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…
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…
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…
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:…
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…
September 1, 2016 News by Malika Ammam, PhD MS Treatments May Lower Levels of Immune White Blood Cells Multiple sclerosis patients are at risk ofĀ developing lymphopenia, or abnormally low levels of immune defense white blood cells, called lymphocytes, according to a study that investigatedĀ lymphocyte counts in people with relapsing MS both before and after the start of treatment. The study, āLymphopenia in treatment-naive relapsing multiple…
August 25, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Teva’s New Copaxone Formulation for RRMS Approved by Health Canada Health Canada has approved Teva Canada Innovation‘sĀ three-time weekly 40 mg/mL injection of Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) that allows less frequent dosing forĀ patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The approval wasĀ grounded primarily on data resulting from the Phase 3 Glatiramer Acetate Low-Frequency Administration (GALA) study, the largest Copaxone clinical…
May 27, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD R-Pharm Group To Launch Glatirat, an Analogue of Copaxone for MS Treatment The Russian Ministry of HealthĀ recently granted Marketing Authorization (ŠŠ-003567) to R-Pharm JSC for the development of Ā āGlatiratā (Glatiramer acetate), a drug intended for the treatment of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and clinically isolated syndrome. According to a press release, the registration of āGlatiratā was based…
February 9, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Patients Seen to Safely Switch to Oral Drugs from Injectable Oral Therapies Stable multiple sclerosis (MS) patients do not appear to be at any increased risk of disease reactivation whileĀ switching to oral therapy following treatment with injectable interferon-Ī²/glatiramer acetate (IFNĪ²/GA), a study reports. Recently publishedĀ in the European Journal of Neurology,Ā the Australian study was titledĀ “Risk of early…
January 4, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Pilot MS Study Suggests High-Dose Vitamin D Supplements Are Safe and Beneficial Results from a small pilot study indicated that high-dose vitamin D supplementation is safe and tolerable in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and that it can reduce the presenceĀ of autoimmunity-causing immune T cells. Patients are now being recruited for a larger clinical trial. The study, entitled āSafety and immunologic…
December 7, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Now Available in Japan Takeda Pharmaceutical, a pharmaceutical company based in Osaka, Japan, recently announcedĀ that a widely approved drug treatment forĀ the prevention of relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā is nowĀ available in Japan as well. Copaxone,Ā (glatiramer acetate; 20 mg daily subcutaneous injection), developed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, is an immunomodulatory drug designed toĀ act as…
December 2, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Experimental Relapsing-Remitting MS Drug Treatment Advancing Synthetic Biologics, which specializes in the development of therapies forĀ pathogen-specific diseases, recently announced theĀ publication of new and positive data on results from a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the companyās product Trimestaā¢ as a treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in women. Professor Rhonda Voskuhl, director of theĀ Multiple Sclerosis Program…
October 20, 2015 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Generic Form of Glatiramer Acetate Has Equivalent Gene Expression Profile as Teva’s Copaxone In a recent study entitled āEquivalent Gene Expression Profiles between Glatopaā¢ and CopaxoneĀ®,ā authors determined potential differences in treatment responses by investigating the gene expression profile of two approved treatments for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis ā Copaxone and Glatopa. Both of these MS therapies are glatiramer…
October 9, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New 3-Times-Per-Week Regimen For Teva’s Copaxone Safe, Effective & Increases Patient Compliance #ECTRIMS2015 A Satellite Symposia entitled āDiscovering a new world in MSā presentedĀ by Teva Neuroscience was held yesterday, October 8 at the 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS)Ā currently taking place in Barcelona, Spain, October 7 ā 10, 2015. Dr. Omar Khan from the…
April 17, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD First Generic Version of Copaxone Approved by FDA to Treat Multiple Sclerosis The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the approval of the first generic version ofĀ CopaxoneĀ (glatiramer acetate injection) for the treatment ofĀ relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The administration has grantedĀ Sandoz marketing authorization forĀ glatiramer acetate in 20 mg/1 ml…
January 9, 2015 News by Charles Moore Takeda Submits Application For New Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Prevention Drug Glatiramer Acetate in Japan Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) announced late last month its New Drug Application (NDA) to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the multiple sclerosis relapse prevention drug glatiramer acetateĀ (active ingredient)Ā — which is sold in some marketsĀ under the trade name Copaxone. Developed by Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries…
December 19, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Mapi Pharma Treats First RRMS Patient with Once-A-Month GA Depot Mapi Pharma Ltd.,Ā a development stage pharmaceutical company specializingĀ in the development of high-barrier to entry and high-added value generic drugs, announced it has treated the first patient in theĀ Phase IIa study of GA Depot forĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Lead investigatorĀ ProfessorĀ Ariel Miller, M.D., Ph.D., Head of the Multiple Sclerosis & Brain…
December 9, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 3 Times a Week Dose Copaxone for Relapsing MS Receives Positive Outcome in Europe Israel-based biopharmaceutical companyĀ Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced last week that its thrice-weekly COPAXONEĀ® (glatiramer acetate) 40mg/ml treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) has received positive results in a decentralized procedure. The favorable outcome proceeds aĀ Positive Assessment Report from the United Kingdom, the Reference Member…
December 1, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Delays Ruling on Teva Petition Against Generic Copaxone for MS Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the company behind multiple sclerosis drugĀ COPAXONEĀ® (glatiramer acetate injection), has been pursuing the US Food and Drug Administration‘s decision against approving a generic version of the drug, by Mylan, Inc.Ā Teva’s petition has been turned down several times,…
October 1, 2014 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Why MS Patients Should Know What Glatiramer Acetate Therapy Is A new study, entitled āThe Effect of Glatiramer Acetate Therapy on Functional Properties of B Cells From Patients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosisā published online inĀ JAMA Neurology,Ā reports the effect of Glatiramer acetate therapy on B cells in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This first-of-its-kind study could…
September 2, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Mylan’s Generic Copaxone Injection ANDA Approved for Filling by the FDA The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acceptedĀ theĀ abbreviated new drug application (ANDA)Ā forĀ filingĀ of aĀ Glatiramer Acetate InjectionĀ for the treatment of patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
June 18, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Lipoatrophy Occurrence for MS Patients Higher than Originally Thought The risk of developing lipoatrophy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients administrated with glatiramer acetate is greater than 60 percent, according to a study developed at theĀ Riverside Medical Clinic that reviewed 73 MS patients. It was already known that the drug could cause the condition, however the rate is higher…