"I am so touched to accept the ‘Keep Me in Your Heart’ Memorial Tribute Award on my late husband’s behalf," said Steve’s widow, Barbara McQueen, "Steve’s death was a long and painful ordeal and my heart goes out to those who have been exposed to asbestos as well as their loved ones. We’re all in the same family and I commend ADAO for the great work they do on behalf of asbestos awareness."

The life and career of Steve McQueen is a classic example of the American dream made real: a small town boy from a broken home triumphing over adversity to become one of the richest and most sought-after superstars in the world. McQueen lived every day as if it were his last and, by doing so, he lived an extraordinary life, both on screen and off. However, his life was cut short when he died of mesothelioma at age 50.

"I am extremely honored to pay tribute to Steve McQueen," said Jordan Zevon, ADAO spokesperson, who lost his father – Warren Zevon – to mesothelioma in 2003. "Mesothelioma is a tragic disease more common than most people know, and it is important to recognize Steve’s spirit and later plight in order to both cherish his memory and increase asbestos awareness. In their respective fields they were the definition of charm, intelligence, wit and the ultimate tough guy. However, as strong as they were, they are both lost to asbestos- related cancer. I am proud to present Barbara McQueen with the "Keep Me in Your Heart" Memorial Tribute Award. I am grateful to her for adding both Steve’s and her name to our ADAO family as we continue to work to end the threat of the disease for future generations."

"Steve McQueen is an American legend and we are extremely honored to recognize him in Warren Zevon’s name," stated ADAO CEO and Co-Founder, Linda Reinstein. "Not only did Steve McQueen, like Warren Zevon, lose his battle against mesothelioma, but they both share a passion for fearlessly taking a stance. McQueen was quoted as saying, ‘When I believe in something, I fight like hell for it,’ and ADAO is proud to honor his courage by adding this cause to his many affects."

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization(ADAO), which combines education, advocacy, and community initiatives as a leading asbestos victims’ voice worldwide, announced its honorees and keynote speaker for the 8th Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference, "Asbestos: An International Public Health Crisis," to be held March 30-April 1, 2012, in Los Angeles, CA. The conference brings together renowned experts and asbestos victims in a united forum to enhance asbestos awareness, education, treatment, and collaboration. The conference is made possible with the partnership of the Environmental Information Association (EIA) and Independent Asbestos Training Providers (IATP).

About Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure. ADAO is an independent global organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy, and community. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.

About Barbara McQueen

Barbara Minty McQueen is the widow of American film star Steve McQueen and is a former model and photographer. She is also the author of Steve McQueen: The Last Mile (Dalton Watson Fine Books, 2007), which documents their three-and-a-half year relationship and includes candid shots from 1977 to 1980. McQueen has hosted several art exhibits of her work with shows in London, Tokyo, San Francisco, Nashville, Phoenix and Idaho, where she resides.

Perhaps even more amazing is the comparatively short chain of events starting, in June of 2003, that led to asbestos awareness day.

It started with a cough

Linda Reinstein had never heard of the mesothelioma when her husband, Alan, was diagnosed with it on the day after Father’s Day, June 16, 2003.

While on vacation, Alan began suffering from a cough that wouldn’t go away. Upon his return home, a trip to his doctor revealed a pleural effusion. Discovery of the pleural effusion led to a series of tests, misdiagnoses, and finally—after nine months—surgery.

The thoracic surgeon who performed the surgery found Linda in the waiting room; "are you alone?" he asked. Her heart sank.

The surgeon informed Linda that Alan had mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure. He asked her if Alan had ever worked with asbestos.

"I had never heard of mesothelioma. I couldn’t pronounce it. And worse yet, I found that there was no cure," Linda recalls.

Recovery turns to activisim

After surviving surgery to remove his left lung, pericardium, and diaphragm, Alan returned home to his wife and young daughter, Emily, to begin his recovery.

One day after coming home from school, the Reinstein’s 11-year-old daughter announced she wanted to go to Washington to "tell Senator Boxer and Senator Feinstein how hard it is for a girl who’s just 11 to watch her dad suffer."

"At that time, looking back," Linda says, "I had no clue how our life would change."

