Natalizumab

Patients who have multiple sclerosis sometimes take Natalizumab. This medication is prescribed to patients who cannot take or do not respond to other MS drugs. It is also sometimes prescribed in response to Chron’s disease, a type of irritable bowel disease in which the body attacks the lining of the intestines. This medication is injected once every four weeks at a clinic or hospital. Each injection takes approximately one hour to finish.

Side Effects/Warnings

This medication can cause a serious or fatal brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML. Patients who have ever been on immunosuppressive drugs, patients who take this medication for more than two years and patients who are carriers of John Cummingham virus are more likely to get PML. Patients who have HIV or leukemia may get PML while on this medication because their immune systems are compromised.