Novartis‘s Multiple sclerosis Innovative drug approved

2019-03-29

Recently, US FDA announced approved the listing of Mayzent (siponimod) developed by Novartis, for the treatment of recurrent multiple sclerosis (RMS) adult patients, which including relapsing-remitting disease and active secondary progressive disease (active SPMS).


Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, the patient's immune system attacks the myelin sheath that protects the nerve, causing information communication between the brain and other parts of the body to be blocked. Most patients have symptoms for the first time between the ages of 20-40. MS is one of the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults, and incidence among women is higher than that of men. About 2.3 million patients are troubled by MS in the world, 3-5% of them are children or teenagers.


Mayzent developed by Novartis, is a S1P receptor modulator that is highly selective for specific subtypes of the S1P receptor. It can bind to the S1P1 receptor subtype expressed on the surface of lymphocytes, preventing lymphocytes from entering the central nervous system (CNS) of patients with MS, thereby reducing the inflammatory response. Preclinical studies have shown that this drug, can prevent neurodegenerative diseases in synapses and promote remyelination of CNS. It has the potential to change the course of disease.