Linda and Emily traveled to Washington, asking for change. They hoped to prevent others from ending up in their position: watching a loved one die from a preventable cancer. They attending meetings with a photo of Emily and Alan dancing, and pointed out the dances and events asbestos exposure would rob from their family.

It was outside of these meetings, however, that Linda began to realize just how serious the problem of asbestos exposure was.

"It didn’t matter if we were standing in line for a Starbucks coffee or waiting for a taxi on our first trip, everywhere I went someone would say ‘are you just here for vacation?’" After explaining Alan’s diagnosis, inevitably the other person would share their own story of family member who had been diagnosed with an asbestos disease.

Linda found that asbestos diseases were not as rare as she had perviously been told, "they are just underreported."

Organizing awareness

Frustrated by the number of people injured by asbestos, the long history of knowledge about asbestos’ risks, and the lack of a ban on asbestos in products, the Reinstein’s took action. On April 1, 2004, less than a year after Alan’s mesothelioma diagnosis, Linda Reinstein co-founded the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO).

Among the goals of the ADAO was to "educate the medical community and concerned citizens regarding early detection, prevention, treatment and a cure for asbestos related diseases."

One year later, in 2005, the ADAO proposed a resolution designating April 1 as "National Asbestos Awareness Day." Nevada Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Tennessee Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) brought the resolution before the Senate Judiciary.

This year, nine Senators were listed as cosponsors and key supporters for the resolution declaring the first week of April as "National Asbestos Awareness Week."

"Reinstein’s don’t give up"

Alan Reinstein lost his battle with mesothelioma in May of 2006. Surviving just shy of three years following his diagnosis was actually remarkable considering the 6-12 months most mesothelioma patients are estimated to have following a diagnosis.

After his death, Linda wondered "what now? Alan’s gone. Do we just give up with asbestos and mesothelioma?" However, remembering the promise Emily and Linda made to Alan to achieve a ban on asbestos, she reflected on what they’d deemed the Reinstein’s family motto: "Reinstein’s don’t give up."

"We persevered. We’ve now become the largest asbestos victims organization in the United States."

The US and Canada remain the only industrialized countries that have not banned asbestos. Despite not yet achieving a US ban on asbestos, the ADAO continues to work with victims, communities, and legislators increasing awareness of asbestos’ dangers, protecting the rights of victims, and working toward an asbestos ban.

This year, the ADAO will host its Seventh Annual International Asbestos Conference on April 1-3, 2011 in Atlanta, GA. Experts, patients, and their families will discuss the public health, environmental, and economic impacts of asbestos.

Thanks to growing interest in Asbestos Awareness Day, what was once a single day, has now grown into a "Global Asbestos Awareness Week." From an ADAO press release: "What started as a day has grown into a full week of international activities incorporating education, advocacy and community driven efforts to fuel a worldwide ban on asbestos and provide resources and hope to asbestos victims and their families."

For Emily and Linda Reinstein, the journey must seem long, lengthened by the pain of loss and the frustratingly slow winds of change. However, for the millions of people injured by asbestos over the last 150 years, the Reinstein have, in just a few short years, brought new levels of awareness, education, and research to legislators and the public, and hope to asbestos victims and their families.

While there can be no discounting smoking’s ill health effects, the flood of information on smoking’s risks can drown out other causes of lung cancer. A recent study in The Annals of Occupational Hygiene, a research journal on hazards and risks to health resulting from work, highlights another contributor to lung cancer: asbestos.

Asbestos as a cause of lung cancer is often ignored because of smoking. One reason for this is readily revealed in “The effect of smoking on the risk of lung cancer mortality for asbestos workers in Great Britain (1971-2005)”: among asbestos workers, smoking is more common than in the general population. The study followed asbestos workers from 1971 until 2005, at which point some 53% of asbestos workers were still active smokers. In contrast, 45% of the general population in Great Britain smoked in 1971, and that number dropped to 24% by 2005.

While either cigarette smoking or asbestos may be the cause of lung cancer, together, they create an exceptionally high risk. One cannot simply add the risk associated with each carcinogen together and determine the risk that the two create in individuals exposed to both.

