A major trial of a new drug has proven that it may be the answer to combatting crippling symptoms of relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS). This would prove to be a drug that completely annihilates any other treatments that are available on the market.
The most severe form of the illness is progressive MS (PPMS) in which there is no treatment able to lessen the impact of symptoms – but it is also the least common. RRMS is actually the most common form of the auto-immune disease so this new drug could be revolutionary for those who are suffering from it.
A new drug known as ofatumumab which is currently in phase 3 trials is showing promising results in hugely reducing symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.
This new super-drug is known as ofatumumab and has already seen success in treatment against one white blood cell cancer – and is undergoing trial for several others.
The scientific function of the drug is that it is a monoclonal antibody for the protein CD20 which manifests on the surface of the immune system’s B-cells. It is currently being trialled for another auto-immune disease which is commonly known as rheumatoid arthritis and has similar symptoms to RRMS.
The trials spanned across an average of 19 months and included over 900 participants who were injected with ofatumumab each month, resulting in some astounding findings. The drug saw that participants suffered half as many relapses and 90% reported no attacks after the first year of treatment – which suggested that patients could be completely rid of the disease.
Although there are some downsides with very serious rare side effects and common respiratory tract infections. But we can only hope that further progression and finesse of the drug will curb the severity of its side effects so that patients are able to solely reap the benefits of this breakthrough.
