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GOP Sens. Say Sotomayor Filibuster Possible But Unlikely, Obama Defends Judge's Past Comments
Several Republican senators in appearances on various talk shows on Sunday said that they do not expect the GOP to attempt a filibuster to block the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, although none ruled the idea out, the Washington Post reports. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) said that she does not think the "need for filibuster will be there unless we have not had a chance to look at the record fully," adding that the Senate "need[s] to look at the record fully" and in an "expeditious way." Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, on NBC"s "Meet the Press" said that Sotomayor"s 17-year career as a federal judge is "very strong in her favor" and "the kind of background you would look for" in a Supreme Court justice. However, Sessions added that he and other Republican senators are concerned over a remark Sotomayor made in 2001 at a conference on Hispanics in the judiciary. According to the Post, Sotomayor was discussing how her Puerto Rican heritage has influenced her role as a judge when she said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn"t lived that life." Sessions said the remark "goes against the heart of the great American heritage of an independent judge" (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). Judiciary Committee member John Cornyn (R-Texas), appearing on ABC"s "This Week," said that senators "need to know ... whether she"s going to be a justice for all of us or just a justice for a few of us" (Wallsten, Los Angeles Times, 6/1).Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) -- Sotomayor"s sponsor through the confirmation process -- said on "This Week" that she is "virtually filibuster-proof when people learn her record and her story." He added that Sotomayor is "legally excellent" and "not a far-left-wing judge" (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). White House Defends Sotomayor"s Comments White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that he thinks Sotomayor would "say that her word choice in 2001 was poor, that she was simply making the point that personal experiences are relevant to the process of judging." In an interview with NBC News that will air this week, President Obama also defended Sotomayor, saying that "if you look in the entire sweep of the essay that she wrote, what"s clear is that she was simply saying her life experiences will give her information about the struggles and hardships that people are going through" (Eggen/Kane, Washington Post, 5/30). Obama also stood by his decision to nominate Sotomayor in his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday. Obama said that he is "certain that she is the right choice" and that her record as a federal judge "makes clear that she is fair, unbiased and dedicated to the rule of law." While he said he expects "rigorous evaluation" of Sotomayor, Obama said his "hope is that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinkmanship that has bogged down this process, and Congress, in the past" (AP/USA Today, 6/1). First Meetings With Senators Expected This WeekAccording to the AP/Chicago Tribune, Sotomayor is scheduled to hold her first meetings with senators this week, beginning on Tuesday with Sessions and Democratic Sens. Harry Reid (Nev.) and Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (Vt.). Gibbs said a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnnell (R-Ky.) also is possible, adding that he is hopeful there will be other meetings scheduled throughout the week (AP/Chicago Tribune, 5/31).The Wall Street Journal reports that the formal Senate confirmation hearings are not expected to begin for several weeks. The White House would like the Senate to confirm Sotomayor before the August recess so she will be on the bench for the court"s next term, which begins in October. Although some GOP senators say this might not be enough time to fully examine her record, Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed, the Journal reports (Bendavid, Wall Street Journal, 6/1).

Global Lupus Experts Gather For Historic Meeting -- Urgent And Unmet Needs Of Individuals With Lupus Dominate Agenda
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) convened an Expert Panel June 1-2 to address the urgent and unmet need for the development and approval of new, safe, effective, and tolerable medications for people with lupus. It has been more than 50 years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug specifically to treat lupus. Discussions during the two-day meeting in Washington, DC focused on how to better conduct studies of potential new lupus treatments, including clinical endpoints, diagnostic tools, background medications, and clinical trial design.
News of the day
Discovery Of Tiny Protein-Activator Responsible For Brain Cell Damage In Huntington Disease
Johns Hopkins brain scientists have figured out why a faulty protein accumulates in cells everywhere in the bodies of people with Huntington"s disease (HD), but only kills cells in the part of the brain that controls movement, causing negligible damage to tissues elsewhere. The answer, reported this week in Science, lies in one tiny protein called "Rhes" that"s found only in the part of the brain that controls movement. The findings, according to the Hopkins scientists, explain the unique pattern of brain damage in HD and its symptoms, as well as offer a strategy for new therapy.
Nutrition

SPRYCEL(R) (Dasatinib) Shows Potential As Treatment For Prostate Cancer

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced interim results from two Phase II studies of SPRYCEL® (dasatinib) which demonstrate that the medicine may have potential as a treatment for a certain type of advanced prostate cancer. The data will be presented in totality at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting to be held May 29 to June 2 in Orlando, Florida. SPRYCEL is currently indicated for the treatment of adults with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). The Phase II studies (CA180-085 and CA180-086) to be presented at ASCO focus on SPRYCEL"s potential as a treatment for castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Data from these studies support the rationale for the ongoing global Phase III study (CA180-227) of men with CRPC treated with the combination of SPRYCEL and the current standard of care docetaxel. This ongoing Phase III study is currently recruiting patients in the United States, Mexico, Australia, Canada, South Africa and countries in Europe, Asia and South America. Additional information about the study is available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. "These preliminary results are promising as we continue to fully develop SPRYCEL for a number of life-threatening tumor types," said David Shapiro, M.D., vice president, Sprycel development team at Bristol-Myers Squibb. "SPRYCEL is the most clinically advanced SRC inhibitor with demonstrated efficacy and safety in patients with solid tumors." In a single-agent study (CA180-085) examining three dosing regimens of SPRYCEL in CRPC patients, preliminary clinical activity (tumor and prostate-specific antigen response; decreasing bone turnover) was similar in patients receiving once-daily or twice-daily SPRYCEL schedules. In an add-on study with docetaxel (CA180-086), the combinations were shown to be well tolerated with no drug-drug interactions observed. Further encouraging clinical activity was also reported. Most common Grade 1 or 2 adverse events in the CRPC studies included fatigue, headache, diarrhea and nausea. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events included asthenia, dyspnea and three cases of pleural effusion. In preclinical models, SRC and related kinases (SRC family kinases (SFK)) have been identified as central mediators in oncogenic, invasive and bone metastatic processes and are a potential therapeutic target in solid tumors. Given its central role in these processes, SRC kinase inhibition may have the potential for broad therapeutic activity in patients with SRC-dependent cancers. "Our clinical trial program is focused on tumor types where SRC and SFK play a central role in promoting tumor growth and metastasis," said Dr. Shapiro. "To effectively treat CRPC, a comprehensive targeted approach is needed that affects both the tumor and the bone microenvironment." Sprycel Indication SPRYCEL is currently indicated for the treatment of adults with chronic, accelerated, or myeloid or lymphoid blast phase myeloid leukemia with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy including imatinib and for the treatment of adults with Philadelphia chromosome- positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) with resistance and intolerance to prior treatment. The effectiveness is based on hematologic and cytogenetic response rates. There are no controlled trials demonstrating a clinical benefit, such as improvement in disease-related symptoms or increased survival. The currently approved dose for SPRYCEL in chronic phase CML is 100 mg once daily Bristol-Myers Squibb


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