Campath??

[oagiy1991]

Hi everybody,

I've been doing some research on Genzyme's Campath, which in phase III right now, and seems it all comes down to a trade-off between efficacy and safety...I guess for most it's a personal decision to make, but I'm wondering how people respond when it comes out. For those of us currently on Tysabri, do you think it'd be worth the effort&risk to switch to Campath and potentially get a better chance at living..? I know it probably feels like a gamble, but just want to have some discussions and see people's opinions



Cheers

[0485c10]

I've got my eye set on Campath...plan to talk to neuro at next appointment that i would like to go on this, so she is aware that i am watching this.

i admit i am dazzled & blinded by the possibility of only having to treat my ms one time a year..I WANT THAT!!!

there are more health risks i believe with it, but outside of MS i am very healthy, have never had any med side affects have no family history of any illness. my ancestors lived healthy to an old age then just died- in a way that caused the least inconvience for any one.

so i'm talking to the neuro about campath for me. she asked if i wanted to go on ampyra, but i really don't want that. i want once a year ms treatment.

I plan to discuss with her going on 6-8 week tysabri infusions & going on campath next year when its released. i might be less frustrated with tysabri if they did the infusions in 10 minutes instead of 2 hours--nurse calls me speedy gonzales because i am always hurrying her--boy that once a year treatment sounds good.

[0485c10]

Will be called Lemtrada for MS and is sold as Campth for leukemia....

So its Lemtrada you and i are interested in!

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...s-success.html

[betsywetsy]

I had my first round of campath this past November. Not on a study or anything. I have been diagnosed for 10 years and been on Copaxone, Tysabri (2 rounds...had bad reaction) and Betaseron for the majority of the years. I have a "worse than average case" my MS specialist says. I still have active lesions on every MRI...so we thought this was the best choice for me. I can't say yet if the side effects are worth it...I guess my MRI will tell me in November.

[atlawson]

My neurologist has a clinical trial coming up this spring that I am interested in with Campath. It isn't a blind trial and I would be guaranteed the active drug. I am waiting for my MRI in April to make the final decision on whether to do it or not. So far I have failed Betaseron and Copaxone with MRI finding of new lesions on both meds. I am now on Gilenya and doing well and I hate to change if it works. I figured the adverse reactions with the cancer and thyroid was treatable compared to more lesions on my brain.

[hanrahan5]

Campath and Insurance

My daughter's insurance company just denied her Campath treatment. Done tysabri, copaxone to no avail. Anyone get insurance to cover it. Is it experimental? We haven't gone back and talked to doctor yet.

[betsywetsy]

I have aetna and they covered it...just had an $80 copay. I was so blessed considering it's an experimental drug for MS. My doctor has a bunch of patients on it and knows what to send and say to the insurance company. I think your neuro has to send clinicals and a bunch of info on why you need it. Also, you need to call and get a case manager. This way you are being followed and have someone you can contact and see how things are going.

[spacedive]

Campath

Campath works great for me, 3+years now.

[spacedive]

Campath vs wheelchair

Everyone: don't worry about the side effects of Campath. This is you what you want to stay out of the wheelchair. Campath is the best MS drug so far. Your MRI's will go non-active. You will become happy. See the sun rise in a whole new way. Be as healthly as you can before you start. If you see funny things floating around the room during the infusion, they will pass, they are not real. Take your pre-meds. Drink water before and after for weeks.

[Sequoia]

Everyone: don't worry about the side effects of Campath. This is you what you want to stay out of the wheelchair. Campath is the best MS drug so far. Your MRI's will go non-active. You will become happy. See the sun rise in a whole new way. Be as healthly as you can before you start. If you see funny things floating around the room during the infusion, they will pass, they are not real. Take your pre-meds. Drink water before and after for weeks.

I can't tell if you're being at least partially tongue-in-cheek or you're serious, spacedive.

Campath has not been proven to be "the best MS drug so far." There's no guarantee that any given individual's "MRI's will go non-active." And so forth...

The side effects are, in fact, something to be concerned about and to take into account when making the decision whether to take Campath or not.

[spacedive]

Campath

I am serious, I'm just trying to help people and give them hope. It feels like it's my duty to do so. Sure there are side effects, you could die from it. It's all about what are you're willing to risk vs being better. It is a chemo drug. MS is not gone from me, but I think it has been put to sleep. I'm not a doctor, I fix computers all day long. Sometimes I wish I would have become a doctor, but others have done that and provided me this Campath drug which has changed my life for the better. Copaxone, Rebif didn't work. Tysabri I see only holds off the MS a little, FTY720 attacks your liver. I research MS and most of all the new drugs and I see Campath has come the closest to doing the best job. I get sad to see others failing with their MS.

[spacedive]

Campath

I think the Campath mixed my dream world with my reality during parts of the infusion process. I saw things perhaps I should not speak of until others go through the same thing. I know other people have not seen things, but I'd tend to think when Campath hits the majority of people some, maybe a few might experience what I did. I'm not a doctor and I never said anything was a proven fact, but I know my MRI's are a fact and prior to the Campath I had 100+ active lesions and black holes. I was going down for the count and I rose out of the ashes to live another day.

[NYJenn]

Every med has side effects. It's a matter of weighing the risk vs. the benefit of using a medication.