• Home
• News Archive
• Video

Early Drug Treatment May Cut Multiple Sclerosis Risk

Posted on 10/07/2009, 07:00
By -- Randy Dotinga

Improved rates of prevention or delay of full-blown disease seen in treated study patients

TUESDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients who show early signs of multiple sclerosis, treatment with a drug called glatiramer acetate appears to halve the risk that they will develop full-blown disease, new research suggests.

About 85 percent of patients who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis first show signs of a "clinical event" that goes away. But many people who have this happen -- about one-third -- don't go on to develop the disease, and most of the rest won't be severely disabled, research has shown.

In the new study, published in Oct. 6 online edition of The Lancet, 481 people who showed possible signs of multiple sclerosis were assigned to receive either a placebo or glatiramer acetate for up to 36 months. The dosage for those who received the active drug was 20 milligrams per day.

The researchers found that glatiramer acetate reduced the risk of developing the disease by 45 percent compared to the placebo, and it took longer for some patients to develop the disease -- it was an average of about two years for those who took the drug compared to about one year for those who didn't.

Injection-related side effects were common: more than half of those who were given glatiramer acetate developed problems around the site of their injections, and about 19 percent had reactions right after receiving the treatment. By comparison, 24 percent of those who were given the placebo had reactions at the site of their injections, and only 5 percent had problems immediately after the treatment, according to the study authors.

"This study establishes glatiramer acetate as an option for patients with clinically isolated syndrome who choose to start treatment early to improve control of the underlying disease process," the researchers concluded.

More information

Learn more about multiple sclerosis from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

SOURCE: The Lancet, news release, Oct. 6, 2009

Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

More news in Multiple Sclerosis...

BigHealthTree.com Disclaimer

Bighealthtree.com Does Not Provide Medical Advice. This site, including the above information, is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified health or medical professional before starting any new treatment, changing existing treatment, or altering your current exercise and/or diet program. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911 (or the emergency services in your area) or your doctor immediately.