Drug information

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is a serious disease-modifying therapy. It has the potential to deliver a major blow to a patient’s MS, but it also carries the possibility of severe side effects. The protocol for Ocrevus requires different doses on different infusion dates, following a specific treatment schedule. It’s also…

Nyrada, a subsidiary company of Noxopharm, discovered a set of novel compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier and blood-nerve barriers, and inhibit a master regulator of chronic inflammation in autoimmunity called IRAK4. The Australian company believes that these novel IRAK4 inhibitors may represent an alternative strategy to…

Mylan announced its U.S. launch of dalfampridine extended-release (ER) tablets, the authorized generic version of Acorda‘s Ampyra, that work to improve walking abilities in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). Both versions of this medication come in a 10 mg tablet form. Approved generic medicines are those that…

Phase 3 Trial in the UK Soon to Test Statin, Simvastatin, in Slowing SPMS Progression I’ve taken a statin medication for years to keep my cholesterol in check. Now, a study is getting underway to see if one statin pill can also be used to treat MS. It’s particularly…

Eighteen months after its entrance into the U.S. market, Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) has become the monoclonal antibody of choice to treat patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a survey of nearly 100 neurologists across the U.S. Self-reported use of Ocrevus for the third quarter of 2018 surpassed…

Treatment with Rapacan (rapamycin) decreased the size and volume of brain lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), an Iranian study reports. The study, “Promising effect of rapamycin on multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. Rapamycin, or sirolimus, is an immunosuppressive…

Editor’s note: Shortly after this column was published, Mylan pharmaceuticals announced it will begin distributing Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets, 10 mg, the authorized generic version of Acorda’s Ampyra. There’s been no word, yet, on what it will cost or how soon the generic will become available in pharmacies. A few…

Two years of treatment with oral Gilenya (fingolimod) significantly reduced the rate of relapses when compared to Avonex (interferon beta-1a) intramuscular injections in children and adolescents with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS), according to Phase 3 clinical trial results. Additionally, Gilenya (marketed by Novartis) decreased the number of central nervous…

A large Phase 3 trial getting underway at sites across the U.K. will test the effectiveness of simvastatin, a widely used oral statin, in possibly treating secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), the study’s sponsor, University College of London Hospitals (UCLH), announced. The study, the largest ever undertaken for SPMS…

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, better known as NICE, issued a final decision against including Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) as a treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) in the subsidized public health system for England and Wales. The agency’s “final appraisal,” which mirrors its draft…

How B-cells Work to Promote T-cell Attacks on Myelin That Lead to MS Detailed in Study I keep a close eye on reports about B-cells and T-cells because they’re the targets of Lemtrada, which is my current disease-modifying therapy. (The DMT Ocrevus targets B-cells alone). So, this…

Tysabri (natalizumab) was reported in a small retrospective study to significantly improve cognitive abilities in people with relapsing-remitting MS patients (RRMS) over two years of use. The study, “Improvement in Cognitive Function as Measured by NeuroTrax in Patients with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Natalizumab: A 2-Year…

Ocrevus, a disease-modifying MS treatment that’s only been on the market a little less than 18 months, appears poised to be a cash cow for its maker, Genentech. The research firm Spherix Global Insights, which analyzes trends in the pharmaceutical industry, predicts that Ocrevus is “poised to…

Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Gilenya (fingolimod) are equally effective in treating multiple sclerosis (MS), but Tecfidera shows higher rates of discontinuation, according to a real-world study. The study, “Discontinuation and comparative effectiveness of dimethyl fumarate and fingolimod in 2 centers,” was published in the journal Neurology Clinical…

Abreos Biosciences announced the U.S. launch of moNATor, a laboratory-developed test that can help physicians monitor the levels of Tysabri (natalizumab) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Tysabri (approved for relapsing forms of MS, by Biogen) administered at a dose of 300 mg every four weeks is known to be…

I get my medications the old-fashioned way. When I need to fill a prescription, I either go to the drug store or use a mail-order pharmacy — and usually, I have a copay. Sometimes the copay is just a few dollars, but sometimes it can be a few hundred.

