Dr Lindsay Rosenwald | Lindsay Rosenwald Success & Achievements

The results of Phase III clinical trial show that patients suffering from castration-resistant prostate cancer with metastases live much longer when treated with a newly discovered drug abiraterone acetate if compared to placebo.

According to Dr. Johann de Bono, a lead analyst at the Institute of Cancer Research, and Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald, a leading investor in the biotechnology sector, abiraterone is “a major step forward in prostate cancer” treatment. The data of the trial were presented at the 35th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Milan, Italy and demonstrated a significant improvement of survival in patients undergoing the abiraterone treatment. They lived nearly four months longer than the patients who received placebo.

In many cases, prostate cancer progresses even after receiving chemotherapy, therefore it is critically important to address the needs of the patients with advanced prostate cancer. As Dr. Rosenwald and Dr. de Bono say, patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer aggravated by metastases have a very poor prognosis and have only 3 to 5 years of life after the diagnosis is set. For such men, abiraterone can prolong life.

Scientific research showed that prostate cancer depends on the level of male hormone testosterone. If this hormone is low in the body, this may reduce the growth of the tumor. However, after a long-term hormonal treatment, many prostate cancers become resistant to hormones and start growing again. This is where abiraterone acetate can help. It is specifically designed to inhibit the production of androgen in the adrenal glands, testes as well as prostate cancer itself. 1,195 patients from 13 countries participated in the Phase III trial. Most such patients were treated with one of the chemotherapeutic drugs composed of docetaxel, an anti-mitotic chemotherapy drug.

398 patients received the corticosteroid prednisone plus placebo, and they lived for about 10 months. 797 patients took abiraterone acetate plus prednisone and their survival was about 15 months.

A pre-specified interim analysis of the study demonstrated the advantages of abiraterone acetate. Because of this, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended J&J’s to unblind the trial and allow the patients in the placebo group to be treated with abiraterone.

Although there are obvious benefits of the drug, there are still some unclear points about abiraterone, e.g. how to determine which patients should be treated with the drug. Obviously, this is a significant step forward, more work is required to improve the results in patients with prostate cancer.

Dr. Lindsay A. Rosenwald and his portfolio companies keep a close eye on the trial results and promote the drug by making investments in its trial and further commercialization.

Prof. Carsten Bokemeyer, director of University Cancer Center Hamburg, Germany, believes that abiraterone acetate can be a great addition to the treatment of prostate cancer.

Since patients with advanced prostate cancer have very limited treatment options, abiraterone is a good choice with low toxicity that significantly extends life. Furthermore, the results of the trial also show that patients after chemotherapy can be treated, which is very important for “the future management of castration-resistant prostate cancer.”

Terminal stage prostate cancer sufferers, who had no more beneficial effect from chemotherapy, were treated with Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ) test preparation abiraterone which prolonged their survival for about four months in comparison with the people suffering from the same disease but treated with a placebo, in accordance with the results concerning a phase III research analysis provided at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) annual meeting on October 2009.

Johnson & Johnson reported the highest positive research returns from the analysis of abiterone treatment the previous month and declared firm intention to find the preparation’s commendation. Minute descriptions of the results, along with the numerous advantages of abiraterone treatment indisputably prolonging lives, were introduced at the ESMO annual conference.

The phase III research recruited 1,195 prostate cancer sufferers, treating them at random with abiterone acetate along with the steroid prednisone or a placebo along with prednisone. Every sufferer participating in the research had a diagnosis of metastatic, terminal stage prostate cancer with sarcomas no more beneficially affected by hormonal therapy or chemotherapy, namely the most famous and generally used preparation Taxotere.

The sufferers instituted abiraterone therapy showed 35% increase of chances to survive in comparison with the sufferers taking a placebo. The average statistics data on people surviving showed the results as follows: the sufferers treated with abiraterone survived for 14.8 months, and 10.9 of those treated with a placebo, which makes abiraterone about four months more effective in survival.

Physicians normally start prostate cancer sufferers treatment through hormonal therapy so as to cease testosterone producing and to delay sarcoma development, however many of the prostate cancers come to be refractory to such a therapy and begin growing anew.

