Patient Taking Tecfidera Develops PML, Later Dies – Outlier or Harbinger of Things to Come?

Last week, in disclosing the company’s quarterly financial report, pharmaceutical giant Biogen revealed that a patient taking its oral MS drug Tecfidera had developed the dreaded brain infection PML and later died of pneumonia (click here). This news understandably created much anxiety in the MS population, particularly among those patients currently taking Tecfidera and those considering starting the drug. Let’s take a careful look at the details of this unfortunate news and try to properly assess its impact.

In the roughly 18 months since it was first approved by the FDA, Tecfidera has become a blockbuster drug, generating nearly $2 billion in sales over the last nine months alone (click here). The tremendous financial success of Tecfidera is in large part due to its ease of use (it’s a pill), relatively high efficacy rates, and a perceived low risk of serious side effects. Until this case of PML was reported, the Tecfidera side effects receiving the most attention were flushing and gastrointestinal distress, both of which subside after 6-8 weeks in the majority of patients taking the drug. Obviously, adding the risk of PML to the equation could change this calculus significantly, so it’s vitally important to parse this new information as best as possible to try and appreciate the true risk posed by PML in the Tecfidera MS population.

It’s essential to understand just what is PML, and how Tecfidera’s mechanism of action might increase the risk of contracting the disease. PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy) is an infection of the brain and central nervous system that is caused by the JC virus, a pathogen that is present in about 50%-60% of the general population (click here). Under normal circumstances, those carrying the JC virus are completely without symptoms and the virus is kept in check by the human immune system. In patients whose immune systems have been compromised (for instance, people with AIDS),  the JC virus can lead to PML, an infection that destroys myelin in large portions of the brain, leading to significant disability, and, in many cases, death. PML is a much-publicized potential side effect of the intravenous MS drug Tysabri, which profoundly suppresses immune system activity in the central nervous system of patients taking the drug, thereby leaving those carrying the JC virus potentially susceptible to the infection. This is why strict testing for JC virus antibodies has been instituted for all patients on Tysabri therapy. PML has also been seen patients with MS as well as other diseases taking other immunosuppressive drugs, as these drugs can, by their very nature,  compromise the body’s ability to keep the JC virus under control.

Tecfidera (whose chemical name is dimethyl fumarate) is purported to work through a variety of actions. The drug is thought to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but studies have definitively shown that one of the drug’s primary actions is immunosuppression. In trials, Tecfidera was demonstrated to reduce the amount of lymphocytes (infection fighting white blood cells) by about 28% in treated patients (click here, the pertinent information is on page 9). While this level of lymphocyte suppression is not considered to put patients at any kind of serious risk, it could very well account for Tecfidera’s efficacy in treating multiple sclerosis, as the disease is, at least in part, driven by an aberrant immune response.

These same studies also found that about 4% (1 in 25) of patients treated with Tecfidera develop a more serious drop in lymphocyte count, resulting in a condition known as lymphopenia. Severe lymphopenia can indeed open the patient up to opportunistic infections, and for this reason FDA guidelines call for regular blood testing to monitor for the condition in Tecfidera treated patients (click here). Currently, the FDA suggests patients have their blood counts checked once a year, but in practice many neurologists are being far more diligent in testing their Tecfidera treated patients. This recent news about PML and Tecfidera could very well result in more stringent blood testing requirements, but even without such a mandate it seems wise that patients be tested quite regularly to check that their lymphocyte counts remain at safe levels.

Although there currently aren’t many available details on the PML Tecfidera case reported last week by Biogen, it is known that the patient in question had been on Tecfidera for nearly 5 years (she started taking the drug during the approval trials), and had been experiencing severe lymphopenia for 3 ½ years. Logic would seem to dictate that a patient be taken off the drug as soon as their lymphocyte counts drop into dangerous territory, so the fact that this unfortunate soul was left with severe lymphopenia unaddressed for years on end is, to my mind, completely inexplicable. Indeed, it would seem that given the circumstances, her neurologist was courting disaster. Again, I am basing this assessment on scant details, but I have a hard time imagining any scenario that would warrant keeping a patient on a medication that was suppressing their immune system to dangerous levels for such an extended period of time. If the specifics of the case are as originally reported, the fact that the patient was kept on Tecfidera for three and half years after she first tested positive for severe lymphopenia quite frankly boggles the mind.

If anything, this case would seem more to underscore the importance of diligent patient monitoring than any inherent potential danger posed by Tecfidera. Ceasing the drug in the face of troubling blood test results should be a no-brainer. Patients experiencing severe lymphopenia in the Tecfidera trials saw their lymphocyte counts increase significantly within four weeks of stopping the drug. It is currently not known how long is required for lymphocyte counts to return to pre-Tecfidera levels.

While it would be extremely concerning if the patient in question developed PML while her lymphocyte counts remained at acceptable levels, the facts as now known indicate that this simply was not the case. Given the immunosuppressive properties of Tecfidera, it would appear to be vitally important that patients be regularly tested to check their white blood cell counts. It would seem that the FDA suggestion of once yearly blood tests is insufficient, and I know many neurologists are checking their patients much more frequently, more on the order of at least once every three months. Monitoring for JC virus might make sense if PML were to be seen in Tecfidera patients not experiencing severe lymphopenia, but at this point the available evidence doesn't seem to merit the taking of this extra step. Then again, any extra bit of information is valuable, and I'd imagine that some neurologists might Institute testing for JC virus in their Tecfidera patients on their own. Tecfidera is proving to be quite effective in reducing relapse rates and the formation of new brain lesions when used to treat RRMS (click here), and with proper monitoring it would appear that the drug is actually quite safe.. Of course, the drug has only been on the market for a year and a half, and only time will reveal the true long term efficacy and safety of Tecfidera.

As this tragic PML case demonstrates, the fact that Tecfidera can induce severe lymphopenia in 1 out of 25 patients taking it should make both patients and doctors alike keenly aware of the need for proper blood count monitoring. Patients shouldn’t be shy about requesting such tests if their neurologists don’t currently require them. Knowledge is power, folks, and patients need to equip themselves as best as possible with the most accurate data available and take an active role in making treatment choices. The doctor-patient relationship should be a partnership, not a dictatorship. It’s terribly unfortunate that PML has entered the Tecfidera picture, but the case in question seems much more like the exception than the rule. This is not to say that this recent news shouldn’t be cause for concern, but it certainly shouldn’t induce panic among those currently taking the drug or those considering Tecfidera therapy.

It is my fervent hope that future MS therapies will turn away from immunosuppression and find some other more effective, more benign mechanism for fighting the disease. But, as the current crop of drugs are generating billions and billions of dollars in profit for the companies that make them, it will likely be quite some time before my hopes are realized. For now, it is imperative that patients as much as possible use their heads, and, armed with accurate information, work in tandem with their physicians to best beat back the beast that is MS. At this point, Tecfidera appears to be a valuable tool in this quest, but like all tools it needs to be used intelligently and with care.

Bits and Pieces: Writer's Block Edition (Also: Tecfidera, Crying Jags, the Price of MS Drugs, Underwater Wheelchairs, Asinine Research, and Some Funky Stuff)

Cover of Gojira [Blu-ray]

(For those who receive Wheelchair Kamikaze via email, this post contains videos that can be viewed on the Wheelchair Kamikaze website – click here. They're really good videos, so I encourage you to check them out.)

I usually start these Bits and Pieces posts with thoughts and/or observations that have been rattling around inside my brain pan for the last several days or weeks, but somehow as I sit down to write this I’m experiencing nary a rattle. Truth be told I've been struggling with some writers block these last few weeks, pretty much for the first time since I started writing this blog over five years ago. I suppose it might only be expected after all of these posts, but geez, writer’s block sucks.

I suppose I could jabber on about how disappointed I am in the Boston Red Sox the season, or how much I’m looking forward to the new season of fantastic zombie TV show The Walking Dead (which doesn’t start until October, ugh), or how bummed I am that I missed seeing the new Godzilla movie in 3-D at the IMAX theater which is one block away from my apartment. Can you believe it? I LOVE Godzilla, and I missed the chance to see the beast from the deep in three dimensions on a screen 30 feet tall! How could I be so stupid?

