Genzyme announces phase-3 results of Lemtrada in patients with relapsing MS

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A late-stage clinical trial of a drug under development as a treatment for multiple sclerosis has shown "successful" results.



Genzyme, acquired earlier this year by French drug maker Sanofi, announced results of the phase-3 "CARE-MS II" trial of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), saying the drug "significantly reduced" worsening of disability and relapse in patients with MS, compared with Rebif (interferon beta-1a), made by Pfizer and German drug maker Merck KGaA, a separate company from U.S.-based Merck.



"CARE-MS II represents the culmination of many years of clinical and laboratory research aimed at demonstrating the potential for alemtuzumab as a highly effective treatment for MS and understanding mechanisms involved in the complex natural history of the disease," University of Cambridge clinical neuroscience professor Alastair Compston said on behalf of Genzyme. "Taken together, the phase-2 and phase-3 clinical trial data illustrate the promise that alemtuzumab holds as a transformative treatment for people with relapsing MS."

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