Kochi, December 2011-With an increasing proportion of the population succumbing to Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the development of new Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs) is offering new hope to MS patients to lead a longer and a productive life. Doctors are confident that the new treatment can change the life of these patients dramatically and lead the way for future drug discoveries towards finding a cure for the disease itself.

Unlike old therapies that were confined to limiting the response of the immune cells to prevent the MS attacks, the exclusivity of these DMTs lie in their ability to efficiently modify the course of the disease by controlling the symptoms and slowing down its progression.
Says Dr Mathew Abraham, Consultant Neurologist, Lakshmi Hospital, Kochi, “These newly developed DMTs take into account all the peculiarities of the disease and decrease future damage along with preventing recurrence of the symptoms. The scope of severe and frequent MS attacks is considerably reduced by the help of these DMTs. The earlier a patient takes up these therapies, lesser is his scope of suffering from any disability that may develop over time.”

Multiple Sclerosis is a severe autoimmune disorder caused by damage to the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. MS affects more than 1,00,000 people in India, physically as well as psychologically. Marked by loss of balance, muscle spasms, weakness and memory loss, the intensity of MS attacks can be reduced if diagnosed at an initial stage.
 
According to Dr Suresh Kumar, Consultant Neurologist, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, “The new DMTs increase the probability of improvement in the physical disability, vision loss and cognitive challenges and decrease the number of flare-ups (relapses).  They work by binding to a protein found on the surface of immune cells (white blood cells) and effectively curbing their entry to the brain and the spinal cord as they are believed to play a role in the damaging effects of MS.”