Now, I don’t expect the new Godzilla movie to be anywhere near as good as the original 1954 Godzilla, and by original I mean the Japanese version, not the Americanized one that intercut scenes of Raymond Burr playing an American reporter in Tokyo during Godzilla’s onslaught into the sublime Japanese film, which is actually very introspective (well, as introspective as a movie about a prehistoric beast eating Tokyo can be), filled with nuanced references to Japan’s national angst about World War II, the horrors of atomic warfare, and the potential dangers of science run amok.

Speaking of Raymond Burr, did you know that he once owned his own private island in Fiji? I knew he was a successful actor who starred in some very popular TV series (Perry Mason, Ironsides) and had a very clandestine private life, but go know he had enough money to buy a private island. I sure would like a private island, although these days I guess a private island wouldn’t be much use to me, given my heat sensitivity issues and the fact that I don’t think sand and my wheelchair would get along very well. God, I hate having MS.

Okay, I guess that’s enough writing about nothing, so I might as well get to my latest collection of MS news items and other bits of info that have caught my attention and/or fancy over the past month or so. Hope you find them interesting, informative, entertaining, and worthwhile…

♦ The oral MS drug Tecfidera has been on the market here in the US for a little bit over a year, and a new study provides encouraging news about Tecfidera’s efficacy, while another furnishes some disconcerting data regarding the drug’s side effects. A paper released just this week demonstrates that Tecfidera is remarkably effective on newly diagnosed RRMS patients who have not previously been on other MS drugs (click here). Patients in the study took the drug either two or three times a day, and researchers found that Tecfidera reduced relapse rates by 56% and 60% in these groups, reduced the risk of relapse by 54% and 57%, reduced the number of new or enlarging lesions by 80% and 81%, and reduced Gadolinium enhancing lesions by 92%, when compared to patients taking a placebo. These numbers place Tecfidera amongst the most effective MS drugs available. No word yet on the effectiveness of the drug on patients who have had the disease for a longer duration, or who have already been on other treatments, but one would imagine that similar rates of effectiveness should be expected.

On the downside, another study looking at Tecfidera’s side effects found that gastrointestinal problems and flushing were reported by large numbers of patients taking the drug (click here). Although more serious side effects (such as opportunistic infections) were not reported, researchers found that gastrointestinal problems were severe enough to force roughly 10%-25 % of Tecfidera patients to stop taking the drug, depending on the MS clinic providing the data. Over 50% of Tecfidera patients required some kind of over-the-counter medications to help combat the initial side effects of taking the drug, although the majority of patients noted that these side effects subsided within three months of starting the drug. Seems that similar percentages of patients (10%-25%) experienced few if any side effects, and physicians are trying to find ways to ameliorate the incidence of side effects in their Tecfidera patients.

So, definitely a mixed bag on the Tecfidera front. Highly effective on the one hand, problematic side effects on the other (although no deadly side effects so far, thank heavens). As with all things MS, it seems it’s never easy…

♦ On one of the Internet MS forums I occasionally visit, a member was worried that they might be “cracking up” because they found themselves laughing or crying – sometimes uncontrollably – at the drop of a hat, and often at inappropriate moments. A little light bulb went off in my head (yes, I have light bulbs in my head, and they’re all of the old-fashioned incandescent variety) and I remembered a little known and talked about MS symptom called the pseudobulbar affect (click here). PBA, as it is called, is a symptom seen across a wide variety of disorders of the central nervous system which makes those afflicted with it highly prone to laughing and/or crying fits, usually completely beyond their control.

As might be expected, pseudobulbar affect can be very disturbing to those MS patients who suffer from it, especially if they don’t know that their out of whack emotions might be a symptom of their disease. A recent study found that about 10% of people with MS suffer from PBA (click here), so it’s more common than might be expected. Here is a little online quiz to check if you might have PBA (click here), thoughtfully provided by the drug company that (surprise!) makes a pill to combat it. Yes, there’s a pill for that! It’s called Nuedexta (click here). Now, this is just a guess, but I bet the pill is obscenely expensive. Hey, I just did a little googling (honestly, I did) and found that Nuedexta costs a mere $600 a month. Yikes! Yes, the price of MS meds forces one to laugh to keep from crying, and that has nothing to do with pseudobulbar affect.

♦ Speaking of the high price of MS drugs, five multiple sclerosis medications landed on a list of the 73 drugs whose prices have increased the most since 2007 (click here). Since that time, the price of Copaxone as increased 157%, Rebif 154%, Avonex 147%, Betaseron 133%, and Tysabri 102%. Given the fact that the first four of these drugs (the CRAB drugs) are the oldest MS “disease modifying therapies” and have been on the market for at least 15 years, one would expect their price to have decreased with time rather than increase. Apparently, though, logic plays no role when it comes to pricing MS drugs (and most other drugs, for that matter), as drug companies try to squeeze as much profit as possible out of their older drugs before patents expire and generic alternatives become available. Can’t say this isn’t a winning strategy for the drug companies, since Copaxone generated $4,000,000,000 (!) in sales last year and was the highest grossing MS drug on the market. Is it any wonder that more progress towards finding a cure hasn’t been made when huge gobs of money are being pocketed by keeping MS patients dependent on drugs that only “modify” the disease and most medical research is funded by the companies pocketing those gobs of money? An old saying about geese and golden eggs springs to mind.

♦ Okay, enough about drugs and drug companies, let’s move on to other vistas. How about some underwater ones? In this video (part of the terrific TED Talks series), artist Sue Austin takes my Wheelchair Kamikaze concept to new heights, or, more correctly, depths. After an extended illness left her disabled, Ms. Austin found the world shrinking, a feeling many of those with MS know all too well. As she eloquently expresses in the below video, before getting her wheelchair and exploring all of the potential it presented, she had internalized the limitations and dependencies that society seems subconsciously to want to impose on the disabled. When she got her powerchair, though, her world and all the possibilities contained within it suddenly burst wide open. The chair allowed her to explore unexpected directions in her visual artwork, and ultimately led her to take this new mode of creative expression under the sea. Yes, Sue Austin scuba dives in her wheelchair, and with style. Incredible, beautiful, and inspirational…




♦ The folks at the Made Strong company (click here) offer T-shirts and other items bearing their “Made Strong” credo, and they donate 10% of their profits to worthy causes (for MS, these monies go to the Race to Erase MS). I’m typically turned off by feel-good slogans and platitudes, especially when they have to do with the disease that has taken a wrecking ball to my life. The phrase “I Have MS but MS Doesn’t Have Me” makes me want to poke my eyeballs out with red-hot knitting needles. But there’s something about “Made Strong” that strikes a chord. There’s very little good I care to say about multiple sclerosis, but I do have to admit that struggling with MS and all the BS that goes along with it has made me a mentally stronger person even as the disease has whacked away at my physical self. I’m no longer the neurotic, anxiety riddled person that I used to be back in my healthy days. Dealing with this illness has led me to me confront some of my darkest fears and even my own mortality, forcing to the surface a mettle I honestly didn’t know I possessed. So, yeah, Made Strong, an MS slogan I can live with.

The Made Strong people have generously offered a 10% discount to Wheelchair Kamikaze readers. Just use the promo code WCK10 when ordering. (Full disclosure: Made Strong sent me a free T-shirt to introduce me to their products. Does this make me guilty of accepting a bribe? Maybe, but I promise that I wouldn’t have given them a word on this blog if I didn’t appreciate the sentiment expressed on their goods. I guess everybody has their price, but I’d hate to think that mine is as cheap as a T-shirt. Note to other product manufacturers: sending me free stuff will NOT guarantee you a place on these pages, but, on the offhand chance you’re interested, I do like cameras, vintage NYC World's Fair memorabilia, and exotic chocolates. Also, I really enjoy giving my wife jewelry, so diamonds 1.5 carats or larger set in white gold or platinum might get you a Wheelchair Kamikaze shout out. Just saying.)

