Archive for April 5th, 2010
Viagra is being trained for new jobs
In the majority of cases, the grant of a patent captures the chemistry and purpose of a drug and locks it away for the given number of years. This is the monopoly given to the manufacturer who will police the drug market and sue anyone who comes too close for infringing the patent. The very act of protection discourages future research to develop the drug for new and different purposes. Yet, in one or two cases, research does go on. Most of the time, this represent unofficial interests where physicians experiment with off-label uses, or there is just a simple change so that, what comes in multiple doses, may be spread out through an extended release capsule. Only in quite rare cases is the research real and sanctioned by the original manufacturer. So it is with Pfizer and its now famous little blue pill. In every way, this pill broke the mold. It was a literal game changer. Under development for one purpose, its accidental power to inspire men is now the stuff of legend. But that left Pfizer with an interesting choice. It had already invested millions to develop a drug to help relieve pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Should it just throw all that money away? Although tempting, given the billions of revenue now flowing into its bank account, Pfizer decided to continue developing the drug for PAH. The result is Revatio, the same basic PDE5 inhibitor applied to the arteries in the chest rather than those leading into the penis. It has become a lifesaver. What is interesting is the change of name. Apparently Pfizer did not think patients would believe in the effectiveness of the drug if it continued under it erectile dysfunction name. A whole new brand identity had to be developed.
In a desire to prove the chemistry is applicable to an ever wider range of conditions, there are now trials underway to test whether it is an effective treatment for cancer, multiple sclerosis, strokes and, somewhat surprisingly, some aspects of mental disability. In all cases, the common feature is the ability of the drug to dilate arteries to improve the circulation of blood throughout the body. One of the consequences of improved circulation is a boost to the body’s immune system. If blood moves only slowly, it is possible for the immune response to drop quite dramatically, say in the area of a tumor. Hence the current trial to determine whether local administration to cancer of the throat will have beneficial results. Apparently, the early results look promising.
There is something faintly strange about the idea of viagra becoming as commonly used as an aspirin. What had once seemed so uniquely particular to the male need seems to have a potential relevance to almost everyone. Given that there are eleven different forms of PDE in the human body, this gives us the prospect there may be eleven different uses for viagra. Perhaps other drugs are always going to be less flexible. A painkiller, for example, really only has one reason to exist (ignoring the abuse for pleasure). Yet who is making this decision? Who decides a drug only has one use? For all we know, the majority of drugs licensed for use for one purpose may actually have multiple purposes. Ah, wait! That is the problem. If one drug could treat multiple diseases and disorders, there would be no need for multiple different drugs and pharmaceutical companies would make less money. Let us leave it that there shall only be the brand and generic viagra. For any other disorder, there must be a new and expensive drug.
Pfizer loses a part of its patent for viagra
Despite the best efforts of television shows like “Boston Legal” to show us the serious and inspirational side of the work done by attorneys, most of us feel the lives of lawyers are probably dull and boring. It’s therefore good to be able to bring you news of the fun to be had in the courts. Let’s start with a little background. Being first on to the battlefield with its little blue pills, Pfizer waited with attorneys drawn and cocked. It’s all very well to have a piece of paper with the magic word “Patent” printed on it but, sure as eggs is eggs, someone else is bound to come along with a copy. They will have their own attorneys primed and ready to explode the first patent. After all, no matter how successful a pharmaceutical company, there must also be massive profits for attorneys. The first team claim their wording gives watertight protection – a bit like a condom. The second team claims that the first wording is full of holes – a bit like a condom given to a man by a woman who wants to get pregnant.
We now have to move over to India and China. There are a lot of extremely angry people over there. They have centuries of using different herbs, spices and other natural substances for medicinal purposes. Indeed, there’s a fabulous treasury of different treatments buried in literature available to all who can read it. Ah ha! That’s a bit of a problem. Not that many people who work in the US Patent Office are fluent in foreign languages, particularly when, in many cases, we are talking about old scripts. So, when these modern officers input search terms into their databases, curiously, little or nothing came up from China or India. That’s all changing thanks to a major effort being undertaken in both countries to translate all their old documents into English and to supply this information to the US Patent Office. Why should this matter, you ask. Well, US companies have been reinventing the wheel and patenting it. This is deeply annoying to the people of China and India who suddenly find their well-established medical treatments patented by Big Pharma. To be a valid patent, the product must be original.
