August 9, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS US Survey Finds High Rates of Dissatisfaction With Quality of Life, But Satisfaction With Healthcare More than one-third of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who responded to an online U.S.-based survey are dissatisfied with their quality of life, and more than one in four MS patients are pessimistic about their future, according to the results of the survey, conducted by Multiple Sclerosis News…
August 5, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Metformin Seen to Aid Cognition, Brain Biology in MS Rat Model Treatment with the diabetes medication metformin was seen to lessen cognitive impairment, improve coordination, and normalize neuronal activity in a rat model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study reporting these findings, “Evaluation of the effects of metformin as adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activator on spatial learning and…
July 28, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Signaling Protein Seen to Help Promote Myelin-making Cells A signaling protein called fractalkine helps to regulate the development of oligodendrocytes, cells of the nervous system responsible for making myelin — the protecting coating of nerve cell fibers that is damaged and lost in multiple sclerosis (MS). This finding was in the study, “Fractalkine signaling regulates…
July 27, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Gray Matter in Hippocampus Can Help Distinguish Between Two MS Types Subtle changes in structure in the hippocampus — a region of the brain involved in processing memories — can differentiate between relapsing-remitting and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, according to a new study. The study, “Unraveling the MRI-Based Microstructural Signatures Behind Primary Progressive and Relapsing–Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Phenotypes,”…
July 26, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Gilenya Started Earlier in RRMS Disease Course in Recent Years People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have switched to treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) at an earlier stage in their disease in recent years, compared to individuals who switched to the treatment around the time it became available, a new study indicates. The findings suggest “an increased experience in…
July 19, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS NervGen Sets Advisory Board to Support Upcoming NVG-291 Trial NervGen Pharma announced the formation of its multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical advisory board, a group of experts who will work with the company as it prepares to start a Phase 2 clinical trial next year testing its lead compound, NVG-291, in people with MS. “We are honored to…
July 15, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Anti-CD20 Antibodies Reduce Myelin Loss in MS Rats Treatment with anti-CD20 antibodies reduced the loss of myelin and improved the survival of neurons in a rat model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. The findings imply that B-cells — the immune cells that are killed by anti-CD20 antibodies — play a central role in the…
July 2, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Trials of IMU-838 in RRMS, Progressive MS Start Later This Year The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Immunic Therapeutics to initiate two clinical trials of its investigational medication IMU-838 (vidofludimus calcium) in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), as well as a separate trial for people with progressive types of MS. The RRMS clinical trial program, expected…
June 30, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ublituximab Quite ‘Reassuring’ as Potential MS Therapy, Experts Say In clinical trials, the investigational anti-CD20 therapy ublituximab was the first to push the annualized relapse rate (ARR) below the 0.1 threshold among patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), while improving disability outcomes in a significant proportion of patients. “The [relapse] rate was below a tenth…
June 28, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Early Use of High-efficacy DMTs Favor Lesser Disability Over Time Long-term disability outcomes tend to be better in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who are treated early on with highly effective therapies, a study based on patient registry data indicates. The study, “Long-term disability trajectories in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients treated with early intensive or…
June 24, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS Symptoms Often Apparent Years Before Diagnosis Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) start experiencing symptoms of the disease several years before being diagnosed, a new study suggests. While it has long been known that people with MS tend to seek medical attention more frequently in the years before diagnosis than those without the disease, there…
June 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Long-term Kesimpta Use Not Seen in Trial to Depress Antibody Levels Long-term use of Kesimpta (ofatumumab) among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) did not substantially lower their antibody levels, allowing them to retain an ability to fight infections, new data from a Phase 3 clinical trial indicate. “These long-term results continue to support Kesimpta as a high-efficacy, first-choice treatment with…
June 21, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Oral Aubagio Approved in EU for Children With RRMS, Ages 10-17 The European Commission (EC) has approved Aubagio (teriflunomide) for the treatment of children and adolescents, ages 10 to 17, with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Aubagio, approved for adults with RRMS since 2013, is now the first oral therapy available as a first-line treatment for pediatric patients in the European…
June 21, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Results: Ponvory Outperforms Aubagio in OPTIMUM Clinical Trial In the OPTIMUM clinical trial, Ponvory (ponesimod) significantly outperformed Aubagio (teriflunomide) in reducing relapse rates, fatigue, and evidence of brain damage among people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). Based on these results, Ponvory has now been approved in the U.S. and the European Union as a treatment…