This synergistic connection between asbestos and smoking is well known among researchers who specialize in studies like the one cited above. In fact, a September 2010 journal article covering asbestos workers in China (“Lung cancer mortality from exposure to chrysotile asbestos and smoking: a case control study within a cohort in China”) found that the total risk of lung cancer was one and a half times what would be expected if the risk associated with smoking and the risk associated with asbestos exposure were added together³.

In the Chinese study, no completely unexposed control group was compared to asbestos exposed and/or smoking groups studies. Other studies that have compared non-asbestos exposed, non-smoking workers to asbestos exposed, smoking workers found the latter group fifty or more times likely to develop lung cancer over the former group⁴.

While researchers may be aware of this deadly mix, many primary care physicians are unaware of these connections. Without a thorough patient history, the connection between a patient’s lung cancer and their asbestos exposure may never be made, especially if they smoked. Unfortunately, with a smoker, many people, doctors included, stop looking at other culprits for a patient’s lung cancer. It’s important to note, however, that although smoking is a great risk factor in a lung cancer diagnosis, only 10% of smokers will develop lung cancer.

Asbestos attorneys see thousands of people diagnosed with lung cancer each year, and Dave Chervenick is no exception. A shareholder at Goldberg, Persky, and White, a law firm that has specialized in asbestos cases for more than 30 years, Chervenick notes “If there was one thing I could impress upon our clients with lung cancer, it’s that smoking doesn’t negate your asbestos exposure, and in fact, it’s an important factor related to it.”

Many of Chervenick’s asbestos lung cancer clients were already suffering from another asbestos-related disease, such as asbestosis, before being diagnosed. “When one of our asbestosis clients later develops lung cancer, it’s a little easier for them to see the connection,” Chervenick explains, “however, you don’t have to have asbestosis to develop lung cancer.”

Asbestosis is a scarring of the lung tissues resulting from breathing in asbestos fibers. The small, sharp, and indestructible asbestos bodies lodge in the lungs, causing a buildup of scar tissue that makes it hard for the lungs to expand and contract and complete their job of exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen.

Asbestosis definitively reveals that you’ve been exposed to asbestos, and because of that, indicates you’re at increased risk of developing an asbestos-related lung cancer. The number of lung cancer cases attributable to asbestos exposure each year in the US is estimated at 3,400 to 8,500. It is likely higher however, thanks to poor tracking mechanisms and a lack of complete worker histories.

It is also not unusual for a worker to be unaware they worked with asbestos. “I’ve had people tell me they don’t believe they ever handled asbestos products,” Chervenick says, “however, after I mention a particular brand of insulation, or a type of sealer, they’ll say ‘well, yes, I worked with that.’ Well, that item contained 10%, or 30%, or even 50% asbestos.”

In order to reduce the risk among asbestos workers and smokers, eliminating exposure to both is recommended. Some studies indicate a reduction in the risk of lung cancer within five years of smoking cessation. The numbers associated with removing asbestos exposure vary, but researchers note “that even if the risk of lung cancer does not decrease following cessation of asbestos exposure, removal from exposure would prevent cumulative dosage.” ¹

In Great Britain, researchers estimate that smoking and/or asbestos exposure result in 96% of lung cancer deaths. Using that guideline on worldwide deaths, that could mean more than 1.3 million lives could be saved from lung cancer if smoking and asbestos were eliminated.

References

1. Gillian Frost, Andrew Darnton, and Anne-Helen Harding. “The effect of smoking on the risk of lung cancer mortality for asbestos workers in Great Britain (1971–2005).” The Annals of Occupational Hygiene. First published online January 20, 2011 doi:10.1093/annhyg/meq089.
2. SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Lung and Bronchus. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results; National Cancer Institute.
   <http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/lungb.html> Accessed March 22, 2011.
3. Eiji Yano, Xiaorong Wang, Mianzhen Wang, Hong Qiu, and Zhiming Wang. "Lung cancer mortality from exposure to chrysotile asbestos and smoking: a case control study within a cohort in China." Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2010;67:867e871. doi:10.1136/oem.2009.051615
4. Hammond, E. C., Selikoff, I. J. and Seidman, H. (1979). “Asbestos Exposure, Cigarette Smoking and Death Rates.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 330: 473-790. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1979.tb18749.x

Additional cosponsors and key supporters include: Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Harry Reid (D-NV),and Senator Jon Tester (D-MT).  

