Replies to post #129171 on Biotech Values

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ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS

Lemtrada Cuts Relapse Rate, Brain Atrophy; BG-12 Data Also Wow

From BioWorld

http://www.bioworld.com/servlet/com.accumedia.web.Dispatcher?next=bioWorldHeadlines_article&forceid=59900

Investigator Alasdair Coles, of the University of Cambridge, UK, noted that one of the most exciting findings was Lemtrada's effect on brain volume in MS patients. Data showed statistically significant less change in brain parenchymal fracture compared to Rebif (0.87 vs. -1.49 median percent change from baseline, p < 0.0001), as measured using MRI.

ECTRIMS: Cancer Drug Wins in Early MS Trial

From medpage today:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ECTRIMS/29173

But another neurologist not involved with the study suggested that the drug's safety profile remains a major concern.

Timothy Vollmer, MD, of the University of Colorado in Denver, said the extreme duration of alemtuzumab's effects was itself a potential problem.

"[It] induces long-term if not permanent changes in immunoregulation; it also induces significant generalized immune suppression and disturbance of immunoregulatory circuits," he observed.

As a result, said Vollmer, "once you treat a patient, you can't take it back. Those patients are then at risk for infections and for development of autoimmune disease."

He added that he considered these risks more worrisome than the potential for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy with natalizumab (Tysabri).