March 11, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Proposed Anti-inflammatory Treatment Found Non-toxic in Zebrafish An anti-inflammatory molecule — taken from a venomous fish and named TnP — with the potential to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) proved safe, without signs of cardiac or neurological problems in a recent zebrafish study, and also was found to be able to enter the brain. The findings open…
March 10, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Emerald Health Preparing for Phase 2 Trial of EHP-101 for Relapsing MS Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals (EHP) is preparing for an international Phase 2 clinical trial testing EHP-101 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study will take place in about 20 locations in the U.S. and Australia, and is expected to include approximately 50 patients with relapsing forms of…
March 10, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD NeurologyLive, CMSC Launch Expert Video Series ‘Cure Connections’ NeurologyLive and the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) have launched a new video series called Cure Connections, designed to provide healthcare professionals with expert news and insights about multiple sclerosis (MS). “These past several months our partnership with the CMSC has escalated to producing and disseminating extremely…
March 9, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Pipeline Testing PIPE-307 Remyelinating Compound in Healthy Volunteers Pipeline Therapeutics has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial to investigate PIPE-307, its lead treatment candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS), in healthy volunteers. The trial (NCT04725175) will assess the compound’s safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics, or how the drug moves through the body. Up to 72 people, ages…
March 4, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – Benign Versus Aggressive MS – the Hunt for Clues Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. While researchers make progress in pinpointing markers of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), identifying those that signal…
March 4, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – Cognitive, Without Physical, Disability Growing Concern in MS Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Cognitive impairment without physical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) may grow in prevalence as newer therapies better control…
March 2, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – COVID-19 Vaccines Safe for MS Patients, Minimally Affected by DMTs Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. The currently approved COVID-19 vaccines pose little to no risk to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and…
March 2, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 -MS Demographics in Latin America Broadly Similar to US, Europe Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. The age of onset, sex, clinical features, and other demographic characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Latin…
March 1, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – Realities and Challenges of MS in Latin America Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. Despite the overall low frequency of cases, multiple sclerosis (MS) in Latin America poses substantial socioeconomic challenges…
February 26, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – 30 Minutes in Sun Each Day Lowers MS Risk in Children Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. Spending more time in the summer sun and living in generally sunnier places appears to provide protection against…
February 26, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – Research Examines T-cells’ Anti-inflammatory Potential Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Regulatory immune cells expressing the melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) dampen inflammation at sites of nerve damage in…
February 26, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – Blood NFL Levels Seen to Rise With Markers of MS Progression Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. Higher blood levels of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) were linked with disability, brain atrophy, and other features of…
February 15, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Pipeline Raises $80M to Pursue Potential Myelin Restoring Therapy Pipeline Therapeutics announced that it has raised $80 million in investor financing to develop neuroregenerative therapies for neurological disorders, including those like multiple sclerosis (MS) that are marked by the loss of myelin. The money will support the research and development of several candidate therapies, with three aimed at…
February 10, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Trial to Examine if Ocrevus Eases Cognitive Fatigue in RRMS Researchers at the Kessler Foundation, with support from Genentech, are opening a study into how Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) affects cognitive fatigue — the feeling of complete exhaustion after focused concentration — in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Cognitive fatigue is a frequent problem with MS, reported in…
February 8, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD New Spinal Cord Lesions Can Be Evident in Stable MS Patients Asymptomatic damage to spinal nerves occurs even in clinically stable cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) and carries an increased risk for further lesions, a recent study suggests. Although a firm link between the asymptomatic loss of myelin in the spine and worsening disability remains to be found, this work…
February 1, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Potential for Stem Cells to Repair Myelin Focus of University Toronto Team Teams of scientists at the University of Toronto are sharing a nearly CA$21 million (about $16.36 million) award into research that might lead to self-repair treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders, the university announced in a press release. Eleven teams at the university and its…
