March 18, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD MSAA, Lumina partner to provide MRIs to MS patients in Ohio 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…
March 15, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Metabolon, Cardiff University partner for MS biomarker research 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…
March 14, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Rituximab for MS may safely control disease in children, teens 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…
March 13, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Phase 1 trial of KYV-101 opening in progressive MS without relapses 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…
March 8, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Briumvi, an infusion treatment for MS, granted 3 more patents 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…
February 29, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Briumvi for relapsing MS now available for patients in Europe 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…
February 26, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD High incidence, prevalence of pediatric-onset MS in Sweden 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…
February 21, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Use of DMTs in pregnancy on big upswing recently: Study in France 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,…
February 15, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Sudo raises $30M more to advance TYK2 inhibitor therapies to trials 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…
February 12, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Sharp lymphocyte drop seen quickly in SPMS patients on Mayzent 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…
February 5, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Zeposia treatment during early pregnancy may be safe in MS: Study 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…
January 29, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Gender, age at PPMS onset has no impact on disability progression 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…
January 25, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Diets promoting inflammation may slowly lead to depression, anxiety Foods that promote inflammation appear to contribute to the development over time of depression and anxiety in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study that followed patients for 10 years reports. A pro-inflammatory diet, however, was not linked to fatigue, a common MS symptom. “If the relationship with…
January 24, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Healthcare utilization increases in the year before MS diagnosis: Study People with multiple sclerosis (MS) utilize more healthcare resources a year before their MS diagnosis, suggesting this may be a period of prodromal MS, when patients start having unspecific and mild MS symptoms. These might include mild cognitive issues, skin problems, and anemia, when the body doesn’t have…
January 23, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD FDA grants fast track status to KYV-101 for progressive forms of MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track status to KYV-101, Kyverna Therapeutics’ cell-based therapy candidate for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that are treatment-resistant. The FDA designation is intended to accelerate the development of therapies that aim to address unmet medical…
January 19, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD $40K grant will fund study of cycling and virtual reality for MS A research team at the Kessler Foundation has received a $39,994 grant from the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) to investigate whether combining aerobic cycling with virtual reality can improve cognitive function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). A key focus of the study will be to…
January 17, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Acorda taking over global marketing of Fampyra, MS walking aid Fampyra (fampridine), an approved oral treatment to improve the walking abilities of adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), soon will be sold by Acorda Therapeutics worldwide. The announcement follows the decision by Biogen to terminate a licensing agreement that gave it global development and marketing rights…
January 16, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD EU agency OKs study of therapy to improve mitochondrial function Mitochon Pharmaceuticals is launching a pilot clinical trial to evaluate MP101, its treatment candidate for improving mitochondrial function, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. The announcement follows the trial’s clearance by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which enables Mitochon to begin enrolling patients with…
January 10, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Monte Rosa plans to begin Phase 1 trial of MRT-6160 in mid-2024 Monte Rosa Therapeutics is planning to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial to test MRT-6160, its investigational therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, by mid-2024. The trial will follow the submission of an investigational new drug (IND) application, a formal request to U.S. regulatory authorities…
December 27, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD SMS text messages may help MS patients self-manage fatigue: Study Sending SMS text messages to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — with tips for fatigue self-management and to regularly check in on them — may be a feasible, acceptable, and engaging tool to help these patients manage disease-related fatigue, according to a pilot study. The findings also showed some…
December 26, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Remote coaching plus online tips ease stress of MS caregiving Remote coaching sessions to support the mental and emotional health of informal multiple sclerosis (MS) caregivers, coupled with online information, showed significant benefits after four months, according to a pilot study. These coaching sessions — known as psychoeducation — focused on information, support, and strategies for caring and planning…
December 22, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD In pilot trial, Ocrevus failed to reduce MS inflammation in meninges Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) did not significantly reduce the number or volume of inflammatory lesions in the meninges in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent pilot study. While inflammation in the meninges, the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, is thought to be driven…
December 18, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Ibudilast plus interferon-beta to get European patent for progressive MS MediciNova announced the approval of a European patent covering the use of ibudilast (MN-166) in combination with interferon-beta medications to treat progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) — primary progressive MS (PPMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) — in patients previously using an interferon-beta.
December 13, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Clinical trial of Scone device for overactive bladder still enrolling Enrollment is nearly complete in a clinical trial of the Scone neuromodulation device in treating neurogenic, or overactive, bladder due to multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, or spinal cord injury, SpineX, its developer, announced. Currently, 95 adult patients (more than 80% of planned total), ages 18 to…
December 11, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD FDA puts partial hold on Phase 3 clinical trials of fenebrutinib in MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed a partial hold on Genentech’s ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials testing fenebrutinib for the treatment of relapsing and primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision was based on two cases of patients who experienced elevations in their…
December 11, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Blood levels of MIF protein may predict brain atrophy with PPMS Higher blood levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a molecule involved in inflammation, may predict a faster rate of brain shrinkage, or atrophy, in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). That’s according to a new analysis of data from the SPRINT-MS Phase 2 trial (NCT01982942) that…
December 6, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD EBV-001 vaccine prevents EBV infection in lab-grown human cells EBV-001, a vaccine candidate being developed by EBViously to target the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), triggered the production of potent antibodies against the virus in mice, and blood samples from these animals prevented EBV infection in lab-grown human cells. That’s according to new data presented by the company, which is…
December 4, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD 4 new SPMS patients dosed with nasal foralumab outside of trials Tiziana Life Sciences has dosed four new participants in an expanded access program investigating its foralumab nasal spray in people with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), the company announced. A total of 10 SPMS patients are now being followed outside of clinical trials in foralumab’s expanded…
December 1, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD FDA clears BrainSpec’s tool to measure metabolites on brain scans The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared BrainSpec Core, a platform that performs non-invasive measurements of brain chemistry, for use in diagnosing some of the most common diseases that affect the brain, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Developed by BrainSpec, the platform uses magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)…
November 28, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Providers weigh treatment logistics in selecting DMTs for MS patients Certain clinical attributes of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), such as safety and the medication’s impact on risk of relapse and disability progression, are considered important by healthcare providers in selecting the appropriate treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new survey study. However, a study experiment also…