Oral treatment for MS excites patients

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Steve Waschensky has had multiple sclerosis for 26 years. He participated in the trial of Avonex, the first successful treatment, and he's been taking it ever since.

But those injections have side effects.

"Headaches for about 24 hours, basically a headache and a slight fever," he said.

Now an oral drug called Tecfidera was just approved by the FDA. It was also tested in Buffalo, and it's very effective in three important areas.

Dr. David Hojnacki of the Jacobs Neurological Institute said, "Reducing relapses, reducing accumulation of new MRI lesions in the brain, as well as reduction in disability progression."

Doctors use MRI scans to follow the course of MS. Bright white areas are MS lesions, and they typically enlarge and increase in number during the disease, but the drug reduced that. It also has very few side effects.

"We haven't had a good oral option, and now I think we really do. The phones have been ringing here in our office. Now that this drug has been approved there's been excitement among our patients and a lot of anticipation of this drug becoming available, and now it's here," Dr. Hojnacki said.

Sign Waschensky up!

"Oh, I definitely will switch to it, because if I can take something orally, it's so much easier than getting a needle," he said. "I hate to say it, but I'd rather take a pill than a needle."

Waschensky added, "I'm excited about it. And thank God for people being in studies and research and things they're trying to do for people - it's great."

Here is the original post:
Oral treatment for MS excites patients