Sanofi reveals promising data for relapsing remitting MS treatment
pharmafile | September 20, 2016 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development | RRMS, Sanofi, relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
Sanofi Genzyme, the speciality care global business unit of the French pharma firm announced six-year investigational data on Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) as a treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RRMS), presenting it at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in London.
Multiple sclerosis affects 100,000 people in the UK, with RRMS accounting for 85% of those cases.
Effects observed in patients treated with the drug in two Phase III studies were maintained through four additional years in an extension study, with over 90% of participants continuing. These patients were eligible to receive additional treatment with alemtuzumab if they experienced at least one relapse or at least two new or enlarging brain or spinal cord lesions.
The resulting data showed that over half the patients showed benefits of the treatment, even when their last treatment with the drug was over five years previous. At six years in the trial, 64% (225 patients) and 55% (215 patients) across the two studies did not require any additional treatments of the drug in the prior five years, with consistent effects observed across relapse, disability, brain atrophy and MRI lesion activity.
“The Lemtrada data being presented at ECTRIMS from the ongoing extension study illustrate that more than half of patients experienced sustained effects of treatment on disease activity, despite receiving their last treatment course five years previously,” said Professor Alasdair Coles, Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge. “It is very promising to see these consistent effects over time across relapse, disability and MRI measures.”
Matt Fellows
Related Content
Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent receives CHMP recommendation for chronic spontaneous urticaria
Sanofi and Regeneron have received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee …
Sanofi’s treatment granted orphan designation for rare chronic inflammatory condition
The European Medicines Agency has granted orphan designation to Sanofi’s investigational Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) …
Sanofi completes acquisition of Vigil Neuroscience to early neurology pipeline
Sanofi has announced that it has finalised its acquisition of Vigil Neuroscience, a US-based biotechnology …
