January 17, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Protein levels in CSF may help diagnose primary progressive MS The level of proteins called kappa free light chains in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord — may be used as a diagnostic marker to identify the presence of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. Testing for…
January 16, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD $24M in financing to advance treatments to protect myelin sheath Myrobalan Therapeutics has secured $24 million in series A financing to support the development of oral medications for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), which comprises the brain and spinal cord. The company’s pipeline currently includes three candidate therapies…
January 12, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Compassion-focused therapy eases thoughts about suicide, pain Engaging in online sessions of compassion-focused therapy, which works toward getting people to become more compassionate about themselves, may help women with multiple sclerosis (MS) deal with suicidal thoughts, a small study suggests. Compassion-focused therapy also may help these women overcome pain catastrophizing, which is a tendency to view…
January 10, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Foralumab nasal spray shown to ease fatigue in nonactive SPMS Six of eight patients with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) being treated with foralumab nasal spray — all part of an intermediate-size expanded access program (EAP) allowing the therapy’s use — have experienced reductions in their fatigue levels. That’s according to treatment developer Tiziana Life Sciences,…
January 5, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD More cognitive fatigue reported by patients with MS, brain injury Adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) or traumatic brain injury report more cognitive fatigue, or exhaustion resulting from mental work, than do healthy individuals — regardless of the nature of the tasks being performed — a study found. However, cognitive fatigue built up at a similar rate among study participants…
December 20, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Telehealth intervention seen to help MS patients lose weight in trial A six-month telehealth program designed to help participants change their dietary and lifestyle habits resulted in an increased level of physical activity and clinically relevant weight loss for most obese people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who took part, a clinical trial found. In fact, about 2 in 3 of…
December 19, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD MS also less common among men in China, but more disabling Fewer men than women are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in China — as elsewhere — but more male patients have faster MS disability progression and higher death rates, a study found. Over the next 25 years, the burden of MS is expected to persist in China, the researchers…
December 18, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD US neurologists favorably view BTK inhibitors as potential MS therapies More than one-third of neurologists in the U.S. believe Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors could be of pivotal significance as a future treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to findings of a recent Spherix Global Insights’ survey. “Through Spherix’s quarterly RealTime Dynamix market tracker, neurologists…
December 15, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Ginger eases digestive symptoms in RRMS patients: Trial data Taking a ginger supplement eased constipation, nausea, bloating, and abdominal pain in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who took part in a small clinical trial in Iran. The findings add to previous trial data that indicated the supplement was associated with less disability and improved quality of…
December 8, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD 5 conditions MS patients may have years before diagnosis ID’d: Study People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to experience depression, sexual dysfunction, constipation, inflammation of the bladder, and urinary tract infection in the five years leading up to their diagnosis than those without the disease, a study found. These findings parallel growing evidence that there’s a prodromal phase, in…
December 7, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Quality of life gains with Mavenclad sustained for 2 years: Phase 4 trial Treatment with Mavenclad (cladribine) over two years significantly improved physical and mental health aspects of quality of life in people with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a final analysis of data from the Phase 4 CLARIFY-MS study. Mavenclad is an oral medication approved for people with…
December 5, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD With younger age at PPMS onset, higher disease activity can be seen People with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) at younger ages are more likely to have higher disease activity, suggesting they may respond better to disease-modifying therapies, according to a review of published studies. “Our findings confirm that younger patients tend to have more inflammatory activity, and so younger…
November 27, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD New US patent likely to cover all vidofludimus calcium doses in MS The Patent and Trademark Office intends to grant a U.S. patent covering all dosing regimens of vidofludimus calcium — being developed as IMU-838 — for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). That includes the doses being used in developer Immunic Therapeutics’ ongoing clinical program, according to a…
November 17, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD COVID-19 not linked to increased MS relapse rate: Meta-analysis COVID-19 doesn’t appear to increase the likelihood of a relapse, where new symptoms suddenly appear or existing ones worsen, for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a meta-analysis of more than a dozen studies. The findings alleviate some of the concerns MS patients may have about developing COVID-19,…
November 14, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Study ties central neuropathic pain to more severe emotional burden Central neuropathic pain — the kind resulting from damage to the brain and spinal cord — appears to be more severe and widespread and to cause more emotional burden in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than pain in muscles and joints, according to a recent study. Regardless of pain…
