February 15, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD MS trial to test magnetic brain stimulation for overactive bladder A small clinical trial in Texas is testing whether a noninvasive magnetic brain stimulation procedure can ease the symptoms of overactive bladder in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). The randomized Phase 2 study (NCT06072703) is ongoing at Houston Methodist Hospital, and is recruiting about 29 women with stable…
December 19, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Talk therapy found to ease fatigue in MS – with or without follow-up A 20-week talk therapy program led to significant reductions in fatigue for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) ā benefits that were sustained to the end of the year-long trial regardless of whether patients participated in additional booster sessions. Such sessions were offered two and four months after the end…
December 13, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Clinical trial of Scone device for overactive bladder still enrolling Enrollment is nearly complete in a clinical trial of the SconeĀ neuromodulation device in treating neurogenic, or overactive, bladder due to multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, or spinal cord injury, SpineX, its developer, announced. Currently, 95 adult patients (more than 80% of planned total), ages 18 to…
October 4, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Partnership seeks to drive diversity, inclusion in MS clinical trials The Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis and the Arab Board for Clinical Research have partnered with the Association of Diversity in Clinical Trials (AOD) to drive diversity and inclusion in clinical trials, including in those of multiple sclerosis (MS). The intent of the collaboration is to build…
June 26, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Education found to help with MS treatment adherence in Iran An educational intervention program was found to help improve treatment adherence among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) receiving injectable therapies in a clinical trial in Iran. The program was designed based on the theory of planned behavior ā a psychological premise that assumes people act rationally according to their…
March 14, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Treatments with electrical nerve stimulation ease pain in small trial Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential currents (IFC) ā both interventions apply electrical stimulation through electrodes placed on the skin ā can help to ease pain in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results from a small clinical trial. Results suggested that, while both treatments can reduce…
January 4, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Trial Testing Safety, Efficacy of Ginger Supplements in RRMS Researchers in Iran are conducting a clinical trial to test the effects of taking ginger supplements for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Ginger extracts have shown some promise in animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS), but no trial has yet determined the impact that ginger supplements may…
December 14, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Bright Light Therapy Shows Promise for Easing MS Fatigue in Small Trial Daily exposure to 30 minutes of bright light for two weeks led to clinically significant reductions in fatigue scores among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a small clinical trial. “The findings from our study represent a promising non-drug therapeutic approach,” Stefan Seidel, PhD, co-author of the study…
November 11, 2022 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Trial to Assess Adherence to PoNS Therapy for MS With at-Home Use An upcoming observational clinical trial will assess how adherence to treatment with the portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device, used in the clinic and later at home, improves gait in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Sponsored by Helius Medical Technologies, the device’s developer, the open-label Therapeutic…
August 19, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Researchers Share Strategies to Improve Clinical Trial Recruitment Publicity in national news outlets and an online self-screening questionnaire helped improve recruitment for a clinical trial in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a new study highlights. “We have described our experience of recruiting participants with SPMS into two large RCTs [randomized clinical trials] in order to identify areas…
August 10, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Leg Nerve Stimulation Feasible, May Help With Overactive Bladder in MS Transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS), a procedure sending an electric current through the skin to nerves in the legs, is generally safe and feasible in people with overactive bladder due to multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a proof-of-concept study. Though the study was not designed to test the efficacy…
August 8, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Shares Successful Recruitment Strategies for MS Exercise Trial By engaging a variety of stakeholders from across the multiple sclerosis (MS) community, researchers in the U.S. Deep South were able to enroll more than 800 patients to a clinical trial in just over two years in what’s considered the largest study of an exercise intervention in MS patients…
July 29, 2022 News by Mary Chapman Cionic Collaborates With Fuseproject on Neural Sleeve Cionic has collaborated with the multidisciplinary design firm fuseproject to further develop its artificial intelligence-powered, wearable Neural Sleeve, which improves mobility for those living with conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The partnership with Yves Behar and his firm fuseproject resulted in a design that focuses on…
July 14, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS EMBOLD Study of ATA188 in Progressive MS Is Given Go-ahead An independent committee of experts has recommended that the Phase 2 portion of the EMBOLD clinical trial continue as planned without a sample size adjustment, following an analysis of safety and effectiveness data. The trial is testing Atara Biotherapeutics‘ experimental medication ATA188 in progressive forms of multiple…
July 8, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias Trial Results a Setback for US Approval of Nabiximols for MS Spasticity This news seems disappointing: A Phase 3 clinical trial of nabiximols ā which is available under the brand name Sativex in several countries, including Canada and most of Europe ā has failed to meet its primary goal of reducing leg spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Nabiximols…
