Fw: Drug shows promise in treating MS...Cronh's

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----- Original Message -----

From: " Kathi " <pureheart@...>

Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2003 11:53 PM

Subject: Drug shows promise in treating MS...Cronh's

> Thank you !

>

> Drug shows promise in treating MS

>

> Antegren reduced the number

> of new brain lesions

> in patients with MS and cut

> number of relapses in half

>

> Jan. 1 â? " An experimental drug shows promise as an effective new

> approach for treating multiple sclerosis and

> the intestinal ailment Crohnâ?Ts disease. In preliminary tests, the

> new drug Antegren dramatically reduced

> the number of new brain lesions in patients with MS and cut the

> number of relapses in half. In Crohnâ?Ts

> patients, it increased the rate of remission and improved

> the patientsâ?T quality of life.

> London BOTH WERE EARLY studies, and researchers stressed

> that more definitive results will come from larger, longer studies that

> are now under way.

> â?oAt this stage, these are very promising results,â?? said one

> of the MS researchers, Dr. H. of the Institute of Neurology

> in London. â?oOne hopes that

> these will be confirmed ... and then one will

> have an additional effective treatment for people with MS.â??

> The findings were reported in Thursdayâ?Ts New England Journal

> of Medicine. The studies were funded by the two companies developing the

> drug, Elan Corp. and

> Biogen Inc. Some of the researchers have

> received grants from the companies or worked as consultants for them.

>

> IMMUNE SYSTEM GONE

> AWRY

> There is no cure for MS or Crohnâ?Ts and the causes are

> unknown. In both, the immune system goes awry, resulting in inflammation

> and damage to brain tissue in MS

> and to the intestinal

> wall in Crohnâ?Ts disease.

> MS patients can have loss of balance and coordination, blurry

> vision and fatigue. Crohnâ?Ts causes chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain,

> fever and weight loss.

> Current treatments include injections of interferon, which slows down

> the immune system, or anti-inflammatory drugs, including steroids, which

> ease the swelling. Some of the

> drugs have serious side effects and

> they donâ?Tt work for all patients, researchers said.

> Antegren, also called natalizumab, is the first in a new class

> of medicines that uses a novel approach to prevent inflammation. It

> attaches to the immune cells and stops them

> from leaving the bloodstream and

> reaching the areas of inflammation in MS and Crohnâ?Ts.

> Dr. Lars Ekman, president of research and development at Elan,

> said the companies expect to seek approval for the drug at the end of

> 2003 in the United States and

> Europe. Depending on the regulatory process, the drug could be

> available as early as the end of 2004, he said. In the MS study, 213

> patients in the United States, Canada and

> the United Kingdom were given six monthly infusions of one of two

> Antegren doses or a dummy drug. Patients who received the dummy drug had

> about 10 new brain lesions,

> compared to about one new lesion in those

> getting Antegren, a reduction of about 90 percent.

> The frequency of relapses was cut in half in

> the Antegren groups, to 19 percent from 38 percent in the comparison

> group.

> The 248 patients in the Crohnâ?Ts study in Europe received two

> infusions a month apart of either of two Antegren doses, a dummy drug or

> a combination of Antegren

> and the dummy drug. A scoring system

> measured their response over 12 weeks.

>

> REMISSION RATE

>

> Overall, the patients who received only Antegren had higher

> remission rates and response rates. The highest remission rate was 44

> percent at six weeks in the low dose

> Antegren group, compared with 27

> percent in the dummy drug group.

> In both studies, there were few serious side

> effects and there was no difference in side effects between the

> treatment groups.

> One of the Crohnâ?Ts researchers, Dr. Subrata Ghosh of

> Imperial College London, said he was particularly encouraged because the

> drug improved the quality of

> patientâ?Ts

> lives.

> â?oThe wider the choice of therapy available, the

> better for the patients. And certainly as clinicians, we welcome

> that,â?? said Ghosh.

> Oâ?TLooney, director of biomedical research programs

> for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, said the future for MS

> treatment may be drug combinations.

> One of the ongoing studies is

> testing Antegren with a standard interferon drug.

> â?oItâ?Ts promising new results for a new approach to

> treating people with MS, but weâ?Tre not at the end of the story yet,â?T

> said Oâ?TLooney.

> â?~At this stage, these are very promising

> results... One hopes that these will be confirmed.â?T

> â? " DR. DAVID

> H. MILLER

> Institute of

> Neurology, London

>

>

> " ;health_ms_qa.sTitle

> = " Multiple sclerosis " ;health_ms_qa.appNavStyle =

> 1;health_ms_qa.appLayout =

> 1;health_ms_qa.appWidth = 360;health_ms_qa.copyHeight =

> 50;health_ms_qa.appFooter = " Source: National Multiple Sclerosis

> Society " ;var i=0;health_ms_qa[i++] = " Multiple

> sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system

> by destroying the tissue surrounding nerves in the brain, spinal cord

> and eyes. This

> tissue, known as myelin, normally protects nerve fibers and allows them

> to conduct electrical impulses. MS damages the myelin and replaces it

> with scars

> of hardened tissue. The nerves are then unable to send electrical

> impulses to and from the brain, resulting in various neurological

> symptoms. Select a

> question above for more information. " ;health_ms_qa[i++] = " Symptoms

> of MS vary from person to person and can change over time. Abnormal

> fatigue, vision problems, slurred speech, tremors, stiffness and

> bladder problems are common. Difficulty walking, loss of balance and

> poor muscle

> coordination are also found in patients diagnosed with the condition.

