Subject: Re: Phase I/II study of vaccine for MS

From: LaVonne Murphy <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 00:46:43 -0800

jack dalton wrote:
> 
> I just happened to find this article on "Business Wire" which states
> that Connective Therapeutics, Inc(NASDAQ:CNCT) announced on 9 Jan 97
> that it had initiated a multicenter Phase I/II clinical study of its
> therapeutic vacinne for multiple sclerosis.
> 
> It will be a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving about 100
> progressive multiple sclerosis patients.
> 
> They hope to confirm positive results (6 out of 6) from the pilot
> study. The results were published in the journal "Nature Medicine" Oct
> 96. No adverse effects were attributable to the treatment.
> 
> I really hope this is as good as it sounds. I see no NIH of NMSS
> involvement. I hope someone can validate this company and their study.
> 
> I have a mild case of RR MS and I am taking Avonex. I regard it as a
> delaying tactic and feel something like this is what is desired/needed.
> Additional comments and info is requested.

Jack

Dr Shapiro talked of this study at our Annual Meeting a couple of months 
ago.  NMSS has indeed put some money into this study being done in 
Portland, Or.  Many of us hope this vaccine helps those with progressive 
MS because there is nothing but Sx control to assist them so far.

Berlex and Biogen are also testing their products for progressives I 
beleive.  Berlex has had the test underway for about a year and we should 
be hearing some results in about another year.

The vaccine, if it proves effective, will not be tested completely for at 
least another 4 to 5 years.  After the Phase II test there must be a 
Phase III with many folks in the study (like 300-500).  After each phase 
the data must be put together and analyzed.  Remember that all 
participants are not started on the same date.  They are started as soon 
as a certain (determined by the protocol) number are found and then 
others added to the test so that sometimes the test takes more than a 
year and a half or two years before data comparison can be completed.

God knows that the folks who are progressive need some intervention worse 
than you and I do.  Yet it is easier to study and test folks who are RR 
and less risky.  So here we are.  We have stuff available to try and 
those with the most need do not ... yet.  But Cladribine looks close 
though it is not effective for all either.

                 L