June 13, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Evusheld, Immunotherapy, Blood Test, Aubagio Evusheld Boosts Antibodies Against COVID-19 in Vaccinated Patients Research has shown that the COVID-19 vaccines have been effective for people being treated with disease-modifying therapies, except for those that target B-cells, such as Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), Kesimpta (ofatumumab), and Rituxan (rituximab). If this very small study of 18 people proves…
June 6, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ublituximab, Lyvispah, Diet Study FDA Decision on Ublituximab for Relapsing MS Pushed to Yearās End Ublituximab is similar to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Kesimpta (ofatumumab), which also target B-cells, the immune cells that play a role in the inflammatory attacks that harm the central nervous system of people with MS. Each of…
May 16, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Music, Resilience, Childhood Abuse, Exercise Biogen, MedRhythms Working on Music Therapy for MS Gait Issues This is music to my ears. Sorry, I couldn’t resist, but I’m a big music fan. Music in my ears really motivates me when I’m exercising. So the idea of using computer-based music therapy to improve someone’s gait has…
May 6, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Keto Diet Improved Life Quality of RRMS Patients in Trial Eating a ketogenic diet ā one low in carbohydrates and high in fats ā led to markedly less fatigue and depression for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in a small clinical trial that was designed to assess the tolerability of the dietary intervention. Measures of disability and quality…
May 3, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Tysabri Every 6 Weeks Found as Effective as Standard 4-week Dosing Tysabri (natalizumab) given every six weeks was found to be similarly effective as the standard four-week dosing schedule at stopping nervous system damage in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). That’s according to the full results of the Phase 3b NOVA clinical trial, which compared Tysabri dosing schedules…
April 28, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AAN2022 ā Tolebrutinib Reduces Brain Damage Up to 1.5 Years in Trial Long-term treatment with tolebrutinib significantly reduced signs of disease-related brain damage in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from a Phase 2 clinical trial and its extension study. Specifically, the investigational oral therapy was found to keep the number of inflamed brain lesions…
April 26, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Trial of Metformin-Clemastine Combo Enrolls First Patient The first participant has been enrolled in a new clinical trial that is testing whether an antihistamine in combination with a diabetes medication might promote the repair of the myelin sheath in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The trial’s first participant, Annabelle, was diagnosed with relapsing MS over a…
April 18, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Progressive MS Trial Finds Repeat Bone Marrow Infusion Safe, Feasible Repeat harvesting of bone marrow cells and infusing them back into the bloodstream is safe and feasible in people with active progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a small, proof-of-concept clinical trial. Results were detailed in the study, “Repeat infusion of autologous bone marrow…
April 14, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Behavioral Training May Help MS Patients Recognize Facial Expressions An intervention that involves training to recognize facial expressions, and also mimicking these expressions, may help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have trouble recognizing facial affect, according to data from a small clinical trial. These findings were reported in the study āEmotional processing intervention (EMOPRINT):…
March 29, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Trial Cleared for PIPE-307, Potential RRMS Myelin Restoration Therapy The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a Phase 1b/2a trial of PIPE-307, Pipeline Therapeutics‘ investigational myelin-restoring treatment, in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The trial will enroll about 45 RRMS patients from multiple U.S. sites who will be randomized to receive either three months…
March 14, 2022 News by Margarida Maia, PhD PIPE-307, Aiming to Restore Myelin, Found Safe in Phase 1 Trial PIPE-307, an investigational myelin-restoring medication being developed by Pipeline Therapeutics for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), appears to be safe and well tolerated in healthy adults. The results are from a Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT04725175) that evaluated the safety and tolerability of PIPE-307 in 70…
February 4, 2022 Columns by John Connor At 64, I’m Surprised to Be Scrambling to Mount a Chariot As usual, Iāve gone for what I hope to be an intriguing headline, because youāve got to grab a reader by any means necessary. If youāve read this far, Iām winning! This saga goes back well over a year, when my neurologist suggested I participate in a clinical trial for…
January 21, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias An Epstein-Barr Virus Primer for MS Patients You may have heard about the research that’s just been published about the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and multiple sclerosis (MS). The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study reports that being infected by EBV raises the risk of developing MS by 32 times. This isn’t a small or…
January 19, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Probes Why Some Don’t Experience Placebo Effect Differences in the physical architecture of the brain may explain why some people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but not others, experience a placebo effect, according to a new study. The results suggest that MS itself may make some individuals unable to experience the benefits of a placebo. “Our findings…
January 19, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Acthar Gel May Help RRMS Patients Who Fail Corticosteroids Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) may be useful for managing disease relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who fail to respond to treatment with corticosteroids, according to results from a small clinical trial. The study, “Results from a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study…