An experimental therapy by Tiziana Life Sciences has been introduced as a potential therapy for multiple sclerosis. The drug foralumab could also be used to treat autoimmune diseases other than MS.
Foralumab is a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody which can be administered nasally, and (according to Tiziana Life Sciences) it will be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases. The drug has completed two phases of clinical trials, one of which was for nonactive secondary progress multiple sclerosis (SPMS). This trial was a success and showed signs of positive effects on the patients. The study was conducted over three months, and the results showed a lower level of inflammatory proteins and substances, and the patients had no adverse reactions to the drug. Another study found that foralumab doesn’t negatively impact the immune system, even in patients who were healthy. The therapy, when introduced to a volunteer patient, did not cause an autoimmune reaction. When tested, it was found that there were no antibodies against foralumab in the bloodstream of the volunteers, therefore concluding that the immune system was not negatively responding to the drug. Both of these studies used a dose of 50 mcg to measure the effects of the drug, and the results were positively related in both.
Though the drug is still in its early phases of approval and testing, it could be revolutionary in treating autoimmune conditions such as MS. Many MS patients receive their treatment through oral methods or injections, but a nasal spray would change how many MS patients treat their symptoms. Furthermore, the introduction of nasal sprays in treatment may make treatment more accessible to those who aren’t able to receive injections (due to developed antibodies) or have adverse reactions to other treatments. Overall, the developments with foralumab are exciting and inspiring, and show that our knowledge and treatments of MS are advancing.
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