Gilenya® data at ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS to show Novartis is redefining MS treatment goals for patients - Seite 2

Novartis MS portfolio highlights at the Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting will include four oral presentations and 22 poster presentations on Gilenya, and two poster presentations on siponimod.

About Multiple Sclerosis  
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) that disrupts the normal functioning of the brain, optic nerves and spinal cord through inflammation and tissue loss[13]. The evolution of MS results in an increasing loss of both physical (e.g. walking) and cognitive (e.g. memory) function[14]. This has a substantial negative impact on the approximately 2.3 million people worldwide affected by MS[15], a disease that begins in early adulthood, most often between the ages of 20 and 40[16].

The loss of physical and cognitive function in MS is driven by two types of damage that result in the loss of neurons and brain tissue - distinct inflammatory lesions (referred to as focal damage), and more widespread inflammatory neurodegenerative processes (referred to as diffuse damage). Focal damage results in the loss of brain tissue and can clinically present as relapses. Diffuse damage starts early in the disease, often goes unnoticed and is also associated with loss of brain tissue and accumulated loss of function[17-19].

About Gilenya
Gilenya is the only oral disease-modifying therapy (DMT) to impact the course of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) with high efficacy across four key measures of disease activity: relapses, MRI lesions, brain shrinkage (brain volume loss) and disability progression[20-24].

Gilenya targets both focal and diffuse CNS damage. It prevents cells that cause focal inflammation from reaching the brain (referred to as 'peripheral' action), but also enters the CNS and reduces the diffuse damage by preventing the activation of harmful cells residing in the CNS (referred to as 'central action')[25-27]. It is important to address both focal and diffuse damage in RRMS to effectively impact disease activity and help preserve an individual's physical (e.g. walking) and cognitive (e.g. memory) function.

To date, more than 100,000 patients worldwide have been treated with Gilenya in both clinical trial and post-marketing setting. 

About Novartis in Multiple Sclerosis
Novartis is committed to the research and development of new treatment options to offer the right treatment to the right patient at the right time, to meet patients' needs at every stage of disease with innovative and targeted drugs.

In addition to its ongoing development program for Gilenya in primary progressive MS (PPMS), pediatric MS and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), the Novartis MS portfolio includes Extavia^® (interferon beta-1b for subcutaneous injection). Investigational compounds include BAF312 (siponimod), currently in Phase III clinical development and being developed as the first oral therapy for secondary progressive MS (SPMS). Novartis is also exploring the IL-17 pathway in MS.