Review of daclizumab and its therapeutic potential in the treatment of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. It can present in several forms, with the relapsing–remitting pattern being the most common. Since the approval of the first disease-modifying therapy and the initiation of appropriate treatments from the early stages of the disease, there seem to be positive impacts on the long-term outcomes and disability associated with MS. Currently, there are ten approved drugs for the treatment of MS, and several more are in various stages of development. These medications each have their unique profile in terms of efficacy, dose, routes of administration, tolerability, and adverse effects. Daclizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that is being explored for the treatment of MS. It is currently approved for use in allograft renal transplantation. Given its modulatory effects on the immune system, daclizumab’s potential for use in MS was tested in extensive Phase II trials. With continued demonstration of its efficacy, it is currently in a Phase III trial for relapsing–remitting MS. While daclizumab has demonstrated beneficial effects in controlling disease activity in MS, there were also some safety and tolerability concerns that were raised. Further information from the ongoing Phase III trial, and from open-label studies, will shed light on the benefit and risk profile of this drug and its potential for use in MS.