Promising New Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis – Healthline

About MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that affects the nervous system. Nerves are coated in a protective covering called myelin. People with MS experience deterioration of the myelin. Nerves may function abnormally when the myelin is damaged. A number of unpredictable symptoms may result, including:

Years of dedicated research have led to new treatments for MS. Although there is still no cure for the disease, drug regimens and behavioral therapy allow people with MS to lead healthier, more productive lives.

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There is presently no cure for MS. However, many treatment options are available that can help manage the course and symptoms of this chronic disease. Treatment can help:

Treatment in the form of support groups or talk therapy can also provide emotional support for people living with the challenges of this chronic illness.

Changing the course of the disease is a primary goal of multiple sclerosis treatment. Drugs that do this are called disease-modifying medications. In 2012, the oral drug teriflunomide (Aubagio) wasapproved for usein MS patients.

A study published inThe New England Journal of Medicinefound that people with relapsing MS showed significantly lower disease progression rates and fewer annual relapses when taking teriflunomide once daily than subjects who took a placebo. People given 14 mg of the drug fared better than participants in the 7 mg group. The teriflunomide study was a landmark of sorts, because teriflunomide was only the second oral disease-modifying medication approved for MS treatment.

A third oral disease-modifying drug became available to MS patients in the spring of 2013. Dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera), formerly known as BG-12, stops the immune system from attacking itself to destroy myelin. The medication, available in capsule form, may also have a protective effect on the body, similar to antioxidants. It is designed for patients who have relapsing-remitting MS, a form of the disease in which you typically go into remission for a period of time before exhibiting an exacerbation of symptoms. People with this type of the disease can benefit from twice-daily doses of the drug.

Multiple sclerosis-induced myelin destruction affects the way nerves send and receive signals, which in turn can affect movement and mobility. Potassium channels are like pores on the surface of nerve fibers. Blocking the channels can improve the nerve conduction of affected nerves.

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Promising New Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis - Healthline