multiple sclerosis Drugs Work Well In Studies

Boston (DbTechNo) - There maybe good news on the way for patients living with multiple sclerosis as results of 2 clinical drug trials were very promising.

The disease is caused when the body’s immune system turns on itself, attacking myelin which is a protective layer that covers nerves.

People living with MS are subjected to injections or infusions as forms of treatment, both methods being very uncomfortable.

The possible MS drugs being developed are of the oral variety, a welcome relief for MS patients.

Cladribine and fingolimod are the names of the drugs being tested for their effectiveness in treating MS, and when compared against placebo pills, cut relapse rates by up to 60 percent.

“These results are big in that first of all, both these therapies look to be very effective, appear to be well tolerated, and they have a novel mechanism of action,” says Jeffrey A. Cohen, MD, director of experimental therapeutics at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis at the Cleveland Clinic.

It is estimated that up to 400,000 Americans are living with MS.

The MS drug studies have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.