Skip to main content

New hope for multiple sclerosis patients

In what might come as a relief for many patients who suffer from disability due to multiple sclerosis (a neurological disorder in younger persons), clinical trials for a medicine to treat this disease has been approved.



The move is despite stringent regulations recently introduced by the Drug Controller General of India which had halted clinical trials in the country for a while.PGIMER is one of seven such institutes in India which has been selected for the trials to be conducted in 32 countries.

The drug `ofatumumab' for which the trial will start soon is expected to offer lesser side effects and will be more effective than the existing drug `teriflunomide' in patients who suffer from relapsing multiple sclerosis. In India, some 9-10 in every 1 lakh persons suffer from the disease. It is believed that there are over 1 lakh patients in the country .


Usually patients show recurring and recovering pattern of neurological symptoms (also called relapsing and remitting). The common symptoms include visual problems, overwhelming fatigue, difficulty in maintaining balance and coordination, various levels of impaired mobility , muscle weakness and stiffness.​

Source
ᐧ

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isotretinoin in India: A tragedy in the offing

Isotretinoin in India: A tragedy in the offing Wednesday, March 28, 2007 08:00 IST  Seema Thakral Isotretinoin is the drug of choice for severe calcitrant cystic acne vulgaris, which often causes scarring and depression from disfigurement. Isotretinoin has been called "the greatest medical advance of the 1980's." A majority of patients with acne are permanently cleared after a four to five months course of treatment. It has also been used off-label for a variety of oncology uses including: cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell cancer of the skin, juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and neuroblastoma. However, the drug is a proved teratogen and carries a significant risk of birth defects, if it taken during pregnancy. Birth defects, which have been documented following isotretinoin exposure include abnormalities of the face, eyes, ears, skull, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and thymus and parathyroid glands. There is an increased ris...
Post a Comment
Read more

Combination Vaccine for Kids withdrawn

A vaccine that combines conventional MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) with Chikenpox has been withdrawn in the United States due to a higher rate of seizures in children. In a study children aged 12 to 23 months who received the combined MMR cum Chickenpox vaccine had double the rate of seizures compared to children who got separate vaccine for MMR and chickenpox. This equates to one additional case of convulsion per 2000 vaccinations.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Influence of TheTourniquet on blood draw

[1] Various methods are used to obtain specimens for hematocrit determination in neonates. We evaluated arterial sampling and found this method to be acceptable. Arterial values correlated closely with simultaneously obtained venous samples. Venous blood obtained with a tourniquet had a significantly higher hematocrit than that obtained without a tourniquet. [2] Influence of tourniquet application on venous blood sampling for serum chemistry, hematological parameters, leukocyte activation and erythrocyte mechanical properties Background: Venous blood sampling is usually performed using a tourniquet to help locate and define peripheral veins to achieve successful and safe venipuncture. Despite widespread usage of tourniquets for venipuncture by medical and laboratory staff, very few are aware of the effects of tourniquet application on laboratory parameters. In addition, definitive guidelines regarding when and how to use a tourniquet for blood sampling are lacking. The aim ...
Post a Comment
Read more