Margarida Maia, PhD,  science writer—

Injections of methotrexate into the spinal canal given every three months were safe and well tolerated, and helped adults with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) maintain stable disease levels for up to nine years. That’s according to data from a small, open-label Phase 1 clinical study (NCT02644044)…

Vidofludimus calcium, an experimental oral therapy from Immunic Therapeutics, reduced the risk of confirmed disability worsening and slowed brain shrinkage in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to top-line data from CALLIPER (NCT05054140), a Phase 2 clinical trial testing a daily dose of…

The healthcare costs of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) are high, according to a real-world study in Spain, and higher still for younger patients and those with severe disability who cannot walk unaided, even for short distances. On average, yearly costs for one patient amount to more than €41,000…

Biostate AI is partnering with the nonprofit Accelerated Cure Project (ACP) to develop a series of artificial intelligence (AI) models that can predict multiple sclerosis (MS) progression and how patients may respond to treatment. As part of the partnership, Biostate AI will use its high-throughput technology to…

Frexalimab, an experimental antibody-based medication, was well tolerated and maintained disease control over two years in adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to new data from an open-label extension to a Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT04879628) in which frexalimab outperformed a placebo at reducing…

A Phase 4 observational study called ENABLE is enrolling adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) across the U.S. to better understand the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) in the real world. At least 500 patients are expected to enter ENABLE (NCT06433752) at some…

MS Canada is calling on everyone across Canada to tune up their bikes and join one of the many MS Bike rides this coming summer to help raise funds for research, advocacy, and support programs on behalf of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). With distances ranging from…

Treatment during pregnancy with the approved multiple sclerosis (MS) medication Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection) does not appear to increase the risk of birth defects in infants, and its use while breastfeeding is not linked to growth problems in the youngsters, according to follow-up data of mothers and their children…

Quantum Biopharma is partnering with researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on a clinical study to test a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for monitoring changes in myelin content in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).  The Phase 1 study (NCT04699747) is recruiting healthy adults and people…

No added benefit was found in increasing the dose of Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) — to two to three times the currently approved 600 mg dose — in slowing disability progression in adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from a Phase 3 clinical study. The…

The AdventHealth Neuroscience Institute is recruiting patients for a Phase 1b clinical trial testing IDP-023, an off-the-shelf cell-based treatment that Indapta Therapeutics is developing for primary or nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The company delayed the study’s expected launch in the second half of last…

A researcher and neurologist at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia has won the 2025 John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research for his work in uncovering immune mechanisms of multiple sclerosis (MS), identifying disease biomarkers, and finding new avenues toward tailored medicine. The prize comes with a sculpture and…

“Caregiving,” a two-hour documentary film centered on the daily experiences of six family and professional caregivers in the U.S. will premiere on PBS and its media outlets in June. Executive produced by Bradley Cooper, the documentary is inspired by his own experience caring for his father, who was diagnosed…

For every 1,000 employees in the U.S., about $580,000 is spent each year in excess healthcare costs and lost work time from five autoimmune diseases alone, including multiple sclerosis (MS), a report from healthcare startup Welltheory shows. This represents about 5% of the typical annual healthcare spending for a…

More Stamina, a gamified mobile app, helped a small group of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) better manage their fatigue by becoming more aware of their energy levels and planning their activities more effectively, according to a study from Finland. “Fatigue is an invisible but life-altering symptom…

Black people with multiple sclerosis (MS) walk more slowly and cover shorter distances over a certain time period than white people with the disease, a study in the U.S. finds. While the differences were somewhat attenuated when other factors that may impact walking ability were considered, such as age,…

Using a simple algorithm to recommend highly effective disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can help make treatment fairer for all patients, and level inequalities otherwise defined by race or ethnicity, a new study by U.S. researchers suggests. Indeed, use of the algorithm over a…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who switch from a high- to a moderate-efficacy disease-modifying therapy (DMT) increase their risk of disease activity, especially younger adults and those having inflammatory disease activity before a switch, a study finds. Knowing these factors “can help guide future studies on deescalation,” researchers…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who eat more fish are significantly less likely to see confirmed disability progression and the greater the intake, the lower the progression risk, a study in Sweden finds. The dietary habits of patients were assessed at the time of their diagnosis and disability progression…

Over the past decade, diagnoses of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Finland have become faster and treatments now follow the latest evidence, with about five times as many patients receiving high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) as first-line options, a study finds. Drawing on registry data, researchers found that diagnoses are…

In a new deal, TG Therapeutics will use MaxCyte’s engineering technology to develop and manufacture its off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapy candidate azercabtagene zapreleucel — azer-cel for short — for adults with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The experimental treatment is being advanced toward a Phase 1…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patient Lynda Whitton has been granted MS Australia’s 2024 John Studdy Award in recognition of her advocacy, leadership, and fundraising efforts for MS and other neurological diseases in her hometown of Bunbury and across Australia. The nonprofit’s top award is given each year to people…

Mikael Simons, MD, a neurologist at Technical University Munich, has been awarded this year’s $125,000 Barancik Prize for his extensive research on myelin, a protective coating that sheathes nerve cells and becomes damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS). Run by the National MS Society and funded by the Charles…

Tech company Century Health has entered into a partnership to organize and clean Nira Medical‘s datasets from more than 3,000 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to help make clinical data more available for researchers to explore insights toward developing new treatments. “We’re thrilled to partner with Nira…

A new website aims to provide support to caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The site, MS Care Partner Connection, brings together information on how caregivers can care for themselves while tending to those living with the disease, how to navigate the healthcare system, and how to…

Gadoquatrane, a contrast agent Bayer is developing for use in MRI scans, is able to detect regions of damage and other disease-related features while using 60% less gadolinium — a chemical element used to enhance an MRI — compared with existing gadolinium-based contrast agents. That’s according to new data…

Vaccination does not increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in children and adolescents within five years, a study found. Instead, there was a trend toward a lower risk of pediatric-onset MS in vaccinated children. This in line with earlier findings that vaccination is not a risk factor for…

Nabiximols and other cannabis-based preparations sometimes used with multiple sclerosis (MS) appear to work well for controlling spasticity, a common disease symptom that occurs when muscles stiffen or tighten, a meta-analysis of findings in published studies reported. Larger studies into cannabis-based treatments of spasticity for these patients…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) — which uses a patient’s own stem cells — face unique physical and emotional challenges at every stage of the process, from balancing hope and fear when deciding on moving forward with the treatment…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared an extended version of Neurophet Aqua, an MRI analysis software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to measure disease-related changes in brain scans. Earlier clearance enabled Neurophet‘s software to analyze brain atrophy using T1-weighed MRI scans in people with neurodegenerative conditions.