3 ECTRIMS Global Meeting Highlights
Daclizumab. DECIDE Trial of 1841 patients showed that daclizumab antibody therapy given under the skin every 4 weeks lower relapses by 45% as compared to Avonex. Contrast-enhancing lesions were 65% lower on daclizumab than Avonex. Daclizumab benefit also noted on disability prevention (6 month confirmed disability) compared to Avonex . Daclizumab side effects include 37% skin reactions, 6% high liver blood tests (>5 times upper limit of normal), and 2% serious infections.
Oral vs. IV steroids. Oral vs. IV 1000 mg per day methylprednisolone for 3 days was compared in a French study. Double-dummy design: every one received a daily infusion and 10 capsules (but one was placebo). Seventy-eight percent of patients in either group responded to steroids with improvement at Day 28 after treatment onset. 6 month recovery and gastrointenstinal side effects were similar between the two groups.
Gut Microbiome. People with MS have an increase in a type of Archea, a single-cell organism, in the gut. This organism, Methanobrevabacter, could potentially play a role influencing the immune system in multiple sclerosis. Some gut bacteria increase in numbers with certain MS treatments in early studies.
BY: Barry Singer, MD DATE: November 11, 2014 TOPIC: MS Research News