The following release is based on a study that will be presented at the American Academy of NeurologyÃs 49th Annual Meeting, which runs April 12-19, 1997, at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Mass. Additional releases are available by contacting AAN Communications in Minneapolis by phone at (612) 623-8115 or by e-mail at [email protected] or by calling the AAN Press Room at the meeting at (617) 954-2569.
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 7:30 AM, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1997 Cladribine Lowers White Blood Cell Counts in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Boston, MA (April 16, 1997) - Cladribine, a chemotherapy drug, drastically lowered counts of a kind of white blood cell (known as a lymphocyte) in patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis, according to a study presented during the American Academy of NeurologyÃs 49th Annual Meeting, April 12-19, in Boston, MA.
ìThe study indicated a profound effect on certain subsets of white cells,î said neurologist Paul OÃConnor, MD, director of the division of neurology and multiple sclerosis at the University of Toronto St. MichaelÃs Hospital. This two-year study evaluated the safety and tolerability of cladribine in 19 patients with severe chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. They were given the drug for five days, repeated every four weeks for six months. OÃConnor said, ìNone of the patients reported any significant side effects from the drug at all. This study suggests that cladribine is safe and well tolerated and has a long-lasting effect on lymphocyte populations.î More studies will be necessary to see if the drug actually slows the progression of multiple sclerosis, OÃConnor said. ìHowever, this is just one piece of the picture. Here is a drug that has major effects on important lymphocyte subpopulations and these effects are long-lasting. So, if those lymphocyte populations are important in MS, this could be an effective treatment.î About 300,000 people in the United States have multiple sclerosis. Improving care for multiple sclerosis patients and others with neurological diseases through education and research is the goal of the American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 14,500 neurologists and neuroscience professionals. end
EditorÃs Note: Dr. OÃConnor will present the study at a poster presentation session at the American Academy of NeurologyÃs 49th Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, on Wednesday, April 16, from 7:30 am - 9 am in the Hynes Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A.
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