Lindsey Shapiro, PhD,  science writer—

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded $3.9 million to fund clinical research to test the impact of a low-glycemic diet on physical, cognitive, and psychological function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The four-year project, called “Impact of diet quality and calorie restriction on physical function and…

Repeated fecal transplants from healthy donors were safe and well-tolerated in a small group of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study reported. Treatment also showed a potential to ease intestinal permeability in MS and enrich the presence of protective microbes in the gut. Given that the trial…

A five-week, high-intensity video game-based exercise program called exergaming outperformed other forms of exercise at easing symptoms and improving life quality in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a small trial found. While all exercise programs slowed symptom worsening over two subsequent years of lower-intensity exercises, exergaming led to the…

Persistent use of a single disease-modifying therapy (DMT) over a three-year period was low among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a U.S. study found. DMT discontinuations or switches were initiated in some cases by prescribers, specialty pharmacists, or patients for reasons that included treatment side…

Genetic variants that contribute to a high body mass index (BMI) during childhood are associated with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. The relationship is likely influenced by the fact that a higher BMI in childhood is linked to obesity in adulthood and a “longer…

Aquatic exercise is used less often by people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than land-based exercise, but it’s generally well liked by those who use it, a patient survey found. A lack of pool access and associated expenses remain significant barriers to aquatic exercise. The team also found that exercise…

Gilenya (fingolimod) and Tysabri (natalizumab) were more effective at lowering relapse rates in children with multiple sclerosis (MS) than interferon-beta, according to a recent meta-analysis. Findings like these can be leveraged for better clinical trial design, the researchers wrote. If used to determine “historical” relapse rates that…

NervGen Pharma has received approval to enroll a third and final group of healthy volunteers in the multiple ascending dose (MAD) segment of its Phase 1 clinical trial of NVG-291, an investigational treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other nervous system diseases. A safety review committee cleared the…

Disease severity, brain volume loss, and brain lesions are able to predict later cognitive declines in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study in China found. The study, “Clinical and MRI predictors of cognitive decline in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a 2-year longitudinal study,”…

A Phase 3 trial will test the ability of a group resilience training program, called READY, to promote quality of life and better psychosocial outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Involving more than 200 MS patients, the trial will compare the benefits of READY training against those of…

Breast cancer is less likely to be detected through a routine cancer screening for women with multiple sclerosis (MS), while colorectal cancer is more likely to be detected at an early stage in MS patients compared with those without the disease, a Canadian study found. “Understanding the pathways to earlier…

Rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) were similar among Black and white people, but significantly lower in Hispanics and Asians living in southern California, a study found. These findings contrast with previous studies that have long reported lower MS rates among Black people compared to white people. Those discrepancies might…

Administering the maresin-1 molecule — a natural anti-inflammatory in the body — in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) led to lower levels of inflammation and improved neurological function, a recent study showed. Maresin-1 and other molecules in its family are called specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) and are…

The portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device, which improves walking abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), is now available commercially in the U.S. for patients ages 22 and older who have a prescription from their healthcare provider. The device was approved last year by the U.S. Food…

Quanterix’s ultra-sensitive blood test that measures a biomarker of nerve damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been granted a breakthrough device designation by U.S. regulators. It is thought that the test, which employs the company’s Simoa technology, can accurately predict the risk of disease activity in…

Kesimpta (ofatumumab) is now accessible to eligible Canadians with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) through public drug plans in Ontario and Quebec. The treatment has been included as an exceptional medication under both the Ontario Drug Benefit Exceptional Access Program and the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec. This…

Serum levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) — proteins found in nerve cell projections — can help in the prediction of disease progression among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis of data from two large Phase 3 trials. The researchers said that NfL…

The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China has agreed to approve a Phase 2 trial testing the safety and efficacy of the investigational therapy SN1011 in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). SN1011 is being developed by SinoMab Bioscience to treat a range of autoimmune and inflammatory…

A program aimed at optimizing the use of highly effective therapies successfully lowered treatment costs and relapse rates among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Southern California, according to a study. “Our novel physician-led approach simultaneously reduced MS DMT [disease-modifying therapy] expenditures and the frequency of MS relapses. We…

Loss of gray matter in the spinal cord clearly associates with greater disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but determining the extent of its loss is limited by an inability to accurately measure gray matter in all patients, a small study in Spain reported. The true amount of…

Treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) for up to four years was found safe and lowered relapse rates among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Czech Republic, according to a real-world study called GOLEMS. Older age, lower disability level, and fewer relapses prior to the treatment’s start were all…

Greater engagement in social activities and positive social support were associated with better physical and psychological health among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a recent study. These data “suggest that social integration and social support should be a crucial part of MS management,” the researchers wrote, adding that…

About CA$1.35 million ($1.07 million) has been invested in a project that seeks to understand the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) on a group of people with pediatric-onset disease as they move into adulthood. The three-year investment was from Biogen Canada and Roche Canada — each providing about…

Symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome, including dry eyes and mouth, were observed among 16 people with multiple sclerosis (MS), three of whom met the diagnostic criteria for Sjögren’s in a recent study. Given this low number, however, it’s unclear if there is a true association between the two diseases,…

Six weeks of aerobic exercise led to benefits in cognition, fatigue, and depression among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), which may be due to increases in blood levels of a hormone called irisin, according to data from a randomized, controlled trial. “Considering the high prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms…

Mapi Pharma announced that it has been granted a U.S. patent covering the use of GA Depot, a potential long-acting formulation of glatiramer acetate, in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent, No. 11,167,003, is titled, “…

Rexall Care Network, a nonprofit organization that is part of the Rexall Pharmacy Group, has launched a campaign to bolster the MS Society of Canada‘s initiatives to support caregivers of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Bubble Campaign, which began March 27 and runs through April 30,…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a Phase 1b/2a trial of PIPE-307, Pipeline Therapeutics‘ investigational myelin-restoring treatment, in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The trial will enroll about 45 RRMS patients from multiple U.S. sites who will be randomized to receive either three months…

Eight weeks of hormone therapy was tolerable, and its use may ease the hot flashes and greater disease-related disability this life transition can cause in menopausal women with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results of a small Phase 1b/2a trial of Duavee, an approved therapy. Public concerns over the safety of…

Exposure to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) just before conception or during the first three months of pregnancy does not seem to increase the risk of adverse outcomes for women with multiple sclerosis (MS) or their babies, according to a small Australian study. All of the patients stopped taking Ocrevus upon…