May 19, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Memory Immune Cells Play Key Role in Advanced MS, Study Suggests In the brains of people with advanced multiple sclerosis (MS), memory immune cells reside in the brain tissue rather than entering through the bloodstream, a new study suggests. The study, “Tissue-resident memory T cells invade the brain parenchyma in multiple sclerosis white matter lesions,” was published…
May 18, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS National MS Society Expert Panel Offers Guidelines for Regular Exercise Healthcare providers should encourage everyone with multiple sclerosis (MS) to engage in regular exercise and keep physically active, new guidelines based on an expert panel convened by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society recommend. They also suggest different types of exercise applicable to people at varying levels of disability.
May 11, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS FDA Clears Nurocheck, Portable Device to Quickly Assess Brain Health A portable device that can quickly measure electrical activity in the brain and relay it to doctors via a smartphone app, calledĀ the Nurochek system,Ā has been cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a medical device. Its developer, Headsafe, plans to it…
May 5, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Belong.Life Launches App to Support MS Patients and Healthcare Professionals Belong.Life has launched a free and anonymous social network app to offer support for people with multiple sclerosis (MS),Ā their caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The app is called BelongMS andĀ is now available…
May 4, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Pain, Fatigue in MS and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Compared in Study Pain appears to be more intense in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) than those with multiple sclerosis (MS), while fatigue levels are comparable between the two disorders, a study reports. Its researchers also link certain types of central nervous system lesions to pain and fatigue in…
May 4, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ublituximab Phase 2 Data Support Safety, Efficacy in Relapsing MS The investigational anti-CD20 antibody ublituximabĀ effectively depletes B-cells in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), reducing the appearance of brain lesions and the risk of relapses, a study into clinical trial results suggests. Findings further suggest that the…
April 29, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ocrevus’ Early Use May Lower Need for Walking Aid by 49% Over 6 Years StartingĀ treatment with OcrevusĀ early can lower almost by half the need for a walking aid inĀ peopleĀ with relapsing forms ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) over six years, new analyses of Phase 3 trial data that compared immediate initiation with a two-year delay show. A separate analysis also found…
April 27, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS XRHealth Raises $7M for Telehealth Expansion XRHealth has raised $7 million to expand its telehealth platform, with the goal of providing clinicians and patients with virtual and augmented reality therapy. The funding will also increase access to virtual support groups for people with multiple sclerosis and other diseases. Telehealth broadly refers to the…
April 24, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Sanofi’s BTK Inhibitor Seen to Effectively Reduce Brain Lesions in Phase 2 Trial The investigational, oral BTK inhibitor SAR442168 can limit the number of new inflammatory brain lesions in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), results from a Phase 2b clinical trial show. “The results of this study give hope that SAR442168 may become an important…
April 22, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Starting Mayzent Early of Greater Benefit in SPMS, 5-Year Trial Data Show People with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) who began treatment with MayzentĀ early and continued its use for years are less likely to experience disability progression than those starting the medication later in their disease course, five-year data from the EXPAND study suggest. Data from this same Phase 3…
April 21, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Shorter Ocrevus Infusion Time Up for Approval in US and Europe The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have accepted applications from Genentech to shorten the infusion time for Ocrevus, an approved treatment forĀ multiple sclerosis. If approved, the time to administer Ocrevus will be shortened to a two-hour session, instead…
April 20, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Sanofi to Detail Trial Results of Oral Relapsing MS Therapy Online on Thursday Sanofi will host an online science session to present results of a Phase 2b clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of its investigational, oral BTK inhibitor SAR442168 in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The virtual session, owing to the cancellation of the American Academy…
April 10, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Gilenya May Raise Risk of Intestinal Parasitic Infection, Report Suggests Treatment with GilenyaĀ (fingolimod) could make people with multiple sclerosis (MS) more vulnerable to the parasitic infection known as cryptosporidiosis, a case report suggests. The report, “Cryptosporidiosis after treatment with fingolimod: a case report and pharmacovigilance review,” was published in the jorunalĀ BMC Infectious Diseases. Gilenya…
April 9, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New Database to Compile COVID-19 Data About People with MS and Related Diseases The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society have created a new database to track COVID-19 infections in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related diseases. The database, calledĀ COViMS (COVID-19 Infections in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases),…
April 6, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Finds Link Between Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Adolescence and MS Risk People exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke during adolescence may be more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life, a study suggests. The study, “Exposure to passive smoking during adolescence is associated with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis,” was published in theĀ Multiple…
April 3, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Headache a Common Side Effect of Interferon-beta Treatment, Study Finds New or worsening headaches are a more common side effect of interferon-beta (IFN-beta) treatment in people with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) than previously appreciated, a new study suggests. The study, “Interferon-Beta-Induced Headache in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Frequency and Characterization,” was published in theĀ Journal of Pain Research.
