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First treatment for progressive MS approved in the US
A drug to the treat the most severe form of multiple sclerosis has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the first time.
Genentech’s treatment, Ocrevus, will be available in as little as two weeks for people suffering from primary progressive MS following the regulatory clearance said the company.
Cyndi Zagieboylo, chief executive of the National MS Society described it as a historic day for sufferers of the disease, adding it might be the start of the next generation of treatments.
Genentech, owned by Swiss firm Roche, added the approval represented a significant scientific advance in B cell-targeted therapy.
B-cells are part of the body’s white cells in the immune system and are believed to be key in the development of MS.
Sandra Horning, Genetech’s chief medical officer, said: “We believe OCREVUS, given every six months, has the potential to change the disease course for people with MS.”
Genentech expects to charge US$65,000 a year for the treatment, which is said was in line with prices for other MS treatments available.
Primary progressive MS accounts for about 15% of those diagnosed with disease.
Story by ProactiveInvestors
Source: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/175611/first-treatment-for-progressive-ms-approved-in-the-us-175611.html
