapsed mesothelioma. Relapsed mesothelioma is highly aggressive with a median time to disease progression of only 6 weeks.
About VS-5584
VS-5584 is an orally available compound that has demonstrated potent and highly selective activity against class 1 PI3K enzymes and dual inhibitory actions against mTORC1 and mTORC2. In preclinical studies, VS-5584 has been shown to reduce the percentage of cancer stem cells and induce tumor regression in chemotherapy-resistant models. Verastem is currently conducting a Phase 1 dose escalation trial of VS-5584 in patients with advanced solid tumors as a single agent and a combination trial of VS-5584 and VS-6063 in patients with relapsed mesothelioma. VS-5584 has been granted orphan drug designation in the EU for use in mesothelioma.
About VS-6063
VS-6063 (defactinib) is an orally available compound designed to target cancer stem cells through the potent inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of tumor resistance to chemotherapy, recurrence and ultimate disease progression. Research by Robert Weinberg, Ph.D., scientific cofounder and chair of Verastem’s Scientific Advisory Board, and Verastem has demonstrated that FAK activity is critical for the growth and survival of cancer stem cells. VS-6063 is currently being studied in the registration-directed COMMAND trial in mesothelioma (www.COMMANDmeso.com), a “Window of Opportunity” study in patients with mesothelioma prior to surgery, a Phase 1/1b study in combination with paclitaxel in patients with ovarian cancer, and a trial in patients with Kras-mutated non-small cell lung cancer and a trial evaluating the combination of VS-6063 and VS-5584 in patients with relapsed mesothelioma. VS-6063 has been granted orphan drug designation in the U.S. and EU for use in mesothelioma.
About Verastem, Inc.
Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) is discovering and developing drugs to treat cancer by the targeted killing of cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of tumor recurrence and metastasis. Verastem is developing small molecule inhibitors of signaling pathways that are critical to cancer stem cell survival and proliferation including FAK and PI3K/mTOR. For more information, please visit www.verastem.com.
Forward-looking statements:
This press release includes forward-looking statements about the Company’s strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements regarding the development of the Company’s product candidates, including VS-5584 and VS-6063, the timeline for clinical development and regulatory approval of the Company’s product candidates, including the impact of and any potential benefits from FDA’s orphan drug designation, and the structure of the Company’s pending clinical trials. The words “anticipate,” “appear,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Each forward-looking statement is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include the risks that the preclinical testing of the Company’s product candidates and preliminary or interim data from clinical trials may not be predictive of the results or success of ongoing or later clinical trials, that data may not be available when we expect it to be, that enrollment of clinical trials may take longer than expected, that the Company will be unable to successfully complete the clinical development of its product candidates, including VS-5584 and VS-6063, that the development of the Company’s product candidates will take longer or cost more than planned, and that the Company’s product candidates will not receive regulatory approval or become commercially successful products. Other risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and in any subsequent SEC filings. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events, and the Company does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Source: Verastem, Inc.
Verastem, Inc.
Brian Sullivan, 781-292-4214
[email protected]
Considering the colossal levels of asbestos exposure experienced by British workers, consumers, bystanders and community members during the 20th century, there can be no doubt that the death toll from asbestos-related diseases has been massive;1 one occupational hygienist has estimated that the country's cumulative asbestos death toll could well exceed 800,000. It is unfortunately true, however, that no one knows how many lives have been lost due to Britain's love affair with asbestos; how many families have been torn asunder by avoidable asbestos-related deaths or how many children's lives have been decimated by the early loss of a parent or the trauma of a beloved grandparent's premature death.
Nowadays, Britain has the unwelcome distinction of having the world's highest mortality rate from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Historically, male mesothelioma deaths have dominated the statistics with, at times, six times as many male as female fatalities. Considering the lower death rate amongst British women, it is of interest to note that so many of the landmark cases through which the national asbestos reality has been revealed relate to the tragic experiences of female victims. In factories and schools, at home and at work, British women have paid with their lives for the asbestos industry's profits.http://ibasecretariat.org/lka-female-face-of-britains-asbes…
Although the asbestos industry's disregard for occupational and public health has been well-documented, the precise moment when the pursuit of profit became imbued with a military fervour has not been pinpointed. That a state of war has been declared, however, is clearly shown by an email circulated by the Asbestos Institute (AI), Montreal dated February 8, 2002: the subject heading is: “WAR report.”1 Following the collapse in Western demand for asbestos, producers have mounted a global campaign to protect remaining markets and develop new ones. Access to generous funding from their supporters has enabled pro-chrysotile lobbyists to bombard government officials and journalists in the developing world with offers of “technical assistance” and free trips to Canada; a well-oiled propaganda machine reassures civil servants and consumers that asbestos can be used “safely under controlled conditions,” despite a vast amount of scientific and medical evidence which proves otherwise. Please see the link http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_asbestos_war.php
Was your MP at the Houses of parliament ? Following our IPF report launch in Parliament on Wednesday, we have compiled all the photos from the event in a Flickr album. Maybe you'll even be able to spot your MP! It's thanks to your hard work that so many parliamentarians turned up and the event was so successful. Follow the link below to take a look. https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlungfoundation/sets/72157650608302337 | |
http://medicalinnovationbill.co.uk/about-the-medical-innovation-bill/
Please Back the Saatchi Bill.
What is the Medical Innovation Bill? The Medical Innovation Bill will help doctors to innovate new treatments and cures safely and responsibly for cancer and other diseases.
The open access Medical Innovation Register will record all treatments and their outcomes, both positive and negative, which are received by patients under the Medical Innovation Bill.
→READ: More about the Medical Innovation Register
Scroll down the page to see the infographic which explains how the Bill will work.
Why do we need the Bill? Society has become more litigious. An unintended consequence of existing law is to act as a deterrent to medical innovation.
The Bill is about giving greater clarity and certainty to patients and doctors at the point of treatment, and not forcing them to wait for the unpredictable outcome of possible litigation.
Dr Max Pemberton -The fear of being sued is ruining modern medicine “It is a tragic indictment of modern medicine that innovation is too often jettisoned in favour of the status quo for fear of legal action. Defensive medicine is at the heart of so much clinical practice today, but the Bill – if accepted into law – would deftly excise this, leading the way for doctors to feel free to strive for medical advancement.”
Dr Max Pemberton writing in the Daily Telegraph.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists expresses a common view:
“Without unequivocal GMC and NICE support, ophthalmologists are understandably concerned that they may be assuming unacceptable personal liability by using an unlicensed drug when a licensed alternative exists. Consequently, patients may not be getting treatment when they need it and not getting the best results”