Nagoya University

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2024 -- For patients with thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (T-OPLL), surgical treatment is effective for improving neurological function, quality of life (QoL), and pain management during a 10-year period, according to a study published online Aug. 5 in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery . Sadayuki Ito, M.D., Ph.D., from the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, and colleagues retrospectively examined 51 patients followed for ≥10 years after posterior decompression and corrective fusion surgery for T-OPLL to assess clinical, functional, and QoL outcomes. The researchers found a significant improvement in the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score from preoperatively to two years postoperatively (3.7 to 7.9); thereafter, the score remained stable. The mean EuroQol-5 Dimension-5 Level score improved from 0.53 to 0.68 from preoperatively to 10 years postoperatively. For both back and leg pain, the numerical rating scale scores decreased from 5.4 to 3.5 and from 4.0 to 3.0, respectively, from preoperatively to 10 years postoperatively. Kyphotic angles and ossification areas changed, with no significant progression after two years. Overall, 14 patients (27.5 percent) experienced postoperative complications; eight (15.7 percent) required reoperation: six and two in the perioperative period and later, respectively. Additional surgeries for conditions including lumbar spinal canal stenosis and cervical OPLL were performed for four of the patients (7.8 percent). In all cases with postoperative complications or additional surgery, physical function remained stable over the decade. "These complications and interventions did not substantially detract from the overall QoL improvement," the authors write.

PARAMUS, N.J., July 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NS Pharma, Inc. (NS Pharma), a subsidiary of Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. (Nippon Shinyaku), announced that its Board of Directors has appointed a new President at its US headquarters. Yukiteru Sugiyama, Ph.D. replaces retiring president Tsugio Tanaka, MSc as of June 30, 2024. Continue Reading "As president, it is my mission to maintain heightened levels of empathy at NS Pharma." Post this Yukiteru Sugiyama, PhD, NS Pharma President Sugiyama received a doctorate degree in organic chemistry from Nagoya University in 1996. From 1996 until 2007, he worked in research and clinical development with Nippon Shinyaku in Japan, focusing on structural chemistry and blood cancer therapies. In 2007, he transitioned to the commercial division within the company. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sugiyama transferred to NS Pharma in the US to work as assistant vice president overseeing commercial functions for VILTEPSO®(viltolarsen). In total, Sugiyama has worked for 28 years at Nippon Shinyaku with progressive levels of responsibility. "Having served in both our science and patient focused fields, I have come to understand that having empathy for the patient is critical in the development of therapies to treat rare diseases," Sugiyama explained. "As president, it is my mission to maintain heightened levels of empathy at NS Pharma, and to enhance transparency between all stakeholders." Sugiyama will lead the company through the next phases of clinical and commercial development for VILTEPSO and CAP-1002 (through a partnership with Capricor Therapeutics) – for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne). NS Pharma is also currently working on an exon 44 skipping therapy (Phase 2) and an exon 50 skipping therapy (Phase 1/2) for Duchenne, a selective JAK1 inhibition therapy for the treatment of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), as well as several preclinical neurological therapies. About NS Pharma, Inc. NS Pharma, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. NS Pharma is a registered trademark of the Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit nspharma.com. US Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE NS Pharma, Inc.

MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- Sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 100 Hz leads to improvement in cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) amplitude in patients with definitive Meniere disease, according to a study published online June 24 in Acta Oto-Laryngologica . Michihiko Sone, M.D., Ph.D., from the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, and colleagues investigated the efficacy of sound stimulation of 100 Hz for treating vestibular dysfunction in patients with Meniere disease. Analysis included patients with definitive Meniere disease with intractable vestibular symptoms and endolymphatic hydrops in the inner ear who received either sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 100 Hz for five minutes or sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 250 Hz for five minutes (control). The researchers observed significant increases in cVEMP amplitudes after sound stimulation of 100 Hz in ears with vestibular endolymphatic hydrops. No such improvement was seen in the control group. "Sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 100 Hz leads to improvement in cVEMP amplitude in patients with definitive Meniere disease," the authors write. "Adequate sound stimulation might be a new method for treating the vestibular dysfunction associated with Meniere disease."