An abnormal, heightened immune action of certain white blood cells mounts an attack on the myelin of the central nervous system. Since administering chemotherapeutic agents diminishes the numbers of white blood cells, it should theoretically slow down or halt this autoimmune destruction. In addition to being the first drug approved in the U.S. for secondary-progressive MS it offers new treatment options for others experiencing worsening of the disease. Safety and Side Effects Short-term safety and tolerability of mitoxantrone in the MS studies appear to be acceptable. Dose-related cardiac toxicity has been reported, primarily in cancer patients.
Cardiac monitoring is required.
C hemotherapeutic Agents Some of the many chemotherapeutic agents that have been used to treat MS are described below. The results of many clinical trials studies to see if a promising drug actually helps people with MS ha ve not conclusively shown them to be of definite value, and their use in treating MS remains controversial. A drug that suppresses the immune system, azathioprine is commonly used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and as part of chemotherapy for some cancers. The results using different patient populations, different doses and different protocols have been mixed. There was no apparent benefit in the other trials.