The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Category: Drugs

Good Test Results for Primary-Progressive MS Drug Ocrelizumab

My neurologist tells me “the buzz is good” about ocrelizumab. The investing web site Motley Fool calls it “the revolutionary Multiple Sclerosis drug you’ve never heard of.” Ocrelizumab, which Genentech hopes to market under the name Ocrevus, is special because it’s designed to treat primary-progressive, as well as relapsing-remitting, MS. How does it work? I’m not a scientist, but after reading a lot of scientific writing here’s my best attempt to…Continue Reading

New Cancer Risk May be Linked to Mitoxantrone

Patients who use mitoxantrone appear to be at increased risk of colon cancer, according to a new study, and as well as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Mitoxantrone is used to treat aggressive relapsing-remitting, and also progressive, MS when the patient doesn’t respond to other drugs.  It suppresses the immune system and was first developed as a treatment for some cancers.  Its use is limited because past studies have shown that…Continue Reading

Can Lipoic Acid Help M.S.?

Lipoic Acid is an antioxident that’s been used in Germany to treat some diabetes symptoms; including numbness, pain and burning of legs and arms.  Do those symptoms sound familiar?  Similar to some of our Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, right? A small study led by Rebecca Spain, MD, MSPH,  from the VA Portland Healthcare System and Oregon Health and Science University looked at using Lipoic Acid as an inexpensive M.S. therapy. The…Continue Reading

M.S. Help from an Over-the-Counter Drug?

Could an over-the-counter drug, used to treat sniffles, help ease M.S. symptoms and maybe even repair myelin?  Maybe…someday. The drug is clemastine fumarate, a  common antihistamine used to treat cold and allergy symptoms.  In a small, preliminary study involving M.S. and optic neuropathy, (damage to the nerve that sends info from the eye to the brain), participants who took clemastine fumarate showed what the study terms a “modest” improvement in…Continue Reading