Discontinuing Gilenya (fingolimod) treatment and starting on rituximab therapy may be more complicated than originally thought. A new report chronicles the medical journey of a man with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with these drugs, and proposes a new treatment regimen. Both Gilenya (an approved MS therapy marketed by…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients may experience severe disease exacerbation after switching from Novartis’ Gilenya (fingolimod) to Sanofi Genzyme’s Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), a case report suggests. This unexpected high disease activity raises questions about managing MS through the consecutive use of immunotherapies. The case report, “Unexpected high multiple…

As a 61-year-old woman diagnosed in 2010 with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), I was overjoyed when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the therapy Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in March 2017. Because Ocrevus is the first treatment approved to possibly slow the progression of PPMS, the FDA’s green…

Lemtrada Can Lower Number of B-cells Infiltrating Nervous System and Forming Clumps, Animal Study Shows I usually stay away from recommending articles about mice studies, but this article does a nice job of explaining how Lemtrada works and the role of B-cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). As…

Most patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are satisfied with the conditions of their intravenous therapy (administered directly into the bloodstream) and are very aware of the therapy’s safety, according to a small Macedonian study. Also, establishing a specialized infusion center would substantially increase intravenous treatment satisfaction and adherence. The study, “…

Treating mice in a model of multiple sclerosis with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) prevented the formation of B-cell aggregates in the animals’ central nervous system and disrupted already existing ones, researchers report. The treatment also reduced disease activity when administered at the peak of disease. The study, “Anti-CD52 antibody treatment depletes B…

Long-term treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) appears to lessen the risk of disease worsening in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, an 18-year follow-up study suggests. But these therapies were not seen to benefit those who had progressed to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The study, “Onset of secondary…

Hair Loss Seen in RRMS Patients Using Aubagio Often Temporary and Mild, Study Says I read a lot of questions on multiple sclerosis (MS) social media groups from people who are worried about hair loss caused by their disease-modifying therapy (DMT). Aubagio (teriflunomide) is one DMT with…

AXIM Biotech announced that tests done on its cannabinoid-based chewing gum — MedChew Rx — showed both product stability and effective release of medicinal molecules, with a high percentage of its pharmaceutical ingredients available. These test results may be of importance, as the company is planning to bring MedChew Rx into clinical trials as a…

Smoking increases the relapse rate in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis being treated with Tysabri , an observational study suggests. Multiple sclerosis is a multifactorial disease associated with both genetic and environmental risk factors. Smoking, in particular, has been linked to numerous aspects of MS, including its development and progression. In a previous study, the research team looked at how smoking influences the relapse rate in RRMS patients being treated with interferon beta. From more than 800 patients, they found that smoking one pack per day (about 20 cigarettes) essentially interfered with the positive effect of the IFN-beta treatment and increased the relapse rate by 27%. The researchers then questioned whether the same was true for other treatments. Tysabri, developed by Biogen, is a monoclonal antibody that targets the alpha-4 integrin protein. By interfering with this molecule, the therapy prevents white blood cells from moving into the central nervous system, suppressing the immune reaction that contributes to MS symptoms. In the study, 355 Tysabri-treated RRMS patients from the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Centre were assessed. To gather information on smoking habits and body mass index, the patients filled out a 100-question survey. Data was collected between the start of the treatment and a two-year follow-up visit. Results showed that smoking one pack of cigarettes per day increases the relapse rate by 38% in RRMS patients on Tysabri. This increase in relapse rate takes into account both sex and age at the start of treatment, since age can affect the relapse rate. For example, an increase in age by one year raises the number of relapses by 2%. The researchers also looked at the relationship between smoking and the presence of two immune-related alleles: HLA-DRB1*15:01 and HLA-A*02:01. Previous studies showed that HLADRB1*15:01 is associated with an increased risk of developing MS, while HLA-A*02:01 is linked to a decreased risk. Although previous studies reported a link between smoking and these two alleles in MS patients, the current study did not find an association between smoking and carrying either of these alleles. Based on the results, the researchers concluded that smoking significantly increases the relapse rate in RRMS patients receiving Tysabri. According to the team, the results "add important information that hopefully will sharpen the focus on the overall harmful effects of smoking in MS patients."

Pendopharm’s Glatect (glatiramer acetate injection), a lower cost alternative to Teva’s Copaxone, has been added to the public health plans of five Canadian provinces for patients with…

There are many things that confuse me, particularly in the medical area. Perhaps that’s why I am more comfortable thinking about MS patients’ quality of life rather than being into the hard science of medicine and understanding how medicines work. I’m thinking in particular of botulinum toxin, more…

Results from a first-in-human study assessing the safety and early activity of PRN2246 confirmed that the oral compound can reach into the brain and spinal cord. This finding adds new evidence that PRN2246 has the potential to target the immune cells that drive the inflammatory process involved in multiple sclerosis…

Being treated with ozanimod consistently reduced disease activity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to results of a two-year extension of a Phase 2 trial. These benefits were evident both in patients on continuous treatment throughout the study, and in those who switched to ozanimod from placebo. Results…