Is Tysabri available in Canada?
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Does anyone know if Tysabri is available in Canada? I did a search on Health Canada but haven't come up with anything...
Thanks.
Thanks.
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Tysabri has not been approved by Health Canada as yet and per my conversation with a MS Neurologist in December, it likely won't be until sometime later this year. The main reason, he stated, was because Health Canada wanted to review the two year data on the trials which won't be available until April or May.aylish wrote:Does anyone know if Tysabri is available in Canada? I did a search on Health Canada but haven't come up with anything...
What I was told today was there were problems with "side effects" and "complications". The report originated on the MS Cruise that took place last week and was given by a person employeed by the MS Clinic, Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.Arron wrote:Harry, do you know what kind of problems were encountered?
Do you not think that following MS research for decades and watching my wife suffer with this disease for many years, gives me some idea of how desperate many MS patients may be?MS is, as you have said on many occasions, a lousy disease. Those suffering from it live in hope that some day some treatment will be available which can alleviate the suffering. Tysabri, on the first year evidence, appeared to show that it was more effective than the CRAB drugs and avoided the need for daily / weekly injections. The number of sufferers who have sought to get on this drug shows the level of desperation.
Please don't shoot the messenger...I only repeat what I have been told or have read. Believe me, I don't make any of this information up. As for the "rumors of people that have died"....I wasn't going to post anything on that issue but since you have brought it up, I asked for confirmation about it and was told that indeed, it DID happen. The situation is going to be discussed at the AAN conference later this month so I guess we'll have to wait until then to find out what the details were.I am all for freedom of information / the truth etc but this needs to be balanced with the desperation felt by many with this disease. However, almost everyday, you post on Tysabri and the underlying thread seems to be that the trials data was dodgy, rumors that people have died etc etc.
Are you saying that the possible concerns about Tysabri should be totally ignored by MS patients and they should not be told about them? I knew absolutely nothing about these latest concerns that happened at the Calgary MS Clinic trials and only today was told about them.The rumors you hear may turn out to be true, but until this is the case, let those trying this treatment do so without the added fear that all these unproved rumors bring with them.
Yes, my concern has always been about the well-being of the MS patient and everything that goes along with that. But at the same time, I will not "hide" information about Tysabri or any other MS medication that indicates something else other than what the makers of these drugs tell us. I have read widely differing opinions on Tysabri, some coming from neuros who have both been involved in the trials. And I ask myself, how can there be such disparity about the same drug?I know you mean well and I know that your wife has suffered from MS for many years - but I'm not sure you understand the impact of some of your posts
Gomori, who did some blind patient testing during the study, said he is hopeful about the drug but is waiting to see the full report before jumping for joy. He expects the full report in the spring.
I'm just reflecting what a number of MS professionals who have a different opinion have stated about Tysabri. I don't know how much you read other MS forums but although you may find this hard to believe, there are other readers out there who are much more adamant about exercising caution with Tysabri than I am. I just read one particular thread over on Brain Talk on this very issue.MeadowStream wrote:Despite the overwhelming evidence from clinical trials and anecdotes from MS sufferers, you continue to use innuendo to attempt to cast a shadow over Tysabri. You are relentless and one must wonder why...