ar's primary endpoints are two fold, Pain and Function.At the end of the day, the authorities like the FDA know that pain is a game changer. Sure there are a few pain killers out there but none are ideal and certainly none are safe for long term use.If we manage to get over the line and start a P3 it will be something fairly incredible when those results are finally read out.
But tonight we cover a topic that is also very heavily linked to pain.
Please, as always, now enjoy.
One of the most painful experiences out there (sure ladies, I don't think it would hold a candle to childbirth?) is Kidney Stones.
Scientifically this is also known as Calcium Oxalate crystallisation, hence. the somewhat cryptic crystallisation title as tonight's subject.
Let's explore this one a bit more and what if, any, relevance it has to do with our share holding in the future, you are a shareholder right?
Before we can even tackle the underlying condition, we need some definitions to be sorted first.
Phospholipids - Yeah the biology gets a little complex but at a high level, think of these as important molecules that have both a hydrophobic (replant of water) and a hydrophilic (attracts water) end. These little beauties are required by cells for various processes and to keep them healthy.
When lipids (think of these as fats) are increased, a few of the unwanted effects of this include:
Hypercalciuria
Hyperoxaluria
Hyperuricosuria
*Whew* I'm getting a bit hyper over all those hypers...Mozz Speak?
Hypercalciuria - Excessive calcium in the urine but it also contributes to osteopenia as well as osteoporosis.2 Hyperoxaluria - Excessive oxalate filtered by the kidneys, Oxalate is a nutrient found in many leafy green, vegetables and some fruits and nuts.3 Hyperuricosuria - this is the state of having too much uric acid excretion.
The above can result in a higher chance of kidney stones being developed. Don't for a second think you should reduce those green veggies and nuts....but some people are more susceptible, consult your doc!
To put it eloquently, there can only be one true way to convey how many people this condition affects. So here we go (by popular demand) with another Mozz Quiz ®.
How many Adults greater than 20 years of age in the USA have reported a kidney stone at some time in their lives?
A) Well of course this a Mozz quiz, it's not going to be insignificant number, let's try 23,450
B) Is he being serious? More like 150,000 !
C) 450,000 ??
D) Double C...in fact, let's just double C) and add the rest of the answers above for a really red hot go at this...1,073,450 is my answer
You were quite close if you went all out and selected D) from the above answers.
The answer is 23.7 million.1
It is estimated that one in ten people will have a kidney stone at some time in their lives.4
How about this link/association:
"... the rise in kidney stone diagnosis has mirrored increases in cases of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure".4.5
What is the commonality between all three of those diseases? (Obesity, diabetes AND high Blood pressure)? Yes, you guessed it, all of them are inflammatory.
It's a gigantic problem and there aren't a lot of solutions. Remember those definitions above, one of them was excessive calcium build up. Take a read of this quote:
"I've even had patients say that their doctors told them to reduce their calcium intake".
However, be warned, a diet low in calcium actually increases one's risk of developing kidney stones.
That quote above comes from the National Kidney Foundation.4
In fact the single best way to prevent kidney stones is.....wait for it....
... drink more water!
Get on the front foot and drink more water...!
Now thats not going to fix every person's chance of getting them...and remember, with some 23 odd million in the USA...well there are going to be a number that need something more.
Mozz mate, love your science interpretations and dialing it back so we can understand some of it. But seriously, how is this linked to us, why do I need to care about this?
Well A) Because you yourself want to do everything to AVOID Kidney stones, they sound way too painful for me to handle...
And B)....this is the exciting bit... ready? PPS has a positive effect!
Let's explore.
Back in 1993 some researchers wanted to observe what PPS can do for Kidney Stones. So they took rats and divvied them up into 5 groups.
. Group 1 - Control
. Group 2 - Commercial diet mix with 3% sodium glycolate for 30 days
. Group 3 - Commercial diet with PPS for 10 days
. Group 4 - Normal diet plus PPS for 30 days
. Group 5 - Glycolate supplemented diet for 30 days and PPS added in last 10 days. (This acted like a prophylactic).
Ok so what were the results??
Well Group 2 cholesterol levels were increased but remember in the Intro back above where I defined phospholipids? They were decreased. So in other words not a great result for these rats.
PPS treatment for 10 days to control and experimental rats (Groups 3 and 5) resulted in a decrease in total lipids content - nice result for PPS.
In addition, group 5 also exhibited reduction in the levels of total and ester cholesterol.
In Groups 4 and 6 the drug administration for 30 days resulted in reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels...
Now here is a statement for you:
"The decrease in phospholipids seen in Group 2 rats was restored to that of control levels with SPP treatment for 30 days".
The changes in kidney lipids in glycolate treated rats was analogous to that found in the liver.
Check out the following two tables:
Check out Group 4 for instance...some nice readings compared to the Contro (Group 1). Particularly look at the P < 0.001 for additional confidence that it's PPS that's doing the heavy lifting.
In concluding the researchers stated this:
"PPS administration restored the tissue lipid pattern in the treated groups to nearly that of control animals".
Over the years I have seen these words such as regressed...restored...normalised a lot of times. Understood we need clinical trials to scientifically account for such observations, but as a prelim, this is great anecdotal evidence for us early bird investor types (not advice).
I love it when a plan comes together, were the famous words uttered by The A team back in the 80's, another ace show I used to follow every Fri night as a young teenager...In the same way, I love hearing the amazing stories of Pentosan and how it works but not by a single study, by MULTIPLE studies and conducted around the world.
Here are two more examples.
"SPP could provide a novel approach to the medical prevention of recurrent CaOx stone disease".5
..."...a role for PPS in the treatment of recurrent renal calcium stone disease...".6
Yes we have a number of hurdles to cross, both clinically as well as financially. To me it's a bit of a chicken and an egg situation. We need the science to prove we have a stellar product...but we need the funding to progress the clinical trials!
We have made some pretty super progress clinically so far with a fair bit more to come, we need to prop up funding and get some new believers on to our books. The retail initial funding to get us to this stage hasn't been easy, it hasn't been a smooth ride...we have lost a number of holders, I get it, it happens, it's not ideal... But, I do see the future as bright...really bright. Some of this will manifest not over months but YEARS. That's way too hard for a lot to even contemplate and digest...but I have my insto thinking cap on and I love what I see way way way out into the future.
This does not mean that we can't jump on some good news some time before that.
The data presented here in this post isn't new...but it's still glorious and it's potential layering for us one day in the future.
As a wrap up check this statement out: (note SPP = PPS)
"In conclusion, our results show that SPP has not only preventive effects on calcium oxalate stone formation but also growth inhibitory effects on stones in hyperoxaluric rats".7
That conclusion up there is quite a read but it's made that much more mesmeric when you realise that these little Ratty blighters are DRINKING and EATING PPS...I mean, it's not SubQ.
What would the results be with SubQ on these painful crystals?
That's for a study down the road.
Keep the faith dear Par holders, our day in the sun draws ever closer!
ar's primary endpoints are two fold, Pain and Function.At the end of the day, the authorities like the FDA know that pain is a game changer. Sure there are a few pain killers out there but none are ideal and certainly none are safe for long term use.If we manage to get over the line and start a P3 it will be something fairly incredible when those results are finally read out.
. Group 1 - Control
. Group 2 - Commercial diet mix with 3% sodium glycolate for 30 days
. Group 3 - Commercial diet with PPS for 10 days
. Group 4 - Normal diet plus PPS for 30 days
. Group 5 - Glycolate supplemented diet for 30 days and PPS added in last 10 days. (This acted like a prophylactic).
(20min delay)