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Dear all,

Attached is a summary of a research project involving cyclophosphamide. The results appear impressive - reduction in EDSS and a claim that the combination treatment has halted progression (only time will tell).

http://www.msif.org/go.rm?id=12580

Does anyone know anything more about cyclophosphamide? Know anyone who has received it as treatment for MS?

There seems to be an almost limitless amount of drugs that are currently being trialled. But many seem to be moving in the right direction e.g. Campath (for RR) and Tovaxin appear (from the anectdotal evidence available) to be much more effective than the CRABs (in terms of reducing relapses and helping facilitate some repair). There are no doubt some bigger risks with these newer treatments, but given the way this disease can progress probably worth taking (just my view). This is an extreme disease and probably requires extreme treatments if good results are to be seen.

With so many trials on-going and in the pipeline there must come a point where it will be difficult to recruit the required number of MS guinea pigs.

All the best

Bromley

Ian,

I read today about a trial that combined cyclophosphamide and beta interferon A on a small number of RRMS patients and that it halted their disease progression. The result was a call more elaborate double blind trials.

But I really question whether using these stronger immune system altering drugs is the long term solution. We've seen an increased use of Novantrone and Campath and some initial success but I wonder what may happen to these MS patients if they continue to use such powerful immune system altering drugs.

Does taking these powerful drugs give your system a false sense of security for a short period of time and then, because the immune system has been played with so much, you end up with more serious problems? I don't know but am curious what the long term results might be.

Harry

bromley wrote:This is an extreme disease and probably requires extreme treatments if good results are to be seen.

I would count cyclophosphamide as an extreme treatment especially after reading up on it at the Mayo Clinic. One thing I wonder about is whether such strong chemotherapuetics when combined with agents such as Avonex pose an increased risk for PML as was seen with Tysabri and Avonex?

NHE