Oral Cladribine

[Eyesnlegs]

Apologies if you guys have already seen this work but I had not until this week, it looks promising. In the UK they have just applied for a license for its use. Next stage is for NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) to make the decision as to whether it is a cost-effective treatment. Yet again our health reduced to cost - lol.

Link here:

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseaction/show/pageid/1629

Pat

[Eyesnlegs]

Well, for me I just hope it is cheap enough and effective enough for those of us with no treatment to benefit.

PastorDan - I echo everything you said, as always very well put.

Pat
x

[PastorDan]

I don't think of that as wishful thinking in the sense you've used the term, Lu.  It is that for which we should all be praying, researching, and contributing as we are able.  May God hear our prayers and grant our wishes, but if He chooses to do that through a reseach scientist, a physician, or a genie in a bottle, I believe that everyone here will be very thankful!

[Lulu54]

Hi Pat,

this will probably be the first oral med approved for ms treatment.  it is a drug that is already in use for leukemia patients.  It works by reducine B cells and T cells.

however, they have reported an increase in cancer in the patients who participated in the clinical trials.  Statistically it is small, just like with Tysabri - but try to tell that to unlucky patient who does contract cancer.  

I have attended several talks this year about future therapies and this one is always at the top of the list.  The impression I get is those of us who are on a DMD with satisfactory results probably won't/shouldn't consider moving to an oral drug yet.  At least on our injections we know for sure what we are getting and doing.  The oral form still has lots of questions attached.

Thanks for bringing this up again for discussion.  What I'm really looking for now is a cure and not just a stop-gap measure to treat me and everyone with MS.  

wishful thinking?
Lu