Daily Health and Medicine News

Syntopix boosted by green chemical find

ANTI-MICROBIAL specialist Syntopix has identified two new ‘green’ chemicals which could be used to develop new oral healthcare products.

The Bradford-based group has just completed a pioneering research project to help scientists creating new environmentally-friendly cosmetic, pharmaceutical and personal care products.

Syntopix researches, develops and tests ingredients for acne treatments, dental products, deodorants and anti-dandruff shampoos.

The company, listed on the Alternative Investment Market, was one of just two successful applicants to win backing for the 30-day project from support organisation Intelligent Formulation.

The study worked with international chemical experts to create novel surfactants. Used to create emulsions and microemulsions, surfactants help water and oily ingredients bind together and are found in many household goods.

The project focused on surfactants that meet the growing consumer demand for cosmetics and healthcare products which use natural and biodegradable products.

Syntopix said the study successfully measured the “characteristic curvature” (CC) of a range of green chemicals – data which gives valuable clues as to how useful the surfactants will be in forming microemulsions. It believes this data could save time and money in the development of new formulations.

Microemulsions are a mixture of oil and water, but unlike ordinary emulsions, contain very small particles. They are found in foods, cosmetics and medicines as well as inks, lubricants and cleaning fluids.

“The work Syntopix has done to characterise surfactants is a benefit not only to the group but also to the wider scientific community,” said Dr Steve Jones, chief executive of Syntopix.

“The project will help define the parameters for successful formulations and we hope that it will encourage surfactant suppliers to measure and provide CC values to aid their customers in formulation design.”

Syntopix will make the CC data public, which it hopes will help with the development of new cosmetic, pharmaceutical and personal care products.

Dr Jones added: “From our own perspective, we now have new chemical information on two environmentally-friendly surfactants that we can incorporate into our own formulations.

“Following our recent acquisition of Leeds Skin, we now also have the capacity to test our formulations in house using our unique human skin model, LabSkin. As consumers demand more natural ingredients in their personal care products, this will give our products a real edge over competitors.”

Last month Syntopix bought a skin testing centre – Leeds Skin Centre for Applied Research – for £900,000, in what it described as a pivotal transaction. The deal means it no longer has to send potential new acne, dandruff, body odour and gingivitis cures to outside laboratories for clinical trials. Wetherby-based Leeds Skin runs an independent commercial testing facility specialising in human skin microbiology and clinical dermatology research.

Leeds Skin will carry on working for its current clients, which include household names such as Boots, L’Oreal, Stiefel, a GlaxoSmithKline company, and PZ Cussons.

Intelligent Formulation is a not-for-profit company, based in Huddersfield, helping companies innovate in formulation.

Its chief executive, Dr Jim Bullock, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of the project and also with its successful collaborative format.

“The results will not only benefit Syntopix but also the wider formulation community in other industrial sectors. We are also very pleased with the high level of interest from that community now that we are disseminating the results.”

In March, Syntopix reported six months of increasing revenues but deeper losses.

Syntopix said pre-tax losses for the six months to the end of January hit £557,000 from £517,000 a year earlier. Revenues from commercial agreements increased to £161,000 from £104,000.

Syntopix’s library of compounds now stands at more than 3,000, and it is exploring how to commercialise this.

Going skin deep

Syntopix was spun out of the skin research centre at the University of Leeds in 2003.

It was founded by husband and wife team Dr Jon Cove and Dr Anne Eady, two of the leading experts in skin microbiology.

Their academic work focused on the microbiology of skin, antibiotic resistance in skin bacteria and the pathobiology of acne and eczema. It received initial funding of £483,000 from the Wellcome Trust, with further rounds of funding totalling £720,000 from Techtran Group, the Viking Fund and the White Rose Seedcorn Fund.

The group listed on the Alternative Investment Market in March 2006.

UPDATE 1-Cipher acne drug shows comparable safety, efficacy

* Says drug meets non-inferiority efficacy margins

* Company to submit NDA in Q4

* Expects six month review period (Follows alerts)

June 7 (Reuters) – Cipher Pharmaceuticals said a late-stage trial showed that its experimental drug to treat a severe form of acne was as safe and effective as currently available treatment.

The non-inferiority trial, which included 925 patients suffering with nodular acne, was comparing the safety profile of the company’s patented formulation of CIP-Isotretinoin with commercially available isotretinoin product, the company said.

The company is banking on the superior absorption profile of its formulation compared with existing isotretinoin products. To achieve optimal absorption, Cipher delivers its formulation using its drug delivery system Lidose, while current formulations are prescribed to be taken with meals.

