Multiple Sclerosis Drug Undergoes Testing

Multiple Sclerosis Drug Undergoes Testing

A significant number of people suffer from multiple sclerosis around the world.

With the coming of the Multiple Sclerosis Month, the government is set to release a new drug that will reduce the pain of people who suffer from this inflammatory disease. A person with the disease indicated that he lost sight in one eye for no clear reason.

The person lost his right eye and he found out later on that he was suffering from the disease following a number of tests.

He later regained his sight after being treated for a number of months. However he had to be injected everyday to prevent a relapse in the disease. The patient joined a clinical trial for drug BG-12, which is supposed to deal with the disease. The trial took around five years at the Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis.

The patient indicated that the drug is working up to now and he does not need to have the painful injections every day.

He said it was similar to taking vitamins and you will not notice when you take them. He said the drug was working well so far and it has given him the confidence that he will not suffer a relapse. He takes BG-12 everyday and he noted that nothing has happened to him.

The disease causes confusion in the immune system and attacks the spinal cord and the brain in some instances while the person has the disease. According to Dr. Robert Fox of the Cleveland Clinic, the flare-ups can result to a number of symptoms including weakness, numbness, double vision, blurry vision, bowel and bladder difficulty, and walking problems. Moods can also be disrupted since multiple sclerosis affects all functions controlled by the spinal cord and the brain.

Dr. Fox added that BG-12 is not the cure even as it helps a number of patients with the disease. It does not improve body functions although it reduces the effects of the early part of the disease.

Doctors anticipate FDA approval for BG-12 treatments for multiple sclerosis within the month.

Posted by George Daniels on Friday March 08 2013, 10:27 AM EST. Ref: Fox 8. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0