Posts by: Marta Figueiredo PhD

Marta Figueiredo PhD

Marta Figueiredo holds a master’s in evolutionary and developmental biology and a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. Her research is focused on the role of several signaling pathways in thymus and parathyroid glands embryonic development.

April 9, 2021April 9, 2021

Overall Cost of DMTs Stable 2018–2020, Study Finds

News

The overall cost of disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. remained stable from 2018 to 2020, according to pharmacy and medical claims data from Prime Therapeutics’ insured ... Read more

April 7, 2021April 9, 2021

Tecfidera, Gilenya and Ocrevus Losing Favor as Switch Therapies in US, Spherix Finds

News, Ocrevus

Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), Gilenya (fingolimod), and Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) are losing ground to more recent therapies among U.S. multiple sclerosis (MS) patients switching treatment, according to the latest Spherix Global Insights’ report. The ... Read more

April 2, 2021April 2, 2021

Protecting Myelin-producing Cells From Inflammation May Be Key to Treating MS

News

Prolonging a cellular defense mechanism shown to restore myelin — the protective sheath around nerve cell fibers that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS) — may be key to treating ... Read more

March 30, 2021March 30, 2021

Kesimpta Approved in EU as At-home Injectable Therapy for Relapsing MS

News

The European Commission has approved Novartis’ Kesimpta (ofatumumab) as the first self-administered, at-home B-cell-targeting therapy for adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and active disease. Active disease in these forms, ... Read more

March 18, 2021March 18, 2021

More Trials Needed to Clarify Benefits of Alzheimer’s Therapy Memantine in MS

News

Treatment of up to a year with memantine — an approved therapy for Alzheimer’s disease — failed to prevent cognitive decline and disability, and to significantly reduce fatigue and spasticity in adults ... Read more

March 3, 2021March 3, 2021

NMSS Partnership Targets Autoimmune Disease Research

News

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has joined forces with the diabetes-focused JDRF and the Lupus Research Alliance to fund research looking at common underlying mechanisms of autoimmune disease. Called “Decoding ... Read more

March 1, 2021March 1, 2021

Imcyse Raises €21.3M to Advance Treatments for MS, Other Diseases

News

Imcyse has raised €21.3 million ($25.8 million) in funding to advance its innovative immunotherapy platform for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other severe autoimmune diseases. The funding was ... Read more

February 22, 2021February 22, 2021

AI-powered Robotic Glove May Help Improve Hand Grip Strength

News

BioLiberty, a Scottish biotech startup, has developed a robotic glove that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the hand grip in people with muscle weakness due to multiple sclerosis (MS) and ... Read more

February 19, 2021February 19, 2021

Drop in PML With Tysabri Use in Sweden Likely Due to Risk Management Plan

News

The number of cases of Tysabri (natalizumab) that are associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) — a serious brain infection — in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients living in Sweden fell ... Read more

February 19, 2021February 19, 2021

MS-linked Molecule IL-17 Impaired Immune Cells in Mice’s Brains

News

Sustained, excessive levels of interleukin 17A (IL-17A) — a pro-inflammatory molecule linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases — reduce the number and activity of the brain’s immune cells ... Read more

February 16, 2021February 16, 2021

Rituximab Before or During Pregnancy Not Linked to Major Complications

News

Treatment with rituximab before or during pregnancy was not associated with major pregnancy or infant complications, according to a case series of 19 women with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune ... Read more

February 12, 2021February 15, 2021

National MS Society Urges DMT Dosing Changes for COVID-19 Vaccinations

News

To potentially increase the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is recommending dosing adaptations for some disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Based on ... Read more

January 29, 2021January 29, 2021

Tecfidera Safe and Effective Over Long Term in Children With RRMS, Trial Shows

News

Long-term treatment with Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) safely and effectively reduces the frequency of relapses in children with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to 2.5 years of data from the FOCUS Phase 2 ... Read more

January 27, 2021February 2, 2021

Mouse Study Links Cortical Inflammation to Immune Cell Destruction

News

Multiple sclerosis (MS)-associated inflammation in the cerebral cortex — the outermost layer of the brain that is involved in cognitive function — prompts the destruction of neural connections by specific ... Read more

January 26, 2021January 26, 2021

Innodem to Advance Way of Diagnosing, Tracking MS via Eye Movement

News

Innodem Neurosciences received $6 million to advance its digital biomarker eye-tracking technology as a possible way of diagnosing and monitoring neurodegenerative diseases. The technology is now being tested in people with ... Read more

January 22, 2021February 25, 2021

#ACTRIMS2021 – Forum to Focus on Several MS-related Spectrums

ACTRIMS 2021, News

The upcoming Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2021 Forum will focus on the spectrums of multiple sclerosis (MS), related inflammation, disease severity, and the latest findings ... Read more

January 22, 2021January 22, 2021

SERPINA3 Nerve Injury-induced Protein May Be Biomarker of PPMS

News

People with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) have significantly higher levels of a nerve injury-induced protein, called SERPINA3, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) than do those with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) ... Read more

January 19, 2021January 19, 2021

Ocrevus Targets Pro-inflammatory T-cells, Not Just B-cells, in PPMS, Study Finds

News, Ocrevus

In addition to significantly reducing subsets of B-cells — its main immune cell target — Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) lessens pro-inflammatory immune T-cells in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), a small ... Read more

January 18, 2021January 18, 2021

Tonix Files for Patent for TNX-1500 to Treat Autoimmune Diseases

News

Tonix Pharmaceuticals has filed a patent application with the World Intellectual Property Organization covering the use of TNX-1500 — its third-generation anti-CD154 antibody — for the prevention and treatment of ... Read more

