�Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., (NASDAQ: SNTA) announced the publication of new findings in the American Association for Cancer Research journal, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics that describe the novel mechanism of action of elesclomol: drive programmed cubicle death (apoptosis) in malignant neoplastic disease cells through the selective induction of oxidative tenseness. Elesclomol is currently in a spherical, pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial (SYMMETRYSM) in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma.
"These results confirm that elesclomol potently and selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells by increasing the level of reactive atomic number 8 species (ROS) beyond sustainable levels," said James Barsoum, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Research, Synta Pharmaceuticals. "Elevated ROS levels and susceptibleness to further increases in ROS are fundamental characteristics of cancer cells that differentiate them from normal non-cancerous cells. Exploiting this special vulnerability represents a novel approach to selectively targeting and killing cancer cells. The findings too suggest that elesclomol canful substantially enhance the efficacy of certain other anticancer therapies when given in combination. These results together with indicate the potential of oxidative strain induction as a new therapeutic alternative for treating multiple types of cancers, either as a single agent or in combination. We ar excited by the potential of this new mechanism category, particularly for difficult-to-treat cancers such as malignant melanoma that get not been responsive to chemotherapy or other prior approaches."
Oxidative stress occurs when there is an elevated degree of responsive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. Superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals ar examples of reactive o species. ROS levels canful increase in a variety of situations including exposure to bacterium or viruses, a get up in cell proliferation, or an increase in cellular telephone metabolism. Prolonged exposure to elevated levels of ROS can initiate a sequence of protective events culminating in the ultimate self-protection mechanism, programmed cell demise (apoptosis). Normal, non-cancerous cells have a strong antioxidant capacity which guards against excessive levels of ROS. In contrast, cancer cells operate at a much higher level of oxidative stress and have a greatly weakened antioxidant capacity. The elevated level of ROS and diminished antioxidant capacity leave cancer cells particularly vulnerable to further increases in oxidative accent.
The results of the new in vitro studies demonstrated that elesclomol causes apoptosis in cancer cells through the induction of oxidative strain. The increase in ROS was observed by measurement the levels of responsive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide directly and by mensuration the increased expression of genes that are induced by the presence of high levels of ROS. Elesclomol demonstrated potent and cancer-specific initiation of oxidative stress and apoptosis in multiple malignant neoplastic disease cell types, including malignant melanoma, leukemias and lymphomas as well as breast, prostate gland, ovarian, costa Rican colon, and lung. Specifically:
- Elesclomol rapidly induced the accumulation of intracellular ROS as detected by fluorescent microscopy;
- Elesclomol robustly induced the expression of many genes regulated by ROS such as warmth shock proteins and metallothionein genes, which is a signature transcription profile of cells under oxidative focus; and
- Pretreatment of cells with antioxidants blocked elesclomol-induced ROS production and caspase-mediated cell death.
"These new findings high spot the potency of oxidative stress initiation," said Dr. Barsoum. "Cancer types that may be especially sensitive to this mechanism are those known to have particularly heights levels of oxidative accent, including, malignant melanoma, prostate, titty, ovarian, and hematologic cancers."
The ongoing Phase 3 SYMMETRY test of elesclomol in metastatic melanoma is expected to have initial results in early 2009. Phase 2 studies of elesclomol in other indications are planned for the fourth quarter of 2008 and in 2009. Synta has a partnership with GlaxoSmithKline for the joint development and commercialization of elesclomol.
About Synta Pharmaceuticals
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing little molecule drugs to cover and enhance the lives of patients with severe medical conditions, including crab and inveterate inflammatory diseases. Synta has a unique chemical combine library, an integrated discovery engine, and a diverse pipeline of clinical- and preclinical-stage drug candidates with distinct mechanisms of action and novel chemical structures. All Synta drug candidates were invented by Synta scientists using our heighten library and discovery capabilities. Synta has a partnership with GlaxoSmithKline for the joint development and commercialisation of its lead investigational drug prospect, elesclomol, which is in a planetary, pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for the handling of metastatic melanoma. For more information, please call in http://www.syntapharma.com.
