Unless things have changed recently, CellCept is not an approved drug for MS. It may be being used off-label, but it is not scientifically proven or FDA approved for MS. As far as I know, there have been only a few studies of CellCept with MS, and with very few participants.

CellCept is a chemotherapy, which is used to ward off organ transplant rejection. There are KNOWN risks with CellCept, or any of this type of drug, and EVERY doctor (and patient) is aware of those risks. Chemo is always reserved for "no other choice" patients . . .

There is huge risks associated to organ transplant, with or without the drugs those patients have to take . . . and death is the only other option to getting a transplant. That is not the case with MS as we are probably as likely to live just as long without ANY drugs.

Tysabri was intended to be marketed as a MS drug, and not only that, but the "most effective MS drug there is out there" (although studies show that to be not true, now). PwMS, ie. those of us who raised a stink about Tysabri coming back on the market, were afraid that patients were not going to be given the opportunity to make an informed decision, if the information about risks wasn't provided in a formalized manner. Of course back then, no one knew for sure that it was the combination of Tysabri with Avonex that might have been the "cause" of PML. We still don't know that, and we don't know the long-term effects of Tysabri.

They needed this period, and perhaps longer, to test the waters with Tysabri. I imagine that once there is a confidence that PML and other opportunistic infections are not a big threat, they may consider stopping the TOUCH program. No doubt Biogen is working at this as we speak.

Someone I know from another forum, who used CellCept, just passed on yesterday.

Cherie