Novantrone approved to treat MS progression.In October, 2000, the U.S. FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. approved the marketing of Novantrone "for reducing neurologic disability and/or the frequency of clinical relapses in patients with secondary-progressive, progressive-relapsing or worsening relapsing-remitting MS." It is available now. This is important news for the entire MS community. Almost half the people diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS eventually develop the secondary-progressive form of the disease, which can lead to increasing disability and loss of function. This powerful drug, which was already approved to treat certain forms of cancer, offers hope to many who experience steadily worsening symptoms. Novantrone's approval was based on results from European studies conducted over the past 10 years which showed that the immune-suppressing drug slowed the progression of MS disability and reduced both the frequency of relapses and the accumulation of new lesions, or damaged areas, in the brain. Novantrone is taken once every 3 months by infilsion into a vein, which takes more time than a simple injection. The short-term side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. may include nausea, hair loss, urinary tract infections urinary tract infection (UTI), n infection in one or more of the structures that make up the urinary system. Occurs more often in women and is most commonly caused by bacteria. , and menstrual disorders Menstrual Disorders Definition A menstrual disorder is a physical or emotional problem that interferes with the normal menstrual cycle, causing pain, unusually heavy or light bleeding, delayed menarche, or missed periods. . Novantrone may also increase a person's risk of infection because it decreases the number of protective white blood cells White blood cells A group of several cell types that occur in the bloodstream and are essential for a properly functioning immune system. Mentioned in: Abscess Incision & Drainage, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Complement Deficiencies . There is a serious caution, however: Novantrone should be used only in people with normal heart function. Then, after a total of 8 to 12 infusions over 2 to 3 years, no more of the drug should be used because of possible heart damage. Immunex, the distributor, estimates that the annual cost for Novantrone will be $3,000. Those interested in learning more should consult their personal physicians, or contact Immunex Corporation at 1-800-566-8268, or on the Web <www.immunex.comp>. Note: A National MS Society-funded investigator, Dr. Fred Lublin, director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for MS at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine is a medical school found in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , was one of the first to test Novantrone in an animal model of MS. He was the guest research speaker at the Society's National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., this past November. His talk was interactive, allowing participation via e-mail for visitors who had questions for him. It is now archived on the Society's Web site. |
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