Wacker Chemie Expands US Based Cyclodextrin Facility – Sugar Compound Poses No Known Health Risks

Wacker Chemie, the Munich-based chemical company, announced that is has expanded its US based cyclodextrin facility in Eddyville, Iowa.  According the the press release issued by Wacker, the new cyclodextrin facility increases the company’s capacity for alpha (α) and beta (β) cyclodextrins by 50 percent and doubles its capacity for gamma (γ) cyclodextrins. Investment in the entire facility totaled over $21 million and will enable Wacker to produce up to 7,500 metric tons of cyclodextrins a year.  The extra capacity is needed to meet the worldwide rise in cyclodextrin demand.

According to the press release, “the ability to reversibly enclose other substances makes cyclodextrins invaluable in many products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles and food, not to mention in the household-care, personal-care and construction sectors.” What about entrapping cholesterol in the human body and helping get rid of it?

Interestingly, Wacker’s press release does not mention hydroxy propel beta cyclodextrin (HPBCD) and its potential health benefits. This is the type of cyclodextrin we are giving via intravenous infusions to Addi and Cassi for their fatal cholesterol metabolism disease, Niemann Pick Type C (otherwise known as the “Childhood Alzhiemer’s.”)   Hydroxy propel beta cyclodextrin is somehow grabbing the stuck cholesterol and taking it out of the twins’ bodies through urine/stool. I wonder if Wacker even knows of this cyclodextrin project or the fact that HPBCD also kills the HIV AIDS virus.

Here are some great facts on cyclodextrins from Wacker:

Cyclodextrins are cyclic sugar molecules. The number of glucose units defines the size of the sugar ring – alpha-cyclodextrin has six, beta-cyclodextrin seven, and gamma-cyclodextrin eight glucose units

Cyclodextrins have the ability to reversibly enclose other substances making cyclodextrins invaluable in many products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles and food, household and personal-care

Cyclodextrins are able to enclose other substances in their interiors, much like a cone encloses a scoop of ice-cream. This enables cyclodextrins to bind ingredients, release active agents and stabilize sensitive substances such as vitamins and coenzyme

The best part of the whole announcement was this statement — cyclodextrins of all types are non-toxic, non-allergenic and pose no known health risks based on today’s scientific findings!

Anthrax Bacteria Killed By Simple Sugar Compound Called Cyclodextrin. Is CDC Looking Into This?

We all remember the Anthrax-laced letters that killed five people and severely rattled the country post-9/11. Just when you thought there might not be a way to stop this lethal infectious disease along comes beta cyclodextrin, a non toxic sugar compound.

A researcher by the name of Vladimir Karginov at a company called Innovative Biologics is working with beta cyclodextrin and Anthrax.  Karginov has designed and synthesized a number of beta-cyclodextrin derivatives and evaluated their ability to inhibit the lethal toxin action of Anthrax.  Several compounds displayed anti-toxin activity at low micromolar concentrations in cell-based assays and preliminary toxicity and efficacy studies in rodents produced very promising results.  You can read about the research project here.

Anthrax is a highly lethal and infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, a bacteria that forms spores, or dormant cells, which can come to life under the right temperature, nutrients and other conditions to allow growth. Anthrax occurs in humans after exposure to an infected animal or infected animal tissue or when anthrax spores are used as a bioterrorist weapon.  

There are some effective vaccines against anthrax, and some forms of the disease respond well to antibiotic treatment shortly after exposure. But there is need for new, safe and effective treatments approved by the FDA to supplement traditional intravenous and oral antibiotic therapy such ciprofloxacin (cipro), doxycycline or vancomycin. I have now reported on beta cyclodextrins ability to kill the HIV AIDS virus and now the deadly Anthrax bacterium.  This same non toxic sugar compound is also being used to treat my 5 year old identical twins who have a fatal cholesterol metabolism disorder called Niemann Pick Type C, or the "childhood Alzheimer’s."

What other lethal bacterias and viruses does this non toxic cyclodextrin compound kill?   What does the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Department of Health and Human Services know about cyclodextrin and are they studying it?

A Promising Compound That Could Stop HIV AIDS. Why Is It Not Being Supported?

In chapter 18 of a book by Stefano Bertozzi referenced by famous health economist Robert H. Topel in his article in the Journal of Political Economy, several insightful comments about HIV research funding and needs for prevention in the face of a rapidly increasing HIV infection rate are highlighted. The points made by Bertozzi et all about the lack of funding for research into preventive treatments for HIV are directly applicable to the difficulties I am facing obtaining funding and support from for a cheap sugar compound called cyclodextrin that has great potential to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. 

Even though the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Gates Foundation are funneling a  great deal of money into AIDS research, introduction of ameliorative therapy projects based on simple and available non toxic compounds such as hydroxypropyl beta cyclodextrin have not gotten past the initial screener. Why is further research into this simple sugar compound being held back?

Bertozzi et al attribute such resistance to compounds like cyclodextrin to the perception that preventive research is viewed as “less innovative scientifically” and “typically less experimental” by funding organizations. They suggest earmarking such ameliorative therapy approaches to redress this imbalance. The ameliorative therapy approach with hydroxypropel beta cyclodextrin also addresses the cited need for well-defined control or comparison groups necessary to measure the effectiveness of this preventive therapy.

It’s also interesting that a ready-to-use cheap formulation of cyclodextrin that would cost 10 cents per dose to deploy into Africa (!) and simply needs quick re-packaging doesn’t interest the funding organizations or the NIH. It would seem that immediate relief for people and saving lives is far less exciting than the thought of basic research and making money. It is hard to believe that a compound promising a stop to the method of transmission responsible for 80% of the HIV infections around the world does not create a compelling reason for funding and testing.  

