January 23, 2017 Columns by admin Pick of the Week’s News: Clinical Trial, Collaboration, Oral DMTs, Resilience, Cannabis Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. MS Patients with Spasticity Needed for Study of Extended-release Baclofen Capsules Now here’s a rare chance to get involved in a clinical trial – as long as you have MS and experience some form…
January 19, 2017 Columns by admin MS Society Award Nominations: We All Are Stars Nominations are being sought for individuals and groups for the U.K.’s MS Society Awards 2017. Organizers say the awards will recognize the stars of the MS community and their contributions during 2016. While not wishing to denigrate…
January 16, 2017 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Partners, Traffic, Patent, B-cells, Award Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Sanofi, ImmuNext Partner to Develop Antibody to Treat Range of Autoimmune Diseases Big news on the business front is the alliance of two companies, Sanofi and ImmuNext, that have announced an agreement…
January 13, 2017 Columns by admin Like These Athletes, We All Should be Putting Our Best Feet Forward It’s often said of the 2.5 million of people in the world who have multiple sclerosis that no two have the same symptoms. Indeed, that is why it is known as the Snowflake disease. And the wide variety of symptoms can be well-illustrated by looking…
January 9, 2017 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Diet and Exercise, Tolerability, CHANGE-MS and More Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Inactivity and Poor Diet Are Common Risk Factors Among MS Patients, Study Says For years, people with MS have been advised to exercise more and eat healthy foods. That is advice given to…
January 5, 2017 Columns by admin Phoebe’s HSCT Story: Back home (Last in a Series) Phoebe Scopes was the first international patient to receive Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) therapy for multiple sclerosis in Moscow. In this fourth, and last, part of her story, we join Phoebe on her return home to the London. Ian: What is your post-HSCT MS state from getting home…
December 19, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Picks of the Week’s News: Zinbryta, Gadolinum, Calcium, Brain’s Defense, Antibiotic Here are my Picks of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Zinbryta Approved in Canada as Once-Monthly Treatment for Relapsing MS It can only be good for people with relapsing MS in Canada that they now may receive Zinbryta as a treatment.
December 15, 2016 Columns by admin Phoebe Scopes, British HSCT Pioneer in Moscow, Part 2 Last week, I introduced you to Phoebe Scopes, the very first MS patient from another country to undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in Moscow. Today, in Part 2,  we pick up the story of the 46-year-old who lives in London. Ian: So, you had done lots of research. How…
December 12, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Imbalances, Attack, Hormonal, Vitamin D, Copaxone Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Imbalances in Brain Microbiota May Be Behind Demyelination in MS, Study Says Good to see that new research involving humans (NOT mice this time) may lead to better understanding of MS. Alterations…
December 5, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: UV light, Parasite Protein, Copper, Stem Cells, Palliative Here is my Pick of the Week’s news, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. UV Light May Lead Way to New Treatment for MS and Inflammation Now this might be exciting, if turns out that ultraviolet light can truly be the basis of new treatments that…
November 28, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Stem Cells, Sun Scares, T-Cells, and More This is my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. New Company Specializing in Stem Cell Platform for MS and Other Ills Raises $48.5M A news story about a new company raising nearly $50 million to further develop stem cell transplants that…
November 21, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: DMTs, Availability, Cannabis, Imaging, Sexual Dysfunction Here is my Pick of the Week’s News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Effectiveness and Safety of DMDs Top Patient Concerns with These Therapies, Survey Says Having progressive multiple sclerosis, the issue of drugs that are disease modifying therapies (DMTs) has never arisen in my…
November 14, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Immunity, Marijuana, Late-onset, Genetics and Reimbursements Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Immune System May Harbor Natural Way of Fighting MS, Other Autoimmune Diseases A genetic key to a possible natural way of battling MS could be worth further work. A variant in the TYK2 gene, which encodes…
November 10, 2016 Columns by admin Research About Why Interferon Can Fail is Welcome I have made no secret of my distrust of the side effects from many of the disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that are used mainly in the fight against relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). The fact that the most serious, albeit rare, side effects listed by the manufacturers of some drugs, include “death”…
November 7, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Ampyra, Breast Cancer, Bourbon, Myelin, Lemtrada Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News published last week in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Ampyra Helps MS Patients Not Only Walk Better, But Feel Better Too, Study Reports This is news of encouraging research. Results from a Phase 2 clinical trial showed that treatment with Ampyra (prolonged-release fampridine)…
