Tysabri Seen as Superior to IFN-β in Preventing Relapses, Easing Disability in Small Study

Tysabri (natalizumab) was found to be superior to interferon beta (IFN-β) in a small, 12-month study with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, significantly decreasing their disability levels, its researchers report.

A vast majority — 90 percent — of Tysabri-treated patients experienced no relapses during the study period, while none of those taking IFN-β were relapse-free.

The study, “The Effect of Natalizumab on Disability Score and Relapse Rate of Multiple Sclerosis Patients: a Prospective Cohort Study,” conducted at a single site in Iran, was published in the journal Clinical and Translational Medicine.

Tysabri is a humanized monoclonal antibody the binds to the α4β1-integrin molecule, preventing harmful immune T-cells from crossing the blood-brain barrier (which protects the brain) and damaging nerve cells. IFN-β is an immunomodulator that reduces the inflammation in the central nervous system that also damages nerve cells in MS patients. Both have been approved to treat relapsing forms of MS.

Researchers compared the clinical effectiveness of Tysabri (marketed by Biogen; monthly intravenous infusion of 300 mg) with that of IFN-β (intramuscular injections of 20 μg, three times a week) in RRMS patients being treated at a hospital in Hamadan.

CinnoVex (marketed by CinnaGen, based in Tehran) was the IFN-β-1a therapy used in this study. In the United States, IFN-β-1a is marketed as Avonex, Plegridy, and Rebif.

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