Posts by: Ana Pena, PhD

Ana Pena, PhD

Ana is a molecular biologist with a passion for discovery and communication. As a science writer she looks for connecting the public, in particular patient and healthcare communities, with clear and quality information about the latest medical advances. Ana holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where she specialized in genetics, molecular biology, and infectious diseases

October 18, 2019October 18, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Are Injectables Inappropriate for Active Relapsing MS Treatment?

News

With more high-efficacy therapies becoming available, is it now inappropriate to prescribe older injectables — interferon beta and glatiramer acetate — to people with active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS)? ... Read more

October 15, 2019October 15, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Ofatumumab Part of ‘Magnificent Success Story’ for MS, ASCLEPIOS Trial Investigator Says

News

Ofatumumab, an investigational B-cell therapy being developed by Novartis, demonstrated encouraging results in lowering relapse rates and active brain lesions in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) enrolled in the ... Read more

October 15, 2019October 15, 2019

Immunic Therapeutics Fully Enrolls Phase 2 Trial of Oral IMU-838, Potential RRMS Treatment

News

Immunic Therapeutics announced that a Phase 2 clinical trial of IMU-838, its experimental oral therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), is fully enrolled ahead of schedule. The trial, called EMPhASIS, also exceeded ... Read more

October 11, 2019October 11, 2019

Mavenclad, Ocrevus Use Rising in EU as Injectables and Tysabri Decline, Spherix Reports

News

Prescriptions of two multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments —  Merck KGaA‘s Mavenclad (cladribine) and Roche‘s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) — have been rising in Europe over the past six months, bolstered by greater ... Read more

October 9, 2019October 9, 2019

CMSC Grant to Support Kessler Foundation Study of Low-risk Exercise in MS

News

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) has awarded a grant to Kessler Foundation researchers, supporting a pilot study into how well different low-risk exercise regimens ease multiple sclerosis ... Read more

October 4, 2019October 4, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Is Rituximab a Reasonable Option for MS Patients? No, Researcher Says

News

Editor’s note: This is the third story in a three-part report examining the question, “Is rituximab a reasonable alternative treatment for MS?”, which was a topic discussed at this ... Read more

October 4, 2019October 4, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Is Rituximab a Reasonable Option for MS Patients? Yes, Researcher Says

News

Editor’s note: This is the second story in a three-part report examining the question, “Is rituximab a reasonable alternative treatment for MS?”, which was a topic discussed at this ... Read more

October 4, 2019October 4, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Is Rituximab a Reasonable Option for MS Patients?

News

Editor’s note: This is the first story in a three-part report examining the question, “Is rituximab a reasonable alternative treatment for MS?”, which was a topic discussed at this ... Read more

September 30, 2019September 30, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Mollii Suit Can Ease Muscle Stiffness and Improve Movement, Reports State

News

Mollii, an electrostimulation suit, can help reduce muscle stiffness, or spasticity, and its associated pain, as well as improve muscle activation in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy, ... Read more

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Should Vitamin D Supplements Be Recommended for MS? No, Researcher Says

News

Editor’s note: This is the third story in a three-part report examining the question “Should vitamin D supplements be recommended for MS patients?”, which was a topic discussed at ... Read more

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Should Vitamin D Supplements Be Recommended for MS? Yes, Researchers Say

News

Editor’s note: This is the second story in a three-part report examining experts’ answers to the question “Should vitamin D supplements be recommended for MS patients?”, which was a ... Read more

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Should Vitamin D Supplements Be Recommended for MS?

