Isn't this great!!! Check out this web site for a free Delayed Auditory Feedback program:
http://myweb.uiowa.edu/rarenas/index.htm
Use information learned about stuttering
I saw this quote "Getting the facts is only half the job. The other half is to use them wisely," and immediately thought of all the children who go through speech therapy and learn the techniques they need for better speech, but only use them in therapy sessions. I have read posts of adult stutterers who, after leaving school and not having access to therapy, said they wished they could remember everything they had been taught as they would try harder to use what they had learned, now. Wonder how you get young people to realize that they need to use those techniques and make them part of their everyday life for the rest of their lives. Learning something will do us no good if we don't apply what we have learned.
The same thing goes for parents who have a child who stutters. Getting the information of what to do and how to talk with the child is only the first step (www.stutteringhelp.org has this information); following the suggestions is the wise step.
Teachers, employers, and others should also become informed about stuttering in case they come in contact with someone who stutters. The stories that I have heard about injustices in school and the workplace make me wonder if some people should be allowed to be teachers or employers!
The same thing goes for parents who have a child who stutters. Getting the information of what to do and how to talk with the child is only the first step (www.stutteringhelp.org has this information); following the suggestions is the wise step.
Teachers, employers, and others should also become informed about stuttering in case they come in contact with someone who stutters. The stories that I have heard about injustices in school and the workplace make me wonder if some people should be allowed to be teachers or employers!
Helping a child who stutters
Dr. Ramig and Dr. Murphy give some helpful ways to help a child who stutters at http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad11/papers/therapy11/murphy11.html
Children need to learn some coping techniques while they are young so they "change some of the learned avoidant reactions that often develop as a result of the unpleasantness of stuttering." I wonder if many of the adult stutterers would not stutter as badly if they had gotten professional help when they were young, if their parents and teachers had learned how to help them, and if they had not acquired some of the habits of avoidance and secondary behaviors that most people who stutter seem to get.
From posts that I have read online, I feel that many young people who go to a speech therapist don't get much out of it because they don't really want to be there. They don't want to have to leave their regular class in school to go to therapy. If you aren't really wanting to be in therapy at the time, how can you get anything out of it?
Being able to verbalize the fact that you stutter, being able to talk about it to your family, and being able to express your feelings about stuttering is one of the big first steps to improving your speech. Anyone who stutters or who has lived with someone who stutters will tell you that stuttering is worse if you are trying NOT to stutter. If a child knows that a parent is embarrassed by their stuttering, he/she will try not to stutter or will just stop talking. The Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org) has a brochure to help parents who have a child who stutters. They have books, online help, DVDs, and other material to help all ages. Dr. Ramig is coauthor of some of the materials.
Children need to learn some coping techniques while they are young so they "change some of the learned avoidant reactions that often develop as a result of the unpleasantness of stuttering." I wonder if many of the adult stutterers would not stutter as badly if they had gotten professional help when they were young, if their parents and teachers had learned how to help them, and if they had not acquired some of the habits of avoidance and secondary behaviors that most people who stutter seem to get.
From posts that I have read online, I feel that many young people who go to a speech therapist don't get much out of it because they don't really want to be there. They don't want to have to leave their regular class in school to go to therapy. If you aren't really wanting to be in therapy at the time, how can you get anything out of it?
Being able to verbalize the fact that you stutter, being able to talk about it to your family, and being able to express your feelings about stuttering is one of the big first steps to improving your speech. Anyone who stutters or who has lived with someone who stutters will tell you that stuttering is worse if you are trying NOT to stutter. If a child knows that a parent is embarrassed by their stuttering, he/she will try not to stutter or will just stop talking. The Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org) has a brochure to help parents who have a child who stutters. They have books, online help, DVDs, and other material to help all ages. Dr. Ramig is coauthor of some of the materials.
National Stuttering Awareness Week and others in May
Look at this http://battlingforhealth.com/2009/05/health-observances-in-may/
I never realized that we had so many health observances in May. I knew that National Stuttering Awareness Week is always the second week in May, but I didn't know about all the others. I know that much more needs to be done to educate the public about stuttering and how to converse with someone who stutters. That fact was brought out the other day when I saw a post from a stutterer saying that they had gone to a store to ask for a brand of sunglasses and stuttered on the name. The employee repeated it back with the stutter just like the person had said it. What humiliation and what horrible customer service on the part of that employee. It just shows that companies need to train staff better on relating to their customers whether they talk differently, walk differently (or can't walk), look different, or anything.
