Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Collagenex to raise $29m
Collagenex, the guys who recently acquired SansRosa and who are behind the oracea periostat variant, have raised $29m by selling new shares into the market.
Their shares are currently trading at $11.75; it will be interesting to see how the shares perform from now on. The company has been in the process of re-inventing itself recently. I guess if you believe in the products and the size of the rosacea market they may make an interesting investment.
Original report here:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8EKOGT00.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db
Collagenex Share price: http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=CGPI&t=3m&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=
Previously...
Our first post on SansRosa.
Transcript of interview with SansRosa founder.
WindHover report on SansRosa.
SansRosa patents.
Their shares are currently trading at $11.75; it will be interesting to see how the shares perform from now on. The company has been in the process of re-inventing itself recently. I guess if you believe in the products and the size of the rosacea market they may make an interesting investment.
Original report here:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8EKOGT00.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db
Collagenex Share price: http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=CGPI&t=3m&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=
Previously...
Our first post on SansRosa.
Transcript of interview with SansRosa founder.
WindHover report on SansRosa.
SansRosa patents.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Safer ETS?
** Correction: I've removed the last line of the original posting. The original wording indicated that this new method of performing an ETS doesn't have the same side effects as the current methods - this is unknown and doubtful considering it's essentially the same surgery. Thanks to Gary for pointing this out. **
Warning: ETS (endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy) for Rosacea/Flushing/Blushing is generally considered to be a last resort measure only to be considered in the most serious of cases.
Per MedPageToday.com, there is a physician in Belgium that has been refining a new technique to essentially perform an ETS without actually having an invasive surgery.
From the article:
CHICAGO, Nov. 30 - Interventional radiologists in Belgium have devised a fast and highly effective cure for sweaty palms.
Using CT fluoroscopy to guide their needles, the radiologists have devised a percutaneous approach that they described as just as effective as surgical or endoscopic sympathectomy, but at just a fraction of the cost and with a complication rate approaching zero.
"The patient enters the CT with sweaty palms, we inject him, he rolls over and the sweaty palms are gone," said Hugues Brat, M.D., of Centre Hospitalier Hornu-Frameries in Hornu, Belgium, at a press conference at the Radiological Society of North America meeting here. "He is cured."
Link to article:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Dermatology/GeneralDermatology/tb2/2227
According to the article this procedure is only done in Europe and is still quite experimental. The article does not mention ETS as a treatment for Flushing/Blushing, just Hyperhydrosis. Those who're scheduled to undergo ETS soon may want to wait a little for this to develop.
Warning: ETS (endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy) for Rosacea/Flushing/Blushing is generally considered to be a last resort measure only to be considered in the most serious of cases.
Per MedPageToday.com, there is a physician in Belgium that has been refining a new technique to essentially perform an ETS without actually having an invasive surgery.
From the article:
CHICAGO, Nov. 30 - Interventional radiologists in Belgium have devised a fast and highly effective cure for sweaty palms.
Using CT fluoroscopy to guide their needles, the radiologists have devised a percutaneous approach that they described as just as effective as surgical or endoscopic sympathectomy, but at just a fraction of the cost and with a complication rate approaching zero.
"The patient enters the CT with sweaty palms, we inject him, he rolls over and the sweaty palms are gone," said Hugues Brat, M.D., of Centre Hospitalier Hornu-Frameries in Hornu, Belgium, at a press conference at the Radiological Society of North America meeting here. "He is cured."
Link to article:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Dermatology/GeneralDermatology/tb2/2227
According to the article this procedure is only done in Europe and is still quite experimental. The article does not mention ETS as a treatment for Flushing/Blushing, just Hyperhydrosis. Those who're scheduled to undergo ETS soon may want to wait a little for this to develop.
Interesting before / after photos of rosacea IPL tx
I rarely link directly to laser MD's websites but these 3 colourful before/after photos are worth sharing, and some of the clearest I've seen. It is interesting to see the immediate response 3-4 minutes after treatment test spots:
http://www.rosacea.net/
I have always noticed the best results in my case is after an immediate light blanching response as documented in these pictures... But just my experience and I am no expert.
(as per our manifesto... we have no financial or other relationship with the site above!)
http://www.rosacea.net/
I have always noticed the best results in my case is after an immediate light blanching response as documented in these pictures... But just my experience and I am no expert.
(as per our manifesto... we have no financial or other relationship with the site above!)
Collagenex to buy SansRosa
Collagenex to acquire SansRosa. Congrats to the SansRosa guys.
Collagenex is buying a 51% stake initially for $750k cash with a further $4m to $6m for the purchase of the remaining shares if a successful product is developed and approved for sale.
Interesting. Collagenex are the company behind oracea as well as working on their own topical dermatological products and delivery systems.
"Shareholders could get up to an additional $4 million to $6 million if all milestones are met and a patented product is developed and approved for sale, Collagenex said."
This was an obvious route for SansRosa. They were always unlikely to carry on on their own; better to hook in with an established company with better financing, resources and knowledge of the approval process and the rosacea market. Collagenex will be doing all the product and clinical development from now onwards.
