New MS Drug Tecfidera: Q&A

How Does Tecfidera Compare With Other MS Drugs?

By Kathleen Doheny WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

April 25, 2013 -- With the arrival of Tecfidera this spring, people with multiple sclerosis now have three oral drugs to choose from to treat the relapsing form of the disease.

Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) joins two other oral MS drugs. Aubagio (teriflunomide) was approved in 2012, and Gilenya (fingolimod) was approved in 2010.

For the 350,000 people in the U.S. who have MS, these drugs represent a treatment breakthrough. Other MS drugs used to treat the relapsing form are injected or given through an IV.

All three oral MS drugs are expensive. Tecfidera's wholesale cost is nearly $55,000 a year. Gilenya and Aubagio cost $60,000 and $45,000 a year.

All three drugs also have side effects. The active ingredient in Tecfidera has been linked to four cases of a rare but sometimes fatal brain disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). That side effect was not seen in patients taking Tecfidera during clinical trials, the company making the MS drug says.

With three similar drugs, what do patients need to know?

For answers, WebMD turned to Barbara Giesser, MD, professor of neurology and clinical director of the University of California Los Angeles Multiple Sclerosis Program. She was not involved in the clinical trials for any of the three drugs.

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New MS Drug Tecfidera: Q&A