Alberto Molano, PhD,  —

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for QyScore, a cloud-based imaging software for the automated quantification of key magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of central nervous system (CNS) disease. MRI is an important tool for diagnosing multiple sclerosis and other CNS disorders. By…

Results from a large observational study of pregnant women with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with an interferon (IFN) beta-1a, like Rebif, before and during the first trimester showed no elevated risk of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy compared to those not using the medicine. This finding was presented at…

The relative risk of developing cancer was found to be higher in multiple sclerosis patients who more frequently switched between disease-modifying treatments, according to a study. In addition, researchers found an increased incidence of cancer in male MS patients from 20 to 50 years old, and in female MS patients over 50. The data were reported in the study “Cancer Risk and Multiple Sclerosis: Evidence From a Large Italian Cohort,” published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology. Previous research has discovered that MS and cancer may share some abnormal functions of the immune system. To better understand the incidence of cancer in MS patients, and evaluate the impact of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) on cancer risk, a team led by researchers at the University of Catania, Italy, compared a database of MS patients between 2003 and 2013 in Catania (the second largest city of Sicily in Italy) with the Integrated Cancer Registry of Catania-Messina-Siracusae-Enna, which collects information about cancer in the general population of that particular geographic area. During the time period analyzed (2003–2013), 2,730 people were diagnosed with MS. Of these, 1,180 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study (67.1% females; mean age of 41.2 years), and of those, a total of 36 incidences of cancer were observed. Investigators then analyzed the number of cancer cases according to the “expected” number of cases in the Catania community based on the Integrated Cancer registry. These are the “standardized incidence ratios,” or SIR. If the observed number of cancer cases in MS patients equals the expected number, the SIR is 1, meaning no increased cancer risk. If more cases are observed than expected, the SIR is greater than 1, meaning increased risk. If fewer cases are observed than expected, the SIR is less than 1, meaning less risk. The results showed that the cancer risk was not significantly increased in the MS population as a whole (SIR of 1.18). However, when the analysis was focused on specific population subgroups, stratified based on age and gender, men between 20 and 50 years old (SIR of 2.84), and women over 50 (SIR of 1.82) showed a significantly higher risk of developing cancer. These results suggested that some MS subpopulations may be more susceptible to developing cancer. The team also investigated the effects of different MS treatment strategies on the relative risk (RR) of developing cancer. MS patients were divided into four subgroups: patients not treated with any disease-modifying treatment (DMT), treated with one DMT (“no switch”), treated with two DMT (“one switch”), and treated with more than two DMTs. The RR of developing cancer was not significantly higher in the “no DMT” group, and slightly increased in the “no switch” group, but it was 1.99 (nearly two times higher) in the “one switch” group, and 3.38 (more than three times higher) in the group who switched at least twice. Based on the results, the team hypothesized that “MS patients experiencing therapeutic failure with different immunomodulating and/or IS (immunosuppressive) [agents] could have an enhanced risk of cancer, because being exposed to different molecules with different mechanisms of action may negatively influence the innate and adaptive immune systems and make these patients more sensitive [to] carcinogenesis [cancer formation].” In terms of cancer types, a significantly higher incidence of genitourinary and thyroid cancers was observed. Additional analysis showed that age, age at MS onset, disease duration, and more that two DMT switches were associated with a higher risk of developing cancer. "Our results demonstrated that cancer risk was not increased in our MS population; but age and sex different distribution may partly drive cancer risk. Higher cancer risk in MS patients switching more than two DMTs should [be] take[n] into account in treatment decision making,” the team concluded.

Early, positive safety results from a Phase 1 trial testing a potential immunotherapy, ATA188, in people with progressive multiple sclerosis will be detailed at the 5th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) late next month, its developer, Atara Biotherapeutics, announced. ATA188 is an investigational and “off-the-shelf”…

A study suggests that it may be possible to create synthetic speech based on recordings of brain activity in people with irreversible speech loss due to neurological ills, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, or stroke. The system uses tiny electrodes implanted on the surface of the brain that directly records…

Roche Canada is contributing $2.125 million to the Canadian Prospective Cohort Study to Understand Progression in MS (CanProCo), a partnership initiative with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, the Brain Canada Foundation, and Biogen Canada. The addition of Roche Canada to the collaboration raises the…

In partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the MS Society of Canada has announced $1.5 million to fund research over five years on the effects of cannabis on multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms and disease progression. Studies have shown that for each 10-degree increase in latitude, patients newly diagnosed…

Immunic Therapeutics has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 2 clinical trial testing IMU-838, a potential oral therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). IMU-838 (vidofludimus calcium) is a next-generation selective modulator of the immune system. It works by inhibiting an enzyme called dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), which plays a…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients eat a more limited diet, with a lower average of 31 nutrients, including zinc, thiamin, and iron, when compared with healthy controls, a study shows. Blood tests also showed that MS patients had significantly lower iron levels, a different fatty acid composition in their red blood…

An international survey of caregivers and adults with neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), revealed that spasticity is a hidden burden, having a negative effect on the ability to perform everyday tasks, and that relieving its symptoms significantly improves patients’ quality of life. The survey was presented by…

Banner Life Sciences has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its new drug application (NDA) for Bafiertam (monomethyl fumarate), a novel bioequivalent of Biogen’s Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Final approval is expected no later than…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who reported food allergies showed a 27 percent higher cumulative rate of flare-ups over the course of their disease, and more than twice the likelihood of having active inflammatory lesions, a new study shows. The study, “Food Allergies are Associated with Increased Disease Activity…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics‘ request to open a Phase 2 clinical trial testing the safety and effectiveness of its proprietary NurOwn mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The request was in the form of Investigational New Drug…

Tysabri (natalizumab) was found to be superior to interferon beta (IFN-β) in a small, 12-month study with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, significantly decreasing their disability levels, its researchers report. A vast majority — 90 percent — of Tysabri-treated patients experienced no relapses during the study period,…

The U.S. Congress is supporting with $5 million the National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System (NNCSS), an initiative to be launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help researchers better understand who develops neurological disorders and why. The NNCSS was authorized by Congress as a part…

Nurses who specialize in treating multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.K. are handling heavier caseloads than recommended or preferred, resulting in patients going without the necessary care and support they deserve, the MS Trust reports. Particularly, the 2018 report notes that newer treatments require more complex and careful monitoring. However, it…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses can be challenging for some patients, and better engagement is needed between patients and their healthcare providers, a study focused on patient experiences has found. The study, titled “Relapse prevalence, symptoms, and health care engagement: patient insights from the Multiple Sclerosis in America 2017 survey,”…