Greg Wasson <gregm94610@...> wrote:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I recently sent information to some of you about a CBS "60 Minutes" segment
airing this Sunday titled "Cure Interrupted?", and promised you additional
information before the broadcast.. Some of you may be hearing about this from me
for the first time. In either event, the segment will focus on the controversy
surrounding biotech giant Amgen's decision to halt human clinical trials of a
promising new Parkinson's therapy using GDNF, a growth factor which may be the
first Parkinson's therapy shown to regrow dopamine producing tissue in the brain
and actually reverse the disease. As you know, dopamine is neurotransmitter that
is lost in Parkinson's and makes it difficult and eventually impossible to
control movement in its victims. This treatment may be the only hope for a
generation of Parkinson's patients. The following information includes links to
a packet of material that will give more detailed information and tools you can
use to help rrestore GDNF human clinical trials.

-------

Did you know that recently a new experimental treatment for Parkinson’s disease
for the first time ever showed physical evidence that dopamine could be re-grown
in the brain?

Did you know that Amgen Pharmaceuticals abruptly halted its human clinical
trials for this treatment, GDNF infusion to the brain, in September, 2004, even
though both the patients and the researchers saw clear benefits and no serious
safety issues?


People who had been up on their feet and moving are now back in their
wheelchairs.


People who could once again sleep at night, dress themselves, and complete
everyday chores now have slowly slipped back into the daily, hourly struggles of
living with Parkinson’s disease. As have their families.


After September 11, 2005, millions of Americans will know.

On Sunday, September 11, 2005, 60 Minutes, CBS’s award-winning television news
magazine show, will bring this story to the country’s attention.

On Monday, September 12, 2005, it is our hope that hundreds of thousands of
Americans will become advocates for these patients, and all future clinical
trial participants whether for Parkinson’s disease or any other disease or
condition. We invite you to be one of them.

The following link
http://www.grassrootsconnection.com/splash_packet/announce.htm takes you to
a package of information, as well as sample letters to email to Amgen officials
and to your local press. We urge you to read them, add your personal story, and
then send them off on September 12, joining your voice with the voices of
Parkinson’s disease advocates nationwide.

This package of information also includes a clear, understandable summary of the
history and current status of GDNF, and a bibliography of further reading. There
is also a petition with more than 1,000 signatures asking Amgen to give GDNF to
the trial participants who have requested it, which we encourage you to sign at
www.plwp.org/GDNFpetition2005.htm.

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation and the Parkinson's Action Network have
issued an announcement, which can be viewed at
http://capwiz.com/pan/issues/alert/?alertid=8003186&type=CU , urging all
patients and those who care about them to watch show. It also describes this
effort to support the demand that Amgen restart human clinical trials on GDNFand
perhaps save a generation of mid-to-late stage Parkinson's patients.

Please, join us. Watch the show on September 11. Act on September 12. Thank you.

Sincerely yours and thanks,

Greg Wasson - Diagnosed 1995 - Kentucky State Coordinator, Parkinson's Action
Network (PAN), PAN National Field Representative - 2002-2003; Recipient, first
Millicent Kondracke Award for Outstanding Advocacy - 2002

The GDNF support project members include:

Parkinson Pipeline Project

People Living With Parkinson’s

Grassroots Connection

Nancy Abraham

Jean Burns

Carey Christensen

Perry Cohen

Linda Herman

Sheryl Jedlinski

Rees Jenkins

Maggie Kaufman

Carol McLeod

Carolyn Stephenson

Virginia Schwinge

Roger and Linda Thacker

Brenda Tucker

Ann Wasson

Greg Wasson

Louise Wheeler

Peg Willocks

Paula Wittekind




















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