Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review to an application from Sanofi seeking the approval of its BTK inhibitor tolebrutinib to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). As its name suggests, priority review means that the FDA will speed its regulatory evaluation of the oral therapy,…

Treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) may help delay disability progression in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) over Rebif (interferon beta-1a), an analysis of data from two clinical trials suggests. While the trials initially failed to demonstrate slowing disease progression, a significant benefit was observed when accounting…

Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms did better than most neurologists at answering a 20-question assessment about multiple sclerosis (MS) in a recent study, suggesting that AI may be a helpful tool for MS care. Neurologists with an MS specialty scored as well, on average, as the AI platforms, while neurology…

Antibodies that target proteins from the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) also can inadvertently attack proteins in the brain, which may help to explain the link between EBV and multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. Findings also indicate that antibodies targeting EBV as well as a person’s genetics both…

In the lymph nodes of the neck of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), certain immune cells show abnormalities in activity and signs of reactions against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a new study reports. The findings may help to explain the connection between MS and EBV, researchers said. The study,…

In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), lesions that get slowly bigger over time, potentially due to chronic inflammation, are associated with more myelin loss throughout the brain, a study found. Loss of myelin was observed in these slowly expanding lesions, in other types of lesions, and also in regions…

A statistical model that takes clinical and demographic factors into account could help guide treatment decisions in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who haven’t yet started on a multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy, a study reports. “Our study offers a predictive tool that fulfills an unmet need for…

Antibodies against a protein found in neurons and in nerve supporting cells, may play a role in driving multiple sclerosis (MS), a study indicates. Researchers examined immune responses against more than 23,000 human proteins, and the MLC1 protein emerged as one of the top hit proteins targeted by immune…

Interactions between the body’s immune system and bacteria that live in the digestive tract — essentially, a person’s gut — become disrupted in multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study by U.S. researchers found. The human intestines are home to billions of bacteria and other microorganisms, collectively known as the…

Using an implantable scaffold to collect immune cells in mice, researchers have gained insights into the immunological mechanisms driving primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). Based on the findings, the scientists developed a treatment strategy to block specific inflammatory molecules, which eased MS severity in the mouse model. The study,…

Navigating the uncertainty of living with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) brings a number of challenges, a study shows. That uncertainty is best described as the intangible, difficult to define space between hope — the sense that things might get better or at least not turn out so badly —…

Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were exposed to sunlight for at least half an hour per day during the first summer of life tend to have less disease relapses than those who received less sun exposure during that period, a study found. The risk of relapse was also…

Experts in Australia and New Zealand have published the first consensus guidelines for the care of adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) in those countries, a step designed to help general practitioners and neurologists navigate the new MS treatment landscape. “Through these guidelines, we aim to support safe, timely and…

The rate of relapses in children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) tends to increase around the time that menstruation begins, a new study reports. The findings suggest hormonal changes at the onset of puberty may trigger higher disease activity. The use of oral and infusion disease-modifying therapies (DMT)…

Smoking and obesity are both independently associated with faster disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), but when both risk factors are present together, a synergistic effect results in faster disease progression than can be explained by either alone. “Smoking and obesity significantly interacted to increase the risk of disability…

A Phase 2 clinical trial is currently recruiting adults with relapsing types of multiple sclerosis (MS) to investigate Zenas Biopharma’s experimental therapy obexelimab as a weekly subcutaneous, or under-the-skin, injection, the company has announced in a press release. The study, called MoonStone (NCT06564311), is open to…

Less frequent Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) infusions are as effective as standard dosing — when treatment is given typically every six months — for controlling multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity, but may help limit the risk of side effects, a new study reports. “These findings suggest that [extended-interval dosing] could…

Stem cell transplant can be considered a viable treatment option for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) who are young, early in the disease course, do not have other major health issues, and have failed to respond to available medications, according to a new set of recommendations. The procedure…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has added a new boxed warning to the prescribing information for glatiramer acetate, an approved injection therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that’s sold under the brand name Copaxone and is also available as generic products. A boxed warning…

TG Therapeutics is working to develop a subcutaneous, or under-the-skin, version of Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy), its approved therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The company said it plans to start a pivotal clinical program this year which could support an application seeking approval of the…

Cabaletta Bio is getting set to launch a clinical trial testing its cell therapy resecabtagene autoleucel (rese-cel) in people with relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The company sought permission last year from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start the study. Once such…

For women with multiple sclerosis (MS), disability starts to worsen significantly faster after menopause, according to a new study. “The study shows that menopause represents a unique factor in MS progression, even when we take into consideration the effects of aging,” Riley Bove, MD, study co-author at the University…

OCS-05, an experimental medication that Oculis is developing to treat acute optic neuritis, a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) that can lead to vision loss, was well tolerated and improved measures of vision and eye health in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The ACUITY study (NCT04762017) included…

IRX4204, a compound that Io Therapeutics is developing to treat neurological diseases, facilitated myelin repair and improved walking abilities in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a recent study, scientists report. “Our findings support the therapeutic potential of IRX4204 to promote functional neurologic recovery in…

Treatment with Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) significantly reduces relapse rates for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and most MS patients on the approved therapy remain free from disability progression for several years. That’s according to a final analysis from the Phase 4 ESTEEM clinical trial (NCT02047097), which tracked…

In the five years leading up to a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, children and adolescents often experience obesity and symptoms such as sensory disturbances and vision problems — potential early signs of MS that could help in diagnosing the condition, according to a new study. Indeed, the study reports…

Most treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) don’t increase the risk of major problems when used during pregnancy, an analysis showed. “We found that most therapies were not associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth or major birth defects,” Kerstin Hellwig, MD, study co-author and MS specialist at…

The team at Multiple Sclerosis News Today has brought our audience the latest news about treatments, scientific research, and clinical trials in multiple sclerosis (MS) throughout 2024. Here is a list of the top 10 most-read articles we published this year. We look forward to continuing to serve…

A specific type of brain lesion called a paramagnetic rim lesion, or PRL, is associated with worse disability over time in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but available disease-modifying therapies (DMT) can lower the chances of the appearance of these lesions, according to two studies published by scientists…

Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) who come from poorer families or other disadvantageous circumstances tend to have more inflammation and irreversible brain tissue loss, a new study reports. “Our findings suggest that social disadvantage in childhood can have lasting effects on MS severity,” Kimberly A. O’Neill, MD, study coauthor…