About Elesclomol
Elesclomol is a novel, injectable, investigational drug campaigner that triggers apoptosis (programmed cell decease) in cancer cells. Cancer cells work at high levels of reactive oxygen species, or oxidative stress. Elesclomol is believed to act by increasing the level of oxidative stress in cancer the Crab cells even further, beyond sustainable levels, inducing programmed cell death. This mechanism of action mechanism, called oxidative stress inductance, represents a novel way of selectively targeting and killing crab cells.
In a double blind, randomized, controlled Phase 2b clinical trial in 81 patients with stage IV metastatic malignant melanoma, elesclomol in combination with paclitaxel met the primary endpoint, doubling the median time patients survived without their disease progressing, compared to paclitaxel alone (p = 0.035). The most usual adverse events in the elesclomol summation paclitaxel mathematical group included weariness, alopecia, constipation, nausea, hypoaesthesia, arthralgia, insomnia, diarrhea, and anemia.
A pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of elesclomol in combination with paclitaxel in patients with stage IV metastatic malignant melanoma (the SYMMETRY(SM) trial) is ongoing; Phase 2 trials in other indications, and in combination with other agents, are planned. Elesclomol has received Fast Track and Orphan Drug denomination from the FDA for metastatic malignant melanoma, and the Phase 3 SYMMETRY trial has completed a Special Protocol Assessment process with the FDA. Information around the SYMMETRY trial can be establish at hypertext transfer protocol://www.symmetrymelanomastudy.com, or http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.
About Metastatic Melanoma
Melanoma, the most deadly form of peel cancer, arises from melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells of the skin. According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma accounts for around five percentage of all skin cancers but causes about 75% of all skin cancer-related deaths. An estimated 60,000 people will be diagnosed and nearly 8,200 people will kick the bucket from melanoma this year in the U.S. alone. If diagnosed and surgically removed patch localized in the outmost skin stratum, melanoma is potentially curable; however, for patients with metastatic disease the medical prognosis is poor, with limited available treatments and an expected survival of only six to nine months. The incidence of melanoma has increased more rapidly than whatever other cancer during the past x years. The FDA has not sanctioned a novel, small molecule drug for the discourse of metastatic melanoma in over 30 years.
Safe Harbor Statement
This media release may contain modern statements about Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. Such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of modern terminology such as "will", "would", "should", "", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "may", "estimates", "predicts", "projects", or similar expressions intended to place forward-looking statements. Such statements, including statements relating to the timing and onward motion of our clinical and preclinical programs and fiscal guidance for 2008, reverberate our current views with respect to future events and ar based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties that could case actual results to disagree materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including those described in "Risk Factors" of our Form 10-K for the year over December 31, 2007 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Synta undertakes no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether because of newfangled information, future events or otherwise, take out as mandatory by law.
Synta Pharmaceuticals
More info
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Barack Obama and John McCain's favourite songs revealed
US Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain have each revealed their ten favorite songs to Blender magazine.
Despite claims Obama approaching Joss Stone to record a song for his election campaign, the Devon-born soul singer is absent from his list.
Barack Obama's Top Ten:
Fugees - 'Ready Or Not'
Marvin Gaye - 'What's Going On'
Bruce Springsteen - 'I'm On Fire'
The Rolling Stones - 'Gimme Shelter'
Nina Simone - 'Sinnerman'
Kanye West - 'Touch The Sky'
Frank Sinatra - 'You'd Be So Easy To Love'
Aretha Franklin - 'Think'
U2 - 'City of Blinding Lights'
William - 'Yes We Can'
John McCain's top ten:
ABBA - 'Dancing Queen'
Roy Orbison - 'Blue Bayou'
ABBA - 'Take A Chance On Me'
Merle Haggard - 'If We Make It Through December'
Dooley Wilson - 'As Time Goes By'
The Beach Boys - 'Good Vibrations'
Louis Armstrong - 'What A Wonderful World'
Frank Sinatra - 'I've Got You Under My Skin'
Neil Diamond - 'Sweet Caroline'
The Platters - 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes'
The US election takes place on November 4.