I never realized that we had so many health observances in May. I knew that National Stuttering Awareness Week is always the second week in May, but I didn't know about all the others. I know that much more needs to be done to educate the public about stuttering and how to converse with someone who stutters. That fact was brought out the other day when I saw a post from a stutterer saying that they had gone to a store to ask for a brand of sunglasses and stuttered on the name. The employee repeated it back with the stutter just like the person had said it. What humiliation and what horrible customer service on the part of that employee. It just shows that companies need to train staff better on relating to their customers whether they talk differently, walk differently (or can't walk), look different, or anything.
Pagoclone study in California
I just saw this on the Stuttering Foundation's MySpace page:
"The Pharmacology Research Institute, based in Los Alamitos, California will be one of the research sites taking part in the new Pagoclone Research Study . This study is a 24 week clinical trial designed to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Pagoclone for the treatment of adults with stuttering. We will begin enrollment this coming week.Our research center participated in the first Pagoclone study that began about three and a half years ago. If you are interested in participating in the new study please contact our office using the following e-mail address: mhenry@priresearch.com or you can visit our company's website at www. priresearch. com. Stuttering is not listed on our home page but if you select the option to schedule a free consultation and after you select the office of Los Alamitios/Long Beach you will be asked to indicate which study you are interested in and option for Persistent Stuttering will be listed there." (go to this page http://www.priresearch.com/losala.html and choose Persistent Stuttering)
"The Pharmacology Research Institute, based in Los Alamitos, California will be one of the research sites taking part in the new Pagoclone Research Study . This study is a 24 week clinical trial designed to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Pagoclone for the treatment of adults with stuttering. We will begin enrollment this coming week.Our research center participated in the first Pagoclone study that began about three and a half years ago. If you are interested in participating in the new study please contact our office using the following e-mail address: mhenry@priresearch.com or you can visit our company's website at www. priresearch. com. Stuttering is not listed on our home page but if you select the option to schedule a free consultation and after you select the office of Los Alamitios/Long Beach you will be asked to indicate which study you are interested in and option for Persistent Stuttering will be listed there." (go to this page http://www.priresearch.com/losala.html and choose Persistent Stuttering)
Emily Blunt and stuttering
Emily found that acting helped her stop stuttering.
This is copied from this page in case it becomes inaccessible in the future:
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/blunt%20credits%20teacher%20for%20curing%20stutter_1098293
"British actress EMILY BLUNT is forever grateful to a teacher at her former school - for inspiring her to take to the stage and cure her childhood stutter.The Devil Wears Prada star suffered a bad stammer as a schoolgirl, but finally overcame her speech impediment when a teacher urged her to take up acting. She says, "I did have a bad stuttering problem as a child. I'd try to push the words out, but it was so frustrating. My parents took me to speech coaches and relaxation coaches. "It didn't work. Then one of my teachers at school had a brilliant idea and said, 'Why don't you speak in an accent in our school play?' I distanced myself from me through this character, and it was so freeing that my stuttering stopped when I was onstage. It really was a miracle."
The reporters should not have used the word "cure" as my bet is that the stuttering is still there, but she has improved. Many people find that they don't stutter at all in certain situations, but they still stutter in others. In A Stutter's Story published by The Stuttering Foundation of America, Fred Murray talks about not stuttering when he was acting in a school play.
This is copied from this page in case it becomes inaccessible in the future:
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/blunt%20credits%20teacher%20for%20curing%20stutter_1098293
"British actress EMILY BLUNT is forever grateful to a teacher at her former school - for inspiring her to take to the stage and cure her childhood stutter.The Devil Wears Prada star suffered a bad stammer as a schoolgirl, but finally overcame her speech impediment when a teacher urged her to take up acting. She says, "I did have a bad stuttering problem as a child. I'd try to push the words out, but it was so frustrating. My parents took me to speech coaches and relaxation coaches. "It didn't work. Then one of my teachers at school had a brilliant idea and said, 'Why don't you speak in an accent in our school play?' I distanced myself from me through this character, and it was so freeing that my stuttering stopped when I was onstage. It really was a miracle."
The reporters should not have used the word "cure" as my bet is that the stuttering is still there, but she has improved. Many people find that they don't stutter at all in certain situations, but they still stutter in others. In A Stutter's Story published by The Stuttering Foundation of America, Fred Murray talks about not stuttering when he was acting in a school play.
