FDA Approved Drug Aubagio Could Help Millions of People Living With Multiple Sclerosis
The U.S Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug Aubagio, a one-time a day tablet for adults who have relapsing kinds of multiple sclerosis (or MS).
Aubagio will enter the $12 billion a year market to help sufferers of the debilitating disease. Should Aubagio’s popularity soar, it would mean big money for Sanofi-Aventis, its manufacturers. Still, the drug is entering a market that’s highly competitive with some very effective drugs already being dispensed.
According to the clinical trial, patients who used Aubagio had 30 percent lower relapse rate than those people using the placebo. Since MS can affect a person’s sensation, movement and thinking, it’s important to have a number of treatment options available to them.
MS is a long-term autoimmune, inflammatory disorder in the central nervous system. With it, communication between the brain and other body parts is disrupted. No one is immune to it – both men and women can develop MS but two times as many females are likely to have MS than males.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, nearly 400,000 Americans are diagnosed with MS with another 200 per week being diagnosed. About 2.1 million people around the world are living with the condition.
People who have MS have relapse episodes that are followed by recovery. However, as the disease advances, recovery periods are shortened. However, Aubagio is approved for the beginning stages of MS. The majority of folks see their first symptoms between 20 and 40 years of age.
In the clinical trials, people using Aubagio noted side effects: Diarrhea, Abnormal results with liver test, Nausea and Hair loss.
There is a boxed warning for doctors and patients that says there is a risk for liver problems – sometimes deadly – and that it could cause fetal issues. Thus, women should not be pregnant when taking this medication. Blood tests should be conducted beforehand to ensure normal liver function and no pregnancy.
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