More info
Despite claims Obama approaching Joss Stone to record a song for his election campaign, the Devon-born soul singer is absent from his list.
Barack Obama's Top Ten:
Fugees - 'Ready Or Not'
Marvin Gaye - 'What's Going On'
Bruce Springsteen - 'I'm On Fire'
The Rolling Stones - 'Gimme Shelter'
Nina Simone - 'Sinnerman'
Kanye West - 'Touch The Sky'
Frank Sinatra - 'You'd Be So Easy To Love'
Aretha Franklin - 'Think'
U2 - 'City of Blinding Lights'
William - 'Yes We Can'
John McCain's top ten:
ABBA - 'Dancing Queen'
Roy Orbison - 'Blue Bayou'
ABBA - 'Take A Chance On Me'
Merle Haggard - 'If We Make It Through December'
Dooley Wilson - 'As Time Goes By'
The Beach Boys - 'Good Vibrations'
Louis Armstrong - 'What A Wonderful World'
Frank Sinatra - 'I've Got You Under My Skin'
Neil Diamond - 'Sweet Caroline'
The Platters - 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes'
The US election takes place on November 4.
More info
Sunday, 10 August 2008
The Science of Music Meets the Art of Medicine - ARIMM 3rd Annual Conference at IPFW, September 12-13, 2008
FORT WAYNE, Ind., Aug. 7 -- The Alliance for Research in
Music Medicine, Inc. (ARIMM) announced today its third annual international
conference will be held September 12-13, 2008, at the Indiana
University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) campus.
For online enrollment and more information, visit the web site
hTTP://www.a4rimm.org/
"This year's group discussion theme is 'Music and Medicine: Composing the
Science of Healing,'" says Dr. Angela LaSalle, the co-founder and Chairman
of the Board for ARIMM. "We have organized an modern conference
intentional to promote conversation among the Science and Music disciplines.
Starting with a review of quantum physics and moving through the latest
trends in medicine and music therapy, we testament be building a bridge to exhibit
how attention to the relationship of the body's response to music rump lead
us to the next undulation of medical therapies. Attendees can participate in
dialog box discussions, web with our speakers, and hear the latest research
on how music can impact redness, chronic disease and acquire new
treatment strategies."
"The goal of this group discussion is to gather knowledge from all
disciplines and build the research tools we demand to find innovative
solutions to today's health issues. All disciplines and levels of subject field are
welcome. Whether you are a scientist, clinician, technician, performer,
student, or just erotic love music, we invite you to participate in our forum of
presentations, panel discussions and brainstorming roger Sessions. We seek
research ideas that explore the healing effects of sound and music. We hope
to find the scientific basis for the effect that music tin can have on the
disease process," says Dr. LaSalle.
The ARIMM 2008 Conference is co-sponsored and hosted by the IPFW
Department of Music. The 2006 and 2007 conferences were held at the
University of Arizona.
This year's keynote verbaliser, Claude Swanson, Ph.D., physicist and
author, will begin the conference with a view of quantum physics that testament
launch a musical travel into the biochemistry and physiology of the human
body. Designed to bridgework the opening between skill and music, this conference
will challenge the boundaries that separate the disciplines and will bring
the science of creativity back to the art of medicine.
About ARIMM
The Alliance for Research in Music Medicine, Inc., is a not-for-profit
organization. It began in 2005 as a collaborative research campaign joining
the music departments of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
(IPFW) and the University of Arizona. ARIMM provides a forum for
scientific, medical, music, and computer science professionals and students
to discuss and apply the scientific and mathematical relationships of euphony
to the questions regarding cellular communication, diagnosis, and treatment
of medical issues.
For more information about ARIMM, email the organization at
info@a4rimm.org.
Contact:
Angela LaSalle, M.D.