November 7, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD High DMT adherence lowers risk of moderate or severe relapse by 25% A high level of adherence to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) is associated with a significant, 25% lower risk of moderate or severe relapses in previously untreated people with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with those failing to adhere to therapy, according to a study of real-world data in Italy. High…
November 6, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD US patent likely for vidofludimus calcium at relapsing MS trial dose Immunic Therapeutics has been notified of the intent to grant a U.S. patent covering the use vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) in treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS)Â at a daily dose of about 10 to 45 mg. That range covers the two IMU-838 doses shown to be…
October 30, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Saffron supplement, exercise combo may ease depression in MS women Combining a saffron supplement and an exercise program for three months was seen to significantly ease depression and improve quality of life for women with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study in Iran found. The combination of the two treatments worked better than either approach alone. “Although … the corrective…
October 25, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Neural Sleeve to aid walking with MS makes Time’s best inventions list Neural Sleeve, a bionic piece of clothing by Cionic designed to help with walking and strength, is among the 200 devices on Time magazine’s annual list of best inventions, under its accessibility category. The lightweight, leg-worn device, which combines continuous motion analysis with functional electrical stimulation,…
October 25, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Low vitamin D blood levels tied to poorer cognition, greater disability Low blood levels of vitamin D are tied to poorer cognitive skills and more severe disability in people with multiple sclerosis, researchers in Italy report. “Our study showed that [vitamin D] levels are associated with cognitive function in MS, as already well demonstrated in the general population and in…
October 11, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Greater income, education before diagnosis linked to less severe MS Socioeconomic factors, specifically income and education levels, and marital status, were identified as risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS) severity in a new study in Sweden. In fact, the study found that earning a higher income and having more years of education before being diagnosed with MS are associated with…
October 9, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD PML caused by Tysabri results in lasting neurological symptoms People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who develop progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)Â as a side effect of Tysabri (natalizumab) often see their neurological symptoms worsen severely during the infection and their disability gradually accumulate over time. That’s according to a study in Austria, which also showed that most disability progression…
October 9, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Mental health can trouble MS patients 5 years before diagnosis Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues are nearly twice as common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the five years preceding disease onset than they are in the general public, a study reports. These findings add to growing evidence that people with MS often go through a…
October 6, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD How well MS patients adhere to treatment tied to certain factors People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who experience a greater number of more severe flare-ups, also known as relapses, are more likely to take their medications regularly, but less likely to keep taking them over time, a review study has found. Other factors associated with better treatment adherence and persistence…
September 27, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Brain volume loss helps in judging DMT efficacy in RRMS: Review The rate of brain atrophy, or volume loss, may help in determining whether disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are slowing disability progression in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a review of data from 12 published studies found. The analysis, “Brain Atrophy as an Outcome of Disease-Modifying Therapy for…
September 26, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD COVID-19 vaccines safe, do not worsen MS symptoms: Study Certain COVID-19 vaccines do not appear to worsen the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and may provide protection for at least six months after a booster dose, according to a study in Spain. The study specifically examined mRNA vaccines, or those that use a piece of RNA to teach…
September 18, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD MS patients with Shields Health Solutions have $10 copay for care People with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. who have access to a Shields Health Solutions care model pay an average $10 out of pocket each month for their MS treatments, according to the company — which noted that this amount is considerably less than the national average…
September 5, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD MS Australia awards incubator grants to four research projects Four researchers working in multiple sclerosis (MS) were awarded incubator grants in MS Australia’s latest funding round, which they’ll use to kickstart projects designed to better understand the progressive neurodegenerative disease. Worth a total of AU$92,565, or roughly $60,000, this round of incubator grants provides seed funding…
August 24, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Using highly effective DMTs early linked to fewer relapses in children Children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis (MS) who receive high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) early on are significantly less likely to experience a relapse than those given a less efficacious drug, a real-world study found. While most patients on moderate-efficacy therapies eventually switched to a more effective one, a…
August 21, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD EMBOLD data covering over 90 MS patients now due in November Atara Biotherapeutics now is planning to announce in November the one-year data from its EMBOLD Phase 1/2 study, which is testing the company’s experimental treatment ATA188 for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The results, originally expected in October, will cover the trial’s primary endpoint of…