Neurodegenerative Diseases
Merck Serono conducts extensive research in the area of neurodegenerative diseases in order to offer therapeutic options to patients in areas with unmet medical needs, such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Multiple Sclerosis is a particular focus area for Merck Serono.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic (eye) nerves. It is the most common neurological disease in young adults, affecting approximately two million people worldwide and more than 85,000 people in the UK. MS is not inherited, but family members do have a slightly higher risk of developing MS. The condition is usually diagnosed when patients are in their 20s or 30s.
At present, there is no cure for MS but the symptoms can be treated.
MS is the result of damage to myelin - a protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system. When myelin is damaged, this interferes with messages between the brain and other parts of the body. For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission while for others it has a progressive pattern.
MS Facts:
- MS is a disease affecting the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord)
- MS interferes with the brain’s ability to control such functions as seeing, walking and talking. It is unpredictable and every person’s experience of MS will be different
- MS is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40 and is twice as common among women as it is among men
- Symptoms vary, ranging from mild to more severe, but most commonly include: blurred vision, problems with strength and coordination, and numbness or tingling in the limbs.
- There may be periods of relapse of varying length and severity
- It is neither infectious nor contagious
