Resumen de Reprieve for 'risky' Parkinson's drug
In September 2004, the experimental drug GDNF, or glial-derived neurotrophic factor, was controversially withdrawn because of safety fears. Amgen, the biotech giant running the trial, became concerned that high doses of GDNF might damage the part of the brain important for balance and posture, as seemed to happen in tests on monkeys. Now Rheogene, a biotech firm in Norristown PA has developed a "safety switch" that should allow GDNF to be delivered to the brain by gene therapy, precisely controlling the amount produced.