November 3, 2016 Columns by admin HSCT in Moscow, Day by Day Doesn’t time fly? It seems only yesterday that I was preparing to go to Moscow, yet tomorrow will be three weeks since my return. I have written enough about my experiences at the A.A. Maximov center so, today, we’ll take a look at how HSCT progresses, step by step. The…
October 31, 2016 News by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Myelin, Posture, ‘Rare’ Molecule, T-cells, CBDs This is my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Study of Myelin-producing Cells a Step Forward for MS, Other Neurological Disorders Isn’t it strange how often in the world of science, something of importance is found in an unconnected study? Here,…
October 24, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Lemtrada, Umbilical Stem Cells, Wheat Proteins and Research Here is my pick of the week’s news items, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Lemtrada Seen to Help Reverse MS Disability in People in Earlier Stages of Disease A medication that might not just stop but reverse disability of people with relapsing MS? Now, this is…
October 20, 2016 Columns by admin Hormones and Diet Help Relieve Woman’s MS-Related Fatigue A woman who says her life was made miserable by fatigue caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), claims she is on the road to recovery because she has taken control of her body and is using a combination of hormones and diet. Instead of relying on conventional treatment, she is…
October 17, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Remyelination, Ocrevus, Mushrooms, Heparin, Exercise Here, I comment on my Pick of the Week’s News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Myelin Regeneration Achieved in Mouse Model of MS Remyelination is one of the most exciting developments in the treatment of MS. Therapies aimed at regenerating the myelin sheath can work to…
October 3, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Tecfidera, T-cells, Test Dosing and More Here’s my pick of this week’s news, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. How Tecfidera Works to Reduce MS Relapses Finally Discovered, May Lead to Better Treatments The possibility that this discovery may lead to the development of new drugs with fewer side effects is good news.
September 26, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patient’s Pick of the Week’s News: Most Effective, Brain MRIs, Vit D3, Lipoic Acid, Modeling Here’s my Pick of this Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. This week is a rather special one because it spotlights the work done by our news team in following and reporting the major events at ECTRIMS 2016. Here, I set out my choice of what I…
September 23, 2016 Columns by admin Familial Connections Cannot Be Coincidences, Can They? Life can be really strange and not always fathomable to someone like me who is not blessed with neither medical nor scientific qualifications. On a purely technical basis, I am just an ordinary guy. What I do know about diseases, illnesses and conditions – call them what you will –…
September 21, 2016 Columns by admin MS Brothers Able to Remain at Home Thanks to Caregiving Support Continuing to live in your own home when you can no longer look after yourself is an ideal many people seek to aspire to – but it’s not easy. Outside help is often needed. Alex Camarillo is one perfect example of this. He is 35 years old, has severe…
September 19, 2016 Columns by admin MS Columnist’s Picks of the Week: ECTRIMS, Biomarkers, Cannabis, Migraine, Research Award Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. #ECTRIMS2016 was undoubtedly the star of the week ECTRIMS, the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, dominated the news stories of the week when it held its 32nd congress in London. There…
September 18, 2016 Columns by admin #MSLIFE2016 – Sunday Brings Presentations, Activities Galore A very full day of activities is planned for today at MS Life, inside London’s ExCel exhibition and convention center. Altogether, there are 15 presentations on the agenda. Three are in the MS Life theatre, and three more are in each of the following four zones: Managing my MS Symptoms;…
September 17, 2016 Columns by admin #ECTRIMS2016 #MSLIFE2016 – Saturday: Congress Closes, MS Life Opens London’s ExCel exhibition and convention center is set for a busy Saturday as ECTRIMS winds down today and MS Life opens just down the hall. Organized by the MS Society, MS Life is billed as the biggest MS family event in Europe. With ECTRIMS drawing to a close, many…
September 16, 2016 Columns by admin #ECTRIMS2016 – Here’s my Pick of Friday’s Best at the Congress Friday carries on the ECTRIMS congress’s style of so much going on that it must be difficult for delegates to decide which sessions to attend and which ones they can afford to miss. Of course, not everyone can make the same choice but, having delved into the agenda, here…
September 15, 2016 Columns by admin #ECTRIMS2016 – My Pick of Thursday’s Congress Highlights Another full day, today, at London’s ExCel center and numerous sessions, presentations, and debates to attract the attention of delegates attending ECTRIMS. After sifting through the agenda, here are my picks of Thursday’s highlights: This morning sees the beginning of the congress’s plenary sessions, featuring a lecture about “MS diagnosis and…
September 14, 2016 Columns by admin #ECTRIMS2016 – Patient Empowerment Is One of My Highlights for Day 1 Europe’s annual congress discussing treatment, including Patient Empowerment, and research in multiple sclerosis is now underway in London. The 32nd congress is being held from today until Saturday, when it draws to a close at lunchtime. The agenda is absolutely jammed full of topics being covered in a multitude of sessions…