In a surprising development, Canadian researchers have discovered that a common drug used to treat acne may be of benefit to thousands of patients around the world who’ve been newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS).
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic nervous system disease.
The effects of MS on the patient varies dramatically from patient to patient. MS causes difficulties with some of our most basic bodily functions including muscle control, balance, and vision. MS affects the brain, the spinal cord and the eyes (more specifically the optic nerve).
Fun fact: It was first discovered in 1868 by a French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot.
Treatment Game Changer
Recently, researchers at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute’s Cumming School of Medicine showed that a common antibiotic can slow the progress of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Minocycline, when given to patients who are symptomatic for the very first time, could be a new player in the MS treatment world. It could offer a safe, effective, and affordable treatment option.
The New England Journal of Medicine published the results in their June 1, 2017 issue. The exciting thing about this unexpected result is that the treatment, an antibiotic, has been around for over 50 years. It has already been approved by the FDA and has a positive track record for safety. It is also much less expensive than the current therapies MS patients rely upon.
Big Cost Savings
Treatment in Canada for MS runs from $20,000 to $40,000 per year. Medical experts believe that a treatment using minocycline will be much, much less expensive — around $600 per year.
In the United States, MS treatment is typically about three times as expensive as Canada, so the cost savings would be significant.
