OBJECTIVE To study the outcome of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and with natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). METHODS MedWatch reports from Biogen-Idec (manufacturer of natalizumab, Tysabri(®)) were reviewed which comprised all 42 cases of natalizumab-related PML cases since its reintroduction u...

BACKGROUND Natalizumab (Tysabri) is a new disease-modifying therapy that has been shown to be clinically effective in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and has been licensed for use in patients with highly active RRMS (HARRMS). These patients are those who experience higher relapse rates and faster disability progression than the general RRMS population. OBJECTIVES T...

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by inflammation of the mucosal layer of the colon. The resulting disease includes episodes of recurrent rectal bleeding, increased stool frequency and urgency, abdominal cramps and pain, and systemic symptoms (such as fever, anemia, and weight loss).1 Historical studies have estimated that approximately half of ...

The treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease (CD) has been changing over the last decades. Several studies on the pathophysiological mechanisms of tissue damage in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have led to development of new drugs directed against specific molecular targets. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α monoclonal antibodies were demonstrated to be efficacious in inducing and m...

There is a compelling need for novel approaches for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Although there are some approved therapies for MS, the efficacy of these current treatments leaves ample room for improvement. For example, the data from the pivotal trials leading to the approval of the beta-interferons and glatiramer acetate revealed that relapse rates were reduced by about a third, in p...

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalpathy (PML) is a severe, often fatal, opportunistic infection of the CNS. First reported in 1958 as a white matter disorder in 3 patients with lymphoproliferative disorders, subsequent studies revealed a polyomavirus, named John Cunningham (JC) virus from the initials of the patient from whose brain it was initially isolated, as the causative agent. Despite p...

In clinical trials, the term “patients at risk” refers to the altruistic people who volunteer to participate in studies of novel treatments. In this issue of the Journal, three reports 1-3 provide details about patients who were participating in trials involving experimental treatment with natalizumab for either multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s disease and who were affected by progressive multifoc...

Background & Objective: Multiple sclerosis is a relatively rare disease in China as compared to other nations throughout the world. This study aimed to assess the depth and breadth of knowledge of multiple sclerosis and its consequences specifi cally in China via a review and synthesis of existing literature. Methods: We conducted a literature search and reviewed studies that either were publis...