September 26, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD DMTs Are Cost-Effective and Help to Slow MS Progression, 10-Year Study from UK Reports Four disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for Ā multiple sclerosisĀ āĀ Avonex, Rebif, Betaferon, and CopaxoneĀ ā are cost-effective and reduce disease progression in MS patients, especially those with relapsing-remitting disease, according to 10-year, real-world results from U.K.ās MS Risk Sharing Scheme (RSS). But the long-term benefits observed wane over…
August 6, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Glatect, Alternative to Copaxone, Added to Public Health Plans of 5 Canadian Provinces Pendopharmās Glatect (glatiramer acetate injection), a lower cost alternative toĀ Tevaās Copaxone, has been added to the public health plans of five Canadian provinces for patients with…
July 27, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Oral DMTs Still Common 1st Therapy for New MS Patients but Ocrevus Having Impact, Market Report Says Oral disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are the most common first choice of treatment for people newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States, an analysis reports. Antibody-based DMTs like Ocrevus, however, are emerging competitors. Spherix Global Insights, a market research and analysis company, states that 1 in every…
May 16, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 4 Relapsing MS Treatments Added to UK Health Service After Cuts to Prices Agreed After an agreement to lower their prices, four treatments for relapsing multiple sclerosis āĀ Biogenās AvonexĀ and Merck KGaA‘sĀ Rebif (both interferon beta-1a), Novartisā ExtaviaĀ (interferon beta 1b), and Tevaās Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) ā were recommended as cost-effective and long-term therapy options within the National Health Service…
May 9, 2018 Columns by Cathy Chester The Agony of Decision-making when It’s Time to Switch MS Medications Iām agonizing over an important decision and it’s driving me crazy. Iām usually a quick decision-maker, but this one is tough. I have my analytical hat on, trying to look at my choices from a scientific standpoint. Unfortunately, my anxiety kicks in, and my hat…
April 11, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Mapi Pharma, Mylan Partner to Develop Once-monthly Glatiramer Formulation Mylan andĀ Mapi Pharma will jointly develop and commercialize Glatiramer Acetate (GA) Depot, an investigative, long-lasting formulation of the commonly used multiple sclerosis (MS) therapyĀ CopaxoneĀ (marketed by Teva Phatmaceutical). Under the terms of the partnership, Mylan will acquire global marketing rights for the therapy. The companies are in…
February 27, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias What’s Hot and What’s Not Among MS Therapies? The newest kids on the MS block, disease-modifying therapies (DMT) such as Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Sanofi Genzyme’s Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), are attracting a lot of interest these days. But, some DMTs that have been around for more than two decades are still being prescribed by a lot of neurologists.
February 15, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Approves Dose of MS Therapy Glatopa That Is Twice as Large as Current One The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new dose ofĀ Sandozās multiple sclerosis therapyĀ Glatopa (glatiramer acetate injection)Ā that is twice as large as the currently authorized one. Regulators’ approval of theĀ 40 mg/mL applies to people with relapsing forms of MS. A mg/mL designation refers to the concentration of…
February 1, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Mapi Pharma Doses First PPMS Patient in Phase 2 Trial Evaluating GA Depot The Phase 2a trial of GA Depot (glatiramer acetate) for the treatment of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) has dosed the first patient,Ā Mapi PharmaĀ recently announced. In the U.S., Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection, marketed by Teva Pharmaceutical) is the standard therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), which is…
January 26, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Brabio, 1st Generic Version of Copaxone for Relapsing MS, Launched in UK Brabio (glatiramer acetate injection), the first generic alternative to CopaxoneĀ for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, was recently launched in the U.K. at an equivalent higher dose, its maker,Ā Mylan, announced. Similar to Copaxone Ā ā developed by TevaĀ āĀ Brabio is now available at a 40 mg/ml dose. Both medications are…
January 10, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Extavia Is the Only Therapy for MS with Relapses That Britain Should Cover, Board Says A British board that recommends what treatments the National Health ServiceĀ should cover has advised the system to use onlyĀ Extavia (interferon beta 1b) as a treatment for MS patients who continue to have relapses. Cost was at the heart of the National Institute for Health and Care…
December 15, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ocrevus’ Use Continues Rising, with RRMS Patients Receiving the Most Attention U.S. neurologists are increasingly prescribing Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) to their multiple sclerosis patients, Spherix Global InsightsĀ reports. Another good sign for Genentech is that, in just three months, neurologists have increased by 50 percent their estimate of the numbers of relapsing-remitting MS patients who could benefit from Ocrevus.
