Osteoporosis is characterized by a decrease in bone density, which results in an increased risk of fractures. Quantitive tracer methods using a heavy isotope of calcium, calcium-41, coupled with Accelerator Mass Spectrometry detection allow the rate of calcium bone loss, and the effectiveness of treatments to prevent this loss, to be accurately monitored.
Davis, CA (PRWEB) October 21, 2004 -- Vitalea Science announced today that it had extended its operation to include calcium-41 preparation and measurement services. The unique facility was specially designed for the conversion of a rare analog (isotope) of calcium that is used in human studies, calcium-41, into a physical state suitable for quantification by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). Accelerator Mass Spectrometry is the latest tool in Pharmas arsenal of high-value tools meant to shorten the drug development cycle. This service, Ca-41/AMS is intended to address the growing need for new and effective treatments for osteoporosis and other skeletal diseases.
Ca-41/AMS was mainly developed at Academic institutions and National Labs, and, to date has only modestly been explored by Pharma. The delay by Pharma is attributed to a lack of high-throughput commercial facilities with expertise in the design and analysis of calcium-41 investigations. Vitaleas Ca-41/AMS services fill this void and are expected to attract immediate interest from any serious maker of osteoporosis drugs...
Studies of the skeleton and osteoporosis are a high priority, given the one million osteoporotic fractures that occur in the U.S. every year and their attendant $10 to 18 billion annual cost" - say Dr. Dueker, President of Vitalea. Many people think of bone as a hard, permanent substance that does not change after childhood. However, bone is alive and dynamic, constantly renewed through a process of removal or reabsorption of old bone and formation or laying down of new bone. Now we have the tools to do interesting things: the kinetics of calcium in the human skeleton can for the first time be studied directly, enabling studies of fundamental bone processes and providing indicators of an individual's bone heal; various therapeutic dosages and formulations can easily be studied and compared.
We are in negotiations with a major pharmaceutical company to apply Ca-41/AMS in a pre-clinical study of a daily therapy preventing bone loss in post-menopause women" states Dr. Vuong, Vice president of Operations. We further expect that Calcium-41 will be the method of choice among the food and supplement industries to quantitatively study effects of functional foods and botanical supplements on bone health—For example, the ability of a diet rich in phytoestrogens - like soy products - to mitigate bone loss is would greatly benefit from the precision and accuracy afforded by Ca-41/AMS methods. We encourage scientists to contact us early on in the product development stage, even for concept testing, or study design".
About Vitalea Science, Inc:
Vitalea Science is the United States first commercial Contract Research Organization (CRO) to provide Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) based services to the biomedical and pharmaceutical communities. The company was founded in 2003 by Dr. Stephen R. Dueker and Dr. Le Thuy Vuong, respected authorities in the fields of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry and Nutrition research. For further information about Vitalea Science and its range of services, including Microdosing, Metabolite Profiling and Biolabeling, please visit: http://www.vitaleascience.com
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