CNS Drug Discoveries: Multiple Sclerosis Chapter

Multiple sclerosis

With the launch of up to 12 new disease-modifying agents, three vaccines and one novel drug designed to treat the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and improve quality of life, the MS market is in an exciting phase of evolution.

The MS market is estimated to be worth almost US$8 billion in 2008, with a growth rate of 10.6% year-on-year. It is the fifth largest segment of the CNS markets considered in this report and has attracted considerable R&D investment from the big pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and specialty pharma.

Over the next six years a number of oral agents are expected to be launched that could drastically change the way in which MS patients are treated. These include: Novartis' fingolimod, Teva's laquinimod, Merck KGaA's Mylinax (cladribine), sanofi-aventis' teriflunomide and Biogen Idec's BG-12 in Phase III development, and GSK/Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma's firategrast, MediciNova's ibudilast and Biogen/UCB's CDP323 in Phase II development.

Three companies have taken on the ambitious task of developing vaccines to treat MS and each has adopted a unique approach to addressing the underlying causes of the disease. Orchestra Therapeutic's NeuroVax targets three proteins expressed on T-cell receptors whilst Opexa Therapeutics' Tovaxin uses attenuated autologous cells to stimulant an immune response. Bayhill Therapeutics is developing BHT-3009, a tolerising DNA vaccine. All vaccines are in Phase II development and could reach market by 2012.

Key MS questions answered:

• What is the estimated global population for MS in 2014 and what % will be diagnosed and treated?
• Which off-patent MS treatments are resistant to generic competition?
• Will Biogen Idec, Teva and Merck KGaA be able to defend their leading positions in 5 years time?
• There are 7 late-phase pipeline products which target the underlying cause of MS - what are their strengths and weaknesses?

Key products analysed and forecast

• BG-12Biogen Idec
• CampathBayer
• Fingolimod Novartis
• LacquinimodTeva
• MBP 8298BioMS/Lilly
• MylinaxMerck KGaA
• Teriflunomidesanofi-aventis
• NeurelanElan/Acorda