Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0000737 (abdominal pain)
 31,184 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) are only partially effective and most require a parenteral route of administration and/or may have severe side effects. Dimethyl fumarate is the active compound of BG-12 recently licensed for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS. The pivotal Phase III trials have demonstrated an approximately 50% reduction of relapse rates compared with placebo paralleled by a reduction in new lesion formation on MRI. A dose of 240 mg two-times a day had an optimal effect. Flushing and gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea) were common adverse events in the first month(s) of treatment. Severe side effects were not more common than in the placebo group for a treatment period of 2 years. The mode of action is not exactly clear and both immunomodulatory effects and an activation of the transcription factor Nrf2 are suggested. This new oral drug will be a welcome addition to existing MS treatments.
 ...
PMID:Dimethyl fumarate (BG-12) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. 2392 62

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is the latest oral therapy approved for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). In 2 placebo-controlled phase III trials, twice daily DMF demonstrated a 44%-53% reduction in annualized relapse rate and 71%-90% reduction in new MRI lesions. In one trial, DMF slowed the accumulation of disability, but not in the other trial. The main side effects of DMF include gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea) and skin flushing, which peak at treatment initiation. There was no increased risk of opportunistic infections. Recommended safety monitoring includes complete blood count prior to treatment and annually while on treatment. Appealing aspects of DMF include potent efficacy, oral administration, and good safety and tolerability profiles. Altogether, DMF is an attractive option for first-line treatment, breakthrough disease activity, intolerance to other therapies, and possibly natalizumab-treated patients with positive JC virus serology.
 ...
PMID:Dimethyl fumarate for relapsing MS. 2947 31