Cancer pill 'offers MS benefits' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Courses of a common cancer drug can dramatically reduce the risk of a patient with multiple sclerosis having a relapse or deterioration, work shows.

Taking cladribine a few times a year more than halved the chances of a relapse, with few side-effects, the UK study of 1,300 patients found.

UK expert Professor Gavin Giovannoni said the drug could revolutionise the treatment of MS.

Its manufacturer Merck Serono hopes to seek licensing for its use this year.

The drug is already licensed for treating leukaemia.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8023120.stm




:wow: Talk about unintended consequences!:wow:

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[truedelphi]

2. K & R - Hoping this is true. What a horrible disease, and it

Would be nice if taking a pill a few times a year prevented someone's MS from getting worse.

The law of unintended consequences! Many people don't know that Viagra started out as part of a controlled research into how it would lessen a person's risk of heart attack.

When researchers realized that it wouldn't do that, they immediately attempted to end their study. They contacted people and asked them to send the Viagra back. No one did.

They called, wrote, and finally sent people out in person to confiscate the non-working heart remedy. People did not want to hand it over.

Then when they realzied WHY people didn't want to hand it over, they embarked on a new campaign of research. Whose results we all know.

[villager]

3. sent it to a friend suffering from MS... thanks!

n/t

[poppydixon]

4. good news

anything that could help MS sufferers sounds good to me. sadly i know 2 people under 30 who are very ill from it.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. shameless self-kick for more eyeballs