♦ Okay, time for another installment of… asinine research (the crowd roars)! I’ve come across yet another study having to do with MS patients falling down (click here). What is it about multiple sclerosis and falling down that so fascinates researchers around the world? Seems to me that the two go hand-in-hand, MS and falling down, sex and pregnancy, beans and cornbread. This has to be the third or fourth “falling down” study I’ve featured here on WK, and I’ve passed up a few along the way.

Okay, so, this study compiled the results of a bunch of different studies from Australia, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. Wait a minute, that’s three English-speaking countries out of four, and I’m pretty sure a lot of Swedish people speak pretty good English, so this immediately casts doubts on the validity of these results. Dammit, this study is biased against non-English-speaking multiple sclerosis patients who fall down! What, falling down in other languages doesn’t count? Don’t we all say “ow” when we fall down, no matter what our native tongue? If you prick us, do we not bleed? Must we constantly erect artificial barriers that keep us from seeing ourselves as one big family of man, instead giving way to tribalism and divisiveness, even when researching as eternally perplexing a subject as whether or not people with a potentially crippling disease fall down? Oh, the humanity!

Despite its jingoistic tendencies, this falling study does break some new ground (pun intended) as it defines MS patients who fall down as either “fallers” (those who fell only once during a during a three-month span) or “frequent fallers” (those who fell twice or more during the three-month span). My question is, do frequent fallers get some kind of gifts or rewards, like frequent flyers? Do they have exclusive access to luxurious waiting areas in their neurologists’ offices, replete with thickly padded floors and walls, where their every whim will be catered to as they tumble and crash to the ground? I mean, what good is it to qualify as a “frequent faller” if you can’t rack up those frequent faller points? Does accumulating enough frequent faller points allow for some kind of upgrade, like maybe to a neurologist who actually gives a shit? Of course, this study does nothing to address these issues. Stupid researchers.

What this study does reveal is shocking, simply shocking! “Most falls occur indoors (65%) between 6 AM and 6 PM (75%).” Gee, that couldn’t be because most MSers with mobility issues tend to spend a lot of time indoors, and – I’m guessing here, probably need to research this more fully – most falls don’t happen while sleeping, could it? “Primary progressive MS was associated with significantly increased odds of being a faller.” Who would’ve thought, given the fact that the most common first presenting symptom of PPMS is gait disturbances, that this form of the disease would lend itself to going kerplop? “Fall risk peaked at EDSS levels of 4.0 and 6.0…” Hmmm, EDSS 4.0 is defined as “fully ambulatory… despite relatively severe disability” and EDSS 6.0 calls for “intermittent or constant assistance (cane, crutch, or brace) required to walk about 325 feet”, so this study finds that patients whose disease has progressed far enough to produce “relatively severe disability” but not far enough to put them in a wheelchair face the greatest danger of taking a dive. Is Captain Obvious one of the authors of this paper? For their next research project, I suggest the authors study whether or not hitting yourself hard on the head with a hammer can cause a concussion. Hopefully by testing the hypothesis on themselves.

Seriously, though, the issue of PwMS suffering numerous falls is no joking matter, as I’ve known several folks who have really hurt themselves after taking a tumble. Here’s a page (click here) with some common sense tips on things that can be done to help prevent falls whether or not you have MS. And for all my MS friends out there, I think my best advice is to just use your head, and not as landing gear. I know we can all be very obstinate and loath to “give in” to the disease, but a broken hip or gashed forehead is too high a price to pay for pride. If you need help, ask for it. If doing something that used to be easy has become nearly impossible, just don’t do it, at least not without assistance. Easier said than done, I know, but MS can do enough damage without your giving it a helping hand.

♦ In my last “Bits and Pieces” post I concluded with a video by the musical artist Paolo Nutini, one of the musicians who are part of the neo-soul/retro-soul movement, making music that hearkens back to the funky, soulful sounds of the 1960s and 70s. Lots of readers commented on how much they enjoyed the video, and since I’m absolutely addicted to the stuff, I figured I’d make examples of the genre a regular part of these little compilations. So, feast your ears on Mr. Charles Bradley, who pours his guts out on every track he records. Part of the Daptone Records stable of artists, Charles Bradley may be considered a new artist, but he’s no young pup. He recorded his first album at the age of 62 in 2011, backed by the relentlessly funky Manahan Street Band. Mr. Bradley has lived a life filled with hardship and heartache, and his musical emergence is so unlikely that it’s almost impossible to believe. It’s captured in a terrific documentary called “Charles Bradley: Soul of America” (click here), which can be viewed on Amazon Prime streaming video. Throughout a lifetime spent living a hardscrabble existence, at times practically homeless, Bradley picked up gigs as a James Brown impersonator, an influence unmistakable in his recorded output.

So, without further fanfare, here is the righteous, mighteous, and out of sighteous Charles Bradley…

Bits and Pieces: Neurologists' Conference Edition (also: Tysabri,Tecfidera, Marijuana, Mold, Asinine Research, and other goodies)

(For those who receive Wheelchair Kamikaze via email, the following post contains videos which can be seen on the WK website – click here)

It’s time once again for Wheelchair Kamikaze’s semi regular compendium of MS news and notes.

Last week the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) held its annual meeting, this year held in Philadelphia. This weeklong event brings together some of the world’s best minds in neurology, and features presentations on all the latest and greatest research. I found it quite striking that this year’s multiple sclerosis presentations almost all had to do with information gleaned from drug trials, but since practically all mid to late stage medical research is conducted by the big pharmaceutical companies, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Most of the fault lies not with the drug companies themselves, but with the system within which they operate, which has handed these companies the reins of medical scientific investigation as governments and academia are increasingly less able to fund research due to the current political and economic climate. As a result, our medical research model is becoming more and more dysfunctional, with many potentially paradigm shifting basic research studies never making it out of the lab. Yippee!

I sometimes think about how strange life must be for neurologists who specialize in the most debilitating diseases of the nervous system, none of which have yet to be sufficiently remedied. Doctors practicing most other areas of medicine can look with satisfaction on the patients they’ve cured, but many neuros can spend their entire careers without ever having rid a patient of disease. I can’t help but imagine a group of specialist neurologists getting together at their annual meeting and quickly summarizing the major clinical advances of the past 12 months. “Let’s see, have we cured Parkinson’s disease?” “Nope…” “Okay, how about Huntington’s disease?” “Nope…” “Multiple sclerosis?” “Nope…” “Alzheimer’s?” “Nope…” “Muscular dystrophy?” “Nope…” “ALS?” “Nope…” “Right then, that sucks.... Anybody else really need a drink?…”

Okay, enough of my mental meanderings, here’s my latest collection of mostly MS related research and news, selected solely on the basis of what I deem to be important and/or interesting. Hey, it’s my blog and in this little corner of the Internet I rule with an iron fist. Actually, given my current state of physical decrepitude I’m not sure I could properly muster an iron fist, so I guess I’ll have to be satisfied ruling with a less than formidable half assed fist. Hey, we’ve gotta play the cards we’re dealt…

♦ First up, a sampling of the MS drug news that came out of the AAN meetings. Tysabri was shown to positively impact walking speed in some patients (click here). While at first glance this sounds impressive and could be an indicator that the drug has a positive impact on disease progression, digging down a little deeper leaves me less than knocked out. Slightly over 12% of patients on Tysabri demonstrated improved walking speeds over the course of two years of treatment, which really isn’t bad, but about 7% of patients treated with a placebo also managed a significant improvement in walking speed, which just goes to show you how variable is the nature of relapsing remitting MS. Tysabri did prove to be about 80% better than placebo in this regard, and since most patients would gladly settle for a state of stasis in their disease, any signs of improvement are a big plus. Researchers did find that this effect was more pronounced in patients with more advanced disability, with walking speed increased by as much as five times when compared to placebo in this patient group, which does make the research more compelling.

