Six patients in Cullman are the first to receive a new drug recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration to treat multiple sclerosis.

The patients began receiving infusions Monday of Lemtrada, also known as alemtuzumab, under the care of Cullman neurologist Dr. Chris LaGanke with North Central Neurology Associates. The FDA approved the drug Nov. 14.

The medical practice has a long waiting list of patients hoping to receive the drug. Those undergoing the treatment will receive infusions of the drug for six hours a day for five days. A year later, they must receive another three days of infusion therapy.

MS is a disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Onset usually occurs in young adults, and it is more common in women.  

The cause is still unknown. Scientists believe the disease is triggered by as-yet-unidentified environmental factor in a person who is genetically predisposed to respond. There are more than 2.3 million people living with MS worldwide.

LaGanke lost his mother to disease and later founded the Joanne P. LaGanke MS Center which treats more than 2,100 patients with MS. LaGanke has been conducting clinical trials for years and received the first certification in the country to administer Lemtrada.

According to the National MS Society, the use of Lemtrada should generally be reserved for people who have had an inadequate response to two or more MS therapies.

The FDA approved Lemtrada based on the results of two large, phase III clinical trials that confirmed its ability to significantly reduce relapse rates over two years over standard subcutaneous dosing of the medication Rebif, according to the National MS Society. One of the studies also suggested that Lemtrada may significantly reduce worsening of disability.

 “The approval of Lemtrada provides an important and immunologically powerful new therapeutic option for people with relapsing MS,” said Dr. Bruce A. Cohen, professor at the  Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurosciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and Chair of the National MS Society’s National Medical Advisory Committee.

Cohen said the drug’s long-lasting effects may profoundly influence the course of relapsing MS. However, it requires careful and sustained monitoring for side effects, and patients should thoroughly educate themselves on its potential benefits and risks, he said.

“The FDA approval of Lemtrada is a significant milestone for people living with relapsing MS in the United States,” said Dr. Timothy Coetzee, Chief Advocacy, Services and Research Officer at the National MS Society. “We are pleased that that the voices of the MS community have been recognized and that people with relapsing MS will now have access to a new, needed treatment option.”

* Tiffeny Owens can be reached at towens@cullmantimes.com or by phone at 256-734-2131.