Revimmune Info

[funmonkeytoes]

This is some additional information I found on High-Dose Cytoxan (a chemotherapy drug) -- there are a couple of other threads about Cytoxan to look at if you're interested.  Revimmune sounds like it might give hope to those of us with progressive types of MS.  I hope these links are helpful to anyone looking for info.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/64250.php

http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/Accentia-announces-investigational-new-drug-application-for-Revimmune-for-refractory-MS-3242-1/

http://www.accentia.net/science/revimmune.php

[funmonkeytoes]

This is great info, and I am sure is useful to myself and many others that are having to look beyond what is FDA approved as of right now.  Thank you so much for your time and kindness [patience too!].  I know how difficult it can be to get the "medical" articles, but how much those of us that are dealing with MS need them and can understand them in spite of not being in the health care profession.  Those that are would expect no less I'm sure.  I will be pouring over this info and more as it comes.  Thanks again.

Love & Light,
Debra

[funmonkeytoes]

This is great info, and I am sure is useful to myself and many others that are having to look beyond what is FDA approved as of right now.  Thank you so much for your time and kindness [patience too!].  I know how difficult it can be to get the "medical" articles, but how much those of us that are dealing with MS need them and can understand them in spite of not being in the health care profession.  Those that are would expect no less I'm sure.  I will be pouring over this info and more as it comes.  Thanks again.

Love & Light,
Debra

[doni54]

I found some sites yesterday, but most had to have subscriptions to access the info.  Here are a few.

http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/129/3/584

Have to have a paid subscription, but seems to have lots of info and data on clinical trials
_________________________________

This study was from 2002, I think, and I never could find out how to get access to the article.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple sclerosis
A retrospective multicenter study
Journal Journal of Neurology
Publisher Steinkopff
ISSN 0340-5354 (Print) 1432-1459 (Online)
Issue Volume 249, Number 8 / July, 2002
Category ORIGINAL COMMUNICATION
DOI 10.1007/s00415-002-0800-7
Pages 1088-1097
Subject Collection Medicine
___________________________________

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/drugs/cladribine-029410.htm#Use%20-%20Unlabeled/Investigational
____________________________________

http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?ss=15&doc_id=4099&nbr=3144

Here is some of the summaries on that page:

Cyclophosphamide:

Based on consistent Class I evidence, pulse cyclophosphamide treatment does not seem to alter the course of progressive MS (Level B recommendation).

Based on a single Class III study, it is possible that younger patients with progressive MS might derive some benefit from pulse plus booster cyclophosphamide treatment (Level U recommendation).

Methotrexate:

Based on limited and somewhat ambiguous Class I evidence from a single trial, it is considered possible that methotrexate favorably alters the disease course in patients with progressive MS (Level C recommendation).

Cladribine:

On the basis of consistent Class I evidence, it is concluded that cladribine reduces gadolinium (Gd)-enhancement in patients with both relapsing and progressive forms of MS (Level A recommendation).

Cladribine treatment does not, however, appear to alter favorably the course of the disease, either in terms of attack rate or disease progression (Level C recommendation).

Cyclosporine:

Based on this Class I study, it is considered possible that cyclosporine provides some therapeutic benefit in progressive MS (Level C recommendation).

However, the frequent occurrence of adverse reactions to treatment, especially nephrotoxicity, together with the small magnitude of the potential benefit, makes the risk/benefit of this therapeutic approach unacceptable (Level B recommendation).

Plasma exchange:

On the basis of consistent Class I, II, and III studies, plasma exchange is of little or no value in the treatment of progressive MS (Level A recommendation).

On the basis of a single small Class I study, it is considered possible that plasma exchange may be helpful in the treatment of severe acute episodes of demyelination in previously nondisabled individuals (Level C recommendation).
________________________________________

Potential harms include adverse effects and toxicities of disease modifying therapies:

The frequent occurrence of adverse reactions to cyclosporine treatment, especially nephrotoxicity, together with the small magnitude of the potential benefit, makes the risk/benefit of this therapeutic approach unacceptable.
The potential toxicity of mitoxantrone may outweigh the clinical benefits early in the course of disease.
________________________________________

I will keep looking, I hope these help a little.

Hope you are having a good day.

doni

[sllowe]

Excellent!

You think this info can be summarized somehow for a healthpage? That way, the info at our fingertips.  Just a thought, but I know you energy is limited, so no pressure.

ttys,
Shell