MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mayzent Approval Surprises, Myelin Repair, Monitoring Nerve Inflammation

Cleveland Clinic Neurologist Applauds Mayzent’s FDA Approval, But Surprised by Those It May Not Treat

When I wrote my “MS Wire” column a few days after Mayzent’s approval, I wondered why the FDA had OK’d the medication for active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), but not for nonactive SPMS. That seemed strange to me, and I’m apparently not alone. Dr. Robert Fox thinks that there are other odd things about this approval.

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the disease-modifying therapy Mayzent (siponimod) for relapsing types of multiple sclerosis (MS), it specified in its label that the treatment was for people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and — importantly — secondary progressive MS (SPMS) provided they have “active” disease.

The approval is good news, an MS researcher and physician said to Multiple Sclerosis News Today in an interview, but “surprising” in that the FDA’s decision was largely based on a trial that didn’t involve CIS patients and wasn’t focused on responses among particular types of SPMS.

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Tiny DNA Molecule May Help Development of Myelin Repair Therapies, Study Suggests

I know this is just a mouse study and that mouse studies are a long way away from the day that a treatment becomes available, if it ever does. But any research on remyelination attracts my attention. And because this DNA molecule is said to be easy and inexpensive to produce, as well as carrying a low risk of triggering an immune response, this study is worth a read.

A shortened DNA molecule showed an increased ability to bind myelin in human cells, and may boost the development of remyelination approaches for multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, according to a study.

The study, “Optimization of a 40-mer Antimyelin DNA Aptamer Identifies a 20-mer with Enhanced Properties for Potential Multiple Sclerosis Therapy,” was published in the journal Nucleic Acid Therapeutics.

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Analysis of TWEAK Protein Levels May Help Identify Active Inflammation in MS Patients, Study Suggests

Neurologists have tools to track MS progression, but there aren’t many. There are physical tests and, of course, there’s the MRI. But this study indicates that doctors might, at some point, be able to use a blood test to track inflammation of our nerves and in doing that, better monitor and manage our MS symptoms.

High blood levels of a signaling protein known as TWEAK are associated with active neuroinflammation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows.

This finding suggests that TWEAK may be a valuable biomarker to assess ongoing inflammation and overall MS activity, and potentially help optimize patient care.

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