"Asbestos Awareness Week is a rallying cry to keep the tragedy of Libby from happening again. It’s also an opportunity to remind people that much more work lies ahead to help victims of asbestos-related diseases," said Baucus, who was instrumental in urging the EPA to declare its first ever public health emergency in Libby. "Although we can never fully right the outrageous wrong that took place in Libby, we can fight to make sure the community has the tools it needs to heal. And, we can keep working hard to make sure the public is aware of the tragic impact of asbestos exposure."

"ADAO applauds the U.S. Senate for its introduction of the Seventh Annual Resolution recognizing National Asbestos Awareness Week," said Linda Reinstein, President and Co-Founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.  "It is only through continued awareness that we can succeed in our efforts to ban asbestos both in the US and globally. Our leadership continues to set an important example through this yearly initiative. We have witnessed pivotal change as doctors, scientists, governmental bodies, educators and asbestos victims come together to share information that has the power to save lives. We look forward to continued progress and each year we get closer to a future without asbestos."

Asbestos is a known human carcinogen and exposure can cause asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Studies estimate that during the next decade, 107,000 workers around the world will die of an asbestos related disease – equaling 300 deaths per day.

About Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004.   ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure. ADAO is an independent global organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy and community. ADAO’s mission includes supporting global advocacy and advancing asbestos awareness, prevention, early detection, treatment, and resources for asbestos-related disease. For more information visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org. ]]> http://www.mesotheliomacenter.org/mesothelioma-news/2011/02/22/adao-praises-senate-for-introduction-of-seventh-annual-resolution-that-establishes-national-asbestos-awareness-week/feed/ 0 http://www.mesotheliomacenter.org/mesothelioma-news/2010/10/12/raltitrexed-tomudex-in-combination-with-cisplatin-in-the-treatment-of-mpm-improves-overall-survival-compared-to-treatment-with-cisplatin-alone/ http://www.mesotheliomacenter.org/mesothelioma-news/2010/10/12/raltitrexed-tomudex-in-combination-with-cisplatin-in-the-treatment-of-mpm-improves-overall-survival-compared-to-treatment-with-cisplatin-alone/#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:37:06 +0000 admin http://www.mesotheliomacenter.org/mesothelioma-news/?p=588

Raltitrexed (Tomudex®) in combination with cisplatin in the treatment of MPM improves median overall survival compared to treatment with cisplatin alone.¹ With incidence rates expected to double over the next 20 years in many countries², new and effective treatments are a welcome addition, concluded an eminent panel of international speakers at a symposium sponsored by Hospira at the 35th congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), Milan.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, a thin membrane that lines the inner surface of the chest wall where it is known as the pleura. It also surrounds the organs found within this cavity, for example the heart and lungs.³ Speakers at the symposium highlighted that whilst MPM – most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos – is a rare disease (the incidence is estimated to be 1.1-1.25 cases per 100,000 people), its incidence is expected to double over the next 20 years in many countries.²

Historically MPM has been treated with radiotherapy or surgery, despite minimal evidence to support these treatment options and both being associated with low success rates.^4,5,6 Speakers highlighted that over recent years the treatment of MPM has been simplified with the development of chemotherapy regimens as first-line treatment options.

Speakers referred to a clinical trial of first-line raltitrexed in combination with cisplatin, which showed that overall response rates in the raltitrexed group were higher compared to patients treated with cisplatin alone (23.6% vs. 13.6%; p=0.056).¹ Raltitrexed improved median overall survival by 2.8 months compared to patients treated with cisplatin alone (11.4 vs. 8.8 months; p=0.0483).¹ In addition, raltitrexed was associated with improved progression-free survival (5.3 vs. 4.0 months; p=0.058) compared to treatment with cisplatin alone.¹

"MPM is a hard to treat, rare cancer with a poor prognosis. New treatment options such as a combination of cisplatin and raltitrexed, which improve patient outcomes with no detrimental effect on quality of life as compared to cisplatin alone are a welcome addition to our therapeutic portfolio," said Professor JP van Meerbeeck, professor of Thoracic Oncology at Ghent University, Belgium.

