Lemtrada success over Rebif in CARE-MS 1 trial for Multiple Sclerosis

New results from the CARE-MS I trial, the first of two randomized, Phase III clinical trials comparing the investigational drug Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) from Genzyme/Sanofi and Bayer HealthCare, to Rebif (high dose subcutaneous interferon beta-1a) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). New data show that 78 percent of patients treated with alemtuzumab remained relapse-free for two years, providing statistically significant improvement over interferon beta-1a (78 percent vs 59 percent at two years, p<0.0001) and meeting this secondary endpoint. as previously reported treatment with alemtuzumab resulted in a 55 percent reduction in relapse rate compared to interferon beta-1a over two years of study p><0.0001), satisfying this co-primary endpoint and meeting the predefined protocol criteria for declaring the study a success. the care-ms i results were presented at the ectrims actrims conference. care-ms i confirms that in a head-to-head comparison with rebif disease activity is significantly reduced in patients with early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis treated with alemtuzumab over the first two years of observation said professor alastair compston chair of the steering committee overseeing the conduct of the study and head of the department of clinical neurosciences at theuniversity of cambridge united kingdom.>