I think this is good news for rosaceans. The product is now much more likely to get to market - there is a lot of money riding on this happening and collagenex are serious about making this happen.
We have discussed SansRosa many times since we initially broke the news about this product:
A transcript of an interview with the SansRosa founder
Windover report on SansRosa
When will it be available?
Oracea, a derivative of PerioStat that Collagenex has been working on and is almost finished in the FDA approval process (phase III), is only going to start being marketed in 2006 Q3 (i.e. just less than one year from now). Educated guess but based on this, I wouldn't expect to see any sign of SansRosa until 2008 or later.
"CollaGenex said that pending regulatory approval, it hopes to start marketing Oracea in the 2006 third quarter."
MORE
Press release on Collagenex and SansRosa hookup here
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=CGPI&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=796181
Quote:
"Payment for shares of SansRosa will be made in installments tied to the achievement of various product development milestones. CollaGenex will be solely responsible for product and clinical development. "
...
"The acquisition of this technology is another important step in executing our strategy to become a leader in providing innovative products to the dermatology market," said Colin Stewart, president and chief executive officer of CollaGenex. "SansRosa is an excellent fit for CollaGenex. There are currently no effective treatments for the redness associated with rosacea and certain other dermatological conditions. If successfully developed and approved, a topical product based on SansRosa's technology would complement our existing pipeline, including Oracea(TM), which is currently under review by the FDA."
Dr. Klaus Theobald, Chief Medical Officer of CollaGenex, commented: "SansRosa's proposed technology offers an elegant approach that, if successfully developed, would address a largely unmet medical need."
"We are extremely pleased that CollaGenex will develop this exciting technology," said Jack DeJovin, Founder of SansRosa"
Collagenex is buying a 51% stake initially for $750k cash with a further $4m to $6m for the purchase of the remaining shares if a successful product is developed and approved for sale.
Interesting. Collagenex are the company behind oracea as well as working on their own topical dermatological products and delivery systems.
"Shareholders could get up to an additional $4 million to $6 million if all milestones are met and a patented product is developed and approved for sale, Collagenex said."
This was an obvious route for SansRosa. They were always unlikely to carry on on their own; better to hook in with an established company with better financing, resources and knowledge of the approval process and the rosacea market. Collagenex will be doing all the product and clinical development from now onwards.
I think this is good news for rosaceans. The product is now much more likely to get to market - there is a lot of money riding on this happening and collagenex are serious about making this happen.
We have discussed SansRosa many times since we initially broke the news about this product:
A transcript of an interview with the SansRosa founder
Windover report on SansRosa
When will it be available?
Oracea, a derivative of PerioStat that Collagenex has been working on and is almost finished in the FDA approval process (phase III), is only going to start being marketed in 2006 Q3 (i.e. just less than one year from now). Educated guess but based on this, I wouldn't expect to see any sign of SansRosa until 2008 or later.
"CollaGenex said that pending regulatory approval, it hopes to start marketing Oracea in the 2006 third quarter."
MORE
Press release on Collagenex and SansRosa hookup here
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=CGPI&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=796181
Quote:
"Payment for shares of SansRosa will be made in installments tied to the achievement of various product development milestones. CollaGenex will be solely responsible for product and clinical development. "
...
"The acquisition of this technology is another important step in executing our strategy to become a leader in providing innovative products to the dermatology market," said Colin Stewart, president and chief executive officer of CollaGenex. "SansRosa is an excellent fit for CollaGenex. There are currently no effective treatments for the redness associated with rosacea and certain other dermatological conditions. If successfully developed and approved, a topical product based on SansRosa's technology would complement our existing pipeline, including Oracea(TM), which is currently under review by the FDA."
Dr. Klaus Theobald, Chief Medical Officer of CollaGenex, commented: "SansRosa's proposed technology offers an elegant approach that, if successfully developed, would address a largely unmet medical need."
"We are extremely pleased that CollaGenex will develop this exciting technology," said Jack DeJovin, Founder of SansRosa"
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Arubix cream arrives
I have been waiting to blog about this until my package arrived, to ensure that their service is legit, that they have the product in stock and they ship... And they do. The oder process was a touch "clunky" but it all came through (just over 2 weeks for international order), and I have photographic proof (left) !
You can order the Arubix cream from here:
http://www.nutrivea-usa.com/arubix_s_anti_redness_cream.htm
(yes, I paid for it)
I've blogged about this before:
Golden Chamomile Cream
Topical chrysanthellum indicum for rosacea
More info on study
Having read the study paper in full a couple of things are of interest
- Redness improved most at the end of the 12-week trial so stick at it - may continue to improve after 12 weeks, according to paper
- 60% of patients on the cream were positive about its efficiacy at the end of the trial compared to 39% of placebo patients... This was higher than the %age efficiacy ratings that the investigators judged, leading them to conclude that the cream was having positive effects on more than just the redness area and intensity (sensitivity?).
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Tricia posts a final Dr. Darm update
Tricia posts her update after 9tx with Dr. Darm
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/rosacea-support/message/77556
"Where am I today? Not cured by any means but much, much better"
Always good to hear positive reports.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/rosacea-support/message/77556
"Where am I today? Not cured by any means but much, much better"
Always good to hear positive reports.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
My experience with Dr. Darm for rosacea treament
Thanks to Steve for sharing his results with Dr. Darm. It prompted me to post mine -- apologies for the lateness.
