New MS drug proves effective where others have failed

A drug which ‘reboots’ a person’s immune system has been shown to be an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who have already failed to respond to the first drug with which they were treated (a ‘first-line’ therapy), as well as affected individuals who were previously untreated.  The results of these two phase III clinical trials were published today in the journal The Lancet.

The new studies, sponsored by Genzyme (a Sanofi company) and Bayer Schering Pharma, showed that alemtuzumab significantly reduces the number of attacks (or relapses) experienced by people with MS compared to interferon beta-1a (known commercially as Rebif).  This was seen both in patients who had not previously received any treatment (drug-naïve) and those who have continued to show disease activity whilst taking an existing treatment for MS.