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Study targets immune system in
Lou Gehrig’s disease patients
Carolyn Shimek has joined
millions of Americans who
take cholesterol-lowering
drugs. Unlike the rest of them, though,
Shimek does not have high cholesterol.
Instead, she is participating in a unique
clinical study found only at the Methodist
Neurological Institute that looks
at the benefits of Lipitor on the immune
system in patients with Lou Gehrig’s
disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS).
Physicians at the The Methodist
Hospital MDA/ALS Clinical Center
diagnosed the 48-year-old in 2005.
When she learned of this investigatorinitiated
research, Shimek knew she
had to give it a chance.
“I have a lot to live for - my family and
friends,” said Shimek, a wife, mother of
three, and one of 12 siblings. “If participating
in this study means it will help
me or other ALS patients down the
road then it’s worth it.”
Dr. Ericka Simpson, co-director of
Methodist’s ALS Clinic, is the primary
investigator who oversees this study
in which patients will be randomly
assigned to receive the drug. Simpson
believes the immune system plays
an important role in how ALS affects
patients.
“Lipitor has been shown to regulate
immune responses that may provide
protection in diseases of the central
nervous system. Our goal is to determine
whether Lipitor has the ability to
improve the course of disease progression
and quality of life for our ALS
patients,” said Simpson.
Currently, the only Government
approved drug therapy for ALS is
Rilutek. The drug has been shown to
modestly improve patient survival, but
has no measurable affect on function
or the rate of disease progression. ALS
is a progressive neurodegenerative
disease characterized by degeneration
of the upper and lower motor neurons
in the brain and spinal cord which
stimulate skeletal muscle movement.
As more motor neurons die, muscle
weakness gets progressively worse.
An estimated 30,000 people throughout
the U.S. have ALS, and 8,000 new
cases are diagnosed each year.
For more information regarding this article or to talk with an patient representative please use the following contact information:
Methodist International Services
6560 Fannin ST 220
Houston, Texas 77030
Telephone: (713) 441-2340
Fax: (713) 793-7097
Email: methodistinternational@tmh.tmc.edu
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