A Study by FMUC proposes an alternative approach to the treatment of Paediatric Multiple Sclerosis

A study conducted by Filipe Paiva - researcher, doctoral student and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra - has found that the drug natalizumab (Tysabri®) may be a more effective approach to the treatment of paediatric multiple sclerosis (MS). The work, presented at this month's European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) congress, opens up new perspectives in the treatment of children and adolescents with this neurodegenerative disease.

"We found that although natalizumab has no formal indication for use in children and adolescents, it is very effective in controlling the disease in young people," explains Filipe Paiva. The result of the TyPed (Tysabri® for the Treatment of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis) study is particularly significant considering that, although only 5 to 10 percent of MS cases start showing symptoms at an early age, there are not many treatment strategies available for children and adolescents. "Classic treatment with injections (subcutaneous or intramuscular) becomes quite complex for such a sensitive population as the paediatric one," adds Dr Paiva. "If we use an effective and efficient treatment with few side effects, it could have a major impact on the long-term functional capacity of these children and adolescents." In the future, Filipe Paiva plans to continue his research - currently based on animal models - to find new drugs that can improve the process of reversing the damage caused by multiple sclerosis.

^{Translation by Diana Taborda}