Medical Director Explains Latest Developments in Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research

Researchers are reporting exciting work under way to develop new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS).  Management of the condition can be divided into three areas: relapse treatment, symptom management and disease modification.

In this 10-minute Shepherd Center Radio podcast, Ben Thrower, M.D., medical director of the Andrew C. Carlos MS Institute at Shepherd Center, discusses a number of clinical trials that are under way at Shepherd Center and elsewhere. This podcast and others are available at shepherd.org/news/radio or can be downloaded as an MP3 file from the link above. A transcript of the interview is also available on the Shepherd Center Radio web page.

In the interview, Dr. Thrower discusses one recent pharmaceutical development -- the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of Plegridy™ (peginterferon beta-1a), a new treatment for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). Clinical trials show the drug reduces relapses, disability progression and brain lesions.

Dr. Thrower is the medical director of the MS Institute at Shepherd Center. He previously served as the medical director of the Holy Family Multiple Sclerosis Institute in Spokane, Wash. In Spokane, he was the chair of the Inland Northwest Chapter of the NMSS. In 2000, he was awarded the Norm Cohn Hope Chest Award by the National MS Society, recognizing his work with the MS community. In 2005, he was the first physician inductee into the Georgia Chapter of the National MS Society Volunteer Hall of Fame.