Copaxon approved.

A third drug has been approved for marketing in the United States as a therapy for people with relapsing-remitting MS. Copaxone or copolymer 1 (now known generically as glatiramer acetate for injection) is a synthetic protein that simulates myelin basic protein, a component of the material called myelin that insulates nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. It is myelin that is damaged in MS. Although scientists don't yet understand exactly how Copaxone works, the best guess is that the substance is a kind of decoy to attacking immune cells.

The data that prompted FDA approval was garnered in a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial involving 251 volunteers at 11 U.S. medical centers along with an earlier, smaller trial. These data showed the annual rate of relapses was reduced by 29% in people who took Copaxone as compared to people who took a placebo, or inactive look-alike.

All the volunteers had active relapsing-remitting MS with disability rated "minimal" to "moderate". ("Moderate" or, technically, #5 of the 10 points on the Expanded Disability Status Scale used to rate MS disability, means a person has significant problems with daily activities but can walk without an aid at least 200 meters.)

With the approval of Copaxone, people with relapsing-remitting MS have a choice among three relatively nontoxic drugs -- all of which have a proven effect on the natural course of MS.