Remyelinating therapies for e.g. Multiple sclerosis

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Remyelinating therapies have the potential not only to prevent, but also to reverse myelin damage, improving patients’ mobility and vision.

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease, in which the immune system attacks and damages the myelin sheath on nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. This results in a number of symptoms such as fatigue, vision problems, muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness, mobility problems and pain. If afflicts more than 700,000 patients in Europe.

The average age of diagnosis is 29, with half of patients usually not able to work after the first three years.

What is the potential breakthrough?

Remyelination treatments in development have the potential to delay, prevent or reverse disability caused by Multiple Sclerosis by repairing demyelinating lesions in brain and spinal cord and restoring function to nerve cells affected by the disease.

How will it help patients?

Therapies have the potential to improve mobility and vision, and therefore positively impact the psychological health of patients. This would also reduce the amount of their time required for supportive care by families and caregivers.

What is the potential impact on Europe’s healthcare systems?

As remyelination therapies are likely to be used as add-on treatments or in combination with other existing therapies, they may generate incremental costs for healthcare systems. However, social services account for >40% of total HCS costs related to MS. Through improving the physical condition of MS patients, remyelinating therapies will reduce their need for social services, thus bringing savings to public budgets. Assuming remyelinating drugs will reduce the disability by 25% in 15% of MS patients, they will generate ~€124 million savings across the Europe.

What is the potential impact on societies?

Remyelinating therapies may decrease healthcare system costs related to providing MS patients with social services and increase the workforce participation rate among the MS population and their families and caregivers.

IQVIA/EFPIA Pipeline Review 2021

Remyelinating therapies for e.g. Multiple sclerosis

Download the full IQVIA/EFPIA Pipeline Review 2021

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