An experimental drug called fampridine may help to improve mobility in some patients receiving MS care, new research shows. A phase-III clinical trial, published in the Lancet medical journal, found that some patients benefitted from improved walking ability. The drug is being developed by Acorda Therapeutics and is thought to improve the transmission of signals in the central nervous system by blocking potassium iron channels.
Researchers recruited 301 adult MS patients in the US and Canada and gave them either the drug or a placebo (dummy pill) for 14 weeks.They found that 34.8 per cent of patients on the new drug experienced an improvement in the time it took to walk 25 feet.In contrast, just 8.3 per cent of people in the placebo group improved their walking speed.
Lead author and neurologist Dr Andrew Goodman, chief of the Multiple Sclerosis Centre at the University of Rochester Medical Centre, said: "This study indicates that fampridine could represent an important new way to treat multiple sclerosis and perhaps become the first drug to improve certain symptoms of the disease."
The data suggest that, for a subset of MS patients, nervous system function is partially restored while taking the drug. Dr Ron Cohen, president and CEO of Acorda Therapeutics, added that the results of this study indicate that fampridine-SR could potentially represent an important new treatment option in managing MS.