MS News That Caught My Eye: A New Study about Lemtrada, An Easy Way to Improve Balance, A New PML Case Reported and Kudos to Us

Relapse after First Lemtrada Course No Indication of Poor Long-Term Outcome, Study Finds

Some MS patients being treated with Lemtrada report new exacerbation after they complete round one of the drug, and they wonder if this means the drug isn’t working. Magdalena Kegel reports on a new study that should be encouraging for those who, like me, are being treated with this drug.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who experienced a relapse between their first and second rounds of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) had good treatment outcomes over the long run, according to a Phase 3 clinical trial.

Those who relapsed after their first round ended up with annual relapse rates similar to those who didn’t after two years, researchers said at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting. This suggested that an early relapse did not indicate a poor long-term response to Lemtrada.

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Single Session of Ball-Throwing Exercise Improves Balance Control in MS, Study Shows

Balance is one of the problems that I’ve been dealing with for years. So, I was excited to read this story, written by Patricia Inacio, about a small study that reports that just a little work with a medicine ball can improve your balance. I’m going to have to try this.

Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) regain part of their balance control after a single training session of ball-throwing exercises, finds a study supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Researchers presented their study, “A Single-Session Training of Ball Throwing Exercise Improves Balance Control in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis,” at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), May 24-27 in New Orleans.

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PML Found in Ocrevus-Treated Patient Who Had Used Tysabri for 3 Previous Years

It’s uncertain whether it was treatment with Tysabri or Ocrevus that triggered this case of the PML brain infection. The patient’s doctor attributes it to Tysabri, but the manufacturer of Ocrevus is carefully studying this case. Magdalena Kegel provides the details, which many other MS patients and medical professionals will be watching carefully.

A multiple sclerosis (MS) patient treated in Germany with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) has developed the dreaded brain infection progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). But it is not clear whether the recently approved Genentech/Roche-developed treatment is the cause.

The patient took the last dose of a three-year course of Tysabri (natalizumab) in February. Tysabri is a known trigger of PML — a severe brain infection caused by the John Cunningham virus that leaves the majority of patients severely disabled or causes their death.

Healthline Names MS News Today One of the Best Multiple Sclerosis Blogs of 2017

Excuse me for tooting my own horn, but I’m proud to be among the columnists who write for MS News Today. In addition to my The MS Wire, there are 10 other columns that appear. If you haven’t sampled each of them, you should. Just open this story to find them all.

Healthline recently selected Multiple Sclerosis News Today as one of the Best Multiple Sclerosis Blogs of 2017, spotlighting its columns as “thoughts from experts and patients from all kinds of backgrounds” and “a source of inspiration for everyone.”

The team at Multiple Sclerosis News Today is delighted to be included in this honor and would like to recognize the incredible dedication, courage, service, and passion of our columnists.

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