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MS Society Recommends Early Drug Therapy ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- Oct. 19, 1998 -- In a call to action, a National Multiple Sclerosis Society consensus statement said people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis can't afford to take a wait and see approach to treatment. The statement, released at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society National Leadership Conference, recommends people pursue drug therapy as soon as possible after a definite diagnosis. Clinical trials demonstrate the benefits of continued use of immunomodulating therapies and National MS Society medical advisors agree that when it comes to treatment, sooner is better. "The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s medical advisors believe positive clinical trial results, evidence that nerve damage occurs along with myelin breakdown, and continuing clinical experience support early intervention with one of the three currently approved immunomodulating agents: Betaseron, Avonex and Copaxone," said Nancy Holland, Ed.D., National MS Society vice president of clinical programs. "The society’s Disease Management Consensus Statement provides specific recommendations relative to early intervention." Coming on the heels of the National MS Society announcement is new evidence that the longer patients take Copaxone (glatiramer acetate for injection) the better they do. Five-year data collected during one of the longest studies on a multiple sclerosis therapy shows the long-term sustained efficacy of Copaxone in reducing the frequency and severity of relapses. The study results were presented yesterday by Corey Ford, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Multiple Sclerosis Specialty Clinic at the University of New Mexico Medical Center, at an international neurology conference. "As the National MS Society advocates early initiation of therapy, patients need to be confident the therapy they choose will work well over time," Ford said. "This data confirms that Copaxone is well-tolerated and helps reduce the frequency of relapses over the long term." A total of 190 patients were enrolled in an open label study for Copaxone. Ninety-one people received the therapy for five or more years. The mean relapse rate for the entire study was 0.16, which means Copaxone patients had less than one attack during a five-year period. "The Copaxone study becomes especially important as more people go on therapy." Ford said. "We will continue to follow the progress of study participants through 10 years of therapy and beyond." Related Links: Copaxone E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version