October 03, 2014
BOSTON — Smoking appears to increase the likelihood of developing neutralizing antibodies to natalizumab (Tysabri, Biogen Idec), which cause the drug to have little, if any, therapeutic effect in multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests.
The study was presented by Tomas Olsson, MD, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, at the recent MS Boston 2014, the 2014 Joint Americas and European Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS/ECTRIMS) meeting.
“The lung seems to be an important immunoreactive organ where irritation such as smoking may increase risk not only for inflammatory diseases, but also neutralizing antibodies to biologicals like interferon β and monoclonal antibodies such as natalizumab,” he concluded.
“While smoking should not prohibit use of natalizumab, the percentage of patients developing antibodies, neutralizing the effect of the treatment, is not negligible,” Dr Olsson commented to Medscape Medical News. “Therefore patients should be advised about our findings. This comes on top of an increased risk for MS with smoking, and probably a worse disease course.”
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