Integrative Medicine
Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, ARIMM
alasalle@a4rimm.org
Nancy A. Jackson, Ph.D., MT-BC
IPFW Director of Music Therapy
Co-Founder and Board Member, ARIMM
njackson@a4rimm.org
(260) 481-6716
This discharge was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information,
visit http://www.ereleases.com.
More info
Music Medicine, Inc. (ARIMM) announced today its third annual international
conference will be held September 12-13, 2008, at the Indiana
University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) campus.
For online enrollment and more information, visit the web site
hTTP://www.a4rimm.org/
"This year's group discussion theme is 'Music and Medicine: Composing the
Science of Healing,'" says Dr. Angela LaSalle, the co-founder and Chairman
of the Board for ARIMM. "We have organized an modern conference
intentional to promote conversation among the Science and Music disciplines.
Starting with a review of quantum physics and moving through the latest
trends in medicine and music therapy, we testament be building a bridge to exhibit
how attention to the relationship of the body's response to music rump lead
us to the next undulation of medical therapies. Attendees can participate in
dialog box discussions, web with our speakers, and hear the latest research
on how music can impact redness, chronic disease and acquire new
treatment strategies."
"The goal of this group discussion is to gather knowledge from all
disciplines and build the research tools we demand to find innovative
solutions to today's health issues. All disciplines and levels of subject field are
welcome. Whether you are a scientist, clinician, technician, performer,
student, or just erotic love music, we invite you to participate in our forum of
presentations, panel discussions and brainstorming roger Sessions. We seek
research ideas that explore the healing effects of sound and music. We hope
to find the scientific basis for the effect that music tin can have on the
disease process," says Dr. LaSalle.
The ARIMM 2008 Conference is co-sponsored and hosted by the IPFW
Department of Music. The 2006 and 2007 conferences were held at the
University of Arizona.
This year's keynote verbaliser, Claude Swanson, Ph.D., physicist and
author, will begin the conference with a view of quantum physics that testament
launch a musical travel into the biochemistry and physiology of the human
body. Designed to bridgework the opening between skill and music, this conference
will challenge the boundaries that separate the disciplines and will bring
the science of creativity back to the art of medicine.
About ARIMM
The Alliance for Research in Music Medicine, Inc., is a not-for-profit
organization. It began in 2005 as a collaborative research campaign joining
the music departments of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
(IPFW) and the University of Arizona. ARIMM provides a forum for
scientific, medical, music, and computer science professionals and students
to discuss and apply the scientific and mathematical relationships of euphony
to the questions regarding cellular communication, diagnosis, and treatment
of medical issues.
For more information about ARIMM, email the organization at
info@a4rimm.org.
Contact:
Angela LaSalle, M.D.
Integrative Medicine
Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, ARIMM
alasalle@a4rimm.org
Nancy A. Jackson, Ph.D., MT-BC
IPFW Director of Music Therapy
Co-Founder and Board Member, ARIMM
njackson@a4rimm.org
(260) 481-6716
This discharge was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information,
visit http://www.ereleases.com.
More info
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Danny Kreutzfeldt
Artist: Danny Kreutzfeldt
Genre(s):
Ambient
Discography:
Recore:02
Year: 2002
Tracks: 8
Recore-03
Year: 2002
Tracks: 9
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Amy Winehouse - Winehouse Undergoes More Tests But Still Plans To Sing This Month
LATEST: Singer AMY WINEHOUSE underwent medical scans and tests in a London hospital on Thursday (19Jun08), three days after she collapsed at home.
The troubled star was admitted into a private clinic in Marylebone on Monday (16Jun08) after she fainted in her London home.
Tests to determine the cause of the collapse have so far proved inconclusive, but on Tuesday (17Jun08), the 24-year-old was allegedly warned by health experts her drug addiction will end her life - unless she manages to kick her habit once and for all.
Winehouse's spokesman Chris Goodman released a statement on Thursday, revealing the 24-year-old remains under close watch.