The drug also met the non-inferiority efficacy margins set for the late-stage trial.

The company said it will use these results along with previously submitted data to submit a revised new drug application to U.S. health regulators in the fourth quarter.

It expects the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a six month review date.

Shares of the company closed at C$1.10 on Monday on the Toronto Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Anand Basu in Bangalore; Editing by Don Sebastian)

Accutane: The Acne Cure That Costs More

Accutane is a cure that could end up costing you your health, which plaintiffs, either part of the consolidated Multidistrict Litigation, MDL 1626, in the Middle District of Florida or the mass torts in New Jersey, can attest to. The permanent damages associated with this medication have left many who have used it broken both physically and mentally. Is the cure for acne really worth the risk of developing Accutane inflammatory bowel disease, a chronic health problem and one of a number of Accutane side effects?
Severe acne and Accutane side effects

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions effecting between 60%-70% of Americans during some point in their lifetime. It is most commonly seen in teenagers due to the constant fluctuation in their hormones. The condition occurs when pores, the hair follicle opening which contains a secretory gland, becomes clogged or blocked. The pore glands or sebaceous glands secrete sebum which is an oily/waxy substance that naturally lubricates the skin. When the pore is clogged sebum builds up along with dirt, debris, bacteria and inflammatory cells, and this leads to the development of black heads, white heads, pimples, pustules, and cysts.

It is not known for sure how Accutane, generically known as isotretinoin, works. The doctors who discovered it, Frank Yoder and Gary Peck, were investigating it back in 1975 as a possible treatment for serious keratinizing skin conditions when they accidently discovered it could cure acne. The current theory as to its mode of action is that is reduces sebum secretion. It is believed that the inflammatory response generated when the pores become clogged with excess sebum is also decreased. Besides reducing sebum it is also thought that the drug may work by producing an antibacterial protein termed neutrophil-gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) which reduces the amount of bacteria Propionibacterium acnes, which is naturally found on the skin as part of its normal flora and is most commonly associated with acne.

Though Accutane is considered the only “cure” for acne it is a dangerous one, the side effects besides inflammatory bowel disease include: ulcerative colitis, crohns disease, birth defects, mental status changes including depression and suicide, increased pressure inside the skull, serious skin reactions such as toxic epidermal necrolysis, pancreatitis, hearing and vision impairments, clinical hepatitis, osteoporosis, osteopenia, bone fractures, delays in bone healing, excessive bone growth, and premature epiphyseal closure. The Accutane lawsuit trials taking place in New Jersey have been broken up into two groups those who have suffered Accutane inflammatory bowel disease and psychiatric cases related to the drug’s use.
Accutane inflammatory bowel disease

According to court documents, from Accutane lawsuits, plaintiff’s experts have testified that Accutane has a drying effect on the epidural layer of the skin. The intestines are lined and protected by a layer of mucus and an epidural lining, so it is biologically plausible that Accutane could disrupt the mucosal lining of the intestines and allow damage to occur. Researchers recently published a study which reviewed Inflammatory Bowel Disease cases and isotretinion exposure in a large insurance database and concluded that there was an association between the two and that there was a significant risk of developing the condition with higher doses of the drug. The biologically plausible connection made by the plaintiff’s experts may in fact be the causation needed for an Accutane lawyer to prove the case.

Brand New Online Resource Shows Acne Sufferers How To Finally Get Rid Of Blackheads And Whiteheads

A comprehensive resource on blackheads and whiteheads is now available to adolescents and adults who want to get rid of their acne with topical treatments, removal techniques and home remedies.

BlackheadsAndWhiteheads, a new website providing in-depth information about non-inflammatory acne, is showing acne sufferers how to effectively and safely remove their comedones.

“Acne is a condition that affects more than 85% of adolescents and adults. Many of them leave their blackheads and whiteheads untreated and are then experiencing inflammatory acne breakouts and even acne scarring” says Coralie Ecublin, founder of www.BlackheadsAndWhiteheads.com. Treatment of comedones is the first step of effective acne prevention and should be done as soon as some appear on the face or on the body.

Moreover, there are some popular beliefs that prevent acne sufferers from getting rid of comedones. Blackheads, because of their color, are still associated with dirt, which is absolutely not true, and people think they will get rid of them by washing themselves more often, which in fact only leads to more blackheads. Another popular belief is that one can safely squeeze comedones to get rid of them; however doing this can actually lead to more severe acne breakouts and even acne scars.

BlackheadsAndWhiteheads provides acne sufferers with all the necessary information to help them get rid of their embarrassing blackheads and whiteheads. With this information in hand, acne sufferers can make a better choice between the numerous treatment and removal options available.