Treatment of MPM with chemotherapy regimens, including those that are cisplatin-based, is associated with a high incidence of neutropenia and anaemia. Neutropenia is the most serious haematological toxicity that occurs as a result of cancer chemotherapy and can lead to chemotherapy dose reductions and/or dose delays compared with the prescribed schedule.⁷ Anaemia is associated with fatigue and poor quality of life. Supportive care to treat neutropenia and anaemia is therefore very important. Hospira has a broad oncology portfolio including supportive care drugs: Nivestim™ (filgrastim) and Retacrit™ (epoetin zeta), which are licensed for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and anaemia respectively.

About Tomudex

Tomudex (Raltitrexed) is currently licensed for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in Portugal, Czech Republic and Hungary; further marketing authorisations are expected across Europe late 2010. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, a thin membrane that lines the inner surface of the chest wall where it is known as the pleura.

About Nivestim

Nivestim (filgrastim) was recently approved by the European Commission for the reduction in the duration of neutropenia and incidence of febrile neutropenia in patients undergoing established chemotherapy for malignancy. Neutropenia is a condition where the number of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) in the blood is abnormally low. A reduced number of neutrophils increases a patient’s susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections.

About Retacrit

Retacrit (epoetin zeta) is indicated for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anaemia, and anaemia associated with chronic renal failure. Epoetins such as Retacrit, are forms of erythropoietin, a hormone produced by the kidneys which acts within the bone marrow to stimulate red blood cell production. There are many causes of anaemia, including chemotherapy treatment for cancer (which indiscriminately inhibits all fast-growing cells, including red blood cells), renal failure (which can cause a deficiency in production of erythropoietin) or a decrease in bone marrow function. A decrease in red blood cell number or function may lead to anaemia. Retacrit has been available in Europe since 2008.

About Hospira

Hospira is a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company dedicated to Advancing Wellness™. As the world leader in specialty generic injectable pharmaceuticals, Hospira offers one of the broadest portfolios of generic acute-care and oncology injectables, as well as integrated infusion therapy and medication management solutions. Through its products, Hospira helps improve the safety, cost and productivity of patient care. The company is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States and has approximately 13,500 employees. The head office for Hospira in Europe, Middle East and Africa is in Leamington Spa, UK. Learn more at http://www.hospira.com.

References

1. van Meerbeeck JP, Gaafar R, Manegold C, et al. Randomized phase III study of cisplatin with or without raltitrexed in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: an intergroup study of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Lung Cancer Group and the National Cancer Institute of Canada. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(28):6881-9
2. Stahel RA, Weger W, Lievens Y, Felip E. Malignant pleural mesothelioma: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol 2010; 21:v126-8
3. Mesothelioma UK website. http://www.mesothelioma.uk.com/mesothelioma-information-support.htm. Accessed 15 September 2010
4. Borasio P, et al. Malignant pleural mesothelioma: clinicopathologic and survival characteristics in a consecutive series of 394 patients. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2008;33:307-13
5. Lee C, et al. Prophylactic radiotherapy to intervention sites in mesothelioma: A systematic review and survey of UK practice. Lung Cancer 2009;66:150-6
6. Scherpereel P, et al. Guidelines of the European Respiratory Society and the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons for the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Eur Respir Journal 2010;35:479-495
7. Crawford J, Dale DC, Lyman GH. Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia: Risks, Consequences, and New Directions for Its Management. Cancer, 2004; 100(2): 228-37

For further information please contact: Hannah Stacey, Athena, +44(0)20-8956-2289 or +44(0)7984-496-441

“ADAO dedicates our efforts on this campaign to Army Archerd, prolific Daily Variety journalist who died from mesothelioma in September 2009”

“California has the highest rate of mesothelioma deaths in the nation,” said Senator Gloria Romero (D-East Los Angeles). “This bill is about raising awareness to protect the health of our citizens. Serpentine contains asbestos, a known carcinogen. Toxic materials have no place serving as emblems for the State.”

Asbestos causes cancers and respiratory diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer that claim 10,000 people every year in the United States and nearly 100,000 people worldwide. In 1965, serpentine was designated as the state rock of California in order to promote the then-lucrative asbestos mining industry. A practically indestructible lethal fiber, asbestos has been used for decades in numerous industries throughout California including building construction and naval shipyards, as well as in common household products ranging from crayons to blow dryers. Though asbestos is banned in 52 countries, it is not banned in the United States.

