ZUG, Switzerland, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. firm Biogen Idec and Irish firm Elan said Thursday new data show multiple-sclerosis drug Tysabri helps cognitive ability in MS.
The companies said phase 3 data from the AFFIRM study showed Tysabri "significantly reduced the proportion of MS patients with worsening cognitive function as measured by the 3-second Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT 3)."
Specifically, the two-year AFFIRM study, enrolling 942 MS patients at 99 sites worldwide, showed the treatment reduced the risk of sustained cognitive worsening by 43 percent, compared to placebo.
"Neuropsychological dysfunction significantly diminishes quality of life in many patients with multiple sclerosis, impacting everything from employment to social interaction. It is responsible for much hardship experienced by MS patients. The important positive effects of TYSABRI on cognitive functioning and quality of life add to the important benefits already reported on progression of disability and relapses," Richard Rudick, director of the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research at the Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement issued by the companies.
The results were presented this week at the 22nd Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Madrid, Spain.
Earlier data on Tysabri showed the drug reduced by 68 percent MS relapse, compared to placebo, and cut by 42 percent the relative risk of disability progression. The therapy has U.S. approval as a monotherapy treatment for relapsing forms of MS.