A small phase 2 trial of Tysabri on SPMS patients came up with encouraging outcomes (click here). In this study, 24 SPMS patients were treated with Tysabri for 60 months, and levels of osteopontin, a marker for inflammation, were tracked in their cerebrospinal fluid. Several other biomarkers were also tracked, and after 60 weeks of treatment statistically significant decreases in markers for inflammation, axonal damage, and demyelination were recorded. These are impressive findings, especially since there are currently no proven treatments for secondary progressive disease. Of course, these results will have to be replicated in larger trials, but this seems to be an encouraging start.

♦ In Tecfidera news, the oral MS drug was shown to be effective when used on patients with highly active disease, reducing annual relapse rates by 60% and the proportion of patients who relapsed by 63% when compared to placebo (click here). I know that many patients are concerned about Tecfidera’s uncomfortable side effects, and a study looking at gastrointestinal side effects in patients taking the drug found that “GI events were largely transient, occurred most frequently in the first month of therapy and were mostly reported as mild to moderate in severity. By the 10^th week of treatment, less than 10 percent of patients reported GI AEs. The incidence of discontinuation due to GI-related AEs was low (7.3 percent).”

There has been much conjecture as to Tecfidera’s primary method of action (in other words, why it works), and a study out of Germany demonstrates that the drug keeps certain immune system cells out of the central nervous system (click here). It’s already been established that Tecfidera has immunosuppressive properties, and it is suspected that the compound also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as well. Based on the latter suspected properties, some have speculated that the efficacy of Tecfidera could be replicated using a combination of dietary supplements, but since immunosuppression seems to be the drug’s primary method of attack such an approach likely wouldn’t duplicate the effectiveness of the drug.

♦ Okay, let’s turn away from the world of pharmaceuticals and take a look at some recent research regarding more “natural” approaches at treating MS. Green tea has long been extolled as a powerful antioxidant, and a recent study demonstrated that green tea extract has a positive impact on cognitive function (click here). In this small study, healthy volunteers were given green tea extract and then asked to do memory tasks while undergoing functional MRI imaging. The imaging showed that the extract appeared to improve conductivity between certain areas of the brain, and these areas correlated with improved memory function. Happy to hear it, as I take green tea extract every day…

♦ The human gut is home to a wide variety of bacteria, which are known to help with the process of digestion. Doctors have noted for some time that there seems to be some correlation between the gut and so-called autoimmune diseases, and a recent study bears this out (click here-registration may be required, but it’s free and well worth it). Researchers compared the microorganisms contained in the guts of MS patients with those found in healthy subjects, and discovered that MS patients have higher levels of a bacteria that is known to stimulate the immune system, and lower levels of two other types of microorganisms that excrete anti-inflammatory substances. Fascinating findings, I think, which definitely hint at reasons for an immune system gone haywire. Just goes to show how many different elements come into play in the complicated MS disease puzzle, and how many different approaches might be taken to treat the illness.

♦ Here in the US, more and more states are legalizing medical marijuana and a few are even making it legal to use the stuff for recreational purposes. Ganja has been touted as an effective treatment for MS spasticity and muscle spasms, and a recent review done by the American Academy of Neurology gives such notions the official stamp of approval (click here). The AAN found that the demon weed does indeed reduce spasticity and muscle spasms, and the pain associated with these symptoms.

I’ve recently been plagued by an uptick in spasticity and muscle spasms, and the spasms in particular have been driving me crazy. So, though Mary Jane is still illegal in New York State even for medicinal purposes, based on the above study I decided to imbibe in a little reefer madness. Lo and behold, my spasms took a powder and my spasticity loosened its grip.

Truth be told, even as a teenager I was never much of a stoner, though wild and unsubstantiated rumors have it that I occasionally imbibed in some other illicit substances back in the quixotic days of my wayward youth. Hey, I was a teenager and young adult in the 70s and 80s, which were the “say yes to drugs” era. Anyway, as far as sparking up a little boo goes, based on the above study and my own anecdotal experience I see no reason not to give it a try, but if you do, don’t Bogart that joint, my friend…


BTW, despite what the video says, the song is by the band Fraternity of Man, not Country Joe and the Fish. My guess is the person who made the video was probably all goofed up on muggles when they put it together.

♦ Another recent article I came across touched close to home. Between 1993-1995 I worked in a “sick” building which eventually needed to be decontaminated by experts in hazmat suits. In a despicable attempt to save money, the bastards who comprised my company’s upper management withheld a report that said that our building was rife with all kinds of molds and bacteria. I’ve long suspected that my exposure to these nasties played a role in my developing much of the physical crap I’ve been dealing with over the last 15 years or so, and a recent article by an environmental hygienist might just validate my suspicions (click here). The article claims that toxic mold has been associated with MS and other autoimmune diseases, and a quick search around the Internet yielded a few other pieces making similar connections (click here). Granted, the article that originally caught my attention was written by somebody who profits from diagnosing sick buildings, but it isn’t hard to imagine that being exposed to all kinds of toxic muck for an extended period of time could lead to a wide variety of medical problems. And the kicker is that I hated that freaking job…

♦ The good folks at Healthline.com have put together a page full of infographics illustrating “Multiple Sclerosis by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You” (click here). The page delves into statistics and information related to MS disease prevalence, risk factors, and the frequency of the different types of MS, along with symptoms and treatment options. It’s a great primer for all things MS, and highlights some interesting and beguiling facts about the disease. I think my favorite illustration is this one, which starkly demonstrates just how more prevalent MS is in northern regions than southern, using a map of the United States as an example.

The above Infographic shows that people living in the northern half of the US are just about twice as likely to develop MS as those living in the southern states. The Infographic doesn’t go into some other interesting elements regarding the regional effect on MS, such as the fact that people moving from north to south before the age of 15 take on the lower MS risk factors associated with the southern region, while those moving after the age of 15 retain the North’s higher risk of MS. Riddle me that, Batman…

♦ Okay, it’s time once again for one of my favorite topics (drumroll please), ASININE RESEARCH! Scientists from the University of Kansas heroically decided to tackle the following mindbending question: “Is there an increased risk of hip fracture in multiple sclerosis?” (click here). My God, of all of the mysteries associated with MS, finally – finally – paid researchers have valiantly taken on a question that folks with even the scantest knowledge of the disease could answer in about two seconds. Wait – before I divulge their findings, please take a fraction of a second and see if you can guess the answer to this most vexing of inquiries.

Okay, after spending a few microseconds contemplating whether or not multiple sclerosis – a disease that can weaken limbs and thus make walking a bit, um, treacherous – might lead to an increased risk of hip fractures, did you come up with the startlingly radical answer of “yes”? If so, kudos to you, you are now an official multiple sclerosis researcher. You can pick up your certificate at the nearest sandwich shop.

Indeed, after reviewing over one million (!) hospital records of hip fracture admissions spanning a period of 20 years, our stalwart investigators found that MS patients were over twice as likely to suffer hip fractures than the population at large!!! Shocking, no? I mean, who could have possibly surmised that a disease whose symptoms include muscle weakness, spasticity, paralysis, numbness, and balance issues could ever lead those afflicted with it to fall down and break their hips? I only wish the researchers had been able to quantify just how more likely MS patients were to suffer scraped knees and bruised elbows. Inquiring minds want to know!

While I wait on tenterhooks for those revelations, let me try to save future researchers a whole lot of time and effort by answering some other enigmatic questions: Do people with MS have an increased number of visits to neurologists? Yes! Do bladder frequency/urgency issues lead people with MS to spend a ridiculous amount of time in the bathroom? Wait a second, I'll tell you as soon as I get back from the loo... Do bears shit in the woods, is the Pope Catholic, do some researchers seem to have nothing better to do than waste time and money for no apparent reason other than my amusement? Why, yes, yes, and yes! Now which sandwich shop do I go to to pick up my Nobel Prize?…

♦ I leave you, dear readers, with the following music clip, by the British artist Paolo Nutini. I’ve been listening to a lot of the new “retro” Soul and R&B, the best of which captures the spirit of the great music that was made between the mid-60s and early 70s. Being 50 and an old fart gimp who is almost completely divorced from pop culture, this new music has come as something of a revelation, like mana from heaven. Before running across the song, I was completely unaware of Paolo Nutini, but since the video has almost two million hits I suppose I missed something somewhere along the way. From what I can gather, Mr. Nutini is much better known in the UK than in the US, but then again, he could be a household name among twentysomethings here in the states and I’d never know it. Anyway, I think it’s a great song that definitely has that indefinable element called “soul”. It also includes a spoken word piece that comes from a speech in the 1940 Charlie Chaplin film The Great Dictator, a monologue which is as relevant today as it was 74 years ago. The Chaplin clip is well worth googling if you’ve never seen/heard it. I hope you enjoy the music…

Bits and Pieces: Arctic Vortex Edition

Okay, I know it’s considered terribly mundane and just downright boring to talk about the weather, but the winter here in NYC and in much of the Midwest and Eastern US has really been something else these last few months. Since weather reports here in The States only occasionally and very briefly touch on conditions outside of our borders, I’m only parenthetically aware that much of the rest of the world has also experienced extreme conditions this winter as well, but I do know that plenty of WK readers all around the world have been hit with some downright nasty tricks from mother nature this season.

