Asthma

Original posting, August 2006

Asthma patients receiving treatment: 5.2 million people (1.1m children + 4.1m adults).
Deaths: 1,381 in 2004.

Those suffering severe symptoms: 2.6m.

No effective existing medication: 500,000 serious attacks.

Deaths: 1381/5200000 = 0.027%
Severe symptoms: 500,000/2600000 = 19.2%

Something not right here. A way of manufacturing and delivering the newly identified family of immune proteins, lambda interferons, must be developed before they can be tested as a therapy. Enter Synairgen, a biotechnology company.

Grants forthcoming? Work already done?

Well, start asking yourself questions. Fascinating how news like this always breaks when there is a 'cure' just around the corner.