Novel Agents and Emerging Treatment Strategies in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

In the past decade, the treatment of multiple sclerosis has undergone a significant paradigm shift. Weekly to daily self-injections of moderate benefit are making way for more effective therapies with improved relapse and disability impact with more appealing routes and frequencies of administration. Some such therapies, like natalizumab, belong to the monoclonal antibody family, while others offer novel immunomodulatory mechanisms and the much sought after oral route of administration. While novel and more powerful immune mechanisms present new issues with respect to adverse effects, these new therapies offer significant advances in the quality of patient care.