Novartis Says Data On Gilenya At AAN Show Reduction In Rate Of Brain Volume Loss

(RTTNews.com) - Healthcare company Novartis AG ( NVS ) Thursday said new data presented at the 65th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) shows that relapsing multiple sclerosis therapy Gilenya significantly and consistently reduced the rate of brain volume loss. The company further said that Gilenya reduced annualized relapse rates across important subgroups, while adding that additional data reinforce its safety profile in patients treated up to four years.

Commenting on the studies, the firm said, in a new analysis of over 3,600 patients from three large Phase III studies dubbed TRANSFORMS, FREEDOMS, and FREEDOMS II, Gilenya showed a significant reduction in the rate of brain volume loss versus a comparator as was seen in the previous results.

In the TRANSFORMS study over one year, Gilenya reduced the rate of brain volume loss by 32 percent compared to Avonex, a commonly prescribed injectable treatment and over two years, reduced the rate of brain volume loss compared to placebo by 35 percent in the FREEDOMS study, and by 33 percent in the FREEDOMS II study, respectively, said the company in a statement.

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