More oral MS drug research results published

26 January 2010

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) suggests that the oral drug cladribine reduces relapse rates and disease progression in people with relapsing remitting MS.

The trial, called CLARITY, was a two year study involving 1,326 people with relapsing remitting MS receiving one of two doses of cladribine or an inactive placebo.

During the study, people receiving the lower dose of cladribine experienced a 55% reduction in relapse rates compared to the placebo group (an average of 0.14 relapses compared to 0.33). People taking cladribine were less likely to show any progression of disability, as measured by Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and this progression developed later than in the placebo group.

Side effects included lymphopenia (a reduction in white blood cells), headaches and nasopharyngitis (a cold).

Cladribine is vying to become the first oral disease modifying drug for MS with fingolimod, research results for which appeared in the same issue of NEJM.

Pam Macfarlane, Chief Executive of the MS Trust said, "This is really positive news for people with relapsing remitting MS, in that there are two new oral drugs showing such promising results. This will widen the choice of treatments in the future, but as with all new treatments the benefits and risks must be considered carefully."