A new drug for multiple sclerosis promises to change the lives of 100,000 people in the UK who have a condition, say researchers at Queen Mary University, University of London.
A major trial of Cladribine oral drugs – from the results published in the New England Journal of Medicine on January 20, 2010 – has shown that it significantly reduces the relapse and deterioration of the disease, and goes a long way in eliminating the unpleasant
Side effects associated with current treatments. Cladribine promises to be the first of its kind in the form of treatment tablets for MS, and only needs to be taken for between 8 to 10 days a year, eliminating the need for injecting regular intravenous fluids and others experienced by patients. The ease with which Cladribine tablets can be administered, along with relatively few of its side effects, make it dramatically dramatic development in the world of MS.
Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disabling condition which usually begins in the youth stage. It results from the body’s own autoimmune system harmful to the central nervous system. This interferes with the transmission of messages between brain cells and other parts of the body and leads to problems with vision, muscle control, hearing and memory. Cladribine tablets work by inhibiting the immune system and thus weakening their ability to continue attacking the central nervous system.
Led by Professor Gavin Giovanonni at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, a new study involved more than 1,300 MS patients, patients who were followed for almost two years and an MRI monitor. Patients were either given two or four short-term treatment courses of Cladribine tablets per year, or placebo. Of course each consists of one or two tablets per day for four or five days, reaching only eight to 20 days of treatment each year.
Compared to placebo patients, those who took Cladribine tablets were more than 55 per cent less likely to suffer relapse, and 30 per cent less likely to suffer worsening disability due to MS.
Giovanonni said: “The introduction of oral therapy, particularly those that have no short-term side effects and is as easy to use as oral Cladribine, will have a significant effect in the treatment of MS.
“However, this drug will be used as a first-line treatment that must be weighed up against potential long-term risks that have not yet been determined.”
‘The placebo-controlled trial of Cladribine Mouth for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis’ is published online in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, and printed on February 4, 2010.

Source: Alex Fernandez
Queen Mary, University of London
Author: Medical Today News
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