Tysabri improves MS sufferers' QOL

Ireland's Elan and US drugmaker Biogen Idec have announced trial results which indicate that the co-developed drug Tysabri (natalizumab) brings about health-related quality of life improvements in multiple sclerosis sufferers who receive treatment.

The findings, which are published in the August 20 issue of the journal Annals of Neurology, are from two randomized, two-year, Phase III trials, AFFIRM and SENTINEL, which were designed to examine the relationship between disease activity and various QOL measures in relapsing forms of MS.

Results from AFFIRM demonstrate that, in terms of the standardized Short Form-36 physical and mental assessment criteria, patients treated with Tysabri achieved a significant symptom improvement at week 24, compared with those in the placebo group. This effect was maintained through to week 104. A similar pattern was seen using the patient self-assessment visual analog scale.