Interview conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, BA Hons (Cantab)

insights from industryDr. Michael PANZARAGroup VP and Therapeutic Area Head, Multiple Sclerosis
​and Neurology, Genzyme

The last 20 years have been defined by progress and innovation in the multiple sclerosis (MS) field, with now 10 approved treatment options available for people living with relapsing MS, the most common form of the disease.

Though none of these treatments are a cure, they do offer people living with MS and the physicians who treat them a wide range of different therapy options, each that carries its own unique benefits and risks in terms of efficacy, safety and convenience. 

Finally having a variety of treatment options to choose from has changed the lives of many of those with this disease but has added complexity, making it that much more important for people living with MS and their physicians to take the time to discuss the benefits and risks associated with each treatment. 

The selection of treatment is highly individualized and is ultimately based upon the combination of expected benefits, risks, tolerability, and convenience that offer the best chance for a favorable outcome and an improved quality of life.

Despite periods in which people afflicted by MS may appear free of physical signs of the disease, it is progressive, and research tells us that the disease is silently worsening, even from its earliest stages, in most cases leading to a more overtly progressive disease course resistant to treatment.  Therefore, it has become increasingly common to start treatment as early as possible following diagnosis in the hopes of slowing the accumulation of permanent disability. 

When I first began working in the MS area nearly 20 years ago, these kind of treatment options just did not exist, so it’s exciting to see how this landscape has evolved with continued innovation. 

Genzyme has one treatment on the market in the U.S. (AUBAGIO), with another under FDA review (LEMTRADA), and is building a pipeline not just focused on treating relapsing MS, but also progressive forms of the disease where the unmet need for new treatments is greatest.   

Despite significant progress in our understanding of the causes of MS, there is still much that is unknown.  MS is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks cells in the brain and spinal cord.  These cells are unable to function properly and eventually die, leading to the clinical signs and symptoms people with MS experience.

It is clear that both genetic and environmental factors play important roles in the onset and progression of the disease.  An understanding of the details of this process has grown over the past many years, and these insights have led to many of the treatments for relapsing MS that we have today.

However, while we have many options available to treat relapsing MS, lack of understanding of the mechanisms of disease progression has been a barrier to the development of treatments for progressive forms of the disease. 

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