Our current research and development efforts focus primarily on serious, difficult-to-treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders that have received little funding and support. We are also interested in exploratory studies in additional therapeutic areas in which there are important unmet medical needs and where Acthar Gel has the potential to play a significant therapeutic role.
Below is a brief overview of several of the therapeutic areas where Questcor is providing funding and support.
Multiple Sclerosis
Proteinuria In Nephrotic Syndrome
Infantile Spasms
Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which consists of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of MS may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The specific symptoms of MS and their rate of progression and severity vary from one person to another.
An MS flare, also known as an exacerbation, attack or relapse, is a sudden worsening of one or more symptoms of MS or the appearance of new symptoms lasting for at least 24 hours and separated from a previous attack by at least one month.
Find out more information about Multiple Sclerosis relapses on
our Acthar® Gel product website.
Proteinuria in Nephrotic Syndrome
Excess urinary protein for people with nephrotic syndrome is usually caused by a variety of diseases and underlying disorders that damage the kidneys including:
These diseases damage the glomeruli, small blood vessels that work as a filtering system in the kidneys. They normally keep substances the body needs, such as blood proteins (albumin), while filtering wastes and excess water from the blood and passing them into the urine. Because the glomeruli are damaged, the kidney's filtering system cannot properly function. As a result, substances like protein that were previously unable to pass through, can now leak or "spill" into the urine. This leads to high protein levels in urine, or proteinuria. Because of this condition, the blood lacks the protein necessary to regulate fluid throughout your body.
Find out more information about proteinuria in nephrotic syndrome on
our Acthar® Gel product website.
Infantile Spasms
Infantile Spasms (IS) is a serious form of epilepsy, or seizure disorder, of infancy and childhood. There are several types of Infantile Spasms. Cryptogenic ("asymptomatic") Infantile Spasms usually follows a normal pregnancy, birth, and development, and there is no known cause. The prognosis for infants with this form of Infantile Spasms is generally more favorable than for infants with "symptomatic" Infantile Spasms, which results from an underlying condition. Physicians consider Infantile Spasms to be one of the most difficult types of seizures to treat.
Find out more information Infantile Spasms on our Acthar® Gel product website.
Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis
Dermatomyositis and polymyositis are two diseases that cause inflammation in the muscles attached to the skeleton. Together, dermatomyositis and polymyositis affect nearly 75,000 people in the US. These diseases can develop at any time, but they usually affect people aged 40 to 50. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
Find out more information about Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis on
our Acthar Gel® Product Website