He says, "Amy has undergone more scans and tests and we are awaiting the verdict of her doctors."
Goodman also claimed Winehouse is still on course to perform at a concert marking Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday on 27 June, and at England's Glastonbury Festival a day later.
He adds, "At present, she still intends to perform at the two scheduled dates next week. However, a decision will be made entirely upon the advice of her doctors and in her best interests."
See Also
Friday, 13 June 2008
Phil Collins - Collins To Collaborate With Akon Pharrell Williams
Legendary singer PHIL COLLINS is considering giving his music a modern twist by collaborating with hip-hop stars AKON and PHARRELL WILLIAMS.
The musician admits he is "flattered" to hear the duo is keen to work with him and is equally surprised they are fans of his music.
He tells Rolling Stone magazine, "I'm flattered that they've expressed the interest publicly, risking their careers in doing so.
"Anything is possible and I certainly would investigate doing that if I did think about doing something."
It's not the first time the Collins' original material has been reworked by R+B heavyweights - Brandy, L'il Kim and Kelis sang updated versions of Collin's hits on 2001's Urban Renewal LP.
See Also
Friday, 6 June 2008
They're doing it Frank Sinatra's way
Anew era is beginning in the career of Frank Sinatra even if the Chairman of the Board isn't here to participate.The iconic singer died May 14, 1998, and the 10th anniversary is being marked with a flurry of activity, including a new U.S. postage stamp with his likeness, lavish new CD and DVD collections, a major revival of his films on television and high-profile media appearances by his children. This surge in all things Sinatra is more than just a fleeting commemoration, however -- it's more like the beginning of a corporate brand roll-out.
Late last year, the Sinatra heirs signed a pact with Warner Music Group Corp. that will bring Ol' Blue Eyes back in a big way, not just as a digitally resurrected entertainer but also as an advertising pitchman and, potentially, the name on the marquee of a feature film, a Broadway show and a casino and resort."Those are some of the things that have been discussed. We will see," said Tina Sinatra, the singer's younger daughter and the heir most involved in the estate's day-to-day enterprises. "The amazing thing is how untapped all of it is. By design we have done very little, particularly once he died."What Sinatra offers to any venture is that most elusive of auras: eternal cool. Like Elvis Presley, James Dean or Marilyn Monroe, Sinatra's image has compass-point clarity in pop culture despite the passage of time. For advertisers, he could be an especially potent signifier of sophisticated standards and rakish elegance, and Warner executives sound like gamblers with winning hands when they talk about it."There's a famous old saying that, 'It's Frank Sinatra's world, we just live in it,' and that's kind of how we feel around here now," said Jimmy Edwards, one of the executives at Warner's Rhino Records who will be leading the day-to-day operations of Frank Sinatra Enterprises LLC. "Frank opens the door to a very exclusive club. . . . He crosses so many zones too; he's working-class, but he also runs around with the country-club set."The venture, funded and operated by Warner, has two major advertising deals in place and is close on two others. Dozens of other overtures have been turned down. Edwards and fellow executive Gregg Goldman declined to say what products will soon have Sinatra as an expensive salesman, but Goldman said the accounts speak to Sinatra's passions, "gaming, fine dining, the finest apparel and luxury." The company's partnership in Frank Sinatra Enterprises is a departure from the traditional core business of the recording company but, with the gutting of CD sales in recent years, major labels and other players in the sector are looking for new business models. In recent months, for instance, Live Nation signed deals