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The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has released a video featuring the noted neurologist Dr. Patricia Coyle, answering questions on Ampyra, a recently approved drug that's meant to increase the mobility of MS patients by increasing the conductivity of damaged nerve cells .
I wrote about this drug a few weeks ago (click here), noting that it's a time released version of 4-AP, a compound that has been used to treat MS symptoms for decades.
The following video covers all of the pertinent information about Ampyra, but doesn't go into the one controversial aspect of the new medication, its cost. The wholesale price of Ampyra is over $1000 per month, while the same amount of the generic drug that it is derived from, 4-AP, costs about $30.
One reader of my previous post did leave a comment that they participated in the Ampyra trial, and found the drug to be much more effective than 4-AP. That's welcome news that would make Ampyra a valuable tool for those struggling with MS. I certainly hope this info is correct, considering the price of this drug. If anyone out there has any information on how Ampyra differs chemically from 4-AP, I'd appreciate your passing it on...
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6 comments:
I think/read somewhere/Something, heard 4-AP from a compounding pharmacy may have been on shelf longer and is not terribly stabile and strength my decrease. Just what I might have read/seen/somewhere etc. With PPMS and in a chair a year, can no longer walk and saw nothing helped in my situation.
kicker
FDA info:
AMPYRA (dalfampridine) is a potassium channel blocker, available in a 10 mg tablet strength. Each tablet contains 10 mg dalfampridine, formulated as an extended release tablet for twice-daily oral administration. Dalfampridine is also known by its chemical name, 4-aminopyridine, with the following structure: [see .pdf for picture of the moledcular structure]
AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release tablets are available in a 10 mg strength and are a white to off-white, biconvex, oval shaped, film-coated, nonscored tablet with flat edge, debossed with “A10” on one side, containing 10 mg of dalfampridine. Inactive ingredients consist of colloidal silicon dioxide,
hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, and titanium dioxide.
Dalfampridine is a fine white powder with a molecular weight of 94.1, CAS 504-24-5 and a molecular formula of C5H6N2. At ambient conditions, dalfampridine is soluble in water, methanol, acetone, tetrahydrofuran,
isopropanol, acetonitrile, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, and ethanol.
In other words, the active ingredient is *exactly* the same as the compounding pharmacy stuff. For that we're supposed to pay >$1,200 a month (wholesale price).
I'll see your blog post and raise you another:
So I have a prescription for "generic" 4-AP. And of course, I have to go to a compounding pharmacy to get it. And here in the bay area, at least, its $50 for about 30 capsules. My insurance does not cover it because it is not FDA-approved. How is this generic? The only thing more expensive in my arsenal of meds is my Copaxone.
And now we have Ampyra which is waaaay more expensive. So apparently we have skipped directly from a "cheap" generic drug directly to an an expensive enhanced version without ever being able to get a this "cheap" generic drug covered by insurance?
Can I get a WTF here?
Cool - Thanks for posting Marc. I will add this to my site soon.
Best wishes, Stuart
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By the way: I too Have Multiple Sclerosis and this is what propels me to send this message: If You are affected By Multiple Sclerosis as either the patient, a caregiver or a friend, and want to remain up to date with ms information, then please register at this website: http://www.msviewsandnews.org - to receive our weekly MS related, e-Newsletter. - thank you
Has anybody heard or read that fampridine was originally used as a bird killer in agriculture??
I am not looking forward to the side effects, if I get any. But, I am looking forward to walking better.
I can't believe anyone would ingest this toxic poison! It is an extremely poisonous bird poison, registered as Avitrol by the EPA, highly toxic to humans, acutely hazardous substance, can cause seizures and renal failure ! WTF !
Read this at Cornell University website:
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/24d-captan/4aminopyridine-ext.html
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