This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I wouldn't say this qualifies as big news, but if anybody is trying to make a choice right now...



Merck KGaA's Rebif, Teva's Copaxone similar-study

Oct 10 (Reuters) - Merck's Rebif multiple-sclerosis drug is not superior to rival Teva's Copaxone, a study obtained by Reuters on Wednesday showed.

"The number of events (relapses) was insufficient to establish a statistically significant difference between the two products, despite a trend advantage for Rebif," the report said.

The 96-week Phase IV study involving almost 800 patients will be presented at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Prague.

Merck inherited Rebif through its recent 10.2 billion-euro ($14 billion) acquisition of Swiss biotech company Serono. Serono had hoped to gain market share from Copaxone in the case of a positive outcome from the head-to-head study.

http://www.reuters.com/article/health-S ... 3420071010

Dignan,

Not surprisingly, the "big three" MS drug companies continue to spend millions of dollars on these head-to-head trials in the hope of "proving" their drug is better than the other guy's! A few percentage points of market share in this area translates into millions of dollars of additional revenue.

And yesterday I received a copy of MS Dialogue, a Canadian magazine about MS that is published 3 times a year. There was an article on page one that the Canadian Expert Drug Advisory Committee has recommended that Tysabri not be listed on Canadian drug formularies....translation....not to be covered by the government health drug plan. The main reason given was that the cost vs benefit equation compared to the existing approved MS drugs simply didn't warrant Tysabri being paid for by the government.

Oh, I almost forgot...this magazine and the associated website is heavily sponsored by Teva (the makers of Copaxone)!! The battles go on

Harry

Every once in a while the drug companies remind us that we are still dealing with, not just big, but enormous, coroporations. Not evil in my eyes, but we all want corporations to do it because it's the right thing to do, but alas they are all driven by profit (which they have to make to keep developing). I'm really looking forward to the privately sponsored LDN trial. If that shows good results, the big three will be turned on their ears since LDN is available in generic!

If a trial or two showed that, watch how quickly these drug companies would change into attack mode and go after discrediting LDN!

Harry

How sad that a high dose interferon can't better Copaxone, a drug that failed to reach statistical significance on its own pivotal trial.

If Rebif is just as good as Copaxone, and Copaxone isn't any better than a placebo, then the billions being wasted is just incredible.

One thing that the drug companies are missing is that the CRABS are designed to help only a small minority of MS patients. Putting so much funds into constantly researching these old meds is a total waste of time and money.

If they ever figure out about all of us hiding in the wings, watch out!! Who knows what meds they will dream up then.

gwa