New Drug Shows Promise in MS (Monoclonal Antibody that targets CD20 on B Cells!)

[Sissy's Mom]

http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/11/10874/new-drug-shows-promise-against-multiple-sclerosis

 

[dsdmom]

This is genentech's next generation rituxan. They stopped trials for RA patients since patients were dying during the trials. Yet they consider it an acceptable risk for ms patients.

http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/...ster-ocrelizumab-arthritis-program/2010-05-19

 

[shannah]

Noteworthy:

"For decades, work in the field has focused on targeting one component of the immune system the T cells which were always seen as the smoking gun of the disease because they attack nerve fibers in the brain, causing the lesions and ultimately the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Ocrelizumab, in contrast, targets a molecule called CD20 found on the surface of B cells, a separate component of the immune system."

 

[mellster]

Slightly off-topic, but Montel is on Dr Oz talking about his struggles with MS - he has been eventually helped tremendously by medical marijuana.

 

[dsdmom]

Noteworthy:

"For decades, work in the field has focused on targeting one component of the immune system the T cells which were always seen as the smoking gun of the disease because they attack nerve fibers in the brain, causing the lesions and ultimately the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Ocrelizumab, in contrast, targets a molecule called CD20 found on the surface of B cells, a separate component of the immune system."

This is exactly what Rituxan does - ocrelizumab is just a newer version of it. For the pharma company to keep making money once their patent expires in 2015.

 

[Sissy's Mom]

This is exactly what Rituxan does - ocrelizumab is just a newer version of it. For the pharma company to keep making money once their patent expires in 2015.

For me, the upshot of this article is that a bonafide autoimmune condition (MS) responds favorably to a monoclonal antibody. My sister has MS, my daughter CFIDS.

 

[dsdmom]

So yesterday I had a long conversation about rituxan with a specialty pharmacist where I get ivig. I was surprised to hear that he has many ms patients on rituxan since I did not think insurance paid for it as it is not specifically indicated for ms. He told me that it requires a prior auth and depends on the insurance but there definitely are patients receiving it for ms. That said, I do not know anything about the patients and their forms of ms.