January 15, 2021January 15, 2021

Sexual Dysfunction Common in Men with MS, Review Finds

News

Sexual dysfunction affects more than 60% of adult men with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. The data add to previous findings showing that more than two-thirds of ... Read more

January 14, 2021January 14, 2021

New Technique May Help Isolate, Characterize T-cells in MS Research

News

Scientists at the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center have developed a technique able to more efficiently isolate specific T-cells — immune cells involved not only in the fight against ... Read more

January 11, 2021February 5, 2021

BioNTech Vaccine Treats MS in Mice Without Dampening Immune System

News

BioNTech’s experimental non-inflammatory vaccine — designed to dampen the abnormal immune responses seen in multiple sclerosis (MS) against myelin — delayed the onset and lessened the severity of symptoms in ... Read more

December 29, 2020February 1, 2021

Dosing Finishes in Trial of NurOwn Cell Therapy for Progressive MS

News

Patient dosing has finished in a Phase 2 clinical trial testing NurOwn, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics’ investigational cell-based therapy for people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), the company announced. The trial’s top-line ... Read more

December 18, 2020December 21, 2020

Mayzent Aids Cognitive Processing Speed in SPMS Patients, Trial Suggests

News

Mayzent (siponimod) significantly improved cognitive processing speed in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) compared with a placebo, according to additional analyses of two-year data from the EXPAND Phase 3 ... Read more

December 15, 2020December 15, 2020

FDA Approves Shorter Infusion Time for MS Therapy Ocrevus

News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a shorter infusion time of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for treating relapsing or primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Infusion refers to the slow delivery ... Read more

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020

Ublituximab Superior to Aubagio at Lowering Relapse Rates, Phase 3 Data Show

News

Ublituximab, an investigational anti-CD20 antibody, outperformed Aubagio (teriflunomide) in lowering the frequency of relapses among people with active, relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to top-line data from the ... Read more

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

Inflammatory Environment in MS Impairs Myelin Debris-clearing by Immune Cells

News

The pro-inflammatory environment characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS) reduces the levels of PPAR-gamma — a receptor protein whose activation dampens inflammation — and impairs myelin processing in immune cells that clear ... Read more

December 9, 2020December 9, 2020

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplant With NG-01 Treatment Shows Promise in Progressive MS

News

Treatment with NG-01 — an approach that uses patients’ own mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) — safely and effectively delayed disease progression in people with active, progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to ... Read more

December 1, 2020December 1, 2020

Virtual Reality-based Rehabilitation May Improve Upper Limb Function in MS Patients, Review Finds

News

Motor rehabilitation using virtual reality (VR) may improve hand and arm function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. Evidence of its beneficial effect is, however, ... Read more

December 1, 2020December 1, 2020

MS Patients at Higher Risk of Bladder Cancer, But Not Breast, Colorectal Cancer

News

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at a higher risk of developing and dying from bladder cancer than people without the neurodegenerative disorder, according to a Canadian population-based study. However, no ... Read more

November 30, 2020March 9, 2021

Novartis, iHeartRadio Partner to Launch 1st Streaming Station for MS Community

News

Novartis has partnered with iHeartRadio to launch the first free on-demand streaming radio station dedicated to the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. Named MS Vibes, the station is focused “on popular music, educational ... Read more

November 25, 2020November 26, 2020

Gut Immune Cells That Travel to Brain May Help Resolve MS Disease Relapses

News

A particular type of gut microbiota-reactive immune cells, called IgA-producing B-cells, travels to the brain of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients during relapses, where they produce anti-inflammatory molecules, a study shows. ... Read more

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020

Early Use of Ocrevus Best for Slowing PPMS Progression, Long-term Data Show

News

Early and continuous use of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) significantly slows disability progression and delays the time until wheelchair reliance in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), new Phase 3 data spanning more ... Read more

November 20, 2020November 20, 2020

Smartphone Typing Patterns May Be Tool for Monitoring MS Progression, Study Finds

News

Typing patterns in daily smartphone use show clinically relevant changes over time in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but not among healthy individuals, a study shows. Notably, these variations often ... Read more

November 20, 2020November 20, 2020

MS Patients With Depression Symptoms Have More Difficulty Multitasking, Study Shows

News

Patients in the early stages of multiple sclerosis with mild to moderate symptoms of depression performed worse on cognitive tests related to multitasking than on those focused on single tasks, ... Read more

November 20, 2020November 20, 2020

Autoimmune Registry Releases Comprehensive US List of These Diseases

News

The nonprofit Autoimmune Registry (ARI) has published its first comprehensive list of autoimmune diseases, with information addressing more than 150 disorders, their subtypes, and prevalence in the U.S. This list was ... Read more

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020

TEPP-46 Might Worsen MS Rather Than Treat It, Study Suggests

News

Using a small molecule called TEPP-46 to block the non-metabolic function of the enzyme pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in T-helper (Th) immune cells did not lessen disease severity and redirected ... Read more

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020

Additional Group of RRMS Patients Sought to Take Lower Dose of IMU-838 in Phase 2 Trial

News

Immunic Therapeutics is seeking 60 more adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to test a lower dose of IMU-838, its leading oral experimental therapy, in its ongoing Phase 2 EMPhASIS trial. ... Read more

November 10, 2020November 11, 2020

Stem Cell Transplant More Effective Than Lemtrada in Treating RRMS, Study Suggests

News

An autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) is more effective than Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) at achieving no evidence of disease activity and preventing relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a real-life study ... Read more

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