My sister Dawn has MS and soon will be undergoing treatment with a drug called Lemtrada. She is raising funds and awareness for the MS Trust.She is organising fundraising at her work at NPower and has support from her colleagues.

Lemtrada is a disease modifying drug (DMD) for active relapsing remitting MS and very active relapsing remitting MS.

You take Lemtrada as an intravenous infusion (drip) in two treatment courses, twelve months apart. It reduces the number of relapses by about two thirds (70%), compared to taking placebo.

Common side effects include infusion-related reactions which are generally mild and short-lived and increased risk of infections following a treatment course.

Less common but potentially very serious side effects may also occur including thyroid disorders, kidney problems and blood clotting problems.

Lemtrada is a highly effective (category 2.0) DMD; in clinical trials people taking Lemtrada had about 50% fewer relapses than people taking Rebif. In clinical trials, people taking Lemtrada had fewer, smaller or no new areas of active MS (lesions). Lemtrada may also slow down the build-up of disability associated with MS.

You take Lemtrada as two treatment courses of intravenous (iv) infusions.

the first course consists of iv infusions on five consecutive days
the second course is taken 12 months later and consists of iv infusions on three consecutive days
In general you will be admitted as a hospital inpatient for the duration of each treatment course

Lemtrada works by binding to and killing immune cells (lymphocytes or white blood cells) which are involved when the immune system attacks myelin. It is thought that the cells which grow back after treatment do not cause damage to nerves.