Questions
Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 9:09 am
Dear all,
I'd be grateful for your thoughts on the following questions:
(i) Tysabri data refers to a 67% reduction in cinical relapses. However, I have seen elsewhere that attacks occur more frequently than originally thought (remitting phase is a misnomer) - the sufferer may only notice one in ten i.e. experience a new symptom / return of old symptom etc. This can be shown by regular MRIs. Does the Tysabri data only relate to the relapses that are noticed by the sufferer?
[Apologies for using the term sufferer but I hate MSer - it sounds too cute for someone with a horrible disease']
(ii) A number of current drugs are claimed to have a beneficial effect on this disease e.g. minocycline and statins. However, many of these have been suggested for several years e.g. national conferences of ms societies from several years ago. Why is there never any progress in getting them on the list of approved ms drugs - their safety has been proved already? How much influence do the major drugs companies have over our national drug approval bodies or our governments?
(iii) There are a number of oral drugs in or going into phase III trials. However, it seems to take an eternity to get them onto the market - looking at 2008 for the first. If any prove very effective in just the first year of the Phase III trial - what would prevent me as a private citizen from signing a piece of paper to say I want to take them and I'm prepared to take the risks i.e. would not sue the company if I got ill / died? MS is about reducing damage early on (as much as possible) and even a month is a long time for an MS sufferer. Can the system be bypassed?
(iv) Numerous re-myelination studies are being funded to identify a possible treatment. I cannot visualise how this would work. How would the new myelin be of benefit if it sits over scar tissue?
Sorry for all the questions, but I want to give OddDuck something to do to cheer her up (but thoughts welcomed from others).
Bromley
I'd be grateful for your thoughts on the following questions:
(i) Tysabri data refers to a 67% reduction in cinical relapses. However, I have seen elsewhere that attacks occur more frequently than originally thought (remitting phase is a misnomer) - the sufferer may only notice one in ten i.e. experience a new symptom / return of old symptom etc. This can be shown by regular MRIs. Does the Tysabri data only relate to the relapses that are noticed by the sufferer?
[Apologies for using the term sufferer but I hate MSer - it sounds too cute for someone with a horrible disease']
(ii) A number of current drugs are claimed to have a beneficial effect on this disease e.g. minocycline and statins. However, many of these have been suggested for several years e.g. national conferences of ms societies from several years ago. Why is there never any progress in getting them on the list of approved ms drugs - their safety has been proved already? How much influence do the major drugs companies have over our national drug approval bodies or our governments?
(iii) There are a number of oral drugs in or going into phase III trials. However, it seems to take an eternity to get them onto the market - looking at 2008 for the first. If any prove very effective in just the first year of the Phase III trial - what would prevent me as a private citizen from signing a piece of paper to say I want to take them and I'm prepared to take the risks i.e. would not sue the company if I got ill / died? MS is about reducing damage early on (as much as possible) and even a month is a long time for an MS sufferer. Can the system be bypassed?
(iv) Numerous re-myelination studies are being funded to identify a possible treatment. I cannot visualise how this would work. How would the new myelin be of benefit if it sits over scar tissue?
Sorry for all the questions, but I want to give OddDuck something to do to cheer her up (but thoughts welcomed from others).
Bromley