The Risks Of Lemtrada Therapy And Other DMTs

Lemtrada Stroke Lawsuit News

Leading RRMS Publications Have Updated Their DMT and Lemtrada Guidance In a Coronavirus World

Thursday, July 9, 2020 - The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) is an online support group servicing the families of the world's 2.4 million multiple sclerosis sufferers. The organization has recently updated its recommendations to treat RRMS for individuals taking disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in light of the ongoing COVID-19 health pandemic. Scientists are concerned that the propensity for the Coronavirus to trigger the body's natural immune system to overreact and destroy healthy tissues, particularly in the lungs, along with making treatment of the virus complex, according to Multiple Sclerosis News Today. "The treatment equation for COVID-19 and MS is complex because of the dynamic nature of the way this virus attacks the body. In some people, it appears to trigger a cytokine storm, where small proteins in the immune system overreact to an infection, and in addition to attacking the virus, attack and severely damage the lungs and other vital organs." Experts question whether an RRMS patient's overactive immune system could make the symptoms of COVID19 worse and life-threatening, and also what effects DMT's have on the virus. Lemtrada stroke attorneys represent people harmed from Lemtrada drug use and are available to consult for free and no obligation to file a claim.

An important level of guidance offered by MSIF is that those being treated with a DMT continue to do so and to contact their physician if they experience any of the symptoms of COVID-19. Since disease-modifying therapies are taken at different stages by patients experiencing different levels of RRMS difficulties, each drug carries a different level of risk. According to the MSIF, certain DMTs "reduce the need for hospitalization after being infected with the virus. This first level drugs include " Avonex, Rebif, Plegridy (interferon beta-1a); Betaferon and Extavia (interferon beta-1b); and Glatopa (glatiramer acetate)." The experts caution that other's may increase the risks of the virus. "Caution must be taken that therapies targeting CD20 - Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Rituxan (rituximab) - may be linked to an increased chance of being admitted to the hospital or requiring intensive care treatment due to COVID-19," according to Multiple Sclerosis News Today.

People who are suffering from relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and taking the drug Lemtrada, are more concerned than others that they might be susceptible to the life-threatening side-effects of Covid-19. RRMS patients try Lemtrada therapy when all other attempts to control their disease have failed. Some patients swear by the drug and others have had mixed experiences. Lemtrada is strictly regulated by the FDA and patients may only start Lemtrada therapy after two or more late-stage medications have failed. Lemtrada is administered twice per year in 5-dose increments intravenously. Lemtrada may be given to a patient only after they have agreed in writing with their physicians that both understand the risk of developing a stroke or heart attack, and only in a hospital's emergency medical facility. It is critical that those taking Lemtrada and other disease-modifying therapies (DMT) have access to all of the facts so that they can make an informed decision. Individuals in the late stages of RRMS that are being treated with Lemtrada must consider other risk factors that the drug carries such as causing spontaneous death or paralysis from suffering a heart attack, stroke, or acidosis.

More Recent Lemtrada Stroke Lawsuit News:

No-Cost, No-Obligation Lemtrada Lawsuit Case Review If You or a Loved One Suffered from Lemtrada Stroke Complications

OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.