> Because of the unpredictable nature of the disease, symptoms may

> disappear

> completely or suddenly worsen. " ;health_ms_qa[i++] = " Approximately

> 300,000 Americans currently have MS and every week about 200 more people

> are

> diagnosed. Anyone can develop MS, but researchers have identified some

> patterns. The disease affects twice as many women as men and most people

>

> are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. Worldwide, the disease

> occurs with much greater frequency in higher latitudes than in lower

> latitudes. MS

> is more common among people with northern European ancestry and is

> almost unheard of in some populations, such as the Inuit. Studies

> indicate that

> genetic factors make certain individuals more susceptible than others,

> but there is no evidence that MS is directly inherited.

> " ;health_ms_qa[i++] = " No

> single test is available to identify MS. Instead, a range of

> information is needed to reach a diagnosis. Physicians begin by looking

> at an overall view of a

> patientâ?Ts health, including symptoms and when they began. Tests of

> reflexes, balance, coordination, vision, and checks for areas of

> numbness are

> conducted. An MRI scan also is used to provide a detailed view of the

> brain, as is a spinal tap, which check for signs of the disease in the

> spinal fluid. In

> general, a patient must have signs of the disease in various parts of

> the nervous system and a history of at least two separate flare-ups for

> a diagnosis of

> MS. " ;health_ms_qa[i++] = " MS is not considered a fatal disease,

> although in rare cases it can lead to death. There is no cure, but

> medications are

> available that can modify or slow down the progression of the disease.

> These drugs help to lessen the frequency and severity of attacks and

> reduce the

> spread of lesions in the brain. In addition, there are many

> treatments available for symptoms such as pain, tremors, bladder

> problems, fatigue and

> cognitive problems. Most people with MS have a normal or

> near-normal life expectancy. " ;health_ms_qa.SelectList = new

> Array( " SELECT A

> QUESTION " , " What are the symptoms? " , " Whoâ?Ts most at

> risk? " , " How is it diagnosed? " , " How is it treated? " );

>

>

> Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central

> nervous system by destroying the tissue surrounding nerves in the brain,

> spinal cord and

> eyes. This tissue, known as myelin, normally protects nerve fibers and

> allows them to conduct electrical impulses. MS damages the myelin and

> replaces it

> with scars of hardened tissue. The nerves are then unable to send

> electrical impulses to and from the brain, resulting in various

> neurological symptoms.

> Select a question above for

> more information.

> Symptoms of MS vary from person to person and can change over time.

> Abnormal fatigue, vision problems, slurred speech, tremors, stiffness

> and bladder

> problems are common. Difficulty walking, loss of balance and poor

> muscle coordination are also found in patients diagnosed with the

> condition. Because

> of the unpredictable nature of the disease,

> symptoms may disappear completely or suddenly worsen.

> Approximately 300,000 Americans currently have MS and every week about

> 200 more people are diagnosed. Anyone can develop MS, but researchers

> have identified some patterns. The disease affects twice as many

> women as men and most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and

> 50.

> Worldwide, the disease occurs with much greater frequency in higher

> latitudes than in lower latitudes. MS is more common among people with

> northern

> European ancestry and is almost unheard of in some populations, such

> as the Inuit. Studies indicate that genetic factors make certain

> individuals more

> susceptible than others, but there is

> no evidence that MS is directly inherited.

> No single test is available to identify MS. Instead, a range of

> information is needed to reach a diagnosis. Physicians begin by looking

> at an overall view of

> a patientâ?Ts health, including symptoms and when they began. Tests of

> reflexes, balance, coordination, vision, and checks for areas of

> numbness are

> conducted. An MRI scan also is used to provide a detailed view of the

> brain, as is a spinal tap, which check for signs of the disease in the

> spinal fluid. In

> general, a patient must have signs of the disease in various parts of

> the nervous system and a history of at least two separate flare-ups for

> a diagnosis of

> MS.

> MS is not considered a fatal disease, although in rare cases it can

> lead to death. There is no cure, but medications are available that can

> modify or slow

> down the progression of the disease. These drugs help to lessen the

> frequency and severity of attacks and reduce the spread of lesions in

> the brain. In

> addition, there are many treatments available for symptoms such as

> pain, tremors, bladder problems, fatigue and cognitive problems. Most

> people with

> MS have a normal or

> near-normal life expectancy.

>

>

>

> Source: National

> Multiple Sclerosis Society

> Printable

> version

>

> gigi* There's an excellent graphic on this article, that will allow you

> to ask

> questions on, MS. Please pass this on to those amoung us, who've been

> diagnoised with, MS especially many of us who've had breast

> implants. No one in my familles history has ever had, MS, an

> I'm a firm believer our implants

> are the causation for those of us who've developed, MS after having

> known toxins ruin our immune systems entirely.

>

>

> http://www.msnbc.com/news/853821.asp?0si=-

>