Alcohol may hinder Tecfidera’s effectivenessPublished: 06 December 2022 Drinking alcohol around the same time as taking multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) may limit the drug’s effectiveness according to a new study done on mice. Mice were given alcohol ten minutes before their medication doses. Tests showed that the alcohol inhibits a liver enzyme that is needed to break down dimethyl fumarate, which is the main ingredient in Tecfidera, into its active state, monomethyl fumarate (MMF). When alcohol was added into the mix, no MMF was detected in the mice’s blood and brain. “It is recommended based on this study that alcohol consumption be avoided in close temporal proximity to dosing with DMF to avoid this interaction,” the study’s researchers wrote, noting additional studies in humans are still needed. Other Stories You May Be Interested In... News Chemicals in household products linked to MS in study View article News MS trial halted as antihistamine produces worrying results View article News New study uncovers role of microglia in multiple sclerosis lesions View article