January 21, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Levels of Fatty Acid Low in MS Patients, Likely Affecting Immune System Oleic acid, a type of fatty acid, is important for the function of immune cells that are dysregulated in multiple sclerosis (MS), an early study shows. A diet rich in oleic acid may potentially be beneficial for these patients, although researchers emphasized the need for more studies. The study,…
January 20, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Clene Awaits US Patent Covering Gold Nanocrystals’ Use in Treating MS Clene Nanomedicine has been notified it will be given a U.S. patent, as requested, covering an invention using the company’s already patented gold nanocrystals for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). A Notice of Allowance was received by the company. These notices are issued by the U.S. Patent…
January 12, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Helius Provides More Information to FDA About PoNS Device Helius Medical Technologies has submitted its response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s request for more information about the company’s application for de novo classification and clearance of its portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device to help treat walking difficulties in people…
January 8, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Target Tissues of Immune Attacks Too Often Ignored in Research, Study Says To fully understand autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), it is necessary to study not just the immune system, but also the tissue that the immune system is attacking, a study suggests. “We must move away from the present ‘immune-centric-only’ view of autoimmune diseases,” Decio Eizirik, MD, PhD, study…
January 6, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MSAA Hosting 8th Webinar on COVID-19 and MS The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is hosting a webinar in which experts will discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on multiple sclerosis (MS). The webinar, “What You Need to Know About COVID-19 and MS: Program 8,” will take place at 8 p.m.
December 15, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Seeks to Better Understand How MS Affects Memory A new research project will seek to better understand the biological processes that drive memory problems in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), as a better understanding of these processes may open new avenues for intervention. The four-year study is titled “Neuroimaging of Hippocampally Mediated Memory Dysfunction in…
November 25, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Tablet-based Video Game Could Help Measure Cognitive Impairment in MS, Study Shows People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may have cognitive defects that cannot be detected using conventional paper-and-pen tests but that can be assessed with computer-based tests, a new study shows. The findings also indicate that people with MS may be more susceptible to cognitive impairment when the brain has to address increased…
November 23, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ChariotMS to Test Mavenclad in SPMS, PPMS Patients With Little Ability to Walk An upcoming Phase 2 clinical trial, called ChariotMS, will test whether Mavenclad (cladribine) can slow a worsening of hand and arm function in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and very limited walking abilities. Patients reliant on wheelchairs or aids to walk even short distances generally have…
November 18, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Software Platform May Allow for Automated MS Cognitive Testing A software platform, called CogniSoft, allows for automated assessments of cognitive health in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The platform was described in the study “CogniSoft: A Platform for the Automation of Cognitive Assessment and Rehabilitation of Multiple Sclerosis,” published in the journal Computers. Cognitive impairment…
November 16, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New MS Trust Funding Will Help Improve Patient Support During Pandemic The U.K.’s MS Trust has been awarded £50,000 (about $65,800) from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund — distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund — to further its “Supporting the MS community during Covid-19” project. Expected to run for six months, the project aims…
November 12, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Neurofilament Light Levels at First MS Event Can Predict Long-term Brain Atrophy The levels of the protein neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood when a person experiences a first demyelinating event associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) can predict brain atrophy up to a decade later, a new study shows. Titled “Association of Serum Neurofilament Light Levels…
October 28, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mavenclad for RRMS Now Available Through Seven Provincial Public Drugs Plans in Canada Eligible people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) now have access to Mavenclad (cladribine) through seven provincial public drug plans in Canada, including the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) and the Ontario Drug Benefit Exceptional Access Program. The oral treatment now is available through public drug programs…
October 27, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Recently Identified Subset of Immune Cells Plays Role in MS, Study Suggests A newly identified population of immune cells contributes to inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. The study, “A distinct GM-CSF+ T helper cell subset requires T-bet to adopt a TH1 phenotype and promote neuroinflammation,” was published in Science Immunology. MS is an…
October 19, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Variation in Given Gene May Raise Depression Risk Among MS Patients A genetic variant may make depression more likely in certain people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than others, a genome-wide study in patients indicates. The study, “Depression in multiple sclerosis patients associated with risk variant near NEGR1,” was published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. Depression is characterized by…
October 16, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mayzent Approved for Active SPMS Patients in England and Wales Mayzent (siponimod) has become the first oral medication to be approved for people with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) in England and Wales. Following this decision by England’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) — which reversed its opinion announced in June — the…
