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A drug study using the saliva of vampire bats has recently stepped back into Press headlines. The study had been previously halted because of potential risk to the humans who were being tested on with this drug.
Apparently, it is safe for the study to resume flight as the data has been more carefully analyzed.
The Vampire Bat drug was developed by a German company (Paion AG) with a U.S. Partner (Forest Laboratories Inc) and apparently the shares on this product have flown even higher, perhaps due to the date in which the study was revived, a day before Halloween.
The drug has the potential to become a "blockbuster" according to cnn.com and the companies have reported that they expect the study to be completed by the end of the year and the results completed by the middle of 2007.
When the study was originally paused, the shares fell more than 22%. However, though investors were warned by analyst Adam Greene, the shares continued to rise upon the continuance of the drug testing.
So just how much vampire bat is in this drug?
So far, just the saliva is being used, and even so only a clot-dissolving protein which is found in the vampire bat's saliva is currently being implemented into the drug. No bat's wings or blood is being used, so there is no need to get too disturbed on this one. After all, most females apply bat poop to their eyelashes on a daily basis.
This has, in fact, been under study since 2004. Discovered in the Rockefeller Medical Library's Archive of "old" news items, the study of the saliva of vampire bats was already well underway.
Also, according to healthnewsdigest.com, the drug containing this vampire bat saliva may also reduce the risk of brain damage after the stroke. The drug, once approved, will be the only Food and Drug Administration-approved stroke drug.
Another important aspect of this drug is the time it allows. Doctors are often unable to take care of stroke victims within the three hours the current drugs require. The additional six hours would allow doctors a greater chance of tending to stroke victims before it is too late.
In fact, only about 3% of stroke victims arrive at the hospital in time to take the current drug for strokes which may prevent brain damage.
Desmoteplase (the bat-saliva drug) also will most likely be much more effective against clots than the current after stroke drug.
The bat's themselves use the anti-clotting protein as a way to prevent its food from forming blood clots. In patients, this enzyme dissolves blood clots that block important vessels.
Another source of hope for stroke victims was published in Times in February of 2004. Published recently after the World Stroke Congress meeting in Canada, the article pointed out that there had been success for recent stroke patients.
After bilateral repetitive rhythmic training and intervention treatment, brain scans showed that the brain had actually been somewhat reorganized and that the improvement was most likely permanent. The treatment included a therapist moving and manipulating the arm. The motor centers in the brain eventually learn to function this way on their own and permanently hang on to the physical ability relearned through therapy.
The bat-saliva drug has actually been successfully tested in two separate studies focusing on the treatment of strokes between 3 and 9 hours after symptoms arise. The current window for treatment is only 3 hours.
Strokes are basically caused by a clot in the brain which blocks blood flow, the bat saliva protein breaks down the clot and therefore the effects of the stroke are less detrimental to the brain.
Stroke is currently the third leading cause of death in America and drug developers have been long seeking a cure and or treatment. While this is also a glimmer of hope for stroke victims, most would prefer a quicker solution after the stroke in order to prevent the brain damage strokes often cause.
Perhaps the vampire bat's saliva will prove more useful than anyone had dared to imagine hundreds of years ago. Indeed, the bat species may become less creepy to humans as they are discovered to be more helpful.
Maybe bats will be the next household pet after they gain nobility through this stroke treatment drug? That may be a stretch; however, one thing is for sure, bat saliva is certainly on the way to becoming a key ingredient in an effective drug to minimize the damage of strokes.
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