The big winner and truly revolutionary new treatment in the MS space is Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB)’s Tecfidera. Keep in mind that Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) already has Tysabri and Avonex as MS treatments, so it’s not a slouch by any means in the MS space. Tecfidera, like Gilenya and Aubagio, is an oral treatment given twice daily that, in trials, reduced relapse rates by 49% compared with the placebo and reduced new or expanding lesions by 71% to 99% across both trials. More importantly, Tecfidera’s safety profile is considerably rosier than Aubagio and Gilenya, with far fewer potentially serious complications. Despite only recently launching Tecfidera, sales of the drug totaled $192 million in second-quarter and look well on their way to multibillion-dollar potential.
The future of MS treatment
The really great news is that researchers and biopharmaceuticals aren’t done here.
Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB), which as you can see is arguably the most dominant company in MS research, currently has five additional MS compounds in clinical-stage studies. Perhaps the most exciting of the bunch, in my opinion as least, is daclizumab, which is being co-developed with AbbVie and is being tested as a relapse-remitting MS therapy that’s injected just once every four weeks. Daclizumab itself is a humanized monoclonal antibody that works along the IL-2 receptor pathway by binding to CD25, a receptor subunit. In mid-stage trials, daclizumab demonstrated a 54% and 50% reduction in annualized relapse rates compared with the placebo in the 150mg and 300mg dosages. Currently in phase 3 trials, if all goes well it could be on the market in roughly two years.
Alkermes Plc (NASDAQ:ALKS) is another surprise entrant into the MS drug development fray. Last month Alkermes Plc (NASDAQ:ALKS)’ CEO, Richard Pops, announced his intention to take Alkermes Plc (NASDAQ:ALKS) down the path less traveled these days: treating chronic global diseases, but adding a twist of personalization to some of the treatments. One target squarely on Pops’ list is developing the next-generation Tecfidera. Pops’ idea is to develop a drug that’ll turn into monomethyl fumarate, or MMF, once in the body, and needs to be taken only once daily as opposed to the twice-daily Tecfidera. The ultimate goal here is to create a non-inferior MMF drug to Tecifidera that has far fewer long-term adverse side effects. Early-stage studies of its MMF drug are expected by mid-2014.
The evidence is clear that treatment options are improving and that biopharmaceuticals are devoting the time and money to improve patient quality of life. While it certainly looks as if this is Biogen Idec’s show to run away with, Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE:NVS), Alkermes, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:TEVA), and Sanofi SA (ADR) (NYSE:SNY) may still have tricks, and new indications, up their sleeve to give Biogen a run for its money and to drastically improve MS treatment potential.
The article 5 Companies Leading the Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Sean Williams.
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