I traveled to Portland, OR, from the UK, to see Dr. Darm this past summer (of 2005). I had 9 tx as part of a 2.5 week treatment regime. I had IPL + N-Lite + Genesis treatments, the same protocol as was being discussed with great enthusiasm at that time by some folk.
I have seen no improvement in my condition with Dr. Darm. No improvement in redness, flushing, pore size, skin texture or sensitivity. I have seen minor improvement in previous IPL treatments in the UK, but nothing earth-shattering.
As Steve has pointed out, and Dr. Darm has also stated publicly, his Genesis settings are not unique, they are taken from Dr. Bruce Russel who developed and shared the Genesis "painting" protocol as part of his work with Cutera. These are widely used at cosmetic spas throughout the USA. This isn't a bad thing in of itself, however people may have gotten a different impression.
If you do a search for "genesis laser cosmetic surgery" in google you will find many people using the genesis laser with the painting protocol (although usually without IPL):
http://www.google.com/search?q=genesis+laser+cosmetic+surgery
Dr. Darm's IPL step is similar to that used by many other IPL doctors, the main difference being long pulse durations and delays, to try and impart maximum energy with minimum damage. His IPL equipment, contrary to some reports, is the original ESC photoderm machine with no special software modifications or filters. He uses an old-style cooling mechanism on the machine which pipes cooled liquid (alcohol I believe) around the IPL crystal.
I found Dr. Darm and his staff competent and friendly, and as a person Dr. Darm is a real nice guy who I got on well with. He took plenty of time to talk to me and was involved in every single treatment... I really appreciated that and am grateful for his hands-on involvement. He has a tendency to be very optimistic about the sort of results you can expect.
After detailed discussions with him and seeing my own results as well as those in his photo-casebook (which he was kind enough to review with me in some detail -- where those patients had consented to such) I personally do not believe his protocol, equipment, expertise or results warrant inter-state or inter-country (in my case) travel.
I remain sceptical about the gensis and n-lite portions of his protocol. While I personally didn't experience any adverse effects at the time, I am not yet convinced that the so-called "condensed protocol" is proven and believe it should probably be approached with some caution (despite its convenience -- which was the main reason I travelled to see Dr. Darm).
Had I known more about Dr. Darm, his equipement, protocol, etc. I probably would have saved my approx $10k I spent on the trip and treatments.
Don't forget to share your results with the rosacea community. It is community feedback rather than individual recommendations that really drives us to good laser doctors.
I traveled to Portland, OR, from the UK, to see Dr. Darm this past summer (of 2005). I had 9 tx as part of a 2.5 week treatment regime. I had IPL + N-Lite + Genesis treatments, the same protocol as was being discussed with great enthusiasm at that time by some folk.
I have seen no improvement in my condition with Dr. Darm. No improvement in redness, flushing, pore size, skin texture or sensitivity. I have seen minor improvement in previous IPL treatments in the UK, but nothing earth-shattering.
As Steve has pointed out, and Dr. Darm has also stated publicly, his Genesis settings are not unique, they are taken from Dr. Bruce Russel who developed and shared the Genesis "painting" protocol as part of his work with Cutera. These are widely used at cosmetic spas throughout the USA. This isn't a bad thing in of itself, however people may have gotten a different impression.
If you do a search for "genesis laser cosmetic surgery" in google you will find many people using the genesis laser with the painting protocol (although usually without IPL):
http://www.google.com/search?q=genesis+laser+cosmetic+surgery
Dr. Darm's IPL step is similar to that used by many other IPL doctors, the main difference being long pulse durations and delays, to try and impart maximum energy with minimum damage. His IPL equipment, contrary to some reports, is the original ESC photoderm machine with no special software modifications or filters. He uses an old-style cooling mechanism on the machine which pipes cooled liquid (alcohol I believe) around the IPL crystal.
I found Dr. Darm and his staff competent and friendly, and as a person Dr. Darm is a real nice guy who I got on well with. He took plenty of time to talk to me and was involved in every single treatment... I really appreciated that and am grateful for his hands-on involvement. He has a tendency to be very optimistic about the sort of results you can expect.
After detailed discussions with him and seeing my own results as well as those in his photo-casebook (which he was kind enough to review with me in some detail -- where those patients had consented to such) I personally do not believe his protocol, equipment, expertise or results warrant inter-state or inter-country (in my case) travel.
I remain sceptical about the gensis and n-lite portions of his protocol. While I personally didn't experience any adverse effects at the time, I am not yet convinced that the so-called "condensed protocol" is proven and believe it should probably be approached with some caution (despite its convenience -- which was the main reason I travelled to see Dr. Darm).
Had I known more about Dr. Darm, his equipement, protocol, etc. I probably would have saved my approx $10k I spent on the trip and treatments.
Don't forget to share your results with the rosacea community. It is community feedback rather than individual recommendations that really drives us to good laser doctors.
