Treatment of multiple sclerosis with an anti-interleukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibody.

We examined whether treatment with daclizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody specific for the interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain, was safe and efficacious in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients. Nineteen ambulatory patients with clinically active disease were treated for 5 to 25 months. Seventeen patients were not responding to other immunotherapies. Daclizumab was generally well tolerated. Sustained clinical improvement (10 patients) or stabilization (9 patients) was observed. Daclizumab treatment produced significant reduction in magnetic resonance imaging activity.