New Oral MS drug Reduces Brain Lesions

From the 2012 AAN annual meeting, ONO-4641, a potent selective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor agonist (two other similar drugs are Fingolimod...already FDA approved... and BAF), was found to reduce the number of lesions on MRI in patients with the relapsing remitting form of MS.The drug was well tolerated with no unexpected adverse events. Those adverse events were dose related cardiovascular ones. The phase 2b study of ONO-4641 shows that lower doses will be safer.

New Oral MS Drug Reduces Relapses

Oral Laquinimod reduced MS relapses by 23% in phase III trial as reported by Giancarlo Comi at the AAN meeting in Hawaii. Most importantly, Laquinimod reduced cerebral atrophy by 33%. The drugs novel mechanism of action addresses inflammatory activity and accumulation of irreversible tissue damage. Also importantly the side effect was low especially compared to fingolimod (Gilenya) released this past year. Teva produces Laquinimod