News

Editor’s note: This is the first story in a three-part report examining the question “Should vitamin D supplements be recommended for MS patients?”, which was a topic discussed at ... Read more

September 20, 2019September 20, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Mayzent’s Benefits from a Patient Perspective a ‘Key Question,’ Says EXPAND’s Principal Investigator

News, SPMS

The most recent data continue to support Mayzent‘s (siponimod) benefits and provide more insights on how this therapy can make a difference for those with relapsing forms of multiple ... Read more

September 20, 2019September 20, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Ahead for Mavenclad: Fuller Understanding of What Makes It ‘Unique,’ Serono Exec Says in Interview

News

Real-world data continues to support the safety and effectiveness of Mavenclad (cladribine tablets) in treating multiple sclerosis (MS), and several studies underway will help scientists gain in-depth understanding of how Mavenclad works, ... Read more

September 19, 2019October 2, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Ocrevus Living Up to ‘Game-changing’ Moniker, Genentech’s Hideki Garren Says in Interview

News

Two years after the approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the latest data continue to support the benefits of the so-called “game-changing” therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS), while new insights highlight ... Read more

September 18, 2019September 18, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Ozanimod’s ‘Key Advantages’ May Lead to New First-line MS Therapy: Interview with Neurologist Jeffrey Cohen

News

Celgene‘s oral ozanimod, if approved, could be a first-line oral treatment option for people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), and one with relatively minor side effects. Recent results from the Phase ... Read more

September 18, 2019September 18, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 — Ponesimod Superior to Aubagio in Relapsing MS, OPTIMUM Trial Shows

News, SPMS

Actelion‘s ponesimod, an investigational oral treatment, is superior to Sanofi‘s Aubagio (teriflunomide) in lessening the frequency of relapses and easing fatigue symptoms in adults with active, relapsing multiple sclerosis ... Read more

September 17, 2019September 17, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Tysabri During Pregnancy and After Delivery Seems Safe, Reduces Relapse Risk, Study Finds

News

Continuing Tysabri (natalizumab) treatment up to week 28 of pregnancy, and restarting soon after birth, reduces the risk of relapses in women with multiple sclerosis and appears to be ... Read more

September 17, 2019September 17, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 — Ofatumumab Superior to Aubagio in Lowering Relapse Rates and Lesions, Data Show

News, SPMS

Monthly under-the-skin injections of ofatumumab are superior to Aubagio (teriflunomide) to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), leading to over 50% reduction in relapse rates, ... Read more

September 17, 2019September 17, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Early Ocrevus Use Slows Disability in PPMS, Including Risk of Wheelchair Reliance

News, Ocrevus

Early and continuous treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) leads to a greater and more durable slowing of disability progression — seen for up to 6.5 years — in people with ... Read more

September 16, 2019September 16, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Mayzent Reduces Risk of SPMS Patients Becoming Wheelchair Bound, Data Show

News, SPMS

Mayzent (siponimod) reduces the risk of people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) becoming dependent on a wheelchair, a new analysis of the EXPAND study shows. These findings further ... Read more

September 13, 2019September 13, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplants Safe and Help Stop Progressive MS, Trial Data Show

News, SPMS

Transplanting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is safe and can delay disease progression in people with active, progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results from a single-center clinical trial conducted ... Read more

September 13, 2019September 25, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Longer DMT Use and Female Sex Seen to Protect Against SPMS Conversion

News, SPMS

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS), and people who stay in a relapsing stage or use disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for longer periods are less likely to transition to secondary progressive ... Read more

September 12, 2019September 12, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 — Promises and Warnings About Stem Cell Therapy

News

Stem cell therapy, or stem cell transplant, is an emerging yet controversial treatment approach for multiple sclerosis (MS). While some data uphold it as one of the most efficacious ... Read more

September 12, 2019September 12, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – Plasma Exchange Ineffective for Treating Tysabri-associated PML, Study Shows

News

Use of plasma exchange (PLEX) is not effective for treating progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a dangerous brain infection that has been associated with using the multiple sclerosis (MS) medicine ... Read more

September 11, 2019September 11, 2019

#ECTRIMS2019 – MS Patients Should Be Informed about Pregnancy Risks and Family Planning, Experts Say

News

While pregnancy does not appear to affect the disease course of multiple sclerosis (MS), questions remain about the best time to stop or resume treatment before conception and after ... Read more

September 3, 2019September 11, 2019

Poorer Social Cognition Linked to Worse Fatigue, Depression, and Anxiety in People with MS

