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news.Elan Corporation and Biogen Idec have reported research that suggests that their drug Tysabri can provide sustained remission in Crohn's disease patients for more than two years.
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The research could be significant for the treatment of Crohn's disease as Tysabri may be alternative to the anti-TNF class as patients remain in remission over a long term period on the new drug.
The research showed that 93% of Tysabri patients who were in remission at after a year were still in remission following six additional Tysabri infusions and 86% were still in remission after 12 additional infusions.
These results were based on approximately 90 patients who were in remission after 15 months of continuous Tysabri therapy. A subpopulation of 22 patients was previously exposed to infliximab therapy. In this subpopulation, 91% were in remission after an additional 6 and 12 infusions of Tysabri.
Tysabri has previously been taken off the market due to the adverse effects of the drug. Three cases of brain disease were reported in patients taking the drug. Tysabri has now been allowed back in the market but is strictly controlled and is only prescribed to patients who have not responded to other treatments.
In this trial the most common adverse effects were headache, nausea, nasopharyngitis, and abdominal pain. In longer term trials, one case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy was observed.