I just spotted an article: www.elan.com/News/full.asp?ID=578660
that state that an application was recently submitted to the European Medicines Agency for approval of Antegren. This is encouraging. My daughter, age 21, was recently diagnosed with MS. At her neurologist follow up appointment today, her doctor told us that hopefully next year, this drug would be available for her. She's currently on Rebif; the doctor said she'd switch her over to Antegren because she felt she'd be an excellent candidate for it. Looking at the limited information on how this med works, it appears as if it would limit future damage to the nervous system. How encouraging! I am so thankful that there are so many brilliant, talented and dedicated researchers out there investigating new ways to treat MS. If any of you ( or anyone who has participated in the MS trials) are reading this, I THANK YOU. It's because of your dedication that I can have hope for my daughter's future.
Hello all - I found this site and the thread on Antegren for MS. I am following this closely as I have had MS for almost 10 years now and sure could use some new treatment options.
I saw some postings on the board regarding chemotherapy and Novantrone. I must tell you that I had a very successful outcome with Novantrone. I am relapsing remitting, but in 2000 I was heading downtown with a spiral of repeated flareups and steroid treatments. Novantrone shut down the entire process and is the reason I am still able to walk, work, raise my kids and live a normal life. Although it was chemotherapy, I did not get sick, did not lose hair and did not suffer any fatigue or low blood counts. I have been off the therapy for one year now and my old symptoms and fatigue are returning.
So my suggestion to those out there that have an impression that chemotherapy is very very bad stuff, I would leave you with this thought. If you have MS your immune system is already working at a higher level than it should. Immunosuppression, through steroids or Novantrone, tamps down an overactive immune system. Check it out - talk to oncologists about chemotherapy (not neurologists) because they know these chemo agents well and can tell you that Novantrone is a relatively safe chemo agent to use in the small doses and limited regiment for MS. Check it out, it might work for you.
As painful as MS might be, I'm amazed that people will trade one problem for another. Headaches, weakness, urinary tract infection, back pain and fever are all signs of something WRONG with your body. Who in their right mind would trade one problem for a dozen bed-sentencing symptoms? Perhaps I'm missing something, but to me when I see a new drug listed with a complement of side-effects it just says to me that they're on the heels of a good idea, but haven't refined it well enough just yet. Keep working on it!
My dad has MS, and let me tell you, he would trade anyday.
It is so nice to meet you all and find this discussion.
I am not diagnosed with MS but, it is a possibility that my doctors are looking in to. I had an MRI which showed two legions on my brain. However, because I suffered from head trauma in '94, (and ironically, there's no record of an MRI being done at that time), they are using this MRI as a baseline and will continue to monitor my brain with follow-up MRIs. (They are assuming that the legions are from the trauma.)
The pain, weakness, and fatigue that I have dealt with for about seven years now, has only been worsening. Many tests have been done, many things have been ruled out. Right now, my doctors have me on an antidepressant and Tizanidine. This combo has been very helpful, more-so than anything that's been tried in the past.
But, I would still like to know what is wrong with me...ya know? I'd like to put a name on this...even if it is MS, because then at least we can form a good treatment plan.
"What one believes to be real, will be real in it's concequences"
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"
The not knowing can be so hard I know and yes there can be comfort in knowing just what you're dealing with. Fortunately, research has come a long way in the last few years so stay tuned, help is on the way.
I'm just finishing a Phase III trial on Antegren, and I feel as though I'm the lucky one. I was diagnosed in 2001, and I've never been on any other medications other than steroids for several exacerbations. I'm about to go into the "open label" period where I will definitely be getting the drug regardless of whether I may have been getting the placebo before. From what I've heard, there really are very few side effects. Certainly I haven't experienced any, but that could mean that I'm on the placebo. I haven't minded the monthly infusions at all, either. I'd much rather face a needle once a month than every day or every other day. I've even become horseback riding buddies with a couple of the infusion center nurses. I hope your daughter gets access to Antegren if she wants it; I really have faith that this is going to be a good medicine.
My mother has been diagnosed with ms since 1994. She has been on most of the medication that there has been available to the communities, and now in December she will be on the Antegren. I think that it will be a lot better for her, because I know that she is getting tired of taking the Copaxone shot everyday... To anyone out there who doesn't even understand, or hasn't seen someone with this very dibilitating disease, please come spend some time in my shoes... Seeing someone that you love and admire losing the ability to walk and knowing that there is nothing that you can do but watch the disease progress is horrible...She didn't like the Avonex because she wasn't able to do anything after taking the shot because it made her feel like she had the flu, and when you have little children, it is no fun having them watching because you can't get out of bed because of the symptoms that it causes.
06-18-2004 02:46 AM