April 2, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Regular Exercise ‘Strongly Recommended’ to Ease Fatigue in MS Physical exercise can ease fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and potentially benefit them in many other ways, and should be part of rehabilitation programs for patients, a large review study suggests. The study,Ā “The impact of physical exercise on the fatigue symptoms in patients with…
April 1, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Biosimilar Truxima Works as Well as Rituximab Originator in MS, Study Finds Truxima, aĀ biosimilar of rituximab, is comparable to the originator therapy in terms of effectiveness and safety for treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. Rituximab āĀ marketed asĀ RituxanĀ in the United States ā isĀ an antibody-based therapy thatĀ works by killing B-cells, which are immune cells…
March 31, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Canada Rules EHP-101, Potential Cannabidiol Treatment, Not Controlled Substance EHP-101, a cannabidiol-derived investigational therapy being developed by Emerald Health PharmaceuticalsĀ (EHP)Ā to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), is not a controlled substance in Canada, the company announced. The active ingredient in EHP-101 is a derivative of cannabidiol, abbreviated CBD. This is one of the most well-known active compounds in…
March 20, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Janssen Seeks FDA Approval for Oral Ponesimod for Treating Relapsing MS Janssen has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking for ponesimodĀ to be approved as an oral treatment for adults with relapsingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). Ponesimod, formerly ACT-128800, is an experimental treatment that targets the proteinĀ sphingosine-1-phosphate…
March 12, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ponesimod, Up for Approval, Shows ‘Clear Superiority’ Over Aubagio, Janssen Exec Says PonesimodĀ may soon be a new oral therapy for people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in Europe, and a filing for its approval in the U.S. is likely within weeks. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, its developer,Ā submitted an applicationĀ to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) inĀ early March, a first ponesimod filing…
March 5, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Janssen Asks EMA to Approve Oral Ponesimod to Treat Relapsing MS JanssenĀ has submitted an application toĀ the European Medicines Agency (EMA) asking that ponesimodĀ be approved as an oral treatment for adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in the European Union. Ponesimod (formerly ACT-128800) is an experimental treatment that targets theĀ sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor…
February 24, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Masitinib Slows Disability Progression in PPMS and Non-active SPMS, Phase 2/3 Trial Reports AB Science‘sĀ masitinib significantly slowed disability progression in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and non-active secondary progressive MS (SPMS) at a lower dose of 4.5 mg/kg a day, top-line results from a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial show. Masitinib, formerly known as AB1010, is an oral…
February 17, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Number of People with MS in UK More Than Previously Estimated New data from Public Health England (PHE) and the U.K. MS Society show that the number of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United Kingdom is now more than 130,000 ā about one in every 500 people living in the country. This is an increase of…
February 11, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Cognitive Decline in MS May Not Be Inevitable or Progressive, 10-year Study Suggests Progressive cognitive decline in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be as inevitable as previously thought, a study suggests. The study, “A longitudinal study of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis: is decline inevitable?,” was published in theĀ Journal of Neurology. Statistics indicate that some kind…
February 10, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mavenclad May Be Added to RRMS Treatments on Quebec’s Public Health Plan The agency in charge of health and social services for Quebec, known as theĀ Institut national d’excellence en santĆ© et en services sociaux (INESSS), is recommending thatĀ Mavenclad (cladribine) be offered at discount to adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) enrolled in the province’s health system. INESSS’ opinions…
February 7, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mayzent Approved in Europe as First Oral Treatment for Active Secondary Progressive MS The experimental BTK inhibitor SAR442168 showed an acceptable safety profile and met its primary endpoint ā a significant reduction in the number of new lesions visible on a brain imaging scan ā in a Phase 2 trial in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), study results show. SAR442168,…
February 3, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MSAA Marks 50th Anniversary with Benefit Evening, New Logo and More The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is celebrating 50 years of work and dedication to improving the lives of people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Some changes are underway and initiatives being launched to commemorate this milestone. MSAA, a nonprofit organizationĀ founded in 1970, aims to provide…
January 29, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mental Health of Women Affected by Caring for Children with MS, Study Suggests Caring for children with multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect the mental health of their mothers over the long term, a study has found. The study, “Increased mental health care use by mothers of children with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal Neurology. People with…
January 27, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS NICE Approves Plegridy as RRMS Treatment Offered by NHS England The National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE) in the U.K. issued its final decision, approving the inclusion of Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a) to treatĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in England within the National Health Service (NHS). This decision follows a cost-effectiveness review done in May 2018,…