Why are all MS meds injections?

[shoshin]

My husband asked me this yesterday and I realized I don't know the answer. I think I once read somewhere that it has to do with the way the drugs are absorbed by the body, but I don't remember the details. Does anyone happen to know why all the disease-modifying meds are injections and it apparently isn't so easy to make them into pills? Thanks!

[doublevision1]

Quix is correct...but of course!

Dr. Francois Grand'Maison (great name, n'est-ce pas?), a neurologist from Montreal, says:

"It is true that the four drugs currently approved in Canada for modifying the progression of MS (Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone and Rebif) must be injected. These drugs are ineffective if taken orally, as they become inactivated or destroyed in the gastrointestinal system before taking effect, or becoming absorbed into the bloodstream."

http://www.msanswers.ca/QuestionView.aspx?L=2&QID=243

He goes on to say that the initial results from current clinical trials of oral meds are 2 to 3 years away.  That's just initial results...who knows how long it will then be for them to arrive on the market?  

All I can say is, thank you Rebif for the auto-injector!

db1

[Quixotic1]

yeah...

And thanks about the pages.  I'm trying to make them useful AND readable by people with limited science backgrounds.  I appreciate the feedback.

Quix

[shoshin]

Thanks for the explanation. I thought it was something like that (you did mean to say injectable form and not pill form, right?)

Thanks for all your work on the health pages, too. Those are really great resources! I have certainly learned a lot.

shoshin

[Quixotic1]

Usually meds are available only in pill form because they have not found a way to keep the stomach from breaking the med down or because they haven't yet found a way to get it in a form that is absorbable from the digestive tract.  I suspect this is the problem with the MS meds, but I don't know for sure.

Quix