Bergen Hospital Begins Administering 'Groundbreaking' MS Drug

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — One of the county's largest hospitals is administering a new drug to multiple sclerosis patients.

Hackensack University Medical Centers is one of the first hospitals in North Jersey to administer the drug Ocrevus to a patient. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug March 28 and the hospital administered it for the first time in the previous month.

The drug only needs to be administered intravenously every six months. It is designed to treat adult multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, including those experiencing a relapse. The drug targets cells in the blood that are responsible for inflammation and the loss of insulator cells in nerves that speeds electrical impulses to muscles.

Clinical trials of patients with primary progressive MS showed they experienced a 24 percent reduction in the disease's progression and a decrease in the number of brain lesions.

"This therapy not only provides a new highly effective treatment option for those with relapsing multiple sclerosis, but for the first time offers hope for those with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, to whom until now we could only offer treatment of their symptoms, but were unable to improve their prognosis," said Dr. Florian Thomas, director of the hospital's MS Center.

The MS Center opened in October. It provides patients with counseling, physical therapy, clinical care and educational resources and research opportunities for medical professionals.

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