October 8, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Health Canada Approves Oral Zeposia for Adults With RRMS Health Canada has approved Zeposia (ozanimod), an oral daily treatment for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in the country. Approval does not assure that Zeposia will be available to Canadian patients at no or low cost, as publicly funded prescription plans are largely administered by each…
October 7, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Differences Found in Brain Connectivity in RRMS Patients During Visual Task Connectivity between parts of the brain related to vision and attention is altered in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), both during rest and while actively engaged in a task, a new study indicates. The study, “Altered brain network function during attention-modulated visual processing in multiple…
October 5, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Gilenya and Tecfidera Similarly Effective at Treating RRMS, Real-world Study Says Gilenya (fingolimod) and Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) are similarly effective at lowering the frequency of relapses and delaying disability progression in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a real-world study from Switzerland reported. These efficacy measures were also consistent whether patients were new to a disease-modifying therapy (DMT)…
September 25, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Anokion Planning Launch of Phase 1 Trial of Investigational MS Therapy ANK-700 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted an investigational new drug application (IND) for ANK-700, a treatment candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS) that is being developed by the Swiss company Anokion. With this approval, Anokion can enter clinical testing and is planning to…
September 23, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Medical Cannabis Lozenges Now Available for MS Patients in Texas People in Texas with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other medical conditions now have access to cannabis-infused lozenges, Surterra Texas announced. Under a Texas Compassionate Use Program, cannabis-containing therapies may be prescribed to help treat various neurological and other disorders, including terminal cancer, spasticity,…
September 21, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS Prevalence at Over 2.8 Million Worldwide, Update to Atlas Reports More than 2.8 million people worldwide are now estimated to be living with multiple sclerosis (MS), including about 1 million in the United States, an update to the Atlas of MS reports. An increase since its previous update, this number translates to someone, somewhere in the world, being newly diagnosed with…
September 11, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Progressive MS Trial of Kesimpta Not on Horizon, But Other Possibilities in Works Novartis is not planning to open a clinical trial of Kesimpta (ofatumumab) as a potential treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) anytime soon, a company executive said. But it is well aware of the “unmet need” for therapy options among this patient group, and is exploring avenues. “We do…
September 10, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New and Ongoing Trials Evaluating Kesimpta, Including as Switch Therapy Upcoming and ongoing clinical trials aim to expand an understanding of Kesimpta (ofatumumab), the Novartis therapy recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Kesimpta is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, a type of treatment that is thought to work…
September 1, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Kesimpta Meets Safety, Efficacy and Flexibility Needs of Relapsing MS, Experts Say Kesimpta (ofatumumab) is a safe and effective treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), with an ease of delivery that makes it more convenient than comparable therapies, experts say. Developed and marketed by Novartis, Kesimpta was recently approved by the…
August 27, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MMJ International Holdings Manufacturing Cannabis-based Investigational Therapies for MS, Huntington’s MMJ International Holdings, in collaboration with a a specialty pharmaceutical solutions company, has begun manufacturing gelatin capsule medicines based on compounds found in cannabis, The company will investigate these in clinical trials as potential treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and Huntington’s disease. “As MMJ…
August 26, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mechanism Controlling Remyelination May Have MS Therapy Implications, Study Finds Chemical modification of the protein eukaryotic elongation factor 1A1 (eEF1A1) regulates remyelination, a new study suggests, indicating that the processes regulating this protein may provide useful therapeutic targets for multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “EEF1A1 deacetylation enables transcriptional activation of remyelination,” was published in Nature Communications.
August 21, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS FDA Approves Kesimpta, B-cell Targeting Therapy for Relapsing MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Novartis‘ Kesimpta (ofatumumab) as a self-administered treatment for adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), meaning those with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and active secondary progressive MS (SPMS). According to Novartis,…
August 20, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mylan Launching Tecfidera Generic in US Mylan announced the launch of a first generic version of Tecfidera, a treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The generic, now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is the first generic of any MS treatment available in an oral solid —…
August 19, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Reveals Increased Cellular Stress in MS Skin Fibroblasts In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), skin cells show increased amounts of cellular stress in a manner that is distinct from people without MS and from other neurological diseases, new research shows. The findings were published in the journal Aging, in the study “Signatures of cell…
August 7, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ofatumumab Seen as Superior to Aubagio at Lowering Relapse Rates in Phase 3 Trials Novartis‘ ofatumumab outperformed Aubagio (teriflunomide) at lowering the frequency of relapses and preventing disability progression among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study based on clinical trial data reports. The study, “Ofatumumab versus Teriflunomide in Multiple Sclerosis,” was published in…