All American Investor

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Medivation Starts New Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's -- Dimebon

I wanted to bring this into you awareness

Full disclosure: I am in the process of determining if my mother is a candidate for the Dimebon with Namenda clinical trial. Protocol Number: B1451006

No Dimebon clinical data exist yet in patients with disease that has advanced to the moderate-to-severe stage. Therefore, this study evaluates the safety and efficacy of Dimebon in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease who are receiving existing background therapy with memantine (namenda).

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MDVN Starts New Alzheimer’s Trials

Earlier this month, Medivation, Inc. (MDVN - Analyst Report) and Pfizer, Inc. (PFE - Analyst Report) initiated two phase III studies, CONTACT and CONSTELLATION, with Dimebon in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). Dimebon is being developed in collaboration with Pfizer for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and Huntington diseases.

The CONTACT study will assess the potential benefits of adding Dimebon to ongoing treatment with Pfizer’s Aricept on neuropsychiatric symptoms and activities of daily living. Meanwhile, the CONSTELLATION study will evaluate the effects of adding Dimebon to Forest Lab’s (FRX - Analyst Report) Namenda, another standard of care, on cognition, memory and activities of daily living.

Preclinical studies indicate that Dimebon has the potential to protect brain cells from damage and enhance brain cell survival, by stabilizing and improving mitochondrial function. Dimebon’s mechanism is distinct from currently available Alzheimer’s medications.

Dimebon is currently in seven studies which are evaluating the safety and efficacy of the candidate across all stages of Alzheimer's disease, both as monotherapy as well as in combination with currently available Alzheimer's treatments, and in Huntington disease.

Dimebon’s unique mechanism of action and efficacy seen in clinical trials could make it a significant player in the worldwide Alzheimer’s market, which represents huge commercial potential. It is estimated that the market is currently worth about $5 billion.

Dimebon has successfully completed the first of two pivotal trials required to gain marketing approval in the U.S. for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. A second confirmatory phase III study, CONNECTION, is currently ongoing. We expect to see top-line results from this study in the first half of 2010. Positive results should allow Medivation to go ahead with the filing of the new drug application (NDA) for the Alzheimer’s indication in 2011.

We currently have a Neutral recommendation on Medivation.

All of the above investment information is from Zacks investment research. It does not represent any opinion on our part.

To read more about Medivation and Dimebon -- go here.

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Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 950 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Housing Starts New Privately Owned Housing Units Started (Chart)

New Residential Construction. U.S. Department of Commerce. Thousand of units.

529,000 versus versus 2,207,000, February, 2005

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Original content Bob DeMarco, All American Investor

50 Year Low Privately Owned Housing Starts: 5-Unit Structures or More (Chart)

48,000 units versus 1,000,000 March, 1973.

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Original content Bob DeMarco, All American Investor

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (Chart and Text) OCTOBER 2009

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.3 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

The index has decreased 0.2 percent over the last 12 months on a not seasonally adjusted basis.

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The seasonally adjusted all items increase largely reflected advances in the indexes for energy and for new and used motor vehicles. The energy index rose for the fifth time in the last six months, advancing 1.5 percent as the indexes for gasoline, fuel oil, natural gas, and electricity all increased.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in October, the same increase as in September.

The indexes for used cars and trucks and for new vehicles both rose sharply and together they accounted for over 90 percent of the increase in the index for all items less food and energy.

The indexes for airline fares and medical care also increased, while the shelter index was unchanged and the indexes for apparel and recreation declined.

The food index also increased in October, rising 0.1 percent after declining in two of the previous three months. The index for food away from home increased slightly, while the food at home index was unchanged. Within the food at home group, the index for dairy and related products rose significantly, while the fruits and vegetables index declined for the fourth straight month.

Consumer Price Index Data for October 2009

Food

The food index rose 0.1 percent in October after declining 0.1 percent in September. The index for food away from home increased 0.1 percent while the food at home index was unchanged. Within the food at home group, the index for dairy and related products rose 1.0 percent in October after a 0.5 percent increase in September, and the index for other food at home advanced 0.3 percent. These increases were offset by a 0.7 percent decline in the fruits and vegetables index and 0.2 percent decreases in the indexes for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs and for nonalcoholic beverages. The index for cereals and bakery products was unchanged in October. Over the past 12 months, the food index has declined 0.6 percent with the food at home index down 2.8 percent.

Energy

The energy index rose 1.5 percent in October after increasing 0.6 percent in September. The index for energy commodities rose 1.9 percent, with the gasoline index increasing 1.6 percent. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices fell 0.8 percent in October.) The index for fuel oil rose 6.3 percent. The index for energy services, which increased 0.1 percent in September, rose 0.9 percent in October. The electricity index increased 0.6 percent while the index for natural gas rose 1.9 percent in October after declining 1.7 percent in September. Over the past 12 months, the energy index has fallen 14.0 percent with the gasoline index declining 17.9 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in October, the same increase as in September. Most of the advance was due to increases in transportation indexes. The new vehicles index rose 1.6 percent and the index for used cars and trucks rose 3.4 percent, its third consecutive substantial increase.

The index for airline fares rose for the fourth straight month, increasing 1.7 percent in October.

Outside of the transportation group, the changes within all items less food and energy were largely modest.

The medical care index rose 0.2 percent in October after increasing 0.4 percent in September.

The shelter index was unchanged in October, as it was in September. The rent index decreased 0.1
percent, the index for owners’ equivalent rent was unchanged, and the index for lodging away from home rose 0.4 percent.

Posting declines in October were the indexes for recreation and apparel, which both fell 0.4 percent. For the past 12 months, the index for all items less food and energy has risen 1.7
percent.

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Original content Bob DeMarco, All American Investor

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Producer Price Index Graph 1117

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 0.3 percent in October, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

This increase followed a 0.6-percent decline in September and a 1.7-percent rise in August.

In October, at the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods moved up 0.3 percent and the crude goods index increased 5.4 percent.

On an unadjusted basis, from October 2008 to October 2009, prices for finished goods fell 1.9 percent, the eleventh consecutive month of year-over-year declines.