On March 11, 2003 I read an article in Slate.com about a company working on memory therapies. I did additional research that included comments by testing participants including one man who indicated the “Ampakine” “lit up his mind.” I thought this biotechnology would someday help people like my son. On May 7, 2003 I purchased my first shares of Cortex Pharmaceuticals and have been accumulating them since.
Yesterday I accompanied Kyle once again to the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts-New England Medical Center, this time for a consultation with a neuro-surgeon. We were there to determine if surgery to remove a cyst within his spinal cord would help him to walk, something that’s becoming more and more of a challenge for my boy each day. The answer was “no.” The doctor was very gracious and explained the cyst was below the area of the spinal cord that affects walking. Kyle’s mom asked, “what do we do?” Kyle has been falling and we fear he will seriously injure himself one of these times. The doctor didn’t have an answer. In front of us, he scanned hundreds of Magnetic Resonance Images and found no abnormalities or damage to answer the question “why?” He recommended metabolic testing, then genetic testing as next steps. As I put Kyle’s socks and shoes back on I looked him in the eyes and said, “I don’t care how long it takes. Mom and Dad are going to find out how to help you walk better.” “OK,” was my boys reply.
Oh, at about the same time we were getting our latest non-answer, Cortex got theirs. Their lead drug candidate was rejected by the FDA and the company stock lost 60% of its value.
“ok” is all you need to know. I trust that in some twisted way, everything will be just that. ok.
I’m sorry to hear about your son, and I admire your determination to help him. With the constant advancement of science, there will always be hope for a treatment of medicine that will help him.
I have a large investment in COR and lost a lot of money on the FDA’s decision, I’m sorry for your COR loss as well.
I firmly believe Ampakines have tremendous potential and will eventually spawn numerous drugs that will be helpful to huge numbers of patients with serious diseases.
Whether it is Cortex and its investors that do well, or some large pharma that buys out Cortex for peanuts, either way I just want to see Ampakines start helping people.
Good luck to you and especially to your son – both of you stay strong.