June 16, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Data on T-cell Repertoire May Help in Understanding MS Development T-cells in the fluid around the brain share a large percentage of receptors among different multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a new report suggests. Better understanding the diversity of T-cell receptors in MS, and how these cells vary in different parts of the body, could be useful in understanding the…
June 15, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS FDA Rejects Expansion of Aubagio for Pediatric MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected an application requesting the expansion of Aubagio (teriflunomide) for the treatment of children and adolescents, ages 10 to 17, with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). “The FDA deemed the data submitted were not sufficient to obtain approval of…
June 9, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Meaningful Cognitive Gains in Pediatric MS Captured Using Pencil-Paper Test A computer-based training program that exercises distinct components of attention and working memory can improve cognition in young people with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS), a new study indicates. Findings also support a common pencil-and-paper measure of cognition, called the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), in detecting clinically meaningful changes…
June 9, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS DMTs Underutilized in Younger Patients, Study Indicates Nearly a third of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are younger than 40 are not being treated with disease-modifying treatments (DMTs), even though younger individuals are expected to get the most benefit from DMTs, according to a new study. “DMTs for MS are more frequently used at…
May 27, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Immersive Virtual Reality May Improve Treadmill Gait Training Immersive virtual reality may make treadmill exercise more engaging and effective for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other conditions that can make walking difficult, according to new research. The findings were published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, in the study “Immersive virtual reality…
May 19, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Male Immune Cells Drive More Severe MS, Study Suggests Due to differences in sex chromosomes, certain immune cells cause more severe disease in males than females, according to a new study in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings could help to explain why biological males with MS tend to have more severe disease. The study,…
May 17, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mavenclad’s Ability to Lower RRMS Relapse Rates May Last Years, Study Says Treatment with Mavenclad (clabridine) reduces the frequency of relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), with benefits appearing to be evident two years after patients stopped taking the treatment, new data suggest. These findings were in the study, “Analysis of frequency and severity of relapses…
May 10, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New 3D Model May Help in Promoting Myelin, Preventing Its Loss A new 3D model of the human nervous system is meant to mimic key processes in the development of the myelin sheath — the fatty coating around nerve cells that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS) — to help with research into treatments that promote myelination. This model might also…
May 5, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Safety of Oral DMTs for RRMS in Real-world Use Seen to Match Trial Findings People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) using approved oral disease-modifying therapies generally tolerate the treatments well, with real-world adverse event profiles similar to those seen in clinical trials, an analysis of U.S. data indicates. Results also suggest high adherence to these therapies — meaning patients are usually taking the therapies…
April 29, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Exploring Mavenclad’s Effects on Immune Cells Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, held April 17–22. Go here to read stories from the conference. After starting treatment with the multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy Mavenclad (cladribine), some types of immune cells are more affected…
April 28, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Research Focuses on Measuring Therapeutic Lag Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, held April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. A novel method to calculate how long it takes therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) to become fully effective…
April 27, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Early Ocrevus Treatment Helps to Protect Nervous System Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. Treating multiple sclerosis (MS) in its earlier stages with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) can substantially lower disease activity and lessen damage…
April 27, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Ocrevus, Rituximab Linked to More Severe COVID-19 Cases in Italy Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that target CD20 are associated with worse outcomes from COVID-19 in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, an…
April 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Tysabri Improves Quality of Life, Can Reduce Infection Risk Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. Treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) can improve mental and social health in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new…
April 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – COVID-19 Often Leads to Flares in MS Patients, Survey Finds Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. The majority of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience new or worsening symptoms after developing COVID-19, a patient…
April 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Abnormally Warm Weather Tied to More ER Visits Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. When the weather is unusually warm, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to require emergency medical care,…