Here in NYC, we’ve been subjected twice (so far) to a meteorological horror called the Polar Vortex, a huge mass of frigid air that descends from the North Pole, bringing with it plunging temperatures and loads of snow. In my previous 49 winters I don’t recall ever hearing anything about a Polar Vortex, though I do remember plenty of times freezing my ass off, so perhaps this is just a new name for an old song. Whatever the case, getting around in a wheelchair in temperatures fit for the Arctic can be brutal. Not that walking around when the wind chill hits instant frostbite territory is any great shakes, but at least the very act of walking generates body heat. Sitting in a wheelchair does no such thing, and the breeze added by zipping around at 7 or 8 mph only adds to the freeze.

Fortunately, I’ve got some very good cold-weather gear. Never mind high-tech fleece and modern materials like Thinsulate, my warmest piece of kit is an exact replica of the shearling jackets worn by US airmen fighting high in the skies above Europe during World War II. Back then the interiors of military aircraft were unheated, and at 20,000 feet the temperatures were routinely well below 0°F. My B-6 flight jacket is so warm that I can’t wear it in temperatures much above 25°F, and even when the temperatures hit the single digits a T-shirt and a thin wool sweater worn under the jacket are more than enough to keep me toasty. I also have a replica of the shearling hat worn by World War II flight crews, so decked out in my vintage military gear I can zip around the frozen city making believe my wheelchair is a P-51 Mustang fighter plane engaged in fierce dogfights with the mighty Luftwaffe (represented by oblivious pedestrians staring at their cell phone screens despite the freezy conditions) on the streets of New York. I’m proud to say this winter I’ve achieved the lofty status of “ace”, having bagged far more than the requisite five kills. Mwah hah hah.

Unfortunately, donning the flight jacket requires wrestling with my arch nemesis, the zipper. The freaking things are almost impossible to use when you’re down to only one marginally good hand, so I have to allot myself an extra 10 or 15 minutes of prep time just to get my goddamned coat on. Have I ever mentioned that having MS sucks? (I’ll be presenting some exciting zipper related news later in this post, I hope you can bear the suspense.) Luckily, for temperatures just a bit below freezing I have a very special pea coat that my mother-in-law, who is quite the whiz with a sewing machine, made into a Velcro fastened wonder. She removed the buttons and then sewed them on top of the coat’s now sealed buttonholes, affixing Velcro fasteners to the garment where the buttons would normally hold the coat closed. The black Velcro patches exactly match the color of the coat, making them almost invisible, and when I put it on the coat practically “buttons” itself. The buttons sewed over the buttonholes give the illusion that the coat is fastened in the customary fashion, giving no hint of the Velcro customization within. I made sure to get a military issue pea coat, so the thing is quite warm and sharp looking to boot. I’m pretty sure I have the only Velcro fastened pea coat in existence, and I’m positively tickled with my piece of unique outerwear. It’s like haute couture for gimps.

So, between my World War II flight jacket and my MS friendly Navy pea coat, I’ve got the problem of winter wheelchair attire practically licked. I’m sure this comes as a great relief to all of you, so rest easy, the Wheelchair Kamikaze will not be found frozen stiff in his chair on the thoroughfares of New York anytime soon. And the Luftwaffe will not be menacing the sidewalks of NYC, at least not on my watch. After all, terrorizing the streets of New York is my job.

But enough about me, there’s been a lot of interesting MS and disability related news lately, so forthwith comes my semi regular compendium of noteworthy tidbits… Onward, doggies, mush mush…

♦ There’s no denying that in addition to being a horrible disease, multiple sclerosis is also a burgeoning multibillion-dollar a year industry, with many of the drugs developed to combat the disease attaining “blockbuster” status. Ever wonder just how much money MS drugs bring in? Well, wonder no more, because here’s a list of the top 10 selling MS drugs of 2013, along with the cash flow generated by each (in American dollars):

#1: Copaxone-$4.3 billion

#2: Avonex-$3.0 billion

#3: Gilenya-$1.9 billion

#4: Tysabri-$1.7 billion

#5: Betaseron-$1.1 billion

#6: Tecfidera-$876 million

#7: Rebif-$622 million

#8: Ampyra-$302 million

#9: Aubagio-$226 million

#10: Extavia-$159 million

Add up all of that mazuma, and the top 10 selling MS drugs generated sales of roughly $14,000,000,000 last year. Yup, that’s a lot of zeros. Keep in mind, the sales of Tecfidera only represent about one quarter of the year, since the drug was first approved midyear and didn’t reach patients in large quantity until the fall of 2013. Additionally, Tecfidera was only recently approved for use in Europe (click here), so expect sales of the drug in 2014 to approach at least four or five billion dollars. Factor in all of the money made by MS neurologists, MRI facilities, infusion suites, medical laboratories and other MS related services and facilities,  and it's easy to see that multiple sclerosis has become quite the cash cow. I don't know about you, but the idea of "disease as industry" makes me a little bit queasy. For more info on each of the above drugs (click here).

♦ Speaking of blockbuster MS drugs, the Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva has received FDA approval for a higher dose Copaxone regimen requiring injections only three times a week (click here), as opposed to the daily injections patients currently on Copaxone must undergo. Copaxone was among the first of the disease modifying therapies to be marketed for MS, and was first approved in 1996. Since then, the drug has been shown in several studies to effectively reduce relapse rates and enhancing lesions for those RRMS patients on whom it is effective by about 35%. Recent open label studies looking at the long-term effects of the drug indicate that Copaxone may also positively impact the rate of disease progression (click here).

One may wonder why it took Teva 18 years to seek approval for a thrice a week version of the drug, since the new dosing schedule is obviously much more appealing than the old daily injection regimen. Maybe I’m a jaded cynic, but the fact that several companies are preparing to introduce generic Copaxone on the market might just have a little something to do with it. All of the generic versions of Copaxone are undergoing trials as once daily injections, so by getting approval of the three injections a week dosing regimen, Teva has made good old-fashioned brand-name Copaxone a much more appealing option from the patient perspective. Additionally, the success of Tecfidera, an oral medication, may also have played a role in Teva seeking a way to make the administration of Copaxone a less painful proposition. As was illustrated in the above list of top grossing MS drugs, Teva has about four billion reasons to try to protect their Copaxone franchise. In any event, this is good news for patients who have had success with Copaxone, who will now be required to give themselves 60% fewer injections. Of course, if there are any Copaxone patients out there who are masochists, this could be bad news, but hey, you can't please everybody…

♦ As I reported in my last Bits and Pieces post (click here), the powerful experimental MS drug Lemtrada was recently denied approval in the US by the FDA. The drug has been approved in most of the rest of the world, including, most recently, Mexico (click here). This action by the FDA has raised the ire of US MS patients, researchers, and clinicians alike (click here and here).

