New hope for MS sufferers

[Bob]

A Sydney neurologist has raised hopes of a new weapon against Multiple Sclerosis by combining drugs already used to fight the crippling disease.

The ABC's 7.30 Report said four MS patients had experienced a turnaround in their symptoms after the new treatment by Dr Dan Milder.

Natasha Bagan was diagnosed with MS only two years ago and a rapid deterioration in her condition prompted her doctor to combine two medicines already in use against the disease.

"We didn't know what to do," Dr Bagan told the ABC.

"There's nothing obvious to do, there hasn't been anything that is known to reverse progressive forms of Multiple Sclerosis and she was going down hill."

[Chris Chappell]

Is there any additional text to this post?

Onward and Upward!

[Wise Young]

I think that the story came from this site:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/Health/story_33827.asp

It is a pretty bad article... It does not say what the treatments are.

[Bob]

Chris..That was all that was posted on the article at that site...so i went on a search and found the transcript from the ABC's 7.30 report that it was taken from..

Transcript
17/6/2002
New hope for those with MS

KERRY O'BRIEN: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a cruel
and baffling disease, one that attacks the central
nervous system, mainly in women between the ages
of 20 and 40.

Its progress and severity are unpredictable, but at
its worst it's a slow and painful road to paralysis
and blindness.

We don't know the cause, and there's no cure.

So far medical researchers have been unable to
progress beyond drug therapies which may reduce
the severity of attacks, or slow the onset of MS.

Now, a Sydney neurologist believes he may have
stumbled upon something promising.

Tracy Bowden reports.

DENISE BAGAN: She was happy, very active, lots of
sports.

Never sick.

She wasn't a sickly child, at all.

It's devastating, and it's tragic.

You don't think it's ever going to happen.

TRACY BOWDEN: Just two years ago, Natasha
Bagan was an active, healthy young woman with
everything to look forward to.

But a shocking diagnosis changed all that.

NATASHA BAGAN: I had headaches and things like
that, so I thought well, it must be something
terrible.

Then he said, "Oh, I'm thinking it's MS".

I didn't know what that was.

But then on the other hand I thought Betty
Cuthbert, and that's -- I cried.

TRACY BOWDEN: Sydney neurologist Dan Milder,
Natasha's doctor, was disturbed by the unusually
rapid decline in his patient's condition.

DR DAN MILDER, NEUROLOGIST: We didn't know
what to do.

When I say 'we', she presented at a medical
meeting and there was no consensus and there's
nothing obvious to do.

There hasn't been any therapy that is known to
reverse progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, and
she was going downhill.

TRACY BOWDEN: Multiple sclerosis has affected
Natasha Bagan's central nervous system, the brain
and spinal cord.

Normally, messages pass along the body's nerves
quickly, because the nerve fibres are insulated by a
protective sheath called myalin.

In MS both the sheath and the cells that make it
are attacked.

Eventually scleroses or scars are formed and the
messages no longer get through properly.

DR DAN MILDER: It may affect balance, it may
affect spinal cord function in the sense of strength,
sensation, bladder control.

DENISE BAGAN: There had been a rapid decline.

He said to me -- well, my husband was told she
would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, she
would eventually have to go to a nursing home
because there would be no way that we could look
after her.

TRACY BOWDEN: Late last year, Natasha Bagan was
admitted to hospital.

DR DAN MILDER: He was unable to walk without a
person on either side.

Her vision had deteriorated very strongly.

There was an appointment made for her to see the
royal Blind Society.

It was considered likely she was -- she would be
functionally blind.

TRACY BOWDEN: Then Dr Milder took a chance on a
new combination of two drugs already used in the
treatment of MS.

DR DAN MILDER: She had been sensitive to steroids,
to a form of cortisone and azathioprine is used as a
steroid-sparing agent, so we thought we would try
that.

It has been used in multiple sclerosis, but without
very strong benefit, and so we thought we had to
add another drug.

TRACY BOWDEN: Within weeks, Denise and Tony
Bagan saw slight changes in their daughter.

Within months, a dramatic change.

Can you remember the first time you actually
thought: there's something happening here?

DENISE BAGAN: The first time I realised something
was happening is one night I went to the Prince
Henry rehab and she was standing on the verandah
waiting for me and I said, "Where's your
wheelchair?"

and she said, "I don't use it any more, I walk."

And that was really exciting.

TRACY BOWDEN: Natasha Bagan's vision improved
too.

NATASHA BAGAN: There was a time when even
before I could only see black and white.

I was sitting in the lounge and I just said to mum,
"Oh, I can see colour now".

TRACY BOWDEN: With Natasha Bagan's promising
improvement, Dr Milder decided to introduce the
treatment to other patients.

DR DAN MILDER: I thought it was likely to be
significant, so a second patient was then started,
who'd had the disease for 8 years, who'd been
deteriorating strongly for the previous 4 years, and
she also started to improve.

And then a third, and now a fourth.

TRACY BOWDEN: Dr Milder believes the treatment
may allow the myalin around the nerves, damaged
by MS, to regenerate.

Could it be a fluke, a coincidence, it's only a
handful?

DR DAN MILDER: No-one to the best of my
knowledge has had a series where consecutive
patients have had significant, albeit partial, reversal
of deficits.

TRACY BOWDEN: But the Australian Association of
Neurologists urges caution until there's been further
scrutiny of the treatment.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, RICHARD MACDONELL,
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION OF NEUROLOGISTS: It
would be, I guess, on the face of it, unlikely that
the combination of those two drugs would produce
a miraculous effect.

One would expect a modest effect at most, but as I
say this observation needs to be subjected to
proper scientific scrutiny, and it's certainly not
disregarded but I guess placed in the appropriate
context.

LINDSAY McMILLAN, MS SOCIETY VICTORIA: All
these good ideas need to be tested.

But we can't deny the importance of letting people
know that there are these potentially good news
stories on the horizon.

TRACY BOWDEN: The next step is for clinical trials
to be carried out.

Meanwhile, Natasha Bagan's condition seems to
have plateaued.

She and her parents know the future is uncertain,
but what they are certain about is what they see
today.

DENISE BAGAN: We're excited about it.

I mean, I don't know how -- I don't know in the
long run how she'll be.

I don't know how it will work.

But as far as I can see it should only just get
better.

It's all hope.

It's good.

KERRY O'BRIEN: Fingers crossed

[Susan5134]

Ms is painful and cruel and have to wear sp cath tube 24x7 day to live my house with my husbad. Sometimetims it doesn't hurt but then i get horrible shotting pain.

What about you all?

Sue

[topperf]

"Where's your
wheelchair?"

and she said, "I don't use it any more, I walk."

To say that someday..

Let's hope this is working on many, many ms victims!
Good News :)

[Random]

How about Fingolimd http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/news/20060913/early-results-promising-for-ms-drug (http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/news/20060913/early-results-promising-for-ms-drug)