It is estimated that nearly 400,000 people are effected my Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the United States. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic central nervous system disease that affects the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord and it is thought that it is related to the a problem in the autoimmune system where the body attacks its own healthy tissue. There are multiple medications on the market today that can help people with MS, two of which are Avonex and Tysabri.
Avonex, an interferon, worked well for patients with relapsing MS. While on the drug they had a reduced risk of disability progression and developed fewer and smaller active lesions in the brain. Tysabri is a monoclonal antibody, or a group of identical antibodies used in relapsing forms of MS as a treatment. Many people were given these two medications in concert, and sadly, some developed a deadly disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) as a result.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a nervous system condition that causes mental deterioration, problems with vision and speech, paralysis, coma and sometimes death. The term “progressive” indicates that the disorder is degenerative and that the patient will progressively worsen. “Multifocal” indicates the multiple locations of the brain the disorder will affect or grow to effect. “Leukoencephalopathy” is a term that tells us that the disorder attacks the white matter of the brain. Specifically, PML is related to a virus called the JC virus. The JC virus infects brain cells called oligodentrocytes which produce a substance called myelin, used to protect the nervous system cells in the brain. When a patient develops PML, the myelin sheath that insulates their brain deteriorates which leads to nervous system malfunction.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy normally only effects people who already have health problems, specifically a suppressed immune system. Patients who suffer from AIDS, cancer, who have recently received organ transplants and others with reduced immune systems, are at risk for this condition. In many cases with PML, the disorder advances quickly to death within 2-4 months. Some people can live with PML for months and years.
As previously noted, patients with MS who took Avonex and Tysabri together were at an increased risk for developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. One person died as a result of the medications while one other person developed PML and is still living. Both of these patients had been taking the drugs together for an extended period of time – as much as two years, in fact. As a result of this death and of allegations of the development of PML as a result of taking the medications, Tysabri was recalled from the market and is being reassessed by the FDA.
If you or a person you know has taken Avonex and Tysabri together for an extended period and you have developed PML or any other problems, you should contact a reputable defective drug attorney quickly. You could be entitled to compensation and coverage of your medical costs if you contracted this deadly disorder because of these drugs, or if you have developed any other problems related to these medications.