In memory: Former Southern University System President Dolores Margaret Richard Spikes died today at the age of 78, the Southern University System Foundation announced. In 1971, Spikes made history by becoming the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics from LSU. She went on to serve as chancellor of Southern University Baton Rouge and Southern University New Orleans in the late 1980s. Spikes was the first female chancellor and later, president, of a public university in Louisiana. In 1988, she made history once again when she was appointed as president of the Southern University and A&M College System, becoming the first woman in the United States to head a university system. Later, in 1996, Spikes became the president of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, where she served until 2001. She was named SUS president emeritus in 1996.
Making progress: Baton Rouge-based Esperance Pharmaceuticals Inc. says it has received positive results from a Phase II clinical trial of one of its drugs under development for the treatment of cancer. In a news release, Esperance says trials of EP-100 involved 50 ovarian cancer patients, and it was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the drug when combined with paclitaxel, a common chemotherapy treatment. Esperance says EP-100 appears to sensitize paclitaxel-resistant ovarian tumors, leading to further tumor shrinkage and prolonged treatment response, and concluded that a larger study of EP-100 in paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer patients is warranted. “The successful completion of this Phase II trial is a major milestone for Esperance,” says Dr. Hector Alila, CEO of Esperance. “We have begun planning a Phase III registration trial for EP-100 and are assessing options for further development of other anti-cancer drug candidates in our pipeline.”
People get ready: The Baton Rouge Area Chamber today released its annual recommendations to help businesses prepare for weather emergencies. BRAC strongly advises businesses of all sizes to begin immediate preparation, and also announced that it will make available a critical business information section on its website should any large-scale damage occur in south Louisiana. In the event that a hurricane or other major weather event impacts the Baton Rouge area, BRAC says businesses should ensure the security of their people, as well as information, equipment and resources essential to their operations and customers. They also should be prepared with the correct information for handling post-event recovery efforts. See BRAC’s complete guide for hurricane and emergency preparedness.
