Rib diagram of the fab fragment of Alemtuzumab drug. Credit: Wikipedia (public domain) Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online A new drug to fight multiple sclerosis (MS) is showing promise as one of the most effective treatment options ever produced for the debilitating disease, according to UK researchers. The drug, which is used to reboot a persons immune system, has been shown to be effective in MS patients who have already failed to respond to the first drug with which they were treated, as well as those who have gone previously untreated. The promising results of two phase III clinical trials on the new treatment were published today in the journal The Lancet. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, said this could have significant implications for the some 100,000 people known to have MS in the United Kingdom. Most people diagnosed with MS have the relapsing-remitting version of the disease, in which symptoms can seem to disappear for a time, before suddenly returning. Now, they believe the drug Alemtuzumab, which is used for the treatment of leukemia, may be a beneficial treatment for MS. In leukemia, the drug controls the excess production of white blood cells. In MS … Continue reading →

1 November 2012 Last updated at 05:03 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News A new drug is the "most effective" treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, say UK researchers. During MS the body's immune system turns on its own nerves causing debilitating muscle problems. Researchers at the University of Cambridge say a cancer drug, which wipes out and resets the immune system, has better results than other options. However, there is concern that a drugs company is about to increase the cost of the drug as a result. Around 100,000 people in the UK have multiple sclerosis. When the condition is diagnosed most will have a form of the disease know as relapsing-remitting MS, in which the symptoms can almost disappear for a time, before suddenly returning. The researchers tested a leukaemia drug, alemtuzumab, which had shown benefits for MS in small studies. In leukaemia, a blood cancer, it controls the excess production of white blood cells. In MS patients, the dose eliminates the immune cells entirely, forcing a new immune system to be built from scratch which should not attack the nerves. Two trials, published in the Lancet medical journal, compared the effectiveness of alemtuzumab with … Continue reading →

A drug which is said to "reboot" the immune system has been shown to be an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), a study has found. The results of the trials were so encouraging in reducing the number of attacks in those affected that the MS Society is campaigning for the drug to become available on the NHS. The research showed that alemtuzumab significantly reduced the number of attacks or relapses by people with MS compared with the current drug interferon beta-1a which is known commercially as Rebif. This result was seen both in patients who had not previously received any treatment and those who have continued to show disease activity while taking an existing treatment for MS, found the study published in the journal The Lancet. In one trial with patients who had recently relapsed, new episodes were reduced by 49% more than that achieved by the current standard treatment. Over a two-year period, 65% of patients on alemtuzumab compared with 47% of patients on interferon did not relapse. The study, sponsored by Genzyme and Bayer Schering Pharma, found that alemtuzumab also reduced the risk of acquiring disability by 42% compared with interferon. Disability worsened in 20% of interferon … Continue reading →

Alemtuzumab Lessens Relapses, Improves Disability By Salynn Boyles WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Oct. 31, 2012 -- Two new trials offer proof that a leukemia drug long used to treat multiple sclerosis works better than a common treatment. When compared with the widely used drug interferon beta, the leukemia drug alemtuzumab reduced relapse rates by half, researchers say. Alemtuzumab has been used to treat MS for close to two decades, but it has never been approved for this use. It is given by IV infusion. The drug not only reduced relapses, but improved disability associated with MS, such as loss of coordination or difficulty walking, in some patients. Side effects include infusion reactions, infections, and potentially serious autoimmune disorders. Patients taking it must be followed closely. "In the menu of treatment choices for MS patients, I think alemtuzumab falls into the 'high-reward, high-risk' category," says Alasdair Coles, MD, of Britain's University of Cambridge, who led one of the newly published studies. "No other drug has been shown to offer the benefits in terms of disability improvement that this drug shows," he says. "It comes with problems, but these problems are manageable." Read the original post: Leukemia Drug … Continue reading →