“ADAO dedicates our efforts on this campaign to Army Archerd, prolific Daily Variety journalist who died from mesothelioma in September 2009,” said Linda Reinstein, CEO and Co-Founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. “A longtime fixture on the red carpet, Army’s death is unfortunately not unique and the death toll will continue until the United States Congress passes legislation banning asbestos. More than 7,000 Californians have died from asbestos-related diseases.”

On behalf of asbestos victims and their families, the John McNamara Foundation, and The Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute, ADAO applauds our political leaders as this legislation moves forward to repeal serpentine as the state rock.

About Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure. ADAO is the largest independent organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through education and legislation. ADAO’s mission includes supporting global advocacy and advancing asbestos awareness, prevention, early detection, treatment, and resources for asbestos-related disease. For more information visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.

The Bruce Vento Hope Builder Award, named for the late Minnesota Congressman who died from meso in 2000, acknowledges the support and initiatives of a political leader. Senator Max Baucus, whose state of Montana is home of Libby, a town contaminated by asbestos with first hand knowledge of its tragic effects, has been a champion and an invaluable supporter in the quest to eradicate mesothelioma as a life-ending disease.

Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor of the lining of the lung, abdomen or heart caused by exposure to asbestos. Medical experts consider it one of the most aggressive of all cancers. For decades the need to develop effective treatments was mostly ignored. Thus, only one FDA approved mesothelioma treatment exists, extending average survival by three months.

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is the national non-profit dedicated to finding a cure for mesothelioma by funding research, providing education and support for patients, and leading advocacy efforts to increase federal funding for mesothelioma research. To date, the Foundation has funded $6.4 million through its peer-reviewed grant program. The Foundation unites doctors, researchers, patients and families, legal advocates, union representatives, and other affected and concerned individuals to share information and advance mesothelioma research. For more information, visit www.curemeso.org.

"Pretending that there are methods to handle asbestos safely is just like saying there is a safe way to fall from a 15th floor," said Dr. Fernand Turcotte, professor emeritus of preventive medicine and public health at the medical school of Université Laval.

"Suffering from hunger is far less painful than suffering from a dreadful occupational illness like mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure," said Dr. Tushar Kant Joshi, occupational and environmental health physician, Fellow at Collegium Ramazzini in Italy.

After a press conference at 11 a.m. in the Charles Lynch Room, participants will be joined by demonstrators in front of Centre Block at 12:15.

What:

Press conference and demonstration to demand Canada change its shameful course on asbestos

Who:

Pat Martin, NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre

Dr. Kapil Khatter, family physician in Ottawa, President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

Dr. Tushar Kant Joshi, world renowned occupational health expert

Mike Bradley, Mayor of Sarnia

Dr. Fernand Turcotte, professor emeritus of preventive medicine and public health at the medical school of Université Laval

Dr. Barry Castleman, chemical engineer, environmentalist and asbestos substitutes consultant to the World Health Organization and the World Bank

Hassan Yussuff, Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress

Sandra Kinart, Community Health Care worker and community activist whose husband Blayne has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma

When:

Press conference at 11 a.m., Charles Lynch Room (130 S, Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa)

Demonstration at 12:15 p.m. in front of Centre Block

About CUPE

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is Canada’s largest union.

With around 600 000 members across Canada, CUPE represents workers in health care, education, municipalities, libraries, universities, social services, public utilities, transportation, emergency services and airlines.

A strong and democratic union, CUPE is committed to improving the quality of life for workers in Canada. Women and men working together to form local unions built CUPE. They did so to have a stronger voice – a collective voice – in their workplace and in society as a whole.

Together they have won the right to negotiate their wages and working conditions; to stop arbitrary action by employers; and to speak out without fear of reprisal.

CUPE members are service-providers, white-collar workers, technicians, labourers, skilled trades people and professionals. More than half of CUPE members are women. About one-third are part-time workers.

CUPE is a modern, dynamic and sophisticated union with more than 70 offices across the country.

