Posts by: Joana Carvalho

Joana Carvalho

Joana holds a BSc in Biology, a MSc in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. Her work has been focused on the impact of non-canonical Wnt signaling in the collective behavior of endothelial cells — cells that made up the lining of blood vessels — found in the umbilical cord of newborns.

March 16, 2021March 16, 2021

Minorities With MS Voice Interest in Clinical Trials, But Concerns Evident

News

Regardless of race or ethnicity, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) agree that clinical studies are important and show a willingness and interest in being participants, a primarily U.S. survey found. ... Read more

February 22, 2021February 22, 2021

Switch From Tysabri to Moderate-efficacy DMTs Linked to Worse Disability

News

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) switching from Tysabri (natalizumab) to moderate-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are at a higher risk of showing signs of MS activity and experiencing disability progression than ... Read more

February 18, 2021February 18, 2021

New Zealand Expands Patient Access to Funded MS Treatments

News

New Zealand will expand patient access to a list of funded treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), starting on March 1. The government health agency, PHARMAC, will extend eligibility criteria to ... Read more

February 10, 2021February 10, 2021

Progressive MS Alliance Wants Changes to Trials to Better Realize Treatments

News

Making clinical trials more comparable, consistent, and focused on the biological mechanisms underlying the onset and development of multiple sclerosis (MS) are all key to more quickly realizing new treatments ... Read more

February 8, 2021February 8, 2021

No Added Risk of Pregnancy Complications for Women With MS, Study Finds

News

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not at a higher risk than those without the disease of having pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes, requiring an emergency cesarean section (c-section), ... Read more

January 28, 2021January 28, 2021

Newly ID’d Group of Astrocytes Seen to Help Prevent Brain Inflammation

News

A newly identified subset of astrocytes — cells long thought to be responsible for simply providing nutrition and support to neurons — can prevent brain inflammation by promoting the destruction ... Read more

January 25, 2021January 26, 2021

Stem Cell Transplant Can Produce Long-term Benefits in Relapsing MS Patients

News

A stem cell transplant can prevent disability progression and maintain disease remission over long periods of time in most patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who failed to ... Read more

January 25, 2021January 25, 2021

NICE Opposes Zeposia Being Added to RRMS Therapies in UK’s Health Service

News, Zeposia

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not recommend Zeposia (ozanimod) be available at low or no cost through the National Health Service (NHS) to treat adults ... Read more

January 20, 2021January 20, 2021

New Primate Model Can Shed Light on Mechanisms Underlying Myelin Loss

News

A new primate model uncovered by researchers can help scientists understand the immune and inflammatory processes underlying the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans, a study reports. It was ... Read more

January 15, 2021January 15, 2021

Silo Pharma, University to Explore Ways of Making MS Therapies More Effective

News

Silo Pharma has entered into a sponsored research agreement with the University of Maryland to develop and explore the potential of a targeted therapy delivery system for multiple sclerosis (MS). The ... Read more

January 13, 2021January 14, 2021

GW Pharma Plans More Clinical Trials for Sativex

News

GW Pharmaceuticals is planning to continue recruiting patients into two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of Sativex (nabiximols), an oral spray that contains cannabis extracts and is being investigated as a ... Read more

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021

Sobek Prize Given Physician-scientist for Work in Progressive MS

News

The 2020 Sobek Research Prize has been given to Alan J. Thompson, MD, a physician scientist with University College London, for his pioneering work in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), the ... Read more

December 22, 2020December 29, 2020

Plegridy as Intramuscular Injection for RRMS Approved in Europe

News

The European Commission (EC) has approved a new, intramuscular formulation of Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a) to treat people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). This new mode of administration — in which ... Read more

December 21, 2020December 21, 2020

Kesimpta Available Through AllianceRx for US Patients With Relapsing MS

News

Kesimpta (ofatumumab), the first self-administered B-cell therapy to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), is now available via AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, one of the largest specialty and home delivery ... Read more

December 17, 2020December 17, 2020

Progressive MS Patients Urged to Enroll in Phase 3 Trials of Tolebrutinib

News

Investigators are looking for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to participate in two Phase 3 clinical trials assessing the safety and effectiveness of tolebrutinib (SAR442168), an oral ... Read more

December 16, 2020December 16, 2020

US Patients Urged to Enroll in STEP for MS Trial Assessing 2 Exercise Programs

Covid-19, News

Adults with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS) are being urged to participate in a new clinical trial — STEP for MS — that will assess the impact of two ... Read more

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

MS Patients Urged to Enroll in Clinical Trial Assessing Chronic Fatigue Treatments

News

Adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) are being urged to enroll in a new clinical trial — now recruiting in Washington and Michigan states — that aims to assess the effectiveness ... Read more

December 4, 2020December 15, 2020

Nonprofit Surf & Turf Therapy Seeks Donations to Extend Services to More People

Covid-19, News

Surf & Turf Therapy, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life of those with disabilities through non-conventional therapeutic activities, has launched a donation drive to help the ... Read more

December 2, 2020December 2, 2020

Tecfidera May Be Effective Option for Relapsing MS Patients Who Fail to Respond to Glatiramer Acetate

News

Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) may be an effective treatment option for patients with early relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who fail to respond adequately to glatiramer acetate, according to a ... Read more

November 17, 2020November 20, 2020

Scientists Create Oligodendrocytes From Stem Cells in Lab Dish in Just Three Weeks

News

Scientists have created myelin-producing cells, called oligodendrocytes, from pluripotent stem cells derived from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in just three weeks. They also demonstrated these ... Read more