The FDA claims that it did not approve Lemtrada because the trials undertaken to prove the drug’s efficacy were poorly designed, but the FDA had previously approved the design of those very same trials. Lemtrada is a very controversial drug, as it carries a very high risk/reward profile. In trials undertaken by the drug’s manufacturer, Genzyme, as many as 50% of patients with highly active RRMS given Lemtrada were shown to have no evidence of disease activity (no relapses or new lesions) five years after they received their last dose of the drug. This is a startling success rate, but it comes at a price, as up to 30% of Lemtrada treated patients develop autoimmune thyroid diseases, and some develop a potentially fatal autoimmune blood disorder. It’s important to note that autoimmune thyroid disease is easily treated using hormone supplements, and the risk of the autoimmune blood disorder can be at least in part alleviated through careful monitoring.

Lemtrada is a powerful immunosuppressive agent which works by essentially rebooting a patient’s immune system. For patients with highly aggressive relapsing remitting disease, suffering some of the worst ravages of MS, the potential benefits of the drug could very well outweigh the known risks. I personally spoke to an MS neurologist who has my utmost respect about the FDA’s decision, and he was extremely dismayed by the agency’s actions, telling me of one patient who was being laid to waste by one of the most aggressive forms of relapsing MS. Not only did the drug stop the disease in its tracks, but the formerly MS ravaged patient recovered enough to actually be able to go back to work. Given this level of potential benefit, shouldn’t the decision as to whether or not to use Lemtrada be left in the hands of neurologists and the patients they treat? Seems the rest of the world thinks so, but not the FDA. Nope.

♦ In a disconcerting piece of MS news, a recent study has found that MS does indeed negatively affect life expectancy in the patients it strikes (click here). Researchers used insurance claims to identify a group of over 30,000 MS patients, and compared them to about 90,000 non-MS patients, finding that the MS patient population lived on an average six years less than their non-MS counterparts. The results of this study mirrored those done in some other parts of the world, but this was the first time such data was examined for MS patients in the United States. It’s important to note that this study looked at patient data from 1996-2009, and thus doesn’t include patients taking some of the newer, more powerful MS drugs. One can only hope that these drugs will positively affect MS patient longevity, and that future treatments will have an even greater significant positive impact. One can also hope that researchers concentrating on areas other than immunosuppression will come up with drastically more effective treatments that – gasp – actually address the root cause of the disease. Fingers crossed.

♦ In some better news, researchers in Australia have had initial success treating a patient with secondary progressive MS by increasing his immune response to Epstein-Barr virus (click here). EBV has long been suspected to play a role in the MS disease process, and this is the first research to directly target the virus in an attempt to alleviate multiple sclerosis. The research involved isolating a specific type of immune system cells, called “killer T cells”, from the patient’s blood, adding an experimental anti-EBV vaccine to them, and then growing more of them in the laboratory. The cells were then injected back into the patient over the course of eight weeks. The patient reported less fatigue, fewer leg spasms, better cognition, and improved use of his limbs. Of course, this was only one patient, and this research is in its very earliest stages. But hey, hope springs eternal…

♦ More news on the “infectious” front. Researchers following up on the discovery of a rare foodborne bacteria in an MS patient (click here) have infected rodents with that same bacteria, and found that the little varmints developed a disease very much like MS (click here). It’s long been suspected that infectious agents play some role in the MS disease process, a belief based on a convincing body of evidence. In fact, before attention shifted to the “autoimmune hypothesis” and pharmaceutical companies started making billions of dollars by producing drugs that tinker with the MS immune system, much if not most MS research was directed at finding the presumed infectious cause of MS. This area of research has been widely neglected for the past couple of decades, though, but interest in it seems to be picking up. From a patient perspective, this is a very good thing, for if one or more infectious cause or causes of MS can be positively identified we would finally be making great strides towards curing the disease. So, let’s pick up our MS research cheerleader pom-poms and shout in unison: “Frika Fraka, Firecracker, Shish Boom Bah, Infectious Agents, Infectious Agents, Rah Rah Rah!” Unfortunately, because of my debilitated physical state, I’m only able to pick up one of my MS research cheerleader pom-poms, but I expect the rest of you who are more able-bodied to do some vigorous two-fisted cheering.

♦ Although the above rhyme is about as poetic as I get, another member of the MS blogger community, Judith Mercado, is a far more accomplished poet, and has now published a book of her inspired work. Author of the blog “Peace Be with You” (click here), Judith writes her poetry in the ancient Japanese form of haiku, and I’ve long been a fan of her work. I was greatly honored when Judy asked me to provide a blurb for the back cover of her upcoming book, Peace on the Journey, and was of course happy to do so. If I may take the liberty of quoting myself, Judy’s “words resonate with wisdom and truth, and grace the reader with intimacy, honesty, and understanding.” While Judith’s blog often references her MS, the poems in Peace on the Journey are meant for a more general audience, anybody who travels on the sometimes gentle but all too often tumultuous path of life. Peace on the Journey is available in paperback and electronic Kindle version on Amazon (click here). Highly recommended.

♦ As promised, here is the earth shattering zipper news I promised the opening paragraphs of this post. An inventor seeking to help his physically challenged uncle has come up with “Possibly the Most Radical Innovation to Zippers in over a Century” (click here). Eventually joined by his mom and a mechanical engineer neighbor, inventor Scott Peters spent six years and went through over 100 prototypes before coming up with the Quickzip, a magnetically assisted zipper that only requires one hand to fasten. Be still my heart! The team of the inventors struck a deal with athletic clothing manufacturer Under Armour, which plans to start marketing Quickzip (now renamed Magzip) equipped clothing in the fall of 2014. I’m not one to encourage patent infringement, but I call on clothing manufacturers worldwide to meet this challenge and come up with their own easy fastening zipper innovations. Must I pick up my cheerleader pom-pom once again?

Here’s a rather, um, dramatic video produced by Under Armour highlighting the new technology…


RIP Heidi Sherman

Tecfidera (BG 12) And PML

If you are currently taking Tecfidera, please take part in my Tecfidera patient poll (click here).

Over the last month or so, there’s been a rising crescendo of concern among MS patients about the possible link between the newly approved oral MS drug Tecfidera (formally known as BG 12) and the deadly brain infection PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy). I’ve received many anxious emails on the subject, and Internet MS forums and Facebook pages are rife with alarm over the perceived recent spate of bad Tecfidera news.

As long-time readers of this blog know, I’m not a big fan of Big Pharma, to say the least. In fact, I hold them in regard only slightly higher than the New York Yankees, who I am convinced are the essence of evil incarnate on earth. But I am also not a big fan of fear mongering, and when reviewed objectively, the facts behind the alleged link between Tecfidera and PML simply don’t warrant the level of anxiety recent reports have fomented. In fact, it seems that rivalries in the Big Pharma sandbox may be playing a role in all the hyperbole, but more on that later.

As most MSer are aware, PML is a brain infection that most often occurs in patients experiencing severe immunosuppression, such as those suffering from HIV/AIDS. In the context of MS, the infection is most closely linked to the drug Tysabri, whose mechanism of action often reduces immune system surveillance of the central nervous system quite drastically, opening up the possibility of opportunistic infection by the JC virus, which causes PML. Of course, it is this same mechanism of action that makes Tysabri so effective (the latest figures indicate that Tysabri therapy results in an 81% reduction in relapses, a 64% reduction in disease progression, and one in three RRMS patients appear to be free of disease activity for a prolonged period of time – click here for an exhaustive breakdown of Tysabri, its effectiveness, and PML). Despite Tysabri’s efficacy, PML is a real concern for those taking it, as 347 Tysabri patients have contracted the potentially deadly infection (approximately 120,000 patients are currently taking the drug).

Recently, it was revealed that four cases of PML occurred in German patients taking the psoriasis drug Fumaderm, from which Tecfidera was derived. It’s important to note that although the two drugs are similar, they are not identical. Fumaderm is a compound of dimethyl fumarate and three other related chemicals. Tecfidera is made only of dimethyl fumarate. Fumaderm has been used to treat psoriasis in Germany and some other European countries for about 20 years, with much success (click here), and is generally considered to have a benign side effect profile.