January 29, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Rituximab Effects Evident at Low Dose, Persist After Treatment Stops Rituximab shows long-term benefits, even among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) who stopped its use or reduced their dose, a study reported. Researchers found little evidence of disease reactivation among patients who discontinued the medication, and an adequate inflammatory disease suppression…
January 19, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Brain Changes in Relapsing MS Found to Follow Pattern Changes in the amount of grey matter in specific regions of the brain appear to occur early in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), while structural changes in white matter happen late in disease progression. These were among the findings of a recent study that tracked the sequence of events in…
January 18, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Compound That Mimics Thyroid Hormone Prevents MS Nerve Damage in Mice A thyroid hormone-mimicking compound not only prevented nerve cell damage but promoted the cells’ survival in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). This discovery advances previous research showing that the compound, called sobetirome, can induce the repair of myelin, the protective sheath around nerves. The data suggest…
January 14, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Public-private Partnership Will Assess Therapy Potential, Effects of CBD Open Book Extracts (OBX) and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have partnered to investigate how cannabinoids like CBD affect brain cells, particularly in regard to neuroinflammation, according to an OBX press release. CBD (cannabidiol) and other cannabinoids, such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), have attracted interest for…
December 8, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD MS Patient-derived Stem Cells May Be Viable Source for Myelin Repair, Mouse Study Shows Scientists have demonstrated that stem cells derived from the skin cells of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can grow into normal myelin-producing nerve cells, called oligodendrocytes, in a mouse model of MS. These patient-derived cells migrated throughout the brain of myelin-deficient mice, producing myelin — the fatty…
December 7, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD MS-Specific Cognitive Rehabilitation Tool Shows Promise in Pilot Study A multiple sclerosis (MS)-specific computerized cognitive rehabilitation (CR) program led to significant improvements in mental skills among MS patients participating in a recent pilot study. These findings suggest that those with MS, and likely other disorders, might gain the greatest benefits from tailored cognitive tests that are specifically adapted…
November 12, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Non-invasive Imaging Technique Reveals Ibudilast’s Neuroprotective Effect A non-invasive retina imaging technique known as optical coherence tomography (OCT) provided evidence of the neuroprotective effect of ibudilast (MN-166) — an oral medication designed to reduce the body’s inflammatory responses — in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The data also…
October 23, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD VX-765 Therapy, Given Through Nose, Limits MS Progression in Early Study The anti-inflammatory medication VX-765, which is delivered through the nose (intranasal), was found to limit disease progression in a preclinical model of multiple sclerosis (MS) by blocking a protein called caspase-1. The medication helped prevent damage to brain cells in mice. Researchers from the University of…
October 22, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD European Patent Given to IMP761, Antibody Aiming to Treat MS The European Patent Office granted a patent for IMP761, Immutep‘s experimental antibody to be used in treating inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS). IMP761 targets a receptor found on the surface of immune system T-cells called lymphocyte-activation gene 3,…
October 15, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Mayzent Approved for Active Secondary Progressive MS in Scotland The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approved Mayzent (siponimod) for the treatment of active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) in Scotland. Mayzent, developed by Novartis, is a tablet taken once daily to counter a person’s disability progression. SPMS gradually develops from relapsing-remitting MS, and is…
October 14, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Aubagio’s Long-term Benefits Not Influenced by Prior Treatments, Review Finds Prior treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) does not affect the long-term benefits of Aubagio (teriflunomide) in treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. The study, “Prior treatment status: impact on the efficacy and safety of teriflunomide in multiple sclerosis,”…
October 2, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Children With MS Do Well at School Despite Challenges, Danish Study Finds Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) perform as well at school as healthy peers, but are more challenged in their mental health and make greater use of healthcare services, according to a recent study. Psychiatric problems in these young patients are also more frequent than in children with chronic disorders…
October 1, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD $373K Grant to Support Discovery of Remyelinating Compounds for MS The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has awarded a two-year, $373,000 Fast Forward grant to researchers at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine to identify compounds best able to replace myelin lost over the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a press release.
August 31, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD MS Patients Using Cooling Vests Show Significant Exercise Gains in Small Study Wearing a cooling vest significantly improved the time and distance walked under conditions that can provoke heat sensitivity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study. The study, “Effects of a cooling vest with sham condition on walking capacity in heat-sensitive people with…