Dimethyl fumarate: a new oral treatment option for multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a slowly progressive, immunologically mediated disease of the CNS. The recent years have witnessed great efforts in establishing new therapeutic options for multiple sclerosis. There is a clear need for more effective, safe and at the same time orally available treatment options. Here we review the recently approved drug Dimethyl fumarate (DMF, Tecfidera®) as a new therapeutic option for MS and its role in context to the existing oral treatment options for MS. Dimethyl fumarate is the methyl ester of fumaric acid and has been claimed to possess immunomodulatory properties and is already in clinical use as Fumaderm for severe systemic psoriasis. In addition, Dimethyl fumarate was also shown to act on the blood-brain barrier and exert neuroprotective properties via activation of anti-oxidative pathways and displayed beneficial effects in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model mimicking many aspects of MS. Based on two global phase III studies. Dimethyl fumarate has been clinically proven to significantly reduce important measures of disease activity, including relapses and development of brain lesions, as well as to slow disability progression over time, while demonstrating a favourable safety and tolerability profile.