#MSParis2017 – MedDay’s High-Dose Biotin, MD1003, Improves Disability in Progressive MS Patients
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MD1003, a high-dose biotin developed by MedDay, slowed or prevented further disease progression among progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in a Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers announced at the Oct. 25–28 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting in Paris, France.
The effects of the treatment were seen to be upheld over time and benefitted all patients in the trial similarly, offering hope to progressive MS patients that a new treatment for their condition may be on the horizon.
Presented by a team of researchers in France, the poster titled, “Effect of MD1003 (High-Dose Biotin) for the treatment of progressive MS: 36-month follow-up data,” highlighted robust effects of high-dose biotin over several years.
The MS-SPI Phase 3 trial (NCT02220933) included patients with progressive MS with no inflammatory disease activity. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with 100 mg of MD1003 three times daily, or a placebo.
In total, 103 patients received MD1003 and 51 were on placebo treatment. Participants in the placebo group (42 patients) were switched to MD1003 after 12 months.
After nine months, 13% of MD1003-treated patients had improved their Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores and performed better on the timed 25-foot walk, a measure of mobility and leg function. Meanwhile, none of the patients receiving a placebo had improved. This proportion remained stable over the next two years.
Researchers noted that while the change in EDSS was halted among placebo-treated patients when they switched to MD1003, they remained at a higher level throughout the study, suggesting that earlier treatment is advisable.
At 36 months, 67% of those who received MD1003 throughout the study had experienced an adverse event, compared to 79% of those who first received a placebo.
The team suggested that the effects of MD1003 appear sustainable over time, the drug is able to halt disease progression, and it is well-tolerated.
In a separate poster also presented at the meeting, “Effect of MD1003 (High-Dose Biotin) in spinal progressive multiple sclerosis (MS-SPI): subgroup analyses,” researchers demonstrated that the treatment’s effects were similar for people with primary or secondary progressive MS, or those with high or low EDSS scores in the MS-SPI Phase 3 trial.
The effects were independent of treatment with another disease-modifying drug and of intensive physical therapy.
Finally, the study, “MD1003 in progressive multiple sclerosis: 24-month brain MRI results of the MS-SPI trial,” presented by Douglas Arnold from McGill University Health Centre in Canada, discussed the pseudo-atrophy phenomenon.
Arnold showed that after 12 months, people treated with MD1003 had a lower whole brain and gray matter volume compared to those in the placebo group.
After 24 months, the MD1003 group appeared to have stabilized, while those who had been on placebo for the first 12 months experienced reduced volumes when switched to MD1003, an effect that was maintained in the following 12 months.
No difference in brain volume between the two groups could be detected at 24 months.
Researchers argue that this decrease is linked to a lowering of brain water volume, and may be the result of increased energy production triggered by high biotin doses.
Nonetheless, the results showed that brain energy metabolism is a key factor in progressive MS that can be targeted with high doses of biotin.
Ed
I'd like to know what this means.....
"At 36 months, 67% of those who received MD1003 throughout the study had experienced an adverse event, compared to 79% of those who first received a placebo."
What is an adverse event ?
Hi Ed,
An adverse event is anything that makes a patient in a clinical trial feel bad. Since it's not possible to know before a drug is tested which possible side effects it has, all negative outcomes — such as an infection or a skin rash — are recorded, allowing researchers to look at the data to conclude what the side effects are. But an adverse event might also be the worsening of the underlying disease. The numbers of adverse events in the article suggest that adverse events in the placebo group might reflect disease progression.
Joseph Genarella
since this is not a
a drug,why can"t my
my neurologist administer this to
me now.
Art Francis
Hi Joseph Genarella! I've been taking biotin (100mg 3 times per day) for over a year because i have secondary progressive MS. I haven't noticed any side effects... I have a high quality gram scale and I do the weighing myself! I use small plastic spoons as a receptacle for the biotin. It takes me under a minute per spoon measurement. I get powdered biotin from BulkSupplements.com usually 100gm for about $100. They also sell good quality scales at reasonable prices. This is my experience. I did inform my neurologist, and she said TRY IT, IT CAN'T HURT! Best of luck!
Carole Zundel
You know what you are doing. What are the results? It's been a long time.
T.W. Taylor RPh
Studies done with 100mg capsules 3 times a day. must be compounded and at our pharmacy we compound a 150mg er capsule for twice a day dosing. Since biotin is vitamin B7 (sometimes called Vitamin H) and water soluble it is excreted quickly, therefore multiple daily doses or long acting capsules are required.
Gerard
Wanneer is biotin/Md 1003 beschikbaar voor patiënten ( the netherlands )
Tina Billy
How can we get this specific Biotin. i was told its not regular biotin.