Posted on 12/13/2004 6:03:11 PM PST by ddtorque
It's a known fact in the medical community that two out of the top three medications to treat multiple sclerosis were developed in Israel. Since 1997, Teva Pharmaceuticals' Copaxone has been prescribed by American doctors as a treatment for the earlier stages of MS. And Rebif - the commercial name for interferon-beta-1a, a drug developed at the Weizman Institute of Science - is used by approximately 70% of the MS patients worldwide. Now, an Israeli study has provided some additional hopeful news for those in the early states of multiple sclerosis (MS), among them, some 350,000 Americans.
(Excerpt) Read more at israel21c.org ...
Thanks for the post.
The bit about treating after the first attack puzzled me a little. Many neurologists will not diagnose after just one attack, at least under the old criteria.
New criteria allows for diagnosis after one attack, but it seems to me that in order for this to work, neurologists would have to be more reactive than they presently are to probable MS cases.
Man Hands?
Thanks, a blood test sure would make diagnosis easier.
Another new drug on the market (I think marketed by Elan) is supposed to have an effective rate at slowing the disease twice of that experienced with the Interferons or Copaxone. It's called Tysabri, but its cost is even more prohibitive than the injectibles, since it's a once a month infusion (the drug alone is supposed to be $23,000 per year, not counting cost of monthly infusion.)
I'll be interested to see how insurance companies handle the new drug.
You made some good points. I had one episode which lasted for four months. It ended in May of this year I haven't received a diagnosis yet. I'm due for another MRI in April. It's very frustrating.
I thought you might find this interesting.
I hope they find a cure soon...at least something affordable and viable to ease symptoms..
God bless all those who live day by day with MS....
I was diagnosed a few years ago...long, frustrating process, so I empathize.
By the time I was diagnosed, I had been left with some permanent neuro problems.
Don't know if earlier intervention would have helped, but I dismissed a lot of the symptoms for many years because they would come then go away, so that was part of the problem.
Best advice, find a good MS neuro and make sure they read your MRIs and don't just rely on the radiologist reports.
I have a sure cure for them.
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