This brings us to Horny Goat Weed. Savor the name and understand its medical property. This herb has been known to the practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. By a strange coincidence, its chemistry is almost identical to viagra (and the two later competing drugs). So when Pfizer sued Eli Lilly alleging infringement of its patent, the clever attorneys for Eli Lilly said Pfizer had not invented anything original and were not entitled to their patent. This week, the court agreed and struck out a part of the original patent. Of course, this case is going to drag on into the appeal system. While we are all waiting for the outcome, you can still buy viagra online. Although the main chains of retail pharmacies throughout the US have said they will lay in supplies of Horny Goat Weed, this may take a little time to organize. Farmers in China must be persuaded to plant extra fields for the US market. On second thoughts, just continue buying either the branded or generic viagra. It works for the attorneys and their profits so it should be good enough for the rest of us.
Uninvited Guests Who Ruin Homes and Health!
Black mold, mildew, fungi, dust, pollen and odors are wreaking havoc on our homes and immune systems. Are you concerned about your wellbeing and suspect that the air quality in your home or office is sub standard? Do you have allergies or environmental sensitivities? It is possible that poor air quality combined with mold, mildew, fungi, pollen, dust or chemicals may be the cause. Microorganisms like warm moist places such as bathrooms, basements, kitchens and wet bars. Being primary digesters, they immediately go to work to decompose their surroundings, regardless of whether it is your clothes, carpet, furniture, house walls or cabinets.
Not only are these uninvited guests unsightly, smelly and persistent, but they can also degrade your health. They contribute to allergies, lowered immunity, environmental sensitivities, autoimmune diseases, jock itch, athletes foot, and may be suspect in other such health conditions such as mold in the lungs, systemic Candida Albicans and yeast infections. Your air is an ideal delivery system to all of these undesirable elements directly to your lungs and sinuses. Most people far underestimate the quality of the air in their homes. Indoor air quality can be 4-10 times more polluted than air outdoors. Where do you spend most of your time?
All over the US there are many homes and office building in which mold, mildew or fungi are wreaking havoc on the living and working conditions of countless people. I recently visited a large custom built home that was particularly memorable. An unusual variety of fungi had moved into the downstairs apartment and was busy constructing large black mandala shaped forms all over the walls and ceilings, creating a filth and stink that was unbearable. The owners tried to wash it away, but it resisted all forms of cleaning and cleaning agents. It persistently grew back within a short period of time. It produced thousands of spores that were carried on air currents causing it to spread throughout the house onto more and more walls and ceilings.
Poor air quality throughout the US and deterioration in homes due to mold and fungi is more common than you might think. Lawsuits have been held and won against contractors in California where black mold was found growing in the walls of new homes. Black mold causes numerous health complaints such as headaches, allergies, lethargy and more.
As these undesirable organisms that are carried on air currents move into the bathrooms, closets, basements, bedrooms and living spaces of our precious homes, we have to ask ourselves, “How can I evict these unwelcome intruders”. Numerous air purification systems exist. Some people resort to vinegar, others to bleach and still others to harsher chemicals. Such is the conventional method of tackling these organisms, which has limited effectiveness. Harsh chemical cleaners easily release into the air and are potentially harmful to breathe and should not contact your skin. Pregnant women should take extra cautions to avoid mold and chemicals. To make matters worse, the spores of the mold and fungi easily travel on air currents, and they can lie dormant deep within porous materials such as wood, plaster, carpets, drapes, furniture and clothing. They are waiting for more favorable growing conditions and when presented, they immediately begin growing.
The persistent and prolific abilities of mold, mildew and fungi to constantly reappear even after extensive cleaning have raised the question, “How can I get rid of these unwanted invaders forever and prevent them from coming back”.
In my search for cleaner air I examined two similar substances, Ozone and Aran, which are being produced from electric plug in devices that help to remedy these problems. Both are oxygen polymers, but one is three times more effective than the other. Due to frequent misunderstandings, doubt and ignorance, these substances, which offer outstanding medical and air cleaning benefits are not as common as one would expect. In Europe it is common place to treat all water and swimming pools with ozone or activated oxygen and unheard of to use chlorine, which is a toxic chemical.