Both Tecfidera and Fumaderm do have immunosuppressive properties. In Tecfidera’s phase 3 DEFINE trial, it was found that the drug reduced lymphocyte counts in treated patients by about 28%. Lymphocytes are immune system cells whose mission it is to combat infection. These same cells are implicated in the MS disease process, and it is this depressive effect on lymphocytes that could well account for Tecfidera’s abity to fight the symptoms of MS. However, 4% of trial subjects (1 in 25) experienced a more severe form of lymphopenia (the medical name for a reduction in lymphocyte counts) which could make them vulnerable to opportunistic infections, requiring them to cease taking the drug. Recovery of lymphocyte counts after cessation of Tecfidera should be quite robust, based on  years of experience with Fumaderm. (Click here for the entire DEFINE trial report)

A look at the four Fumaderm PML cases is quite revealing (click here.-site requires free membership, well worth it). In one case, the patient was not actually taking Fumaderm, but a version of the drug made by a compounding pharmacy which included a chemical not found in Fumaderm, which could have resulted in a formulation more potent or otherwise problematic than the factory produced drug. Another patient had sarcoidosis, a potentially deadly autoimmune disease, and had previously been treated with powerful immunosuppressive drugs. A third Fumaderm PML patient had cancer, and had been treated with Efalizumab, a drug in the same family as Tysabri that has a known risk of PML.

Two of the Fumaderm PML patients had severely depressed lymphocyte counts for two and five years respectively before developing PML. In Germany, the prescribing guidelines for Fumaderm require that patients get blood tests done to check cell counts every month for the first six months they are on the drug, and then every two months thereafter to check for depleted lymphocyte counts. If patients are found to have significant lymphopenia, the guidelines call for dosages to be adjusted or the drug stopped altogether. Apparently, this regimen was not followed in these two cases, as the patients’ lymphopenia was somehow allowed to persist until they developed PML. It’s quite likely that had the lymphopenia been addressed far earlier, neither patient would have contracted PML.

So, what should concerned patients take away from all of this? Tecfidera does depress white blood cell counts, and this effect quite likely plays a large role in its therapeutic value. However, 4% of treated patients can be expected to experience a more severe drop in lymphocyte counts, which could open them up to opportunistic infections like PML if left untreated for an extended period of time. That’s the bad news. The good news is that this drop in cell counts is easily detected by standard blood tests. Once such a decrease is detected, the drug can be stopped and any potential danger averted.

For reasons that I can’t explain, the FDA guidelines for Tecfidera only require blood tests done before treatment is initiated and then once yearly for the duration of treatment. Based on the Tecfidera trial data, as well as the experience gathered from the 20 year history of Fumaderm use in Europe, the requirement of just one blood test a year seems misguided. I’m currently waiting for my insurance company to give me the okay to start Tecfidera, and my neurologist is requiring blood tests every other month for all of his Tecfidera patients. As noted above, two of the Fumaderm PML patients had severely depressed lymphocyte counts for two and five years, so blood testing every other month should provide more than ample opportunity to catch any potential problems well before they become very real concerns.

I am by no means a doctor, just a well educated patient, but I would strongly advise all patients starting Tecfidera to insist that the neuro’s test their blood for lymphocyte counts at least every other month. Doing so should largely eliminate any chance of PML and set many a mind at ease. Despite its similarities to its cousin Fumaderm, Tecfidera is a brand-new drug, and although all signs point to it being a very safe medicine, I think it prudent to err on the side of caution. If your neuro resists, print out the DEFINE trial results and show him/her the data on lymphopenia, which can be found on the ninth page of the study. I always urge patients to educate themselves and to self advocate. Here’s the perfect opportunity to do both.

In short, all of the recent concerns about Tecfidera and PML appear to be hugely overblown. To put things in context, Tysabri has seen 347 cases of PML in approximately 260,000 patient hours of drug exposure. Fumaderm has seen four cases of PML in approximately 180,000 hours of drug exposure. It’s been noted that Fumaderm is not generally given as a long-term therapy. However, at least one study researched psoriasis patients who have taken the drug for up to 14 years, with no apparent added risk associated with long-term use (click here). Based on the DEFINE trial results, the large majority of Tecfidera patients, 96%, should experience no problems whatsoever with lymphopenia. Regular blood testing should ensure that patients who do experience clinically significant drops in lymphocyte counts avoid any potential problems.

The fact that Tecfidera is an oral drug that appears to be almost twice as effective as the injectable CRAB drugs, and may have neuroprotective properties to boot, should make it a very valuable weapon in the arsenal against MS. Like all of the current MS drugs, it is not a cure, but it will hopefully bring many patients some significant relief from this terrible disease. Using all of my self-control, I'll refrain from going on my usual rant about how the focus of pharmaceutically funded MS research on immune system suppression and modulation does absolutely nothing whatsoever in the effort to find a cure for the disease, but it doesn't. And that sucks. There, I said it. I couldn't help myself.

Oh, I almost forgot. About those shenanigans in the Big Pharma sandbox: it appears that the reports of potential problems with Tecfidera were first brought to the attention of the FDA and the general public by Teva Pharmaceuticals, makers of Copaxone, one of the CRAB drugs that are currently considered the first-line drugs given to new MS patients (click here). Guess which MS drugs are most threatened by the potential success of Tecfidera? Yup, the CRABs, of which Copaxone is currently the most prescribed. With Copaxone sales of $4 billion (yes, billion) in 2012, Teva has about 4 billion reasons to try to delay Tecfidera’s entry into the market, or to stir up concern among the drug’s potential consumers. Not that I would ever accuse any Big Pharma players of partaking in such underhanded behavior. Gee, I sure hope the Yankees win the World Series…

Not.

(For a comprehensive overview of the how's and why's of Tecfidera, please see my previous post on the topic, by clicking here)

Hype or Hope? Much Touted Oral MS Drug Tecfidera (BG 12) Approved byFDA.

If you are currently taking Tecfidera, please take part in my Tecfidera patient poll (click here).

Last week, the FDA approved Biogen’s long-awaited oral MS drug, Tecfidera (formally known as BG 12). Naturally, the news was featured most prominently in the financial sections of newspapers/websites (click here), as an uptick in shareholder value is much more newsworthy than a potentially breakthrough drug that could help hundreds of thousands of patients suffering from a heinous disease. Much was also reported about the drug's yearly price of $54,900, which is actually considered reasonable in the demented world of MS drug pricing. Such are the priorities of our whacked out society. Okay, social commentary over…

Tecfidera’s active ingredient is dimethyl fumarate (DMF – click here), a derivative of fumaric acid, a naturally occurring substance that can be found in mushrooms, lichens, and moss. DMF was first used for medicinal purposes in a highly effective anti-psoriasis drug called Fumaderm, which has been marketed in Germany since 1994. It’s important to note that Tecfidera and Fumaderm are not identical compounds, which must be kept in mind when comparing the actions and side effects of the two drugs. Much might be inferred by reviewing the history of Fumaderm, but trying to make precise, direct comparisons could well in lead to erroneous conclusions. More on that later…

The release of Tecfidera has been much anticipated in the MS community, as clinical trials showed the pill to be significantly more effective in reducing relapses and slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis disability than the current frontline MS treatments (Copaxone, Rebif, Avonex, and Betaseron – all injectables), while its side effect profile appears to be quite mild when compared to many of the other MS disease modifying treatments.

Tecfidera joins Gilenya and Aubagio as the only MS treatments currently in pill form. In clinical trials, Gilenya was more effective in terms of reducing relapse rates, but concerns about potentially serious side effects (dangerously low blood pressure and pulse rates, potential for opportunistic infections) have kept the drug from reaching "blockbuster" status. There are some indications that Gilenya may have neuroprotective properties, and it is currently undergoing trials for use against Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (click here). It is one of the few drugs being tested for the progressive forms of the disease. In trials, Aubagio proved to be just about as effective as the CRAB drugs in reducing relapses, and has exhibited some potential in inhibiting disease progression, but the drug comes with two black box warnings (the strongest issued by the FDA) concerning liver toxicity and the possibility that it can cause major birth defects (click here). Tecfidera’s comparatively mild side effect profile, which is comprised primarily of flushing of the skin and gastric disturbances, its high rate of efficacy, and oral dosing have led to the expectation that it will soon be a leader in the multiple sclerosis drug market.

