(BPT) - At the age of 23, Kim Bradley was starting a new chapter in her life. She recently married her high school sweetheart and was planning what their future would look like. Everything seemed to be going her way. When Kim first began experiencing fatigue and sensitivity in her legs and feet, she naturally associated it with working long hours at her new job. After all, she had just begun diving into her career as a bank teller, was young and healthy. What else could it be? But when her symptoms persisted, she knew something was wrong.

“I was in my early twenties, in the prime of my life and very resilient. I felt I could overcome any obstacle that was thrown my way,” shared Kim. “Times were very different back then. It was 1986 when I started experiencing my symptoms and I couldn’t turn to the Internet to research the cause. I was a bit hesitant, but after talking with my husband — he noticed how the changes in my body were affecting me — we agreed that I needed to see a doctor.”

Soon after, Kim was diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). Though she was in shock, Kim wanted to learn as much as she could about MS and how it was treated.

Today, it’s estimated that 2.3 million people worldwide are living with MS—a chronic, often debilitating condition that affects the central nervous system.^[i]  Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although MS can occur in young children and older adults.^[i] Approximately 85 percent of people are initially diagnosed with relapsing MS, which is the most common form of the disease.^[ii] Symptoms may be mild, moderate, or severe, ranging from numbness in the limbs to paralysis or loss of vision.^[i]

Though she was initially devastated, Kim has stayed positive and fought through the more challenging times with relapsing MS, thanks to the strong support system of her family and doctor. She has occasionally experienced flare-ups, and at one point, briefly relied on a cane to get around her home. Despite these setbacks, Kim refuses to let relapsing MS define who she is. She has continued to work at the same bank and cherishes the time she spends with her husband and two daughters.

“I hope my story shows others that it is possible to live a full life with MS,” Kim explained. “I’ve remained optimistic because I know where I’ve been, what I’ve been through, and what I’m capable of.”

Living with relapsing MS for 30 years, Kim has seen the amount of treatment options jump from none to more than 11 available for the MS community. Since 2006, Kim has been taking TYSABRI^® (natalizumab).

TYSABRI, a prescription medication used to treat adults with relapsing forms of MS, has been available in the United States for 10 years. TYSABRI can slow the worsening of symptoms common in people with relapsing MS and can decrease the number of relapses. TYSABRI increases the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Kim continues to work with her doctor to evaluate whether the benefits of TYSABRI outweigh the risks. Kim is a patient spokesperson for Biogen.

Individual results with TYSABRI will vary. Talk to your doctor, or visit www.TYSABRI.com to learn more.

Indication

TYSABRI^® (natalizumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to slow the worsening of symptoms common in people with MS and to decrease the number of flare-ups (relapses). TYSABRI increases the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). When starting and continuing treatment with TYSABRI, it is important to discuss with your doctor whether the expected benefit of TYSABRI is enough to outweigh this risk.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

TYSABRI increases your risk of getting a rare brain infection—called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)—that usually leads to death or severe disability.

• There is no known treatment, prevention, or cure for PML.
  
  
• You should not take certain medicines that weaken your immune system at the same time you are taking TYSABRI. Even if you use TYSABRI alone to treat your MS, you can still get PML.
  
  
• Your risk of getting PML is higher if you:
  
  
  
  • have received TYSABRI for a long time, especially for longer than 2 years
    
    
  • have received certain medicines that can weaken your immune system before you start receiving TYSABRI
    
    
    
  • have been infected by the John Cunningham Virus (JCV). Before or while you receive TYSABRI, your doctor may do a blood test to check if you have been infected by JCV. JCV is a common virus that can cause PML in people who have weakened immune systems, such as people taking TYSABRI.
    
    
• Your risk of getting PML is greatest if you have all 3 risk factors listed above. There may be other risk factors that have not yet been identified.
  
  
• Patients who are anti-JCV antibody negative are still at the risk for the development of PML due to the potential for a new JCV infection or a false negative test resu Therefore, patients with a negative test result should be retested periodically.
  
  
• While you receive TYSABRI, and for 6 months after you stop receiving TYSABRI, it is important that you call your doctor right away if you have any new or worsening medical problems (such as problems with your thinking, eyesight, balance, or strength; weakness on 1 side of your body; and using your arms and legs) that have lasted several da Tell all of your doctors that you are getting treatment with TYSABRI.
  
  
• Because of your risk of getting PML while you receive TYSABRI, TYSABRI is available only through a restricted distribution program called the TOUCH^® Prescribing Program.
  
  
• If you have PML or are allergic to TYSABRI or any of its ingredients, you should not receive TYSABRI.

Before receiving TYSABRI, it is important to tell your doctor:

• If you have a medical condition that can weaken your immune system, such as HIV infection or AIDS, leukemia or lymphoma, organ transplant, or others, or if you have any new or worsening medical problems that have lasted several days.
  
  
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if TYSABRI can harm your unborn baby or if the TYSABRI that passes into your breast milk can harm your baby.
  
  
• About all of the medicines and supplements you take, especially medicines that can weaken your immune system. If you are not sure, ask your doctor.

TYSABRI can cause serious side effects. If you have any of the symptoms listed below, call your doctor right away:

• Infection of the brain or the covering of your brain and spinal cord (encephalitis or meningitis) caused by herpes viruses that may lead to death. Symptoms include sudden fever, severe headache, or confusion.
  
  
• Liver dama Symptoms of liver damage include yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), unusual darkening of the urine, nausea, feeling tired or weak, or vomiting.
  
  
• Allergic reactions (e.g., hives, itching, trouble breathing, chest pain, dizziness, wheezing, chills, rash, nausea, flushing of skin, low blood pressure), including serious allergic reactions (eg, anaphylaxis). Serious allergic reactions usually happen within 2 hours of the start of the infusion, but they can happen any time after receiving TYSABRI.
  
  
  
• Weakened immune system. TYSABRI may increase your risk of getting an unusual or serious infection.

The most common side effects of TYSABRI are:

• Headache, urinary tract infection, lung infection, pain in your arms and legs, vaginitis, stomach- area pain, feeling tired, joint pain, depression, diarrhea, rash, and nausea. If you experience any side effect that bothers you or does not go away, tell your doctor.

These are not all of the possible side effects of TYSABRI. For more information, ask your doctor. To report side effects to FDA, please call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, and Patient Medication Guide at www.tysabri.com or call 1-800-456-2255.

[i] National Multiple Sclerosis Society. MS FAQs. Available at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/MS-FAQ-s. Accessed June 20, 2016.

[ii] National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS). Available at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/Types-of-MS/Relapsing-remitting-MS. Accessed June 20, 2016.