Bulletin May 11, 2007 MS Society

Progress on Experimental Therapies for MS, and Much More, Reported at the American Academy of Neurology Meeting

May 11, 2007

John Dystel Prize Presentation

“I do not think it is too bold to think about curing MS,” stated Dr. Howard Weiner winner of the 2007 John Dystel Prize for MS Research awarded by the National MS Society and the AAN during a presentation in which he talked about how far MS research had come since he started treating people with MS in 1972. “Enormous progress has been made.”

Experimental oral therapies:


· Dr. Giancarlo Comi (Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan) and others administered 0.3 mg or 0.6 mg doses of oral laquinimod (Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., Active Biotech AB) daily for 36 weeks to 306 people with RR MS. The primary goal was to determine if the immune-modulating drug would reduce the number of active MRI brain lesions. In those taking 0.6 mg, active lesions decreased significantly, by 38%, compared with the placebo group, but not in those on the lower dose. Participants tolerated both doses, experiencing transient increases in liver enzymes.

Dr. Claudia Kaiser (University of Illinois, Chicago) and colleagues studied whether oral pioglitazone (Actos®, Takeda Pharmaceuticals) a drug approved for diabetes that has anti-inflammatory effects was safe to use in people with MS already taking Avonex® (interferon beta-1a, Biogen Idec, Inc.). Secondary goals of the study were to determine the effect on disease activity and brain tissue loss as observed using advanced imaging technology.

Dr. Andrew Goodman (University of Rochester) presented detailed results of a phase 3, placebo-controlled study of oral Fampridine-SR (sustained-release formula of 4-aminopyridine, Acorda Therapeutics) in 301 individuals with all types of MS. Fampridine blocks tiny pores, or potassium channels, on the surface of nerve fibers. This blocking ability may improve the conduction of nerve signals in nerve fibers whose insulating myelin coating has been damaged by MS.

A previously reported six-month, phase 2 controlled study of oral fingolimod (FTY720, Novartis Pharma AG) showed possible benefits in relapse rate and MRI-detected disease activity in relapsing MS, and the drug is now being tested in a larger, phase 3 trial. During the phase 2 study, investigators also measured depression at the beginning of the study and also at 3 months and 6 months into the trial in 239 participants.

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