Tecfidera’s mechanism of action, which is not fully understood (something that is not uncommon, the action of many pharmaceuticals are not fully understood), appears to be threefold. The drug exhibits immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, the combination of which theoretically affords the compound its potency. In two large-scale studies, called DEFINE and CONFIRM, Tecfidera reduced relapse rates by approximately 50% over placebo, and reduced the progression of disability by about 30%. By comparison, the CRAB drugs reduce relapse rates by about 35%, and Tysabri cuts relapses about 65%. Whether these drugs impact disease progression has yet to be firmly established.

Much of the excitement surrounding Tecfidera involves the prospect that, in addition to its disease modifying characteristics, the drug may be neuroprotective. Neuroprotection is one of the holy grails of MS research. If the cells of the central nervous system can be protected from the ravages of multiple sclerosis, then the progression of the disease can be inhibited. The notion that Tecfidera may be neuroprotective is based on the fact that one of the drug’s supposed mechanisms of action is the activation of Nrf2 pathways in the human body. Nrf2 (click here) is simply a protein that exists within every human cell, inoperative until it is kicked into action by a Nrf2 activator (think of it like a bottle rocket – until lit, it sits there doing nothing, but once lit (activated) it zooms into action). Once activated, Nrf2 migrates into the nucleus of the cell and bonds to the DNA within, initiating the production of powerful antioxidants. If Nrf2 was a bottle rocket, it’s thought that Tecfidera could initiate the process that lights its fuse.

Antioxidants (the good guys) are the body’s defense against free radicals (the bad guys), cell damaging oxygen molecules that are released during the biological process of turning food into energy, much like noxious exhaust fumes are released by an automobile engine turning gasoline into energy. Once free radicals are released they act like wrecking balls, smashing through cell walls and inflicting injury. The process by which free radicals do damage to the body’s tissues is known as oxidative stress, which is believed to be one of the primary drivers of MS disease progression, as well as a factor in many other diseases (click here). Therefore, by combating oxidative stress through Nrf2 activation, Tecfidera may protect central nervous system tissues from damage by free radicals, which would be a very good thing.

Some Facebook pages and websites, including a previous post on Wheelchair Kamikaze (click here), have mistakenly equated Tecfidera with a nutraceutical product called Protandim (click here). In laboratory tests, Protandim has proven to be a powerful Nrf2 activator, a quality it does share with Tecfidera. However, Tecfidera’s mechanism of action appears to be much more complex and wide-ranging, and not confined only to Nrf2 activation. It also effects cytokines (chemical signals that influence the inflammatory process – click here), and down regulates the immune system. This down regulation of the immune system may in fact be the primary driver of Tecfidera’s effectiveness. According to the official report detailing the results of the DEFINE trial (click here), which appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, “It is difficult to determine whether the therapeutic effect of BG 12 stems predominantly from immunomodulatory mechanisms or from neuroprotective mechanisms.”

Now back to Fumaderm, Tecfidera’s very effective German anti-psoriasis cousin. Fumaderm's efficacy in treating psoriasis, an autoimmune disease, is well documented, with 50% of the patients taking it achieving at least 70% improvement in their condition. Since Fumaderm’s primary component, like Tecfidera, is dimethyl fumarate, its side effect profile is similar to Tecfidera’s. Through 20 years of use, the most prevalent Fumaderm side effects have been gastric disturbances (stomach ache, vomiting, and diarrhea) and flushing of the skin, which, according to a paper prepared by Britain’s NHS (click here), can lead to discontinuance and/or noncompliance in 30% to 40% of patients. In the Tecfidera drug trials, though, dropout rates were negligible, with no significant difference between those patients taking the actual drug and those on placebo. Gastric disturbances and flushing of the skin were the most commonly reported side effects in the Tecfidera trials, but appeared to be manageable and diminished significantly after one month on the therapy. This discrepancy between the patient experience with Fumaderm versus Tecfidera is likely due to the different chemical makeup of the two compounds (Tecfidera is composed only of DMF, while Fumaderm includes DMF and some other derivatives of fumaric acid), and/or to differences in dosing, as patients on Fumaderm generally take a higher dose of DMF than will be given to Tecfidera users. Still, only real world experience will tell us how troublesome these side effects prove to be.

Another effect seen in both drugs is leukopenia, a reduction in white blood cell counts. This condition is accompanied by lymphopenia, a reduction in specific white blood cells, including B and T cells, which are the targets of many of the current MS drugs (Tysabri, Rituxan, Gilenya, Aubagio). This suppression of immune system cells may play a part in the two drugs' effectiveness, but can be problematic if the cell counts get too low, as this might open the patient up to opportunistic infections, although none were seen during the clinical trials. Tecfidera induced lymphopenia and leukopenia are reversible with cessation of drug therapy.

In its 20 years on the German market, comprising over 170,000 patient hours, Fumaderm has been linked to four cases of PML (click here), the opportunistic brain infection associated with Tysabri. While this may initially seem troublesome, it’s important to keep in mind that these cases occurred over a very long time period, and at least one of these patients was using other powerful immunosuppressive drugs. Generally, opportunistic infections are not seen in patients using Fumaderm.

During the Tecfidera DEFINE trial, white cell and lymphocyte cell counts dropped an average of 10% and 28% respectively, which could very well play a role in the drug’s efficacy. Importantly, though, over the two-year run of the trial, no instances of opportunistic infections were reported. It was noted, however, that 4% of trial patients experienced a more serious drop in cell counts (this info can be found on page 1106, paragraph 3 in the NEJM article – click here). In Germany, Fumaderm patients are required to have blood tests once a month for the first six months they are on the therapy, and then every other month thereafter, to keep an eye on cell counts The FDA guidelines for Tecfidera only call for yearly blood tests, and though I’m no doctor, this recommendation seems a bit questionable. Even though no opportunistic infections were noted in the two Tecfidera trials, why not err on the side of caution? We’re only talking about simple blood tests, which could head off potential problems before they get started.

Some other rare but potentially serious side effects noted in the Tecfidera study were liver and kidney events, although most were mild and reversible. There were no reported incidences of kidney failure. Still, I would think, all the more reason for regular blood tests, especially since so many MS patients are on other drugs that can be liver or kidney toxic.

So, what do I make of all this, as an educated patient? Tecfidera seems to be a very promising new drug for MS sufferers, one which might even help those with progressive disease due to its antioxidant, neuroprotective potential. I will very likely begin Tecfidera therapy sometime in the near future, even though my diagnosis is still uncertain and none of the other MS drugs have helped me. I’m encouraged by the fact that Tecfidera is related to a drug that is very effective in treating psoriasis, and has also anecdotally been noted to have a positive effect on a host of other diseases, including sarcoidosis and alopecia. I definitely show signs of some sort of systemic autoimmune activity, a condition against which Tecfidera’s mechanisms of action suggest might make it effective.

Tecfidera’s clinical trials convincingly demonstrate it to be effective in treating RRMS. Whether you believe MS is an autoimmune disease or not, it’s indisputable that the immune system plays some significant role in the MS disease process, and Tecfidera’s combination of immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory action, and antioxidant activation should provide a potent mix to help tame the disease. We’ll have to see just how troublesome the gastric and skin flushing side effects turn out to be, although, as stated above, in the trials they appeared to drop off dramatically after the first month of therapy.

Personally, if and when I do go on Tecfidera, I am going to insist on blood tests every 4-6 weeks, based on the study data concerning leukopenia and lymphopenia, as well as renal and hepatic toxicity. I’m on so many drugs that I rattle when I move, and I’ve learned to take nothing for granted. I’d suggest patients sharing similar concerns print out the New England Journal of Medicine DEFINE trial article linked to above and show the pertinent sections to their neurologist. The 4% rate of serious lymphopenia has not been publicized, as far as I can tell, and that alone should be reason for regular monitoring of blood counts. Better safe than sorry, especially when using a drug new to the market. Of course, that’s just my humble “I'm not a doctor” opinion…

(Update: for more information on Tecfidera and PML, please see my latest post on the topic, by clicking here)

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