Job interviews and people who stutter
The Stuttering Foundation states "The research is conclusive that people who stutter perform successfully in a range of jobs that require communication skills, from sales to medicine to public relations. However, this may not be evident during the initial interview, perhaps the most stressful speaking situation for everyone, much less someone who stutters. The best way to approach an employee’s stuttering is through honest communication and by refraining from making assumptions about job-related abilities and skills."
A brochure about stuttering is available to take with you on a job interview. Download it at http://www.stutteringhelp.org/DeskLeftDefault.aspx?TabID=13 and give it to the interviewer while telling them you stutter.
The most important thing for stutterers to remember is that it is best to tell the interviewer that you stutter. By doing this at the beginning of the interview and letting them know that stuttering will not hinder work performance, the interview will be much easier. You will stutter more if you try to hide the fact that you stutter. You will also be concentrating more on that then on the best answers to the questions because you will be trying to avoid using words that give you problems.
Get a friend or family member to go through a mock interview with you. Be prepared ahead of time for questions that might be asked. To prepare for a phone interview, use the phone as much as possible ahead of time. Make the telephone a friend instead of your enemy as many stutterers have done.
If you can, get speech therapy from a therapist who specializes in stuttering. If you don't live close to one or can't afford it, try self-therapy.
A brochure about stuttering is available to take with you on a job interview. Download it at http://www.stutteringhelp.org/DeskLeftDefault.aspx?TabID=13 and give it to the interviewer while telling them you stutter.
The most important thing for stutterers to remember is that it is best to tell the interviewer that you stutter. By doing this at the beginning of the interview and letting them know that stuttering will not hinder work performance, the interview will be much easier. You will stutter more if you try to hide the fact that you stutter. You will also be concentrating more on that then on the best answers to the questions because you will be trying to avoid using words that give you problems.
Get a friend or family member to go through a mock interview with you. Be prepared ahead of time for questions that might be asked. To prepare for a phone interview, use the phone as much as possible ahead of time. Make the telephone a friend instead of your enemy as many stutterers have done.
If you can, get speech therapy from a therapist who specializes in stuttering. If you don't live close to one or can't afford it, try self-therapy.
Organized
Just a note to let any readers of my blog know that a friend helped me set it up so you can find posts on various topics easier. There is a list of "labels" on the right, now, so you can read those posts on a certain topic that interests you. I hope this helps those who are trying to find certain information about stuttering without having to read every post!
Pagoclone - a drug for stuttering
First I feel that I need to apologize for not posting for a short time. I am not young and have several health issues.
I noticed that the link I had posted for Pagoclone no longer worked. I changed it to these about the study (Indevus is the manufacturer):
http://www.stutteringhelp.org/default.aspx?tabindex=515&tabid=525
https://online2.americanmediconnect.com/Stuttering_Study/default.aspx
http://www.indevus.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=45
I noticed that the link I had posted for Pagoclone no longer worked. I changed it to these about the study (Indevus is the manufacturer):
http://www.stutteringhelp.org/default.aspx?tabindex=515&tabid=525
https://online2.americanmediconnect.com/Stuttering_Study/default.aspx
http://www.indevus.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=45
This is nice
The Stuttering Foundation of America has their catalog online, now! Check this out http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/stuttering/makeadifference/ .
Joe Biden "dealt effectively with stuttering"
Now that Joe Biden has been sworn in as Vice President, people who grew up with him and teased him for his stuttering can see that someone who stutters can make a difference and can do great things. Biden is a great speaker, but wasn't always able to voice his thoughts like he can, now. See these pages for more about Biden and others who have once struggled with stuttering:
http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=725
http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=128
http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=725
http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=128
Joe Biden and stuttering
With the inauguration just days away, a new team will be managing the affairs of our country. Joe Biden, a stutterer, will be our next Vice President. I wonder if his being in this office will effect how people view those who stutter. I hope it is a good example of how people who stutter have no affliction with the brain. They only have a problem with the mechanics of speaking. Too many times, people treat those who stutter as if they were dumb. Too many people ridicule someone who stutters. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone learned how to help those who stutter instead of ridiculing them? Other people who have learned to manage their stuttering and have made a name for themselves in various professions can be found here http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=128.
