Disease Modifying Treatments

If you were diagnosed over 25 years ago, your options for long term MS treatments were nonexistent.  In the mid to late 1990’s subcutaneous injections were introduced to the marketplace as the first disease modifying therapies (DMT’s) available to anyone with MS.  Today there are 21 FDA approved therapies, including injectables, oral treatments, and intravenous infusions. And now in 2022 a few of the DMT’s have a generic version of the original release.

With the range of choices, you are not only choosing based on known side effects, your own health background and your individual symptoms; you also need to consider life style practices that will determine your compliance to any long-term therapy you choose.  For instance, if you are not able to miss 4-6 hours of work in a chunk, maybe infusions are not the right choice for you.  Understand that you can discuss therapy experiences with different people who have tried them, but medications react differently in each person, so one person’s experience may not be yours.  How your disease responds may be totally different than how someone else’s responds.  Having frank, open discussions with your neurologist and health care team as you are navigating decisions regarding any changes you may need to make, communicating symptoms or side-effects you may experience is a critical aspect to long term success for treatment.

Injectable Therapies

  1. Avonex® launched by Biogen 1996
  2. Betaseron® launched by Bayer 1993
  3. Copaxone® launched by Teva 1997
  4. Extavia® launched by Novartis 2009
  5. Glatopa® launched by Novartis (Sandoz) 2018
  6. Plegridy® launched by Biogen 2014
  7. Rebif® launched by EMD Serono 1998
  8. Zinbryta® launched by Biogen 2016, withdrawn 2018
  9.  Kesimpta® launched by Novartis 2020

Oral Therapies

  1. Aubagio® launched by Sanofi Genzyme 2012
  2. Gilenya® launched by Novartis 2010
  3. Tecfidera® launched by Biogen 2013
  4. Mayzent® launched by Novartis 2019
  5. Mavenclad® launched by EMD SERONO 2019
  6. Vumerity® launched by Alkermes with Biogen 2019
  7. Bafiertam® launched by Banner Life Sciences 2020
  8. Zeposia® launched by Bristol Myer Squibb 2020

 

Alternative Treatments

  1.  HSCT Mexico by Clinica Ruiz – Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is an established non radiation chemotherapy medical treatment demonstrated to be effective to halt the progression in neurologic autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Click here for more information.

 

 

Infusion Therapies

  1. Ocrevus® launched by Genentech 2017
  2. Tysabri® launched by Biogen 2006
  3. Lemtrada® launched by Sanofi Genzyme 2014
  4. Briumvi® launched by TG Therapeutics 2023

Comprehensive MS care begins with the diagnosis and lasts a lifetime. Learn how to work with your healthcare team to reduce disease activity, manage symptoms and maintain your quality of life.

Managing MS is an ongoing process, beginning with the very first symptoms and continuing throughout the disease course. It’s never too soon or too late to think about how to access high quality, comprehensive, interdisciplinary care. Knowing what to look for, where to find it, and how to work effectively with your doctor and other health professionals is essential to your health, wellness and quality of life.