With just over 6 weeks on the market, Celebrex has generated more than 735,000 prescriptions. There are other drugs in development for the treatment of arthritis. The similarities between MS are striking, perhaps the main difference only being the etiologic agent. Primary progressive MS is one of the rarest types of multiple sclerosis, affecting more than 50,000 people nationwide. Primary progressive MS is characterized by a steady worsening of the disease over time.
Patients currently face a poor prognosis because there are no available therapies.
The largest drug trial for primary progressive multiple sclerosis has been launched at The University of Texas, Houston Health Science Center. The three-year study will evaluate 900 patients at 54 study sites in the US and Canada. Copaxone is currently indicated for use in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and was approved by the FDA in December 1996. It was made commercially available in April 1997. The following describes possible new indications for antidepressants such as Prozac.