It would only cost $500,000 dollars to test cyclodextrin, the cost of caring for approximately one AIDS patient over their lifetime. Surely Mr. Gates could direct $500,000 dollars at this sugar compound to see if it works before spending millions on something less effective? Finally, there is money in cyclodextrin and very smart people are researching it.

The ability for HIV AIDS to assemble in the human body is directly tied to the Niemann Pick Type C cholesterol gene on Chromosome 18, one of the most important genes in the body (this gene is now tied to obesity!).   And look what hydroxy propel beta cyclodextrin is doing for my 5 year old twins, Addi and Cassi, who suffer from one of the worst cholesterol diseases on the planet.

Cyclodextrins Can Reduce Side Effects of Cancer Drug Treatments

Each day, I learn more about the amazing benefits of cyclodextrins — novel excipients of unexplored potential. Research studies in both humans and animals have shown that cyclodextrins and their derivatives can be used to improve the drug delivery system for almost any type of drug formulation from anti-cancer drugs to anti-viral drugs.  In the pharmaceutical industry, cyclodextrins are used as complexing agents to increase the aqueous solubility of poorly soluble drugs and to increase their bioavailability and stability.

When some cancer drugs are combined with cyclodextrins, their bioavailability increases. If a drug’s bioavailability can be controlled in the bloodstream and acceptable drug levels are reached more effectively and precisely, it takes far less of a drug to produce cancer killing effects. Cyclodextrins can help make cancer treatment far less debilitating for a patient undergoing chemotherapy treatment — less of a toxic drug in a person’s system makes for less side effects.

Cyclodextrins were discovered over 100 years ago and the first patent on cyclodextrins and their complexes was registered in 1953. Here is an excellent paper outlining all the benefits of cyclodextrins which I believe has much greater potential than anyone ever imagined:  http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/cyclodextrins-drug-delivery-systems-update.

Crossing The Blood Brain Barrier – Does Cyclodextrin Make Its Way Into The Brain?

Dr. David Begley, one of the world’s leading blood brain barrier experts at Kings College London is working on a research project we are currently funding on cyclodextrin and the blood brain barrier. We want to answer the following question. Does hydroxy propel beta cyclodextrin (HPBCD) cross the blood brain barrier? Since less than 5% of drugs (made up of very small molecules) are able to cross the barrier and cyclodextrin is not considered a small molecule nor a drug, the possibility of cyclodextrin crossing into the brain would be remarkable.

Addi and Cassi, my 5 year old identical twins, who have a cellular cholesterol metabolism disease called Niemann Pick Type C (often referred to as the Childhood Alzheimer’s) and are being treated with infusions of the sugar compound cyclodextrin. When we started Addi and Cassi’s first few rounds of cyclodextrin infusions three weeks ago, I honestly did not expect to see much of a change because we started with a low dose. I certainly did not think my girls would start saying words again.  

To put this story in context, prior to starting the cyclodextrin infusions, Addi and Cassi had both lost their ability to talk. Addi was still trying to talk by making grunting sounds and came out with an occasional word here and there and Cassi was virtually mute. However, since starting the cyclodextrin infusions, Addi has started repeating sentences again. This type of language is called echolalia and it’s something Addi did before she stopped talking. Cassi has become more vocal as well.

In the last 36 hours, Addi has repeated the following: Good morning, That’s great, That feels better, Rosie and Gilbert (characters from a cartoon), Let’s go walking, Let’s do it, Daddy’s here, Alright, Bye Tia (to our nurse), There’s Martha (in reference to our nanny), No, Me, We, More, Where’s Addison, That’s mine, I can do it, Let’s put them in the garbage can, Open, I Love You and Let’s have breakfast. Cassi has only managed a few words over the past few weeks but is making a lot more sounds with different pitches instead of a single low hum.  (Note: Cassi has never talked as much as Addi and her speech was lost a few months before Addi’s).

I can’t express in words what it’s like to hear your child talk again. When my husband walked into the hospital room and Addi repeated ‘Daddy’s here" his eyes welled up with tears. Our nanny Martha has been with our girls since birth and it’s been six months since Addi has said her name. Yesterday, Addi clearly said "Martha" twice. In addition to the spike in speech, the girls also seem happier, appear to have a slight improvement in head control (when rested) and their eye contact appears better.

I have noticed a few more "stare off" spells with Addi (possibly absent seizures?) but I am not sure if these have increased or if I am just paying more attention and noticing them more. The girls have experienced speech improvements previously when starting antibiotics (Amoxicillin and Septra). But the improvements did not last. There seemed to be a honeymoon period after starting the antibiotics and then the improvements stopped after 3-4 weeks. I have never received an answer from a doctor or researcher as to why antibiotics had a short term benefit for my girls, but they did.

To everyone’s delight, Addi and Cassi are experiencing neurological improvements on cyclodextrin. Since they are identical twins and are both improving, this leads me to the conclusion that cyclodextrin (HPBCD) is having some sort of effect on cellular cholesterol accumulation — either it’s crossing the BBB or somehow creating a siphon effect in the body and pulling cholesterol out of the brain? 

Dr. Begley will need to explain to the research world what cyclodextrin is actually doing and I can’t wait for his research work to finish. Cyclodextrin is very exciting and promising, not only for Addi and Cassi and other kids impacted with Niemann Pick Type C but for the scientific community in general.   I am starting to wonder what cyclodextrin could do for people suffering from atherosclerosis and if it would help eliminate the build up of plaques in the arteries?  Also, several lines of evidence have implicated a role for cholesterol in Alzheimer’s disease. I urge scientists working on diseases involving cholesterol pathways to spin up experiments with cyclodextrin (HPBCD).

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