News #CMSC17 – Tysabri Improves Mental Outlook for Patients with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis #CMSC17 – Tysabri Improves Mental Outlook for Patients with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis by Patricia Inacio, PhD | May 26, 2017 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link Long-term therapy with Tysabri (natalizumab) significantly improved the mental state of people withĀ secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), according to results of a Biogen-supported study with patients taking the drugĀ for almost two years. Biogen presented the study,Ā āThe Impact of Natalizumab on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis,ā at theĀ 2017 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), taking place May 24-27 in New Orleans. Tysabri, which is recommended for the treatment of “highly active” relapsing MS, belongs to a class of medications that act on the immune system ā called immune-modulators. It has been shown to slow worsening disability in patients with relapsing forms of MS. Such patients suffer anĀ impaired health-related quality of life. In the AFFIRM clinical trialĀ (NCT00027300), Tysabri had a significantĀ positive effect on the mental and physical health-related quality of life of RRMS patients. The ASCEND trial (NCT01416181) aimed to see if Tysabri had a similar effect on people with SPMS. The team used the 36-item Short Form Health Status Survey (SF-36), a generic patient-reported outcome aimed at quantifying health status. Other parameters included the SF-36 Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary scores, assessed at baseline and week 96. ASCEND participants with SPMS scored an average 33.3Ā on the SF-36 Physical Component Summary at baseline, compared to 43.9 for RRMS patients. Both groups scored similarly on theĀ Mental Component Summary. At week 96, while the Mental Component Summary score in SPMS patients treated with Tysabri remained stable, those on placebo scored significantly lower. Those on placebo scored lower on theĀ Physical Component Summary than did Tysabri-treated patients, though the differences were not significant. āHealth-related quality of life worsening in SPMS patients over 2 years was driven by Mental Component Summary decline,” researchers concluded. “Though there was no significant difference in Physical Component Summary scores, treatment with natalizumab over approximately two years demonstrated a significant treatment effect in mental health-related quality of life in secondary progressive MS patients compared to placebo.” Print This Page About the Author Patricia Inacio, PhD Patricia holds her PhD in cell biology from the University Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, and has served as an author on several research projects and fellowships, as well as major grant applications for European agencies. She also served as a PhD student research assistant in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University, New York, for which she was awarded a Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) fellowship. Tags clinical trials, CMSC17, Health Related Quality of Life, Natalizumab, SPMS, Tysabri
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