MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: 3rd Round of Lemtrada, Ampyra’s Possibilities, Long-term MD1003, Possible PML Treatment

#ACTRIMS2018 – Third Course of Lemtrada Improves Relapse, Disability in MS Patients, CARE-MS II Trial Shows

The normal treatment regimen with Lemtrada is a series of two treatment courses, with the second infusion course given 12 months after the first. A “selling point” for this disease-modifying therapy (DMT) is that the treatment will be done after the two rounds of treatments; you’ll never need another DMT. But some patients are finding that two rounds haven’t been enough to halt the progress of their MS. Now, there’s a study showing that a third time might be the charm.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who experience a relapse after two courses of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) treatment showed improvements in relapse rate and disability after a third Lemtrada course, according to results of the CARE-MS II trial extension.

The poster reporting the findings, titled “Efficacy of Alemtuzumab Retreatment in Patients Who Experienced Disease Activity after the Initial Two Courses: Results from the CARE-MS II Extension,” was presented at the third annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2018, held in San Diego, California.

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#ACTRIMS2018 – Ampyra Also Aids Cognition, Use of Extremities in MS Patients

When I was using Ampyra, several years ago, I thought that it helped my walking a bit. But this research shows the therapy may help MS symptoms above the waist as well.

Ampyra (dalfampridine), approved to treat walking difficulties in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, also helps with cognition and movement in the upper and lower extremities, according to a recent scientific presentation.

These findings were reported at the 3rd Annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2018 in San Diego, California this month, in a poster titled “Extremities and Cognition: Fampridine Effect.”

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#ACTRIMS2018 – MS Therapy MD1003’s Disability Improvements Hold Over Time, Study Shows

MD1003 is also known as high-dose biotin, vitamin B7 or vitamin H. There are a number of really nice things about it. It’s a pill. It seems to improve walking. And it’s useful for progressive MS patients. That sounds like a trifecta to me. Let’s hope these positive long-term results continue.

MedDay Pharma’s MD1003 leads to long-lasting improvements in progressive multiple sclerosis patients’ disability, a Phase 3 clinical trial follow-up study shows.

Researchers presented the results at the third annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Forum in San Diego, California, Feb. 1-3. The poster presentation was titled “Effect of MD1003 (High-Dose Pharmaceutical Biotin) for the Treatment of Progressive MS: 36-Month Follow-up Data.”

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#ACTRIMS2018 – Combo Can Stop Tysabri-related PML Infection from Worsening, Case Study Shows

A major concern of MS patients who are using, or considering, Tysabri is the possible side-effect of PML, a brain disease that’s often fatal. But this very small study reports that a combination of two treatments may be able to keep early-detected PML from developing further, possibly saving lives.

A combination of an anti-viral therapy and the anti-depressive mirtazapine can stop the worsening of an infection linked to the multiple sclerosis therapy Tysabri (natalizumab), a case study suggests.

The infection, John Cunninghan polyomavirus, can cause a potentially fatal brain infection known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML. Both infections are caused by viruses.