A new drug for multiple sclerosis can dramatically reduce the chances of a relapse or a deterioration of this autoimmune condition, according to a new study lead by Professor Gavin Giovannoni of Queen Mary University of London, UK. The results of a major clinical trial show that taking a course of cladribine tablets just a few times a year can reduce the chances of a relapse by well over 50 per cent; patients who took part in the study suffered very few side effects. If the drug is approved, cladribine, which functions by suppressing the immune system, will be the first licensed treatment for MS which does not involve regular injections.
The new study involved over 1,300 MS patients who were followed up for nearly two years. Patients were given either two or four treatment courses of cladribine tablets per year, or a placebo. Each course consists of a single tablet per day for four or five days, adding up to just eight to 20 days of treatment each year. During the trial MRI scans were used to monitor patients. Compared to patients who were taking a placebo, those taking cladribine tablets were over 55 per cent less likely to suffer a relapse and 30 per cent less likely to suffer worsening of their disability due to MS.

www.qmul.ac.uk/news/newsrelease.php