"Putting a stop to stuttering"
WCSC in Charleston SC has a segment on that they have labeled "Putting a Stop to Stuttering." See it here http://www.live5news.com/global/story.asp?s=9609394. From what I read, there is no cure for stuttering and this title is the last thing that they should have used. It gives young people the impression that stuttering should and can be stopped. It is great that some children outgrow stuttering as many do when going through a language-learning phase, but what about those many children who will continue to stutter into adulthood? They can learn how to manage it with various techniques taught by speech pathologists trained to work with stuttering or by learning what to do by reading "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" by Malcolm Fraser (published by The Stuttering Foundation www.stutteringhelp.org), but nothing will totally stop or "cure" the stuttering. They will have to practice and use the techniques constantly. Children should also be informed that stuttering is just part of a person and doesn't mean that they are "dumb" or any different than anyone else. If everyone were accepting of differences in people whether they stutter, lisp, wear glasses, have red hair, or any other number of things, the world would be a much better place.
Stress and stuttering
One of the worst times for a stutterer is when there is stress. The stuttering is always worse then. It doesn't take much to have stress in your life. The time of year can even do it. When Christmas is near, the stress of shopping if you wish to shop in your hometown can be hard if you have to ask a question of a sales person. Ordering over the internet is so much easier since there is no talking involved. The stress of driving in bad weather in winter can turn a good talking day into a bad talking day in no time. Being in crowds of people, whether in the mall or at a family gathering, can make us unconciously stressed.
Anything we can do to minimize stress will help us have less stuttering. The trick is how to do it! Each person is different and will have to find out what causes them stress as well as what helps relieve it.
Some find that getting more rest helps, so try getting to bed a little earlier. Some say that concentrating on something as simple as their breathing helps them keep from thinking about the situation they are in and helps them stay relaxed. This could be detrimental at a party if someone is talking to you as you may miss the conversation for concentrating on relaxing. Perhaps, do several minutes of relaxation techniques before you enter a gathering would help, then excuse yourself to the restroom to do some more if you need to during the party.
The most important thing is to remember that you will stutter more when you are trying NOT to stutter! Just let the stuttering happen and stutter right on through what you are saying. To make others at ease, say something like "I'm having a bad stuttering day today, but it will get better." Let other people know how they can help you through your stuttering moments. If you make your friends and new acquaintances part of your help, and if you teach they about stuttering, most likely you will find that you will have a better relationship with them and will stutter less.
Anything we can do to minimize stress will help us have less stuttering. The trick is how to do it! Each person is different and will have to find out what causes them stress as well as what helps relieve it.
Some find that getting more rest helps, so try getting to bed a little earlier. Some say that concentrating on something as simple as their breathing helps them keep from thinking about the situation they are in and helps them stay relaxed. This could be detrimental at a party if someone is talking to you as you may miss the conversation for concentrating on relaxing. Perhaps, do several minutes of relaxation techniques before you enter a gathering would help, then excuse yourself to the restroom to do some more if you need to during the party.
The most important thing is to remember that you will stutter more when you are trying NOT to stutter! Just let the stuttering happen and stutter right on through what you are saying. To make others at ease, say something like "I'm having a bad stuttering day today, but it will get better." Let other people know how they can help you through your stuttering moments. If you make your friends and new acquaintances part of your help, and if you teach they about stuttering, most likely you will find that you will have a better relationship with them and will stutter less.
Parents of or adolescents 11-19 years old who stutter needed
Please help Lucy if you can:
"I am a fourth year university student at De Montfort university studying speech and language therapy. I have an interest in stammering and hope to specialize in this area once qualified. As part of my degree I am conducting a research project looking at the difficulties faced by young people who stammer and their parents. I hope that this project will inform the speech and language therapy service as to what can be done to improve the service provided to help people with a stammer. You do not have to have had speech therapy to participate.
I am looking for parents of adolescents who stutter/stammer and adolescents aged 11 to 19 who stutter/stammer themselves to complete a short questionnaire to help me with my research. All of the information will be confidential and no identifying information will be included. If you are interested in volunteering or would just like more information please message me and I will contact you.
Many thanks,
Lucy Culliford
p0527321x@learner.dmu.ac.uk "
"I am a fourth year university student at De Montfort university studying speech and language therapy. I have an interest in stammering and hope to specialize in this area once qualified. As part of my degree I am conducting a research project looking at the difficulties faced by young people who stammer and their parents. I hope that this project will inform the speech and language therapy service as to what can be done to improve the service provided to help people with a stammer. You do not have to have had speech therapy to participate.