Workers, united through CUPE, have the clout and expertise to deal with the growing complexities of our global economy.

Claudio Bordignon, MolMed’s chairman and CEO, comments: “We are really proud of this important milestone, as NGR-hTNF may represent a novel treatment option for malignant mesothelioma, a disease with very high unmet medical need. Based on the positive results of a multicentre Phase II trial, this Phase III trial is optimally designed to investigate the full therapeutic potential of NGR-hTNF in the treatment of mesothelioma.”

About Phase III trial NGR015

NGR015 is a pivotal randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, international multicentre Phase III trial, expecting to enrol 400 adult patients affected by malignant pleural mesothelioma with disease progressing after a pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. The trial investigates the administration of NGR-hTNF plus best investigator’s choice (BIC) versus placebo plus BIC, where BIC includes either supportive care alone or combined with one chemotherapeutic agent (either doxorubicin, or gemcitabine, or vinorelbine). Randomisation ratio will be 1:1. Before randomisation, investigators decide for each patient if he/she is candidate to either supportive care alone or combined with chemotherapy; patients are then randomly assigned to either of the two treatment arms by specific stratification factors.

NGR-hTNF is given intravenously as 1-hour infusion at 0.8 µg/m2 once a week, until disease progression; placebo follows the same administration schedule in the control arm. BIC is delivered, where applicable and as appropriate, according to Institutional and literature guidelines, and chemotherapy is administered as per standard clinical practice. The primary endpoint of the trial is overall survival. Secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, disease control rate, safety, and patient quality of life.

Results of Phase II trial of NGR-hTNF in mesothelioma

In a completed Phase II trial (NGR010), a single-arm, open-label, multicentre trial, NGR-hTNF was administered as monotherapy – either every three weeks or every week – in 57 chemo-pretreated patients. The results, presented in 2009 at ASCO and ECCO-ESMO, showed an overall disease control rate of 46% with a median duration of 4.7 months. The comparison of progression-free time between the weekly and the tri-weekly cohort showed a clear advantage of the treatment intensification approach (9.1 vs 4.4 months): accordingly, the weekly schedule was chosen in designing Phase III trial NGR015.

Also on the basis of Phase II results, in 2008 NGR-hTNF has been granted Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma, in both the EU and the US.

About malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM)

MPM is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by repeated exposition to asbestos fibers. With an incidence of approximately 1/100,000, MPM is still a relatively rare type of cancer, but has been progressing fast in the past 20 years as incidence rates have continuously increased. MPM has a long latency period of the disease, and symptoms are non-specific, so that in most cases diagnosis is difficult before the advanced stage of the disease is reached. Treatment of malignant mesothelioma using conventional therapies has not proven to be successful, leaving affected patients with a poor prognosis and limited survival time.

About NGR-hTNF

NGR-hTNF is a vascular targeting agent with unique mode of action, and a first-in-class compound in the class of peptide/cytokine complexes able to selectively target the tumour vasculature. It consists of a tumour homing peptide (NGR) that selectively binds tumour blood vessels, fused to the human cytokine TNF. NGR-hTNF is undergoing clinical development both as monotherapy and in combination therapy, in a total of six indications. In addition to mesothelioma, NGR-hTNF has been tested as monotherapy in Phase II trials in liver and colorectal cancer. Phase II trials in combination therapy include: with Xelox for colorectal cancer; with doxorubicin for small-cell lung cancer, and for ovarian cancer; with cisplatin-based regimens in a randomised trial for non-small cell lung cancer, versus chemotherapy alone. MolMed is also conducting a Phase I trial aimed at the exploration of safety and preliminary anticancer activity of NGR-hTNF at high doses. In addition to mesothelioma, NGR-hTNF has
been granted Orphan Drug designation – in both the EU and the US – also for the treatment of liver cancer.

About MolMed

MolMed S.p.A is a biotechnology company focused on research, development and clinical validation of novel antitumour therapies. In addition to NGR-hTNF, MolMed’s pipeline includes another anticancer therapeutic in clinical development, TK, a cell-based therapy enabling bone marrow transplant from partially compatible donors, in Phase III for high-risk acute leukaemias. MolMed is headquartered at the San Raffaele Biomedical Science Park in Milan, Italy. The company’s shares (MLM) are listed at the Standard segment (class I) of the MTA managed by Borsa Italiana.