News

Social cognitive deficits in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are associated with higher levels of fatigue, depressive symptoms, and anxiety, new research conducted at the Kessler Foundation has found. Even though ... Read more

August 27, 2019August 27, 2019

Central Vein Sign Maintains Potential as MS Diagnostic Marker, European Study Shows

News

  Detecting changes to the brain’s central vein using common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans is a useful and accurate strategy to enhance diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new ... Read more

August 23, 2019September 5, 2019

Rituximab Leads to ‘Dramatic’ Recovery in Boy with Aggressive RRMS, Case Study Reports

News

Treatment with rituximab — sold as Rituxan in the U.S. by Roche and Biogen, and as MabThera by Roche in Europe — reversed disease course in a “dramatic fashion,” leading to complete remission in ... Read more

August 22, 2019September 4, 2019

Lack of Progressive MS Treatments Has Several Causes, But Advances are Promising, Reviewers Contend

News

The complexity in underlying mechanisms, a lack of representative research models, and inconsistent criteria defining therapeutic benefit are the main reasons why an effective therapy for progressive forms of ... Read more

August 21, 2019September 11, 2019

Gilenya, Aubagio, Tysabri, Tecfidera Dominate MS Therapy Switches in Europe, Spherix Survey Finds

News

Novartis‘ Gilenya (fingolimod), Sanofi Genzyme‘s Aubagio (teriflunomide), and Biogen’s Tysabri (natalizumab) and Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) are the top disease-modifying therapies to which patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have most frequently switched in Europe ... Read more

August 20, 2019August 20, 2019

Exploring Early Treatment Strategies for RRMS: An Interview with Neurologist Daniel Ontaneda

News

When it comes to initial treatment selection for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), there is one question that has yet to be answered: Is it better to start with potentially ... Read more

August 16, 2019August 16, 2019

Dark Rimmed Brain Lesions May Be Signal of Aggressive Disease, NIH Study Says

News

Brain lesions appearing as dark rimmed, “smoldering” spots on imaging scans, representing active inflammation, may be a hallmark of more aggressive and disabling forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers ... Read more

August 15, 2019

Specific Fats in Cerebrospinal Fluid of MS Patients May Be Telling Markers of Disease, Study Suggests

News

Testing for the types of fat (lipid) molecules present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be a very useful way to diagnose and ... Read more

August 7, 2019August 7, 2019

FDA Approves Bracco’s Varibar Thin Liquid for Use in Imaging Tests for Dysphagia

News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Bracco Diagnostics’ oral suspension of barium sulfate, called Varibar Thin Liquid, for use as imaging agent to detect swallowing disorders known ... Read more

August 6, 2019August 6, 2019

Research Underway on Space Station Looking at Cellular Triggers of MS and Parkinson’s

News

An ongoing experiment at the International Space Station may help identify triggers for multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease by studying how nerve cells and immune cells interact when exposed ... Read more

August 5, 2019August 5, 2019

Vaccines Pose No Risk of Developing MS, Large Population Study in Germany Reports

News

Vaccines are not a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS), a large data analysis spanning more than 12,250 MS patients in Germany shows. Fewer vaccinations were given to people ... Read more

August 1, 2019August 1, 2019

Oral Vumerity Easier on Gastrointestinal Tract Than Tecfidera, Phase 3 Trial Finds

News

Fewer and less severe gastrointestinal (GI) side effects were evident in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients taking the investigational oral treatment Vumerity (diroximel fumarate) twice a day compared to those ... Read more

July 30, 2019July 30, 2019

Ponesimod Fares Well in Phase 3 Trial for Relapsing MS, Janssen Announces

News

Janssen has announced positive, top-line results from its Phase 3 OPTIMUM study, testing the effectiveness and safety of ponesimod tablets, compared to Sanofi‘s Aubagio (teriflunomide), in adults with relapsing forms ... Read more

July 29, 2019July 29, 2019

$1.83M NIH Grant Supports Trial into STEM, Learning and Memory Training for Adults with MS

News

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $1.83 million grant to a Kessler Foundation researcher leading a clinical trial to test if a month-long cognitive training program can improve ... Read more