The Pros and Cons of Lemtrada Therapy

Multiple Sclerosis patients can benefit from using Lemtrada, but must be made aware of the risk to their health that may include suffering a stroke

Friday, April 19, 2019 - In order to more fully understand the potential adverse health consequences including the risk of having a paralyzing stroke from taking the drug Lemtrada one first must understand the medical condition, it is intended to alleviate. Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) patients suffer physical attacks caused by neurological problems that occur at relatively predictable intervals and also in increasing severity. In between attacks, the MS suffer is said to be in remission and leads a relatively normal life. Over time the remission intervals decrease and the neurological attacks increase in frequency and severity until they become nearly continuous. This according to The National MS Society website. Lemtrada stroke attorneys represent families in the United States and offer free consultation before filing a lawsuit claim.

Eighty-Five percent of MS patients can be categorized as relapse remitting (RRMS) and the other 15 percent experience less frequent attacks. Taking the drug Lemtrada is quite effective in slowing down the frequency of these attacks and lessening their severity as well. In clinical studies, Lemtrada has proven to be almost twice as effective at delaying MS relapses. As a result, the Lemtrada is used extensively in over 30 countries around the world including the United States and throughout the European Union. The Mayo Clinic credits Lemtrada with slowing down the disease's symptoms of "slurred speech, fatigue, dizziness, tingling or pain in parts of your body, and problems with sexual, bowel and bladder function."

The glaring problem that Lemtrada RRMS patients face, however, is the unacceptably high number that experiences a crippling stroke within 24-hours of receiving a Lemtrada infusion. Multiple Sclerosis News Today alerts their readers that "Due to its (Lemtrada (alemtuzumab)) safety profile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends Lemtrada use be restricted to RRMS patients who have had an inadequate response to two or more MS therapies." In other words, the drug should be administered only when all others have failed and as a last resort.

Lemtrada is administered twice per year. Most Lemtrada patients experience " rashes, joint pain, fungal infections, fatigue, urinary, and upper respiratory tract infections, and nausea." In addition to these common side effects, Lemtrada also can cause a more severe reaction such as "viral infections, infusion reactions, thyroid and skin cancer, and lymphoproliferative disorders." In addition to these well-established adverse side effects attributed to Lemtrada, the drug put under review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on April 12, 2019. Europe's Regulatory Affairs Professional Society has received reports that Lemtrada patients suffered from "immune-mediated conditions and problems with the heart and blood vessels (leading to strokes) of those taking the medicine, including deaths."

Sanofi, the maker, and marketer of Lemtrada added a severe stroke warning to Lemtrada's black boxed warning, an alert reserved for drugs that can in and of themselves cause serious injury and death when used as directed. Doctors must continually monitor Lemtrada patients during the first 24-hours following an annual infusion for the early warning signs of a stroke that include headaches, numbness, and tingling in the extremities, grogginess, slurred speech, eyesight dizziness, and balance problems.

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