Andrea Lobo, PhD, science writer —

Treatment with modafinil, a stimulant approved in the U.S. for treating certain sleep-related disorders, significantly reduced fatigue and improved overall quality of life when used in clinical trials for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review of published study data. However, its use was linked to a…

The Australian government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) has awarded AU$2.9 million (about $1.96 million) to support a project focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) precision medicine strategies for multiple sclerosis (MS). The project will be conducted by a team of investigators that will include neurologists, neuroradiologists, and data…

Bit.bio, a company that creates human-derived cell products, has launched a novel product called ioAstrocytes, which provides functional human astrocytes to help scientists model the brain and study neurological disease mechanisms or screen new drugs. Astrocytes are star-shaped cells in the brain and spinal cord that provide support…

The European Commission has approved a subcutaneous, or under-the-skin, formulation of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) to treat adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). The approval makes the new formulation available in the European Union for the same indications as the original intravenous (into-the-vein) formulation, which is available to people with relapsing…

Switching to one of the anti-CD20 targeting therapies Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) or rituximab may be an effective strategy for discontinuing Tysabri (natalizumab) treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients at risk for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), according to a systematic review. The study, “Switching from natalizumab to an…

A large proportion of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience headaches as a result of their condition, and treatment with interferon-based therapies seems to increase the risk of worsening headaches or developing new ones, a study found. In contrast, the CD20 antibody rituximab that’s used off-label in MS…

Helius Medical Technologies said it has a booth at a meeting for multiple sclerosis (MS) professionals to showcase its PoNS device and the progress made over the last year in providing access to the neuromodulation device, which is designed to improve walking ability in people with MS.

Progentos Therapeutics said it received $65 million in funding to support the development of myelin regeneration medications able to restore function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases marked by myelin loss. The biotech company said it will use the funds to advance its MS program…

A higher intake of whole grain food is significantly associated with a lower likelihood of developing pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study led by researchers in Canada. Conversely, an overall more pro-inflammatory diet — one containing higher amounts of fats and proteins — was linked to increased…

A committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is recommending the approval of a subcutaneous, or under-the-skin, formulation of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the European Union. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, known as CHMP, specifically recommended that this new formulation…

NKTR-0165, an antibody that targets the tumor necrosis factor receptor type 2 (TNFR2), will continue to be developed by Nektar Therapeutics as a candidate for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. The experimental therapy was developed under a 2021 collaboration between Nektar and Biolojic…

Fully 70% of patients with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) who received foralumab nasal spray in an expanded access program (EAP) experienced a lessening in fatigue levels after six months of treatment. That’s according to early findings from the EAP — a program that enables patients with serious…

A team of Kessler Foundation researchers has been granted more than $700,000 by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for work that seeks to better understand the brain networks associated with primary fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The grant, totaling $722,602, was awarded to Glenn Wylie, PhD,…

A clinical trial testing SpineX‘s Scone neuromodulation device for treating a neurogenic, or overactive, bladder, a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS), has finished enrolling patients. Called CONTINENCE (NCT05301335), the study enrolled adults with overactive bladder due to MS, stroke, or spinal cord injury at…

The prescribing label for Mavenclad (cladribine) in Great Britain has been extended to include the treatment of adults with active relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), as defined by clinical or imaging features. This decision made the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) the first to…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients diagnosed in more recent years — specifically after 2017 — were more likely to start sooner on a first MS disease-modifying therapy (DMT) than were those diagnosed between 2014 and 2016, an analysis of data from three large MS registries found. However, starting with…

Getting the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine to protect against tuberculosis (TB) or having latent (inactive) TB in young adulthood aren’t linked to the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a Norwegian study found. The study, “BCG vaccination and multiple sclerosis risk: A Norwegian cohort study,” was published in…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted SetPoint Medical, which is developing a nerve stimulator for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), into a pilot program designed to promote the development of new medical devices, the company said. The Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program…

Lumina Imaging has partnered with the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) to provide affordable brain and spinal cord MRI scans to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The partnership makes Lumina the preferred provider for the MSAA’s MRI Access Program in northeast Ohio. The program is designed…

Metabolon and Cardiff University are partnering to discover new biomarkers that could help better understand disease mechanisms and develop new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS). The project leverages Metabolon’s expertise in metabolomics, a field of research that measures all products of metabolism, called metabolites, that are made…

Treatment with rituximab, an approved CD20 inhibitor that’s sometimes used off-label for multiple sclerosis (MS), was found to adequately control the neurodegenerative disease in patients diagnosed during childhood or adolescence, a new study showed. The therapy, given by  infusion into the bloodstream, was generally safe and significantly reduced…

Researchers at Stanford University have partnered with Kyverna Therapeutics to conduct an investigator-initiated clinical trial of the company’s cell-based therapy, KYV-101, in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) without relapses. The open-label Phase 1 trial (NCT06138132) will take place at the Stanford Multiple Sclerosis…

TG Therapeutics has secured three additional U.S. patents for Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy), an anti-CD20 antibody that’s been approved to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent numbers 11,807,689; 11,814,439; and 11,884,740 specifically cover the composition and…

Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy), an approved treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), is now available to patients in Europe, where it’s being marketed by Neuraxpharm. The infusion therapy, developed by TG Therapeutics, was first launched in Germany, with additional rollouts following in other European countries. Under…

Sweden has a consistently high incidence and prevalence of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (PoMS), according to a recently published study. Incidence measures the number of new cases identified during a certain period, while prevalence measures the proportion of people in the population with the condition. Data show the disease is…

More women with multiple sclerosis (MS) got pregnant in recent years, probably linked to a significantly higher use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) during pregnancy, according to a nationwide study in France. DMTs are a type of treatment that can alter MS course, by reducing the risk of relapses,…

Sudo Biosciences has secured an additional $30 million in funding to support the development of two TYK2 inhibitor therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological and skin conditions — and now is aiming to launch clinical trials later this year. With a second close of its Series…

Some people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) using Mayzent (siponimod) show a severe drop in their number of lymphocytes, a condition known as lymphopenia, shortly after starting treatment, a report on its real-world use in the U.K. found. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that help the immune…

Treatment with Zeposia (ozanimod) during early pregnancy may be safe for women with multiple sclerosis (MS), or inflammatory bowel diseases,  a recent study suggests. Specifically, receiving the treatment during the first trimester of pregnancy didn’t increase the incidence of fetal malformations or…

Gender and age at the onset of disease don’t seem to have a clinically relevant impact on disability progression in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), according to a recent study in Argentina. Disease progression, based on the Expanded Disability Status…