October 9, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc In Blow to Teva, EU Approves Synthonās Generic Version of Copaxone to Treat RRMS Synthonās prefilled syringe with 40 mg/ml of glatiramer acetate ā the generic version of Teva Pharmaceuticalās Copaxone 40 mg ā has received regulatory clearance in all 28 member states of the European Union (EU) plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The low-dose…
October 5, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Approves Mylanās Generic Copaxone, Introducing First Generic High-Dose Version The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved both lower and higher doses ofĀ Mylanās generic versions of Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) for relapsing multiple sclerosis. It is the first time the agency has authorized a higher-dose generic. Generic versions of the lower dose of 20 mg/mL ā intended for…
September 18, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Synthon Wins EU Patent Case Against Teva, Paving Way for Generic Copaxone for MS Patients AĀ European Patent OfficeĀ decision has opened the door toĀ SynthonĀ providing cheaper generic versions of Teva Pharmaceuticalās Copaxone to people withĀ relapsing multiple sclerosis. What looks like the final hurdle to the generics was cleared when the patent office’sĀ Technical Board of Appeal revoked the last of the patents that Teva…
September 14, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Thereās an App (Maybe Too Many) for That! How many hours do the pharmaceutical companies think we have in our day? I ask because almost all of them have come up with very slick tools to use, particularly mobile apps, to help us improve our daily lives with MS. Not coincidentally, these apps also provide their…
August 11, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Are Insurance Companies Forcing You to Switch from Generics to Brand-Name Drugs? Insurance companies want people to use generics, rather than the more expensive brand-name drugs, right? Maybe not. Because, at least in some cases, they’re doing just the opposite. Some patients are being forced to use brand-name drugs even when those drugs have generic equivalents. Not surprisingly, that means…
July 17, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Copaxone Benefits RRMS Patients in the Long Term by Modulating Immune System Responses, Study Shows First-line treatment with Copaxone (glatiramer acetate)Ā benefits relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patientsĀ by boosting the number of anti-inflammatory immune cells and restoring the balance of regulatory immune cells, an Italian study shows. TheĀ study, āBiological activity of glatiramer acetate on Treg and anti-inflammatory monocytes persists for more than 10…
July 6, 2017 News by admin Younger MS Patients Who Are Hospitalized May Be at Higher Risk of Quitting Treatment, Study Reports MS patients who start treatment at a younger age, and whose condition requires hospitalization, are more likely to stop treatment, a Canadian study reports. The research, published in the journal Dovepress, dealt with the main reasons Canadian patients quit first-line injected disease-modifying therapies, or DMTs. It was titled āPersistence to disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis in a Canadian cohort.ā DMTs can reduce MS activity, but patients must stick with them in order for them to be effective. āThere is currently a paucity of clinical trial data on what happens to individuals when they discontinue DMT," the researchers wrote. "However, recent preliminary evidence from observational studies suggest increased relapses and disability in those who discontinue DMT." Researchers sought to identify MS patients at higher risk of discontinuing treatment. They looked at Manitoba Province's medical database to identify the types of drugs MS patients were taking, and for how long. The analysis covered 721 patients who received injected beta-interferons or Copaxone between 1996 and 2011, and whom doctors followed for at least a year. Teva manufactures Copaxone, whose generic name is glatiramer acetate. The mean age of the patients in the study was 37.6 years, and 74.2 percent were women. Researchers defined a discontinuation of a DMT as a 90-day or longer gap in treatment. A third of the patients were treated with beta-interferon-1b, either Bayer HealthCare's Betaferon/Betaseron or Novartis' Extavia. It was the first such therapy available in Manitoba. Twenty-three percent of patients received beta-interferon-1a, either Biogen's Avonex or Merck's Rebif. And 21 percent received Copaxone. The median time before a patient discontinued a DMT was 4.2 years. Although 62.6 percent of patients discontinued treatment at some point, 57.4 percent either reinitiated it or switched to a different DMT. Patients who were on DMT at least a year were more likely to stay with it than those who stopped in the first year. Importantly, patients who started a DMT at a younger age were more likely to stop taking it than older patients. āOur results are also consistent with previous work examining persistence for other chronic medication classes, including statins, antihypertensives, bisphosphonates, and oral antidiabetic agents, where the risk for discontinuing drugs declined in a linear fashion with age,ā the researchers wrote. The team also found that 16 percent of patients had to be hospitalized overnight, with 3 percent of the cases due to MS-related complications. And these hospitalized patients were more likely to stop their DMT treatment earlier, the researchers said. Summing up, the team said: "Subjects who were younger when starting a DMT, had prior MS-related hospitalizations, were more recently diagnosed with MS, or had a greater lag time between their MS diagnosis and DMT initiation were more likely to discontinue therapy." Although "not all of the factors identified with discontinuing DMT" can be modified, "they may help practitioners enhance MS care by identifying individuals who may be at particular risk for DMT discontinuation," the researchers concluded.
