http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/555107/

I decided not to track the symptomatic treatments in the pipeline. Tracking all of the symptomatic treatments that could be used for MS would be a big job in itself and I decided not to take it on.

Geoff

How do you keep track of everything? Do you use google alerts or something similar? Goggle alerts is a fine tool.

Fernando

Thanks for the information. I’m always glad to get tips. For a couple of reasons, I’m not going to add either drug. On BVA-101, it is preclinical, which I’ve given up tracking. I have some stats on the approval rate for drugs (in general, not MS-specific) that indicates that around 10-12% of all drugs that enter phase 1 go on to be approved one day. But of all the compounds tested in the preclinical stage, only around 10% ever even make it into clinical trials. So the odds are that around 1% of the drugs on the preclinical list will one day be treatments, and there aren’t even 100 drugs on the list…so after realizing the futility of it, I decided to give up. But I kept the preclinical section there, in case anybody is interested.

On Cethrin, it does sound interesting, and it sounds like the kind of thing that could one day be used in MS, but in trying to decide what I would include on the list and what I wouldn’t, I arbitrarily decided to include drugs that aren’t in trials for MS at the moment, but where there is a recent statement from the drug sponsor saying they intend to begin MS trials soon (or something to that effect). For Cethrin, I don’t see any reference to one day testing on people with MS. If there is a statement like that out there, let me know and I’ll add it to the list right away.

Thanks again for the info.

Geoff

http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-7035-bva101.html

Is there a reason for it not being in that section?

If it is so, please forget this comment.

Fernando

Have been reading your post at thisisms (I’m in ms limbo right now).

I don’t know if this drug fits here but it is somewhat related:

Cethrin

Cethrin for acute spinal cord injury:
Miami Project neurosurgeon scientists are in negotiations with Alseres Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for the University of Miami to become an investigator site for a Phase 2 multicenter trial of a neuroprotective drug Cethrin. In preclinical studies, the drug has been shown to block an inhibitory injury mechanism that prevents axons from regrowing. A Phase 1 trial involving 27 patients with acute SCI has already been completed and suggests Cethrin is safe and well-tolerated. The data from this trial also suggests the treatment may improve a participant’s motor and sensory function. When the Phase 2 trial is approved by the FDA, The Miami Project will proceed with the trial once it receives University of Miami Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.

http://www.themiamiproject.org/Page.aspx?pid=339

Sounds impressive but for SCI, why not for MS?
I know, you’d have to have a separate list for “possible” drugs, but anyway, maybe we can keep an eye on this one.

Thank you for your efforts keeping this site up to date, they are very much appreciated.

Fernando