Novantrone® (mitoxantrone)

Parent company: EMD Serono, Inc.

• Given via intravenous infusion once every three months for a maximum of two-to-three years. The total dose that can be taken is limited to avoid the risk of damage to the heart. Dose varies according to an individual's weight.


• Novantrone is approved for use in SPMS, progressive-relapsing MS (PRMS), worsening RRMS, and people who are not responding favorably to standard therapies.


• It appears to delay the time to a first-treated relapse, reduces the number of relapses, delays the time to disability progression, and decreases the number of new lesions that can be detected by MRI. It also appears to stabilize disease activity in some individuals with SPMS.


• Novantrone is an immunosuppressant that has been used for years to treat cancer. It targets rapidly dividing cells, including those believed to be involved in MS. Side effects may include cardiac disease and leukemia; patients are closely monitored to minimize these risks.


• Preliminary evidence suggests that low-dose Novantrone may be used as an add-on rescue therapy in RRMS patients who respond poorly to other DMTs. The anti-inflammatory response was evident after six months.


• Combination and Comparative studies: A study to evaluate the use of Novantrone before Copaxone treatment, versus treatment with Copaxone alone, found beneficial results as measured by annual relapse rates in the Novantrone-induced group.