I am looking for parents of adolescents who stutter/stammer and adolescents aged 11 to 19 who stutter/stammer themselves to complete a short questionnaire to help me with my research. All of the information will be confidential and no identifying information will be included. If you are interested in volunteering or would just like more information please message me and I will contact you.
Many thanks,
Lucy Culliford
p0527321x@learner.dmu.ac.uk "
Bullying and teasing
Almost everyone who stutters has been teased or bullied more than once by children and adults. Some adults have commented that they were teased all their life because of the way they talk.
People who bully want someone who responds in a way that allows them to feel powerful. A child without power cannot bully. Power can be defined as either physical strength, social status, or intimidating behavior.
Here are some tips about what to do if you are bullied:
Ignore the bully. Bullies want to upset you. They don't get what they want if you ignore them.
Yell and repeat what a bully said to you. Bullies don't want others to know what they are up to.
Go place with others and stay in a group. Bullies hate a crowd. Make friends that have similar interests by taking classes or joining a club.
Don't appear upset. Stay calm and cool. Bullies feel powerful if they upset you.
Stay away from where bullying happens, or if you have to go there, go with friends.
Agree with the bully. Bullies count on you to argue with them. If you agree, there's nothing more for the bully to say.
Make a joke out of what the bully said. Humor takes the power out of bullying and shows that you are in control rather than the bully.
Give the bully some facts. Sometimes people bully because they don't understand why someone is different. If you give the bully some facts, you show that you are not upset and you might take away the bully's reason for picking on you.
Laugh, sing, yodel, dance, etc! Bullies count on your acting upset. If you do something unexpected instead, it shows you are not bothered at all.
Be direct. "I don't like your making fun of the way I talk." Bullies want you to just accept what they say. If you tell them directly how you feel and what you want, you let them know they are not in charge.
Tell your teacher at school or supervisor at work. Nobody should have to put up with bullying, teasing, or harrassment of any kind.
People who bully want someone who responds in a way that allows them to feel powerful. A child without power cannot bully. Power can be defined as either physical strength, social status, or intimidating behavior.
Here are some tips about what to do if you are bullied:
Ignore the bully. Bullies want to upset you. They don't get what they want if you ignore them.
Yell and repeat what a bully said to you. Bullies don't want others to know what they are up to.
Go place with others and stay in a group. Bullies hate a crowd. Make friends that have similar interests by taking classes or joining a club.
Don't appear upset. Stay calm and cool. Bullies feel powerful if they upset you.
Stay away from where bullying happens, or if you have to go there, go with friends.
Agree with the bully. Bullies count on you to argue with them. If you agree, there's nothing more for the bully to say.
Make a joke out of what the bully said. Humor takes the power out of bullying and shows that you are in control rather than the bully.
Give the bully some facts. Sometimes people bully because they don't understand why someone is different. If you give the bully some facts, you show that you are not upset and you might take away the bully's reason for picking on you.
Laugh, sing, yodel, dance, etc! Bullies count on your acting upset. If you do something unexpected instead, it shows you are not bothered at all.
Be direct. "I don't like your making fun of the way I talk." Bullies want you to just accept what they say. If you tell them directly how you feel and what you want, you let them know they are not in charge.
Tell your teacher at school or supervisor at work. Nobody should have to put up with bullying, teasing, or harrassment of any kind.
Self Therapy book can be downloaded free
The Stuttering Foundation has added a PDF of the 10th edition of "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" by Malcolm Fraser here http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Portals/English/Book_0012_tenth_ed.pdf
This is a great resource for those who stutter that is shelved at many libraries in the U.S. Now, it is available to anyone anywhere in its entirety!
This is a great resource for those who stutter that is shelved at many libraries in the U.S. Now, it is available to anyone anywhere in its entirety!
Interesting articles on stuttering
The International Stuttering Awareness Day online conference can be found here http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad11/isadcon11.html. There are many good articles on stuttering by specialists in the field and by people who stutter from all over the world. International Stuttering Awareness Day is October 22 each year.
Class Presentation on Stuttering
I have read of students doing a class presentation in order to teach their classmates and their teacher what stuttering is like and how it affects them. This page http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=121 has tips for doing such a presentation plus a suggested outline to follow. There is a link at the bottom that takes you to a kit made specially for this purpose with enough brochures about stuttering for an entire class. There are also brochures on this page http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=131 that you can download. I would recommend the "Tips for Teachers" and "Tips for Speaking with Someone who Stutters" brochures. Teaching teachers and classmates about stuttering and how to help is a good place to start changing the way all stutterers are treated.
