"Tysabri Triumphs"
".....In two separate clinical trials at Stony Brook University Hospital in 2003, about 15 to 20 patients were treated with the drug. Researchers were encouraged by the results.

"The drug was very well-tolerated," says Stony Brook neurologist Dr. Patricia K. Coyle. "And the patients did very well."..."One patient, 48-year-old James Blog of Huntington, was in the process of receiving the drug when it was pulled off shelves in February 2004. Blog, a New York City accountant, has had a mild case of MS for 15 years.

Blog began taking Tysabri in October 2003 as dual therapy with Avonex, another MS drug. He was a part of the clinical trial at Stony Brook Hospital and felt the treatment was effective.

"I was feeling good," he says.

While Blog's diagnosis may not be as serious, he sometimes experiences relapses which cause disorientation, stiff legs and a lack of coordination. During his last episode, which happened six months after discontinuing Tysabri and Avonex, he needed steroids to help him bounce back.

The decision to take or switch to Tysabri hinges on the opinion of the patient's neurologist. In July, Blog will be meeting with his neurologist at Stony Brook to determine if his future will include Tysabri. Speaking from experience, he hopes he's a candidate.

"It works great," Blog says. "But in three weeks, I'll know if I can get back on it. I would trust my doctor."