of $100 million or more with Jay-Z, U2 and Madonna to bundle an assortment of their revenue streams and ventures, both on stage and off. Faced with a diffused marketplace, companies are trying to scoop up key superstars and bottle up all their moneymaking power. Financial terms of the Sinatra deal have not been disclosed. Edwards said the plan is to be intensely selective. Next week, the company will relaunch and begin a methodical mining of "a Sinatra archive that is enormous." A major documentary project is also being pursued."The opportunities for this artist," he said, "are unparalleled."But there's also a danger of saturation or, worse, making a crass misstep. Many devotees of Fred Astaire, for example, recoiled a decade ago when the late star was digitally made to dance with a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner. When you have a singer who made "My Way" a musical life statement, you don't want to hit a sour note."There is a lot of interest, and the hard part is deciding what is right and what is wrong," Tina Sinatra said. "But people remain fascinated by Dad. The truth is that his image and his cachet has sustained and perpetuated him just as much as his incredible talent. He is handed from one generation to the next. Things that would suit him and his lifestyle make sense to me. But now I'm in a corporation, it's not just me."Some apprehensionsSitting in her sunny office on Olympic Boulevard, Tina Sinatra was plainly proud while discussing the grand plans that the Warner deal will set in motion, but there was also some apprehension in her voice. She was particularly enthusiastic about discussions of a Sinatra film directed by Martin Scorsese -- "He's really the only one to do it, isn't he?" -- but less certain about the proposals she's heard that would put her father's name on the front of a menu."I've dragged my feet about a restaurant," the 59-year-old said. "The dreaded term 'chain of restaurants.' A casino would interest me a lot. That's his environment. It would have to be top-end. As would a Sinatra hotel. A casino, that's on the nose, but it's a big undertaking. I would love to see a dress code enforced at a Vegas casino, but I don't know that it could work. Las Vegas is so competitive. We're thinking beyond Las Vegas too. It's a big world out there."Tina Sinatra and attorney Robert A. Finkelstein have been the family's main gatekeepers on licensing matters since the 1980s, when her father was still touring. But the job became too large and complicated for a small-team approach. With Warner's investment comes the opportunity for major windfalls but also the surrender of some control.Tina Sinatra and Finkelstein represent the two family votes on the board of Frank Sinatra Enterprises. Warner has two also: company Chairman and Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman Jr. (who led the investor group that bought the company from Time Warner in late 2003 for $2.6 billion) and Scott Pascucci, president of Warner's Rhino Entertainment, a brand known for meticulous archival collections and a safari-like approach to music history. A fifth, tie-breaking vote is held by former Capitol Records President Hale Milgrim, a respected industry veteran selected by both sides, but Edwards said the goal is unanimity.The Sinatra family itself has some considerable divisions. Tina has feuded with her father's fourth and final wife, Barbara. Frank Sinatra left control of his estate's business to his children -- Nancy, Frank Jr. and Tina, all from his first marriage. The children are not completely on the same page, either. Nancy Sinatra, 67, is against a feature film, even if Oscar-winner Scorsese fulfills his longtime goal of directing it. She fears it would dwell on the negative and ugly moments of her father's complicated life. She prefers an eight- to 10-hour documentary, which needs to be "very, very precise." Nancy also said her father "never wanted his image to be on an ashtray" and that any advertising "must be equal to his excellence, which is not easy to do."