June 23, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc Tecfidera Improves MS Patients’ Work Productivity, Compared with Other Therapies, Study Shows Multiple sclerosis patients taking Tecfidera, or dimethyl fumarate, were more productive at work than those on Copaxone or beta-interferon therapies, according to a study. Tecfidera also increased patients’ quality of life, researchers said. The study covered patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, or RRMS. The four beta-interferon treatments wereĀ Avonex, Betaseron, Rebif,…
May 8, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Pregnant Women with Relapsing MS Can Use Copaxone Without Harming Baby, Study Indicates Babies of women with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) who receive daily injections ofĀ Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) while pregnant carry the same risk of developing birth defects as babies as a whole, according to a study by the therapy’s developer,Ā Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. The findings can help doctors counsel and treat…
April 20, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Teva to Discuss MS and Huntington’s Therapies at Premier Neurology Conference Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will discuss two of its multiple sclerosis therapies, one that reduces relapses and one that appears to protect nerve structure, at a premier neurology conference in Boston this month. It will also give presentationsĀ at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of NeurologyĀ on therapies…
April 13, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: CIS, Copaxone, Contracture and More ‘C’ Terms (Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this secondĀ of three partsĀ on terms starting with the letter “C.”) When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering an understanding of the disease means you need to mind your Ps and Qs, dot your Is, cross your Ts,…
January 30, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Generic Form of Copaxone, GTR, Safe and Effective, Study Confirms An extension trial assessing generic glatiramer acetate (GTR) treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients found that the formulation is as safe and effective as Copaxone (branded glatiramer acetate), and that switching to GTR is well-tolerated. The findingsĀ were in theĀ study, āSwitching from branded to generic glatiramer acetate:…
January 19, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Reports on MS Treatment Market Show Growing Shift to Oral Therapies The multiple sclerosis (MS) market shiftedĀ during 2016, with oral disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) capturing a greater share and Sanofi-Genzyme’s Aubagio (teriflunomide) being poised for growth, according to a press releaseĀ fromĀ Spherix Global Insights. The conclusions were included in the company’sĀ āRealTime Dynamix: Multiple Sclerosis,ā a quarterly report based…
December 7, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Copaxone Use During Pregnancy by RMS Patients Now Possible in EU European users ofĀ Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection, Teva Pharmaceutical) to treatĀ relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS) will no longer see a warning that the drug should not be used during pregnancy. A report assessing this change in the drug’sĀ marketing authorization within the European Union ā a process known as…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Treatment of Progressive MS May Have Delayed Result There might be years-long lags in response to disease-modifying drugs in patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study that analyzed data from two large clinical trials of progressive MS patients. The study fuels the idea that clinical trials of disease-modifying drugs for progressive MS need…
September 9, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 1st Generic for Copaxone to Treat Relapsing MS Available in Central and Eastern Europe AlvogenĀ recently announced the launch of Remurel (glatiramer acetate) in Central and Eastern Europe, making it the first generic equivalent of Copaxone Ā to be clinically validated for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in Europe. European health authorities determined that Remurel 20 mg was the therapeutic equivalent…
August 1, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Genentech Enrolling Relapsing MS Patients in Study of Mechanism of Action for Ocrevus In addition to a new study sponsored by GenentechĀ to test the experimentalĀ MS therapyĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā in RMS patients who have had a sub-optimal response to previous disease modifying therapies, the company is also currently recruiting patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis to understand the therapy’sĀ mechanism of action and B-cell biology…
July 22, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Disease Modifying Drugs Seen to Help Protect MS Patients with Benign Status from Greater Disability Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) and people diagnosed with the disease at aĀ younger age are more likely to have a benign course of MS, remaining fully functional for decadesĀ after disease onset, according to researchers at the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in New York. Disease modifying drugs wereĀ also found…