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IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO YOU:

Whether you have or may have MS, or care about someone who does, finding the right information for you is an important step.
Learn the facts about MS: what it is, who gets it, why, what are the symptoms it can cause, how it's diagnosed, and how it is treated?
We at the Christian MS Society are dedicated to helping you stay informed.

People with MS can typically experience one of four disease courses, each of which might be mild, moderate, or severe.

  • Relapsing-Remitting MS
    People with this type of MS experience clearly defined attacks of worsening neurologic function. These attacks—which are called relapses, flare-ups, or exacerbations —are followed by partial or complete recovery periods (remissions), during which no disease progression occurs. Approximately 85% of people are initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS.
  • Primary-Progressive MS
    This disease course is characterized by slowly worsening neurologic function from the beginning—with no distinct relapses or remissions. The rate of progression may vary over time, with occasional plateaus and temporary minor improvements. Approximately 10% of people are diagnosed with primary-progressive MS.
  • Secondary-Progressive MS
    Following an initial period of relapsing-remitting MS, many people develop a secondary-progressive disease course in which the disease worsens more steadily, with or without occasional flare-ups, minor recoveries (remissions), or plateaus. Before the disease-modifying medications became available, approximately 50% of people with relapsing-remitting MS developed this form of the disease within 10 years. Long-term data are not yet available to determine if treatment significantly delays this transition.
  • Progressive-Relapsing MS
    In this relatively rare course of MS (5%), people experience steadily worsening disease from the beginning, but with clear attacks of worsening neurological function along the way. They may or may not experience some recovery following these relapses, but the disease continues to progress without remissions.

Since no two people have exactly the same experience of MS, the disease course may look very different from one person to another. And, it may not always be clear to the physician—at least right away—which course a person is experiencing.

For more important information about MS, check out Just the Facts (.pdf)


Visit Hawaiihelpsms.org

Friday, May 2, 2008

Rituxan Joins List of Treatments

By KEITH J. WINSTEIN
April 15, 2008; Page B9
Rituxan, a top-selling drug from Genentech Inc. and Biogen Idec Inc., failed to slow the course of the most severe form of multiple sclerosis in a large study, the companies said.

The findings make Rituxan at least the sixth unsuccessful attempt to treat so-called primary-progressive MS, or PPMS. In the U.S., about 35,000 to 40,000 people have primary-progressive MS, out of roughly 350,000 to 400,000 total MS patients.

There are no approved treatments for PPMS. Genentech and Biogen had hoped that Rituxan -- which is approved for blood cancer and rheumatoid arthritis -- might become the first such treatment. The drug costs about $20,820 a year at the dosage used.

But in the companies' study, which followed 439 patients for 96 weeks, Rituxan didn't significantly slow the course of the disease, which gradually robs patients of motor function and causes tremors, tingling and fatigue. Secondary results -- like whether Rituxan improved MRI scans of patients' brains -- weren't released.

"We are disappointed in the outcome of the primary endpoint, but not surprised given the significant clinical challenges presented by PPMS," said Hal Barron, chief medical officer at Genentech, in a statement.

A successful result could have yielded $236 million to $359 million in annual sales to the two companies, according to a Bear Stearns estimate. Genentech gets 60% of the profits from Rituxan, with 40% going to Biogen. Total sales were $2.3 billion last year.

In a smaller study last year, Rituxan slowed down the less-severe form of MS, which has several approved drugs, including Biogen's Avonex and Tysabri. The companies have disagreed over what to do next. The matter is subject to an arbitration hearing this summer.

Rituxan is being studied in lupus, another immune-system disease with few treatment options. Genentech has said results may be released within a few weeks.

Write to Keith J. Winstein at keith.winstein@wsj.com

at 2:06 PM
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