Natalizumab
Generic name: natalizumab
Brand name: Tysabri
Dosage form: intravenous (infusion) injection
Drug class:Selective immunosuppressants
What is natalizumab?
Natalizumab a type of biological medication called a monoclonal antibody. It is used to treat a disease of the central nervous system called multiple sclerosis and an inflammatory bowel condition known asCrohn's disease.
Natalizumab is an immunosuppressant that works by attaching itself to the surface of leukocytes, which are white blood cells that circulate in your blood and help you when you get injured or are ill. White blood cells are part of the immune system and levels of them tend to be higher in people with conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease.
Natalizumab is an integrin receptor antagonist that specifically binds to integrins, a type of protein found on the surface of white blood cells. This prevents the white blood cells from migrating from the blood stream into areas of inflamed tissue.
It's not known exactly how this helps people with multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease, but it is thought that by stopping the migration of the white blood cells, natalizumab helps to prevent nerve damage and inflammation.
Natalizumab was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004. No biosimilars of it have been approved. Biosimilars are highly similar versions of the drug that are designed to have the same effect on a person, but a biosimilar is not identical to the original version.
What is natalizumab used for?
Natalizumab is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with:
- relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, to include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease and active secondary progressive disease. natalizumab increases the risk of PML. When starting and continuing treatment with natalizumab, it is important that you discuss with your doctor whether the expected benefit of natalizumab is enough to outweigh this risk. See “Important Information” below.
- moderate to severe Crohn's disease. Natalizumab is used:
- to reduce signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease
- in people who have not been helped enough by, or cannot use the usual Crohn's disease medicines and medicines called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.
- It is not known if natalizumab is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.
Important information
- Natalizumab increases your chance (risk) of getting a rare brain infection that usually leads to death or severe disability. This infection is called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). If PML happens, it usually happens in people with weakened immune systems.
- There is no known treatment, prevention, or cure for PML.
- Your chance of getting PML may be higher if you are also being treated with other medicines that can weaken your immune system, including other treatments for mul.
