New oral therapies may offer improved treatment options for patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Although currently available disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS) have proven efficacy and well characterized safety profiles, several unmet therapeutic needs remain. All current therapies require frequent and regular parenteral dosing, which may lead to reduced treatment adherence. Outcomes for patients with MS could be greatly improved by the introduction of new orally administered agents, which may promote better adherence by avoiding injection-related problems. Several such oral therapies are currently in Phase III development and include BG-12, cladribine tablets, fingolimod, laquinimod, and teriflunomide. Early studies suggest that each of these oral agents may be efficacious in MS. Furthermore, some of the oral agents in development are supported by extensive safety data in other indications, which may inspire confidence among physicians and patients. From data published to date and the promise of are entering an exciting era for MS therapy.