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From staff and wire reports
BUFFALO, New York -- Early treatment with an available interferon drug dramatically slows the onset of multiple sclerosis and in some cases appears to halt the disease, researchers say.
In a study of 383 patients in 50 clinical centers, the drug delayed MS significantly in almost half the patients who took the drug at the first signs of the disease. In some patients, the drug prevented further MS-type episodes from occurring, effectively halting the progression of the disease. But researchers warned they do not know how long these effects will last.
"It's a very important finding because it really shows if one starts treatment early on, one can change the fate of a patient," delaying or even preventing the onset of the disease, said Dr. Thomas Leist, director of the Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
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"It opens up a new perspective about treatment of multiple sclerosis,"
said Leist.
The study will be published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.
One million suffer worldwide
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system
that affects about one million people worldwide. More than 200 new cases
of MS are diagnosed each week in the United States alone.
MS symptoms may include vision problems, loss of balance, numbness, difficulty walking and paralysis.
MS is typically not diagnosed until patients have more than one MS-type "event," which involves a malfunction of the optic nerve. In this study, researchers found by giving the drug early -- even after only one event -- they were able to significantly slow the onset of disease. The findings are expected to change the way the disease is diagnosed and treated, according to experts.
Joy Menyhert was 40 when her vision began to blur and she found herself tiring easily. She attributed it to age, but finally could no longer ignore it.
MS is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects
about 350,000 Americans and 1 million people worldwide
"It's like an old reel-to-reel movie (where) the film flaps up and
down. I couldn't see ... I tried to stand up and the vertigo was so serious
I just could not make it," she said.
Doctors diagnosed her with MS, and asked her to take the drug, known by the brand name Avonex, to see whether it could prevent a second episode. It did.
"The results were very dramatic, and they're the best results in MS trials to date," said Dr. William Stuart, from the MS Center at Shepherd Center in Atlanta.
In the study, researchers at about 50 U.S. and Canadian MS treatment sites concluded that giving patients a drug called interferon beta-1a within weeks of the first nerve inflammation reduced the likelihood of developing MS symptoms within three years by 44 percent.
Can drug prevent the disease?
Avonex is a genetically engineered replica of a naturally occurring
human protein, said the lead researcher, Dr. Lawrence Jacobs, professor
of neurology at SUNY-Buffalo and head of neurology at Buffalo General Hospital.
It works by reducing inflammation and quieting the overactive immune system.
Only one-third of patients who gave themselves weekly thigh injections of the drug developed MS within three years, compared with half the patients who injected a harmless substance.
Researchers say the remaining question is just how long the benefits of the drug last. They also want to know whether this drug can help prevent the disease altogether. Experts say more research will be needed to answer these questions.
Dr. Leist said the drug "opens up a new perspective about treatment," but also said its price tag -- about $10,000 annually -- could limit use.
He also said that patients need to be followed for longer than three years to determine how long they need the interferon treatment and that other MS drugs should be studied to determine whether there are similar benefits when given earlier.
CNN Medical Correspondent Rhonda Rowland and The Associated Press contributed
to this report.
