Science / Medicine : MS Drug’s Value Questioned

A drug developed in Israel that showed promise in treating multiple sclerosis does not appear effective against the most severe form of the disease, researchers said last week.

The drug, called Copolymer I, may be of value for a less-devastating form of the disease, the report said.

Aaron Miller, director of neurology at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, said a study using the drug on 106 patients with chronic, progressive multiple sclerosis--the worst form of the disease--showed “no evidence that the drug is an effective treatment” for such patients. His findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

The drug has been used as a treatment for multiple sclerosis in Israel for several years but has not been approved for general use in the United States.