There are various medications used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). These medications derail and slow down the progression of the disease and prevent relapses or attacks. Generally, they aim to improve overall symptoms. As part of a comprehensive multiple sclerosis treatment plan, these drugs effectively help patients cope with their condition and improve their quality of life.
Disease-Modifying Medications
A large variety of FDA-approved disease-modifying drugs can treat multiple sclerosis. All of which are effective in lowering the frequency of attacks, impeding the development or progression of disability, and inhibiting new disease action. These medications include:
Injectable Drugs: beta-1a (, Rebif), beta-1b (, Extavia), (, Glatopa), peg beta-1a (Plegridy), and daclizumab (Zinbryta).
Oral Drugs: (Tecfidera), (), and teriflunomide ().
Infused Drugs: alemtuzumab (Lemtrada), (Novantrone), natalizumab (Tysabri), and ocrelizumab (Ocrevus).
Multiple Sclerosis Treatments: Basics of
Available under the brand name , is a man-made protein that mimics the basic protein myelin. In the body, myelin serves as a protective sheath for nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. To this day, the underlying functions that cause multiple sclerosis treatments’ obstruction of myelin-destroying T-cells remains a mystery.
is an FDA-approved disease-modifying medication that lowers the frequency of MS attacks among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. It is also a treatment for patients who went through clinically-isolated syndrome and displayed MRI characteristics that align with multiple sclerosis.
The FDA approved a new dosage of this drug based on successful results from long-term clinical trials. The current ideal dosage is 40 mg/mL taken three times weekly. The standard dose was a daily injection of 20 mg/mL.
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