VBCN - July 2016 Volume 3, No 2

• Zinbryta a New Treatment Available for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis
• Nuplazid First Drug Approved for Hallucinations and Delusions Associated with Parkinson's Disease

A cost-effectiveness analysis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies has shown the importance of using first-line treatments first to treat the disease. In terms of achieving no evidence of disease activity (NEDA), the most effective treatment strategy was natalizumab in the first-line setting, followed by alemtuzumab as first-line treatment, according to a presentation at the 2016 American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.

• Multiple Sclerosis Tops Neurology Drug Costs in Medicare Payments
• Considering a Patient's Immune Status May Improve Treatment Outcomes in Glioblastoma
• AAN Updates Its Quality Measures for Parkinson's Disease to Improve Patient Care

Although multiple sclerosis (MS) is dominated by a progressive phase of the disease, few therapies are available to modify clinically defined progression. There is a significant unmet need for treatments targeting the delayed neurodegenerative components of the disease, said Gavin Giovannoni, MBBCh, PhD, Chair of Neurology, Blizard Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Queen Mary University of London, England, at the 2016 American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.

A pivotal phase 3 clinical trial demonstrated that dichlorphenamide (Keveyis) significantly reduced the rate and severity of hypokalemic episodes in patients with periodic paralysis, a rare muscle disease affecting children and young adults. In addition, a parallel phase 3 clinical trial with dichlorphenamide showed a similar treatment effect in patients with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis but failed to demonstrate significance because of recruitment issues.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the leading cause of irreversible neurologic disability in young women in the United States, and the second leading cause of neurologic disability in young men. In a series of debates at the 2016 American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, expert physicians addressed current and controversial issues in neuroscience, including the early aggressive treatment of patients with MS.