BREAKING: Study Shows Genentech and Biogen Drug Rituxan Works on Multiple Sclerosis

CNBC ^ | Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:19pm EST | Mike Huckman

[balls]

CNBC’s Mike Huckman reported on a study just released in the New England Journal of Medicine that found that Rituxan, a joint-venture between Genentech and Biodec intended for use on rheumatoid arthritis and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, is also useful in treating M.S. According to the study, patients using Rituxan saw a 58% decrease in M.S. flare-ups and a 91% drop in brain legions after just two infusions of the drug.

This news has huge upside potential for Genetech, Huckman said. It could be a mixed bag for Biogen because the company makes two other multiple sclerosis drugs whose sales could be cannibalized by Rituxan.

But would that be the worse thing that could happen for Biogen? Pete Najarian thinks this solidifies his position that Biogen can be owned “from here to eternity.”

Jeff Macke said this could be a much-needed momentum push for Genentech.

Reuters:

Cancer drug slows multiple sclerosis progression

By Gene Emery

BOSTON (Reuters) - Two shots of the cancer drug Rituxan given two weeks apart slowed the progression of multiple sclerosis for nearly a year, researchers reported on Wednesday.

And Rituxan appears to be twice as effective as first-line treatments for MS, which reduce the number of relapses by about a third, the researchers said.

"It's quite remarkable that the effect was sustained for 48 weeks with just a single course of therapy," said Dr. Stephen Hauser of the University of California at San Francisco, who worked on the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

[balls]

Video of the discussion, from an investor perspective, is on the CNBC site at the above URL (Isn't the free market wonderful?)

[nkycincinnatikid]

bump

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

*ping*

[CAluvdubya]

I will say that my sister had Rituxan for her RA and it really seems to have worked.

I hope it works for MS as well.

[woofie]

Dam I think I sold my Genetech stock

[Petronski]

Amazing mednews ping!

[Tolkien]

My wife has relapsing /remitting MS. I’ll let her know about this.

[Chgogal]

Awesome ((((PING)))!!!!!

[allmendream]

Biodec?

Was once Biogen and Idec. They call it Biogen later in the story but introduce them as Biodec. I was married to a Idec employee when the merge happened. She predicted it would soon just be Biogen again. I guess Biodec is a transitional species. ;)

[rdl6989]

I pray this works.

[balls]

Just two injections a year are far more effective than any other MS drug, several of which have to be injected every other day or weekly. This really is a breakthrough.

[ErnBatavia]

Hopeful news for a fellow (un-named FReeper and his beautiful bride who has been stricken).

[bajabaja]

Thanks for the post, balls. I will look for information as to availability and cost.

[cgk]

MS Ping!

Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added to, or removed from, the Multiple Sclerosis ping list...

[Lizavetta]

F I X ....T Y P E.... 1 .... D I A B E T E S

[DFG]

bump

[dawn53]

Thanks for the ping.

[P-Marlowe]

I’m sure the Trial Lawyers will put these companies out of business as soon as they find some federally funded study that shows that using these drugs increases your chances of developing a scratch resistant strain of athlete’s foot.

[balls]

I lost my MS ping list.

[Snapping Turtle]

Good info.

[Blogger]

bump

[HonestConservative]

You bet your arse it is, balls.

When Teddy and Obambi are in charge, don’t look for such advances in alzheimers and parkinsons.

thank you!

[Daus]

Just two injections a year

Rituxin would be an infusion not just an injection.

Immunotherapy is turning out the be the answer for just about everything. I had a chronic condition that was pretty much eliminated after one infusion of a similar drug. The only down side... cost. I'm guessing this product will be north of $10K per infusion.

[Petronski]

I think I know him. Great prayers out to both Freepers we have in mind!

[traviskicks]

I’m sure the Trial Lawyers will put these companies out of business as soon as they find some federally funded study that shows that using these drugs increases your chances of developing a scratch resistant strain of athlete’s foot.

I can tell you that I know of docs who stockpiled Vioxx when they found out it was going to be withdrawn because for certain subcategories of patients it worked the best when nothing else did, including family members. Now you can't try it even if you have no other options and choose to risk whatever small percent of risk was found.

[HonestConservative]

I don’t know if the drug will be able to be used off label for MS.

If not, it will take a label change and approval by FDA, after filing by the company, and this could take a while.

I would love it, because I have RA in my upper back and it would be fab to kill 2 birds with one stone.

[balls]

Thanks for the correction.

[bajabaja]

If a while is years, then I am headed to Mexico or Canada for it.

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

This drug has also shown excellent results in clin trials for a couple of types of Myositis. My insurance company just denied coverage for me, working with Genentech now to see if they will cover infusions.

CC&E

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

Ping!

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

Ping!

[CAluvdubya]

I wish there was a way to appeal the insurance company's decision.

I hope Genentech comes through for you!

