Dr Alasdair Coles on the Effectiveness of Alemtuzumab in Treating MS

At this year’s ECTRIMS conference in Boston, Alasdair Coles, MD, University of Cambridge, discussed alemtuzumab and its effectiveness in treating multiple sclerosis (MS).

Dr Coles presented data from a four-year study, with MS patients being given alemtuzumab infusions during the first year. Results revealed that on average, patients showed less severity in their disability than that recorded at baseline with a low relapse rate and low risk of acquiring new disability.

In addition, Dr Coles noted that alemtuzumab caused far less shrinkage of brain volume in patients with MS than that caused by beta interferon treatment.

Dr Coles is confident that this news will reassure doctors, patients, and regulatory agencies when considering alemtuzumab for treatment of patients with MS. “We can say to patients now, ‘If you take alemtuzumab, it will prevent tissue loss that otherwise would have occurred.’”