Pagoclone
I found this on http://www.marketwatch.com/ today:
Indevus Announces Agreement With Teva to Develop Pagoclone for the Treatment of Stuttering
10:30 a.m. EDT Sept. 26, 2008
Indevus announced that it has signed a development, license and commercialization agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. for the exclusive, worldwide rights to pagoclone. Indevus previously announced promising data from its 8-week, placebo controlled, double-blind, multi-center Phase II trial in patients with persistent stuttering which showed that pagoclone produced a statistically significant benefit in multiple primary and secondary stuttering endpoints compared to placebo. Pagoclone is a novel member of the cyclopyrrolone class of compounds and acts as a gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) selective receptor modulator.
Under the terms of the Agreement, which is subject to applicable regulatory clearances and customary conditions, Indevus will conduct and Teva will reimburse Indevus for its expenses for a Phase IIb study. The placebo- controlled study will involve approximately 300 patients with stuttering in the U.S. treated for a period of six months and is expected to commence enrollment by the first quarter of 2009.
If the arrangement continues, Teva will be responsible for the conduct of the Phase III program.
"There are currently no approved drugs anywhere in the world for patients with stuttering. Pagoclone has tremendous potential to become a highly significant commercial product, as well as to provide a ground-breaking therapy to the nearly three million Americans and millions of patients around the world who are afflicted with this condition. The deal we have negotiated with Teva allows us to conduct a definitive Phase IIb trial, funded by our partner. If the trial is positive, we believe that both companies will have a unique opportunity to commercialize the first pharmaceutical product for the millions of patients who stutter."
About Pagoclone
Pagoclone is a novel, non-benzodiazepine, selective GABA-A receptor agonist. In clinical studies in anxiety disorders, it has been shown to reduce the symptoms of panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder without causing the sedation or withdrawal effects seen with benzodiazepine agents. Pagoclone trials have enrolled over 1,500 patients to date. In early 2005, Indevus was granted a new U.S. patent covering the use of pagoclone for the treatment of stuttering.
Read the full story here: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/indevus-announces-agreement-teva-develop/story.aspx?guid=%7BD1C01E20-BB6C-479C-94F7-909C41AA72EF%7D&dist=hppr
Indevus Announces Agreement With Teva to Develop Pagoclone for the Treatment of Stuttering
10:30 a.m. EDT Sept. 26, 2008
Indevus announced that it has signed a development, license and commercialization agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. for the exclusive, worldwide rights to pagoclone. Indevus previously announced promising data from its 8-week, placebo controlled, double-blind, multi-center Phase II trial in patients with persistent stuttering which showed that pagoclone produced a statistically significant benefit in multiple primary and secondary stuttering endpoints compared to placebo. Pagoclone is a novel member of the cyclopyrrolone class of compounds and acts as a gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) selective receptor modulator.
Under the terms of the Agreement, which is subject to applicable regulatory clearances and customary conditions, Indevus will conduct and Teva will reimburse Indevus for its expenses for a Phase IIb study. The placebo- controlled study will involve approximately 300 patients with stuttering in the U.S. treated for a period of six months and is expected to commence enrollment by the first quarter of 2009.
If the arrangement continues, Teva will be responsible for the conduct of the Phase III program.
"There are currently no approved drugs anywhere in the world for patients with stuttering. Pagoclone has tremendous potential to become a highly significant commercial product, as well as to provide a ground-breaking therapy to the nearly three million Americans and millions of patients around the world who are afflicted with this condition. The deal we have negotiated with Teva allows us to conduct a definitive Phase IIb trial, funded by our partner. If the trial is positive, we believe that both companies will have a unique opportunity to commercialize the first pharmaceutical product for the millions of patients who stutter."
About Pagoclone
Pagoclone is a novel, non-benzodiazepine, selective GABA-A receptor agonist. In clinical studies in anxiety disorders, it has been shown to reduce the symptoms of panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder without causing the sedation or withdrawal effects seen with benzodiazepine agents. Pagoclone trials have enrolled over 1,500 patients to date. In early 2005, Indevus was granted a new U.S. patent covering the use of pagoclone for the treatment of stuttering.
Read the full story here: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/indevus-announces-agreement-teva-develop/story.aspx?guid=%7BD1C01E20-BB6C-479C-94F7-909C41AA72EF%7D&dist=hppr
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