November 13, 2020November 13, 2020

Bone Marrow Transplant Most Useful for Younger Patients, MS Society Experts Suggest

News

A bone marrow transplant may be particularly useful for those with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who, despite treatment with high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), continue to experience relapses or ... Read more

November 5, 2020November 5, 2020

Phase 3 Trial of Sativex, Cannabis Extract Treatment for MS Spasticity, Opens in US

News

A Phase 3 trial is underway in the U.S. to assess the safety and efficacy of Sativex (nabiximols), an oral spray that contains cannabis extracts, in treating spasticity — muscle stiffness ... Read more

November 3, 2020November 3, 2020

Beetroot Peptide May Hold Promise in Treating MS, Similar Diseases

News

A small protein isolated from beetroot is able to block the activity of an enzyme called prolyl oligopeptidase (POP), which breaks down certain hormones and signaling molecules, and is thought ... Read more

November 3, 2020November 3, 2020

InnoCare Cleared to Launch Phase 2 Trial to Test Orelabrutinib in RRMS Patients

News

InnoCare Pharma is preparing to launch a Phase 2 trial to assess the safety and efficacy of orelabrutinib, its investigational Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis ... Read more

October 16, 2020October 16, 2020

Helius to Survey MS Users of Emilyn App in US With Gait Problems for PoNS Device

News

Helius Medical Technologies partnered with Breakthrough Health on a project focused on understanding how people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. evaluate the therapies at their disposal in terms of how well ... Read more

October 15, 2020October 16, 2020

New Immune Cells Therapy Found to Suppress MS Symptoms in EAE Mice

News

Scientists developed a new therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) that prevents immune cells from exiting the lymph nodes and entering the spinal cord of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) ... Read more

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – Disability Level and DMT Use Don’t Raise COVID-19 Risk, UK Study Finds

Covid-19, News

When safety measures like isolation are in place, neither disease-modifying therapy (DMT) use nor greater physical disability appear to heighten the risk of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) contracting COVID-19, ... Read more

September 30, 2020September 30, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – Rituximab, Ocrevus Linked to Higher Risk of Worse COVID-19 Outcomes

Covid-19, News

The use of certain disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) such as rituximab and Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), which lower the number of a patient’s immune B-cells, may increase the odds of developing a more severe COVID-19 disease course for ... Read more

September 29, 2020September 29, 2020

FDA Approves Generic of Tecfidera for Adults With Relapsing MS

News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cipla’s dimethyl fumarate capsules, a generic version of Biogen’s Tecfidera, to treat adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), the ... Read more

September 24, 2020September 24, 2020

Immune Treg Cells Seen to Ease Paralysis in Mouse Model of MS

News

Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) — immune cells that normally dampen immune and inflammatory responses by inhibiting the activity of pro-inflammatory immune cells — enabled mice in a model of multiple sclerosis to ... Read more

September 18, 2020September 18, 2020

National MS Society Launches Survey to Assess Economic Impact of MS

News

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, together with the Lewin Group, has launched a survey to assess the economic impact multiple sclerosis (MS) has on patients and their families. In the ... Read more

September 17, 2020September 17, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – Tysabri Better Than Other DMTs at Easing Some MS Symptoms

News

Tysabri (natalizumab) is superior to other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) at improving balance and vision, easing bladder problems and sexual dysfunction, and alleviating anxiety in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according ... Read more

September 16, 2020September 17, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – 13-year Data Find Tecfidera Safe, Reduces RRMS Relapses

News

Long-term treatment with Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) continues to be safe and effective at reducing the frequency of relapses and disability progression in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to 13-year ... Read more

September 16, 2020September 16, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – Long-term Aubagio Use Seen to Lower Relapse Risk for Children

News

Continuous treatment with Aubagio (teriflunomide) can safely lower the risk of relapses and disability progression in children with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to interim data from the ... Read more

September 16, 2020September 16, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – Cognitive Problems in Children With MS Can Persist Into Adulthood

News

Cognitive problems can persist into adulthood in people whose multiple sclerosis (MS) began in childhood or adolescence, and are linked to neurological issues and delays in treatment initiation, a study ... Read more

September 15, 2020September 15, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – High-efficacy DMTs More Effective at Slowing Retina Atrophy in RRMS Patients, Study Finds

News

Compared to low-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), high-efficacy medications are more effective at slowing the loss of nerve cells making up different layers of the retina — the region at the back ... Read more

September 15, 2020September 15, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – Lesions First Seen on Nerves of GI Tract in Mouse Model of MS

News

Before signs of neurodegeneration in the brain and spinal cord are evident in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) — which resembles human multiple sclerosis (MS) — signs can first be ... Read more

September 15, 2020September 15, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – Relapses During Pregnancy More Likely on Higher Efficacy DMTs

News

Women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) using moderate- or high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) before conceiving are more likely to have a relapse during pregnancy than are those taking low-efficacy DMTs or ... Read more

September 14, 2020September 17, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – Long DMT Exposure May Delay Disability Progression, Wheelchair Use

News

Longer exposure to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) may delay disability progression and the time until people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) require the aid of a wheelchair, an Italian registry-based ... Read more

September 14, 2020September 17, 2020

#MSVirtual2020 – Low Rituximab Doses Are Safer, as Effective as Higher Ones

News

Low doses of rituximab, an anti-inflammatory medication used off-label to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), are safer and as effective as higher doses at reducing the frequency of relapses and the ... Read more