This press release is written in compliance with public disclosure obligations established by CONSOB (Italian securities & exchange commission) resolution no. 11971 of 14.5.1999 as subsequently amended.

For further information, please contact:

• Holger Neecke Director Business Development, Investor Relations MolMed S.p.A. e-mail: investor.relations@molmed.com
• Elena Lungagnani Communication Manager MolMed S.p.A. e-mail: media.relations@molmed.com

MolMed’s English language web site: http://www.molmed.com/eng/index.asp

The posters will include data on Rosetta Genomics’ unique microRNA-based technologies and how they may be applied to develop objective and standardized diagnostic tests for cancer.

“This cumulative body of clinical data underscores the important role microRNAs can play in diagnosing and treating a variety of cancers,” noted Kenneth A. Berlin, President and CEO of Rosetta Genomics. “We continue to build upon our scientific and clinical data to further validate the strength of our microRNA platform technologies, and demonstrate our ability to harness the power of microRNAs to advance the standard of care in diagnosing and treating cancer.”

Presented posters:

• “One microRNA Has Prognostic Potential For Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma” Tuesday, April 20 from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Exhibit Hall A-C, Poster Section 7, Abstract #4053
• “Prognostic value of microRNAs expression in diffuse large B cell lymphoma” Tuesday, April 20 from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Exhibit Hall A-C, Poster Section 7, Abstract #4054
• “microRNAs as prognostic indicators in gastric cancer” Tuesday, April 20 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Exhibit Hall A-C, Poster Section 3, Temporary Abstract #5296
• “microRNAs as a powerful diagnostic tool for the differential diagnosis of kidney tumors” Tuesday, April 20 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Exhibit Hall A-C, Poster Section 3, Abstract #3019

About microRNAs

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recently discovered, small RNAs that act as master regulators of protein synthesis, and have been shown to be highly effective biomarkers. MicroRNAs’ unique advantage as biomarkers lies in their high tissue specificity, and their exceptional stability in the most routine preservation methods for biopsies, including Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) block tissue and fine needle aspirate (FNA) cell blocks. It has been suggested that their small size (19-21 nucleotides) enables them to remain intact in FFPE blocks, as opposed to messenger RNA (mRNA), which tends to degrade rapidly. In addition, early preclinical data has shown that by controlling the levels of specific microRNAs, cancer cell growth may be reduced. To learn more about microRNAs, please visit www.rosettagenomics.com.

About miRview(TM) Products

miRview(TM) are a series of microRNA-based diagnostic tests developed by Rosetta Genomics. miRview(TM) mets accurately identifies the primary tumor site in metastatic cancer and Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) patients. miRview(TM) squamous accurately identifies the squamous subtype of NSCLC, which carries an increased risk of severe or fatal internal bleeding and poor response to treatment for certain targeted therapies. miRview(TM) meso diagnoses mesothelioma, a cancer connected to asbestos exposure, from other carcinomas in the lung and pleura. This test can be used to rule out mesothelioma in patients diagnosed with a tumor in the lung or pleura, who may have been exposed to asbestos in the past. miRview(TM) tests are designed to provide objective diagnostic data; it is the treating physician’s responsibility to diagnose and administer the appropriate treatment. The company’s tests are now being offered through distributors around the globe. For more information, please visit www.mirviewdx.com.

About Rosetta Genomics

Rosetta Genomics is a leading developer of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics. Founded in 2000, the company’s integrative research platform combining bioinformatics and state-of-the-art laboratory processes has led to the discovery of hundreds of biologically validated novel human microRNAs. Building on its strong patent position and proprietary platform technologies, Rosetta Genomics is working on the application of these technologies in the development of a full range of microRNA-based diagnostic tools. The company’s first three microRNA-based tests, miRview(TM) squamous, miRview(TM) mets and miRview(TM) meso, are commercially available through its Philadelphia-based CAP accredited, CLIA-certified lab. Rosetta Genomics is the 2008 winner of the Wall Street Journal’s Technology Innovation Awards in the medical/biotech category. To learn more, please visit www.rosettagenomics.com.