The TOUCH program and natalizumab: Fundamental flaw in patient protection

Many drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1993 for treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). One such drug is natalizumab (Tysabri, Biogen Idec and Elan pharmaceuticals) which has enjoyed great success in the management of MS since its re-introduction in 2006. One of the complications of using natalizumab is the risk of development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). To mitigate the risk of PML development, Biogen Idec initiated the TOUCH program – this strategy helps monitor the disease. Clinical vigilance remains key in the early diagnosis of PML but serological testing for the John Cunningham Virus Antibody (JCV) helps with risk stratification of PML. However, some physicians do not test for the JCV Ab and since they are not required to send such data to the company or inform the patient, one red flag for suspicion of PML is lost particularly if the patient is asymptomatic. This undercuts the premise of the TOUCH program. In an ideal world, reporting JCV Ab status should be made mandatory since that ensures a basic tenet of the program is met – to identify patients at increased risk of developing PML and make appropriate recommendations based on that finding. Lack of requirement of reporting of this vital finding opens the door for uncertainty in assessment of risk PML development and everyone remains in the dark till it may be too late. This is unacceptable when the company created the TOUCH program specifically with intent to track PML risk in patients on natalizumab. It makes no scientific sense to let the drug be used without setting stringent criteria given the possibility of PML development.