Zocor for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment
Cholesterol Drug Reduces Size, Number of Brain Lesions
April 2, 2003 (Honolulu) -- Researchers have presented the first human findings looking at a cholesterol-lowering drug for multiple sclerosis treatment. They found that Zocor not only reduces the size but also the number of brain lesions from MS.
In multiple sclerosis, cells in the immune system destroy the protective lining -- called myelin -- of nerves in the brain and spinal cord.
Animal research touting cholesterol-lowering drugs called "statins" as a multiple sclerosis treatment hit the scene just last year, and the research has quickly moved from mice to humans. In a recent animal study, researchers found that Lipitor -- another statin -- prevented disease progression and reversed paralysis in mice with a multiple sclerosis-like disease.
In the current study, Timothy Vollmer, MD, and colleagues studied 28 people with the most common form of multiple sclerosis, called relapsing-remitting -- in which periods of relapse, when symptoms flare up, alternate with periods of remission, when symptoms fade. Vollmer, chairman of the division of neurology at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, presented the results in Honolulu at the annual conference of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study participants -- aged 18 to 55 -- had evidence of at least one brain lesion from multiple sclerosis on an MRIbrain scan. Each participant then took 80 mg of Zocor daily and underwent a series of MRI brain scans during the study. The study was supported by Merck Inc., Zocor's manufacturer.
Six months into treatment, the researchers found that the number of brain lesions was reduced by 43%. In addition, the researchers projected that Zocor would decrease the annual rate of relapses from 43% before treatment to 32% after treatment.
Zocor as a multiple sclerosis treatment was well tolerated by the patients, Vollmer says. "No patient stopped due to side effects."
When used to lower cholesterol, Zocor and other statins can occasionally raise liver enzymes -- indicating that the drug may be harming the liver. In this study, two of the patients had mildly elevated liver tests, which resolved after stopping the drug, says Vollmer.
Vollmer says he believes Zocor and other statins may work by suppressing an overactive part of the immune system.
Zocor Treats Multiple Sclerosis
Cholesterol Drug Reduces Size, Number of Brain Lesions
April 2, 2003 (Honolulu) -- Researchers have presented the first human findings looking at a cholesterol-lowering drug for multiple sclerosis treatment. They found that Zocor not only reduces the size but also the number of brain lesions from MS.
In multiple sclerosis, cells in the immune system destroy the protective lining -- called myelin -- of nerves in the brain and spinal cord.
Animal research touting cholesterol-lowering drugs called "statins" as a multiple sclerosis treatment hit the scene just last year, and the research has quickly moved from mice to humans. In a recent animal study, researchers found that Lipitor -- another statin -- prevented disease progression and reversed paralysis in mice with a multiple sclerosis-like disease.
In the current study, Timothy Vollmer, MD, and colleagues studied 28 people with the most common form of multiple sclerosis, called relapsing-remitting -- in which periods of relapse, when symptoms flare up, alternate with periods of remission, when symptoms fade. Vollmer, chairman of the division of neurology at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, presented the results in Honolulu at the annual conference of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study participants -- aged 18 to 55 -- had evidence of at least one brain lesion from multiple sclerosis on an MRIbrain scan. Each participant then took 80 mg of Zocor daily and underwent a series of MRI brain scans during the study. The study was supported by Merck Inc., Zocor's manufacturer.
Six months into treatment, the researchers found that the number of brain lesions was reduced by 43%. In addition, the researchers projected that Zocor would decrease the annual rate of relapses from 43% before treatment to 32% after treatment.
Zocor as a multiple sclerosis treatment was well tolerated by the patients, Vollmer says. "No patient stopped due to side effects."
When used to lower cholesterol, Zocor and other statins can occasionally raise liver enzymes -- indicating that the drug may be harming the liver. In this study, two of the patients had mildly elevated liver tests, which resolved after stopping the drug, says Vollmer.
Vollmer says he believes Zocor and other statins may work by suppressing an overactive part of the immune system.
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