Late last year, the Sinatra heirs signed a pact with Warner Music Group Corp. that will bring Ol' Blue Eyes back in a big way, not just as a digitally resurrected entertainer but also as an advertising pitchman and, potentially, the name on the marquee of a feature film, a Broadway show and a casino and resort."Those are some of the things that have been discussed. We will see," said Tina Sinatra, the singer's younger daughter and the heir most involved in the estate's day-to-day enterprises. "The amazing thing is how untapped all of it is. By design we have done very little, particularly once he died."What Sinatra offers to any venture is that most elusive of auras: eternal cool. Like Elvis Presley, James Dean or Marilyn Monroe, Sinatra's image has compass-point clarity in pop culture despite the passage of time. For advertisers, he could be an especially potent signifier of sophisticated standards and rakish elegance, and Warner executives sound like gamblers with winning hands when they talk about it."There's a famous old saying that, 'It's Frank Sinatra's world, we just live in it,' and that's kind of how we feel around here now," said Jimmy Edwards, one of the executives at Warner's Rhino Records who will be leading the day-to-day operations of Frank Sinatra Enterprises LLC. "Frank opens the door to a very exclusive club. . . . He crosses so many zones too; he's working-class, but he also runs around with the country-club set."The venture, funded and operated by Warner, has two major advertising deals in place and is close on two others. Dozens of other overtures have been turned down. Edwards and fellow executive Gregg Goldman declined to say what products will soon have Sinatra as an expensive salesman, but Goldman said the accounts speak to Sinatra's passions, "gaming, fine dining, the finest apparel and luxury." The company's partnership in Frank Sinatra Enterprises is a departure from the traditional core business of the recording company but, with the gutting of CD sales in recent years, major labels and other players in the sector are looking for new business models. In recent months, for instance, Live Nation signed deals of $100 million or more with Jay-Z, U2 and Madonna to bundle an assortment of their revenue streams and ventures, both on stage and off. Faced with a diffused marketplace, companies are trying to scoop up key superstars and bottle up all their moneymaking power. Financial terms of the Sinatra deal have not been disclosed. Edwards said the plan is to be intensely selective. Next week, the company will relaunch and begin a methodical mining of "a Sinatra archive that is enormous." A major documentary project is also being pursued."The opportunities for this artist," he said, "are unparalleled."But there's also a danger of saturation or, worse, making a crass misstep. Many devotees of Fred Astaire, for example, recoiled a decade ago when the late star was digitally made to dance with a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner. When you have a singer who made "My Way" a musical life statement, you don't want to hit a sour note."There is a lot of interest, and the hard part is deciding what is right and what is wrong," Tina Sinatra said. "But people remain fascinated by Dad. The truth is that his image and his cachet has sustained and perpetuated him just as much as his incredible talent. He is handed from one generation to the next. Things that would suit him and his lifestyle make sense to me. But now I'm in a corporation, it's not just me."Some apprehensionsSitting in her sunny office on Olympic Boulevard, Tina Sinatra was plainly proud while discussing the grand plans that the Warner deal will set in motion, but there was also some apprehension in her voice. She was particularly enthusiastic about discussions of a Sinatra film directed by Martin Scorsese -- "He's really the only one to do it, isn't he?" -- but less certain about the proposals she's heard that would put her father's name on the front of a menu."I've dragged my feet about a restaurant," the 59-year-old said. "The dreaded term 'chain of restaurants.' A casino would interest me a lot. That's his environment. It would have to be top-end. As would a Sinatra hotel. A casino, that's on the nose, but it's a big undertaking. I would love to see a dress code enforced at a Vegas casino, but I don't know that it could work. Las Vegas is so competitive. We're thinking beyond Las Vegas too. It's a big world out there."Tina Sinatra and attorney Robert A. Finkelstein have been the family's main gatekeepers on licensing matters since the 1980s, when her father was still touring. But the job became too large and complicated for a small-team approach. With Warner's investment comes the opportunity for major windfalls but also the surrender of some control.Tina Sinatra and Finkelstein represent the two family votes on the board of Frank Sinatra Enterprises. Warner has two also: company Chairman and Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman Jr. (who led the investor group that bought the company from Time Warner in late 2003 for $2.6 billion) and Scott Pascucci, president of Warner's Rhino Entertainment, a brand known for meticulous archival collections and a safari-like approach to music history. A fifth, tie-breaking vote is held by former Capitol Records President Hale Milgrim, a respected industry veteran selected by both sides, but Edwards said the goal is unanimity.The Sinatra family itself has some considerable divisions. Tina has feuded with her father's fourth and final wife, Barbara. Frank Sinatra left control of his estate's business to his children -- Nancy, Frank Jr. and Tina, all from his first marriage. The children are not completely on the same page, either. Nancy Sinatra, 67, is against a feature film, even if Oscar-winner Scorsese fulfills his longtime goal of directing it. She fears it would dwell on the negative and ugly moments of her father's complicated life. She prefers an eight- to 10-hour documentary, which needs to be "very, very precise." Nancy also said her father "never wanted his image to be on an ashtray" and that any advertising "must be equal to his excellence, which is not easy to do."
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