There's quite a bit of information about it on this site:

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuse...ow&pageid=1308

"Kenneth Warren, M.D., director of the MS Clinic in Edmonton, and Ingrid Catz, M.Sc., researcher at the University of Alberta, have developed a synthetic segment of myelin basic protein called MBP8298. The researchers have been involved in the development of MBP8298 for more than 20 years. The investigators have given the product to approximately 100 people over the past 10 years in both Phase I and Phase II clinical studies. They report that of 41 people with progressive MS, 61% went into remission as measured by antibody levels in spinal fluid. The investigators report there are no clinically relevant side effects in those who have been given MBP8298 to date."

http://www.mssociety.ca/en/research/...date-dec04.htm

From info I've read/discussions I've seen:

The mode of action is apparently similar to Copaxone, but it is given via IV once every six months, and is considered very safe compared to many drugs we take.

It is thought to work by inducing immune tolerance, much like an allergy shot, i.e. "flood the body with the antigen (in this case a self-antigen, i.e. myelin) and the immune system learns to ignore it."

The drug seems to effective in those of us with HLA-DR2 or HLA-DR4 genes, but apparently about 75% of us carry this genetic type.

Cherie

IV once every 6 months? Very nice. Let's hope it continues to show such promise

A twice a year medication with no relevant side effects?

*standing in line early*

Apparently one of the main two intial researchers has a wife with MS. He had a vested interest.

The best part is if it works this well on PPMS and SPMS . . . what is the potential for RRMS?

Cherie

No kidding Cherie! Jim has been banned from any and all new therapies due to a bad reaction five years ago. He was on a chemo IV treatment and went into kidney failure exactly one month later. They have said any new therapies that have the potential to lower his immune system is off limits. He's been stuck rotating Avonex, Beta and Copax since then. He's currently on Beta and has muscle tightness and hot flashes with it but they are tolerable.

This new treatment, if it's as potentially safe as the shots, could be just what would work! And it's for SPMS and PPMS!!!!!!! Your right that if it works well for those with more progressive forms of ms, imagine what it can do for RRMS!

Any idea when this could actually become available?

Cheryl is probaly more up on clinical trials going on, but this is what I've read (on that first link I provided):

As of Aug 1/08 . . .

"BioMS Medical Corp. announced that it has completed patient recruitment in its phase III clinical trial of MBP8298 (dirucotide) for the treatment of secondary progressive MS (SPMS). The trial, named MAESTRO-03, includes approximately 510 patients, and is being conducted at 68 trial sites in the U.S."

(They've been recruiting since June/07, which isn't long...)

"MBP8298 (dirucotide) is currently being developed in three late-stage clinical trials:

1. MAESTRO-01: A pivotal phase II/III trial for secondary progressive MS (SPMS) patients in Canada and Europe.

2. MAESTRO-03: A pivotal phase III trial for SPMS patients in the United States.

3. MINDSET-01: A phase II trial for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients in Europe.

About MAESTRO-03

The MAESTRO-03 U.S. pivotal phase III clinical trial is a randomized, double-blind study that has completed recruitment of approximately 510 patients at 68 clinical sites who will be administered either MBP8298 (dirucotide) or placebo intravenously every six months for a period of two years. The primary clinical endpoint for the trial is defined as a statistically and clinically significant increase in the time to progression of the disease as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), in patients with HLA-DR2 and/or HLA-DR4 immune response genes (up to 75% of all MS patients are HLA-DR2 and/or HLA-DR4 positive)."

Tysabri was fast-tracked before the completion of the Phase III trials, so perhaps this treatment could be available in 1 - 2 yrs.

Cherie

That would be wonderful!

Another thing that is really exciting about this treatment, is the PRIMARY ENDPOINT will be measured by disability progression, not number of relapses and/or enhancing lesions. That means this might significantly impact the overall disease process, unlike the CRABs and Tysabri which focus their success mostly on the inflammatory process (a more transient measure of the disease).

Cherie