Latest MS drug approved by FDA hailed as a majorbreakthroughBy
Jocelyn Maminta Medical/Health Reporter (http://wtnh.com/author
/wtnhjocelynmaminta/)
Published: April 21, 2017, 6:02 pm | Updated: April
21, 2017, 7:19 pm
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)–Every year, hundreds lace up their
sneakers for the Walk MS
in Connecticut, raising thousands for local programs and
services for families affected by
multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that attacks the central
nervous system.
It also helps fund research–paving the way for the development
of much needed drugs
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like this one.
“I wouldn’t want to use the word cure but it may be as close
that we can get to a cure.”
Well known neurologist Dr. David Hafler with the Yale Multiple
Sclerosis Center, led a
secondary clinical trial on the recently FDA approved –
Ocrevus.
He points to video, “Here we have the b-cells, which are
interacting with the t-cells, which
are attacking the nervous system.”
The drug attacks the b-cells in the brain and by doing so turns
off the t-cells.
“If you don’t allow the t-cells to get activated then you stop
the disease.”
It works best for patients recently diagnosed with M-S.
“If someone has new onset-MS, we believe this should be a first
line drug, to see if it can
stop the inflammation. It appears to be incredibly effective in
terms of stopping the
early, early disease.”
The intravenous treatment — was also approved for primary
progressive M-S.
“It does appear to have a modest effect but not nearly as
dramatic as in relapsing
remitting disease.”
Still, Dr. Hafler says it’s a major breakthrough.
“What we don’t know and this will take decades to really figure
out– is if you stop the
very early inflammation, the relapsing remitting, do you prevent
patients from going into
the progressive phase? Time will tell but our guess is that it
will.”
Walk MS starts this weekend and goes through May. There are nine
sites across the
state.
News 8’s Darren Kramer and Teresa Dufour will be in Cheshire
this Sunday.
Registration is at nine am. The walk is at 10.
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