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Would like to know if Immunotherapy might help Meniere’s disease sufferers. Meniere’s appears to be some type of autoimmune disease. But not certain. Surely would be good since Meniere’s destroys a person’s hearing....not to mention the constant incessant and increasing tinnitus (ringing in the ear).

[CAluvdubya]

H/C, my sister has had the Rituxan twice, six months apart. So far, she has gotten about 4 months of no flare ups what so ever of her R/A in between the six months. She is thrilled!

I hope you get the chance to try it.

[Daus]

http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/disorders/autoimmune/aied.html

Etanercept (Enbrel) is also emerging as a promising agent for treatment of AIED (Rahmen et al, 2001; Wang et al, 2003). Enbrel is an anti-TNF (tumor necrosis factor) drug. TNF is an inflammatory cytokine (see above). Enbrel is given as an injection twice/week. Unfortunately, at this writing (5/2002), etanercept is presently unavailable due to manufacturing difficulties.

A related agent, (infliximab) Remicade, was not found useful for AIED, but this study was based on only a handful of cases(Pyykko et al, 2002). There are newer agents that are in the drug pipeline that will need to be tested for their efficacy. The most interesting is Humira, which is another anti-TNF drug, which was recently approved by the FDA (12/2002). Wang et al recently reported that etanercept given acutely in sterile experimental labyrinthitis resulted in much better hearing results in an animal model.

Humira (an Abbott Labs product) is probably the best bet here. I actualy use Remicade, which works great, but once you go on it you can't go off (a drug company's re-occuring revenue dream). Humira is injected rather than infused like Remicade.

[HonestConservative]

Don’t bother, you’ll be getting an armful of horse piss.

Don’t rush, it may be sooner, due to its safety record, but the FDA always wants its pound of flesh, so just be patient a little longer.

In the meantime, Tysabri is great stuff.

[HonestConservative]

It took determination on my part to be on Tysabri, which is fabulous, so when Rituxan becomes available, I’m going to get it, if it is in any way possible.

Was she in a study?

No pseudo flares?

[balls]

On re-reading the article, it refers to “two shots” of the drug. That led me to think it was an injection rather than infusion.

[Daus]

Yeah, I think the writer was lazy. :)

From a RA site... 1000 mg is a healthy sized infusion.

How Is Rituxan Administered?
Rituxan is given to the patient as two 1000 mg IV infusions separated by two weeks. It is given in combination with methotrexate. 30 minutes prior to each infusion, it has been recommended that the steroid methylprednisolone 200 mg IV be given.

[bajabaja]

Thanks, Honest Conservative, for the reply and advice.

[So Circumstanced]

Thankyou for posting this. The person I know has yet to start with infusions, but it is nice to hear of such a breakthrough and such promise of an alternative mediation, for such a time that that person might have to resort to it.

[HonestConservative]

Reporters are lazy.

The cost is approximately 2700 per infusion, retail.

[DelmarvaMike]

It’s about 6k per infusion. I know since I have had both MS and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Fortunately, in 2006, I had a high dose cytoxan treatment along with multiple rituxan treatments that may have eliminated both the CLL and the MS. The main purpose was getting rid of the cancer, but a similar treatment has been successful in much more serious cases of MS than mine.

We’ll just have to wait and see but, the way I look at it, I’ll say I’m cured until told otherwise. The procedure was done at Johns Hopkins, which I feel is the best hospital anywhere. I truly hope that using Rituxan as a treatment is successful for MS as it would beat the once a week Avonex shots I used to have to take.

[HonestConservative]

Exactly why they cost as much as they do.

Not that they wouldn’t be high to begin with, but they are higher because of two things.

1. Lawyers.

2. Foreign theft of patents, thus US companies can only get a profit from US patients.

[Daus]

Does it actually eliminate the condition or is it a supression treatment you have to keep taking forever?

[NRA2BFree]

My wife has relapsing /remitting MS. I’ll let her know about this.

I hope this works for her! It would be wonderful if they could wipe out MS altogether.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the ping & the post.

B-Cell Depletion with Rituximab in Relapsing–Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

[HonestConservative]

It costs 6,000 some because you had it done at Hopkins.

The way the gov’t gets their mits involved in Medicine, (its a long story if you want me to bore the heck out of you, if you were to be able to get it at a local infusion center), it would cost you what your pharmacy plan co pay is for any specialty drug, which could be as low as 20 bucks, and the cost of the infusion procedure by a nurse practitioner in an Oncology clinic’s co pay.

Bill from Penn for my infusions of Tysabri: 8,670.00

Bill from Oncololgist 0, Co pay for insurance 20.00.

Gov’t sucks. Capitalism rocks.

[Future Snake Eater]

drop in brain legions after just two infusions of the drug.

Actual pic of the brain legions:

[ruination]

Although I shudder at the mere thought of both Teddy and Obambi, Democrats do in general have a better record on federal funding of intially-nonprofitable biomedical research that has made the biotech industry possible.