New Drug for MS Patients

FDA approves dalfampridine to improve walking for patients with MS.
The AP (1/23, Perrone) reported that the FDA has approved Acorda Therapeutics' Ampyra (dalfampridine) "to improve walking in patients multiple sclerosis." Side effects "reported in clinical trials included: insomnia, urinary tract infections, dizziness, headache, nausea and throat pain, according to the FDA."
The Wall Street Journal (1/23, Dooren) pointed out that the FDA said the drug can cause seizures when given at higher than the recommended dose of 10 milligrams twice a day and shouldn't be used in patients with moderate to severe kidney disease.
Bloomberg News (1/22, Lopatto) noted that the drug also "helped MS patients achieve faster walking speeds in clinical trials than those who didn't receive it." Ampyra "may be combined with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.'s Copaxone [glatiramer] or Biogen's Avonex [Interferon beta-1a], injectable therapies used to reduce relapses and prevent the disease from getting worse." AFP (1/25), CNN (1/25, Caruso), the Los Angeles Times (1/25, Dennis) "Booster Shots" blog, MedPage Today (1/22, Petrochko), WebMD (1/22, DeNoon), Medscape (1/22, Jeffrey) and Reuters (1/22) also covered the story.