My old boyfriend's high school buddy works as a drug researcher. He just sent me this press release on a new drug for secondary progressive MS that finished clinical trials in Canada and Europe. Looks like a Phase III trial is scheduled for the United States.

http://www.biomsmedical.com/display-...php?id=166&t=p

The drug is called dirucotide (MBP8298) and administered 2x a year. Anyone ever heard of it before? I haven't but I thought I would post FYI.

I read about this in a ms magazine. Sounds like those with spms may have something to look forward to finally. Jim said if any therapy can just stop the progression he'd be very happy.

dirucotide ?

Hmmmph. Sounds like something I'd buy in the laundry aisle.


Would be wonderful if it worked, though. Only twice a year!!!

It has been in a Phase III trial for SPMS called the Maestro-03 Trial in the US for over a year. Not sure how it is doing.

Thanks, Nat, I had forgotten about that one. It seems like there was a lot of talk about it 4-5 years ago and I don't think I ever heard anything else.

Yeah, I had never heard about this one.

Like Sandy said, it makes me hopeful that there is something for secondary progressive folks. Overall, I am amazed that so much research is going on. I am making the assumption that it has to do with money being funneled into research and lobbying by the NMSS??

Just to throw this out there....why do you think so much money goes into MS research instead of say, lupus (there are 4-5x as many people than with MS) or Lou Gehrigs, or any kind of chronic blood disorder (you pick!), or rheumatoid arthritis (3x as many) or any other chronic illness.

Do we just happen to have really smart scientists working on MS who are coming up with these new meds. It seems like a lot is on the horizon.