The original research introduced at the ESMO congress and funded by leading investors, including Lindsay Rosenwald, MD, demonstrated the abiraterone usage on prostate cancer sufferers who have no more beneficial effect from hormone therapy and chemotherapy – the third line sufferers in hopeless condition. However Johnson & Johnson is researching and analyzing the effect of abiraterone usage on the sufferers who show no more beneficial effect from hormone therapy still not yet subjected to chemotherapy.

Prostate cancer immunotherapy Provenge

Aberaterone’s primary rivalry seems to have started due  Sanofi-Aventis’ (SNY) Jevtana, commended sooner current year for hopeless third line prostate cancer sufferers. In the middle of the phase III research, Jevtana demonstrated average statistics data on people surviving with treatment for 15.1 months in comparison with 12.7 months for the sufferers treated with different chemotherapy preparation mitoxantrone.

Medivation (MDVN) together with partner Astellas are working out MDV3100, a prostate cancer preparation which in its effect does not differ much from abiraterone. Phase III researches have already started.

About Abiraterone Acetate

Abiraterone has been licensed by Cougar Biotechnology and acquired by Johnson & Johnson after its phase II clinical trial for a late stage drug candidate for the treatment of prostate cancer. Cougar has been funded by several leading investors, including Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald, as a promising first-in-class compound tested in patients with advanced castrate-resistant prostate cancer, who have yet to receive their chemotherapy.

J&J filed its marketing applications in late 2010. If approved, abiraterone acetate will be allowed for distribution in early 2011 in the United States and Europe with the rest of the world to follow.

Today Biotechnology Industry is a fast track. Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald has become a leading personality in this Industry. The activities are well-diversified. Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald contributed to the development of the Biotechnology Industry. The Portfolio Companies are engaged in the advancement of Drug research and development.

Another company of  Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald is having network across the globe in the field of HealthCare Investment and Development. This company also gives guidance to new comers in this field and has become Role model to them. It is engaged in financial services and venture capital and also a Registered Broker-Dealer. At present this company accumulated funds nearly worth $950,000,000 since its birth in the year nineteen ninety nine.

Regarding his academic career Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald completed his graduate from Abington High School in Pennsylvania in the year nineteen seventy seven and after that he did graduation in medicine from Temple University School of medicine. After completion of internship at Abington Medical Hospital he carried on private medical practice for about two years. Later in 1986 he shifted to Wall Street. There he made use of his combined knowledge in the spheres of medicine and finance. At that time very few people had the combination of knowledge of both the disciplines. Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald’s combination of knowledge in both medicine and finance laid fast tracks that today kept him on fore front of success in the field of Biotechnology and Finance.

During his career as an Entrepreneur he has funded a number of world famous companies.  After that the expansion was very fast and there was a great increase in the number of companies managed by him. All the companies have worked with the main object of financing to help the research and development and advanced research in the field of Biotechnology. Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald’s Group of Industries has made grand success in the Drug invention. One example in the connection is Cougar Biotechnology, one of his groups of companies, that has been engaged in examining its application in the treatment of prostate cancer. This company was purchased by Johnson and Johnson Company at a huge amount of one billion dollars.

Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald also established Rosenwald Foundation which is charitable foundation and is engaged in research and development in drugs and clinical research. He is also acting as Director and CEO in many numbers of private and public companies across the globe. He formulated and sold way a number of companies with FDA’s approval. Polarx was taken over by Cell Therapeutics and Myraid Pharmaceuticals purchased Javelin Pharmaceuticals and Enzymed Corporation was acquired by Albany Molecular. The secret of his success is acquisition of combined knowledge and experience in the fields of medicine and finance.

His investment portfolio speaks volumes about his vision orientation and forward thinking.  His strong belief is that there will be a tremendous growth in the area of biotechnology in the coming twenty years.  The rate at which the industry is going, it is sure that we will see a very good number of changes.  According to Rosenwald, upcoming medical discoveries will come via small biotech businesses, which are concentrated in, on producing only a few products, as opposed to a huge biotech organization, which has many projects in work at once. He believes the two most pressing issues we encounter these days are heart disease and cancer.