Death Rate From PML

[LL60]

For those of you who seem to know just where to find the best information on all things ms and tysabri related, a question I ask now and then:

Why do you think the death rate from PML of those on tysabri is not going down? It is staying at 23% month after month after month. Even with more awareness. More testing. New testing.

Just saw the new numbers and yet again, it is still at 23%.
Any ideas?

[MSer102]

I think it might be because there isn't a guaranteed effective treatment for PML. There are some infections that just have a constant death rate - they kill a certain percentage of people who get them no matter what is done - and PML might just be one of them. Awareness and testing might reduce the number of people who develop PML and reduce the incidence rate. But awareness and testing don't have any effect on reducing the death rate in people after they develop PML when there isn't a fool-proof effective treatment for PML.

[LL60]

MSer102 -

Good points. I hadn't thought that way. Makes sense.
Thanks.