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wow 3 yrs is a long time to wait if you think it might help someone you love.
U of M uses a lot of these experimental drugs in brain injuries. Sometimes they work. I’d LOVE to have our grandson try this. He lost oxygen during an anaphylactic shock after receiving an allergy shot a yr ago. This might help him recover some of the brain function.
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Let me ask this though: Every now and then I hear of new miracle drugs and treatments, and I've been hearing of them every since I could understand a segment on TV or an article in a newspaper. However, while these miracle approaches have promised revolutionary shunts in medicine, the reality has been the normal evolutionary shift. How come all these miracle cures that are supposed to change the world in a flash never materialize at the local hospital?
I want to note that this drugs works by turning off some of your immune system. Also, the study was done on people who had been newly diagnosed. Trials had been conducted on people in late stages of the disease but I did not see the data on that test group.
WHAT GREAT NEWS!! I have friend with MS and it’s so sad to see her decline when she was once so vibrant.
Damn evil pharmaceutical companies. /s
Making an informational promo video. Hope it isn’t too lame.
Learning iMovie as I go along
Ping.
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Fantastic!
It's already approved so doctors can prescribe it now for off label use. It's expensive like most monoclonal antibodies, so insurance isn't likely to cover it.
I have MS, and I saw this story this morning. It still has Phase 3 trials to go, but the data looks good. However, if you read deep enough in the story, it looks like they might restrict it to a second line drug because of it’s side effects: thrombocytopenia, thryroid dysfunction, increased infection, etc. In other words, it will only be allowed for people who have been considered to have failed on one of the main drugs, i.e. Betaseron, Rebif, Avonex, or Copaxone. That is much the same way they’ve handled Tysabri.
Another interesting idea being developed is the making of vaccines from the patient’s own blood to treat diseases. Not a new idea as I heard of it being tried experimentally ten or fifteen years ago to treat lymphoma.
Infusion Shows Promise in Treating RRMS, May Restore Some Function
Phase III trial of Alemtuzumab is enrolling now. October 24, 2008
Alemtuzumab, an investigational drug first developed to treat leukemia, has shown promise in stopping the progression of early-stage relapsing remitting MS (RRMS), and may allow previously damaged brain tissue to repair. The treatment comes along with potentially serious side effects, however, including the risk of developing other autoimmune conditions.
Results from a three-year analysis of a Phase II clinical trial of alemtuzumab as compared to interferon beta 1-a (Rebif) focused on 334 people who had not been previously treated for MS. Those taking alemtuzumab reduced their chance of relapse by 74 percent more than those taking Rebif and reduced their risk of sustained accumulated disability by nearly as much, according to data published in the Oct. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Some people also were less disabled after taking alemtuzumab and recovered lost function.
However, those taking alemtuzumab were more likely than those taking Rebif to experience infections. Some also developed other autoimmune conditions, including 20 percent who were diagnosed with thyroid disease during the trial. One person died of a rare complication, immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which involves a low platelet count and risk of uncontrolled bleeding. If caught early, the condition is easily treatable. Other side effects included flu-like symptoms.
A patient monitoring program has been developed for the drug’s two international Phase III studies, which are enrolling now. The CARE-MS I Phase III study will again compare alemtuzumab to Rebif among those with RRMS who have not previously been treated for the condition. The trial is recruiting in Europe and the United States. For more information, call Genzyme Medical Information at (800) 745-4447.
Alemtuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that directs the body’s immune system to destroy certain cells. It is currently approved by the FDA as a single agent for the treatment of B-cell chronic lympocytic leukemia. It is administered through IV infusion.
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Bring it!
Genzyme stock up 2.31% today.