Since the 1950′s ozone machines and air purification systems have been created for the purpose of sanitizing air and water. While initially controversial, the use of ozone has been proven as both safe and effective for numerous home and industrial applications in the treatment of air and water. In 1965 this technology was improved upon by the introduction of Aran, which is a highly active form of polyatomic oxygen without the presence of Nitrogen oxides.
Over 70% of the air we breathe is Nitrogen. The vast majority of ozone air purifiers on the market can not distinguish between oxygen and nitrogen and produce toxic nitrous oxides. When I asked several of these ozone machine manufacturers about them they couldn’t tell me anything. It took me 10 years of using an ozone air purifier to learn why I could not use it while in the house. It made me feel funny, but the manufacturer claimed it was safe. WRONG! More than 70% or the air we breathe is nitrogen and when those nitrogen molecules in our air are split, the result is toxic nitrous oxides. They are toxic to people, pets and plants and they can make you feel weird or loopy. Most ozone air machines produce them, but the manufacturers won’t tell you.
The EPA suggests that ozone machines should not produce levels of ozone higher than 200 ppb (parts per billion), which is extremely minimal. My extensive research has shown that ozone is very safe in quantities as high as 50 ppm (parts per million) when the ozone is not in the presence of nitrous oxides. Most of the earlier ozone testing including most likely that which the EPA based their decisions on was when ozone was tested in combination with nitrous oxides.
What is the difference between ozone and Aran In the Webster’s dictionary ozone is 1), an ionized form of oxygen and 2), pure air. Ozone is a combination of three single Oxygen atoms or O3. This highly unstable O3 molecule easily combines with pollutants and oxidizes them. Oxidation is nature’s way of breaking down pollutants. Aran is a higher form of energized oxygen, which has significantly more power than ozone to effectively oxidize air pollutants. Aran is nature’s most powerful natural sanitizer and described as O4-O16. These higher forms of allotropic activated oxygen are extremely rare and usually found in the higher atmosphere where they work to clean the air through oxidation.
How is ozone made? In order to make ozone a spark or ultra-violet light is used. Since this technology does not differentiate between nascent oxygen atoms and nitrogen molecules, the ozone that is created from ozone machines in the market place is combined with oxides of Nitrogen (NO, NO2 and N2O2). This both diminishes the production of ozone and introduces a substance that is detrimental to health. For this reason most home use ozone machines produce a small quantity of ozone in order to minimize customer exposure to Nitrogen oxides.
How is Aran made? Aran is made by a patented process with the Aran Corona generator that selectively separates the diatomic molecule of oxygen found in our atmosphere and regroups these nascent atoms of oxygen into molecules of 4 or more atoms of oxygen creating Aran (O4, O5, O6, O7, O8, O9, OX). In 1965 the copyright for Aran was registered in the Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
Fresh air, sunshine and good cleaning agents and practices are helpful in the fight for a clean, healthy home. Yet, if you find that they are just not enough, here are some tips for evaluating electric air or water purification systems. With so many purifiers and so much hype it pays to know what to look for including:
1) Quantity of ozone/Aran and negative ions unit produces.
2) Does the unit produce nitrogen oxides?
3) Does the unit have expensive replacement parts?
4) What is the power consumption?
5) What kind of maintenance is required?
6) How long is the warranty?
7) Does the unit require replacement parts: bulbs, ozone plates, filters? 
What is the total cost of the unit?
The route to cleaner air is multi-fold. Don’t let your health and wellbeing be compromised. You have to clean your home, find safe chemical free cleaners, open windows, fix leaks, clean out cupboards and get rid of moldy carpets or furniture. If all else fails, find an electric air purification system that produces polyatomic oxygen free of nitrous oxides. You can win the battle against black mold, mildew, fungi, dust, pollen and odors. Don’t give up, your health is dependent upon it.
Kalon Prensky has been a writer, educator and health advocate for over 24 years. He specializes in teaching about Air Purification Systems for healing, pain, ionization, oxygen, air and water, plus Cold Laser Therapy. Copyright 2007
