January 14, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Epstein-Barr Virus May Be Leading Cause of MS, Raising Risk by 32 Times Infection with the common Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) increases the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) by 32 times — the strongest link yet — according to a study looking at two decades of data from more than 10 million U.S. military members. “The hypothesis that EBV causes MS has been…
January 10, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD FDA Expands MRI Compatibility With Spinal Stimulation for Pain The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Abbott’s request to expand the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatibility with its Proclaim XR spinal cord stimulation system with Octrode leads, which is used to manage chronic pain. The decision lifts previous restrictions for Octrode lead tip location and…
January 5, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD AB Science OK’d to Start Masitinib Phase 3 Trial for Progressive MS The French Health Authority has approved AB Science’s request to launch a Phase 3 clinical trial to confirm the safety and effectiveness of its lead candidate masitinib in adults with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and nonactive secondary progressive MS (SPMS). “We are very excited to initiate…
December 28, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus, Gilenya May Limit Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines: UK Study COVID-19 infection rates after widespread vaccination were significantly higher among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) or Gilenya (fingolimod) than in the general population, but not among MS patients given other immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), a data study in England reports. While information on patients’ vaccination…
December 22, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD 3 New COVID-19 Treatments Now Available to MS Patients in UK People with multiple sclerosis (MS) living in the U.K. are now eligible to receive one of three new treatments for COVID-19 that are meant to prevent serious disease in at-risk populations who tested positive for the virus. First available under this plan were Regeneron and Roche’s antibody-based therapy…
December 22, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD New Subset of Regulatory B-cells May Help MS, Mouse Study Shows Treatment with a newly discovered subset of regulatory B-cells (Bregs) — a type of immune cell that dampens immune responses — significantly reduced symptoms in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. Similar effects were observed in a mouse model of uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease triggered…
December 20, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD NICE Still Opposes Adding Fampyra to NHS for England The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England is set to again recommend against adding Fampyra (fampridine) to the list of medications available to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with walking difficulties through the country’s national health service (NHS). The poor cost-effectiveness of Fampyra — sold…
December 15, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ublituximab as Relapsing MS Therapy Under FDA Review The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to review TG Therapeutics’ application seeking the approval of ublituximab as a treatment for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. An FDA’s decision is expected on or before Sept. 28. The agency is not currently planning to hold an…
December 10, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Researchers Identify Subset of Immune Cells Driving MS A new subset of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) — a type of immune cell known mostly for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects in the gut — infiltrates the brain and promotes the abnormal immune attacks that drive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study in a mouse model…
December 8, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Greater Sense of Life Control May Curb Depression Having a greater sense of control over life circumstances — a coping resource called mastery — is associated with a significantly lower risk of future depression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, an international study shows. The findings suggest that developing greater mastery may prevent MS patients from developing depression,…
December 1, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Researchers Shed Light on Link Between Nuclear Protein and MS A nuclear protein called heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 or hnRNP A1 — abnormally found outside the nucleus in people with neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) — is essential for nerve cell function and survival. Those are the findings of a new study, by Canadian researchers, of nerve…
November 22, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Lesser Right-hand Dominance May Be Linked to More Severe MS Inconsistently switching between hands for most common manual activities — or naturally choosing the left rather than the right hand — may be associated with more severe multiple sclerosis (MS), either in the form of younger age at diagnosis or progressive type, particularly in women, a small study suggests. These…
November 16, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus Benefited RRMS Patients Who Responded Poorly to DMTs Most relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients switching to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) following suboptimal responses to other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) show no evidence of disease activity, according to final two-year data from the European-based CASTING Phase 3b trial. These clinical benefits, which entail no relapses or disease progression and no…
November 11, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD North American MS Societies Targeting Earliest MS Predictors The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (MSSC) has partnered with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) to support a Canadian-led study investigating the earliest predictors of multiple sclerosis (MS) during the so-called prodromal period across diverse groups. A prodrome is a set of signs or symptoms that…
November 10, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD AI Proposed to Help Thwart MS Treatment Delays, Discontinuation Patients’ underestimation of their own disease and the cost and side effects of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are among the main causes of delayed treatment initiation and non-adherence in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a report from OptimizeRx. These findings help uncover areas for improvement, which the health…
November 1, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Society Report: Neurology Services in UK Struggling to Help Patients The COVID-19 pandemic brought extra strain to already-stretched neurology services across the U.K., markedly affecting multiple sclerosis (MS) care and patients’ health, according to a report from the MS Society. These findings were consistent with those of a 2020 report from U.K.’s Neurological Alliance showing that the pandemic…
October 29, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD National MS Society Fundraiser in Dallas Sponsored by Tri Global Energy Tri Global Energy, an ongoing supporter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Dallas chapter, will be the title sponsor of one of the society’s premier fundraising events, “Dallas On the Move Luncheon.” The Dallas-based company, which specializes in renewable energy and energy storage, signed the sponsorship with a…
October 26, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Stem Cells (MSCs) Fail to Reduce Brain Inflammation in Active MS Into-the-vein treatment with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) failed to significantly reduce brain inflammation or improve clinical conditions among adults with active multiple sclerosis (MS) in an international Phase 2 clinical trial, according to final study data. The trial, which used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to assess…
October 25, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD National MS Society Accepting Proposals for Pathways to Cure Roadmap The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is accepting submissions for funding of new researcher-initiated proposals that help advance multiple sclerosis (MS) research and care in line with its Pathways to Cures Roadmap — to stop the disease in its tracks, restore what has been lost, and find a…
October 21, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD National MS Society Supports Stem Cell Transplant for Select, Aggressive RRMS The National Multiple Sclerosis Society supports the use of a patient-derived bone marrow transplant to treat people with very aggressive relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who responded poorly to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). This position is in line with a recent set of society recommendations on how and in…
October 20, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – App’s Use Prolongs Gains of Spasticity Rehab Program Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Four…
October 19, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – Problems in Thalamus Linked to Severe Progressive MS Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. In people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), neuron loss…
October 19, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – Spinal Cord Lesions Predictive of SPMS Conversion in CIS Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Lesions…
October 18, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – Early Ocrevus Slows MS Better Versus 2-year Delay Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Early use of…
October 18, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – Ublituximab Better Than Aubagio at Reducing Disability Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. The investigational anti-CD20…
October 15, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – Quitting Smoking May Help Slow MS Progression Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Multiple…
October 15, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – Real-world Data Support Mavenclad Benefits in Relapsing MS Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Mavenclad…
October 15, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – Stem Cell Transplant May Better Treat SPMS Than DMTs Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference.
October 14, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – Childhood Sexual, Emotional Abuse Increases MS Risk Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13–15. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference.
October 5, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Deep Brain Stimulation May Help with MS-associated Tremors Deep brain stimulation (DBS) effectively reduces tremors in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but may lead to worsening symptoms and speech problems, according to a review study. While these findings support the use of DBS for treating this common, disabling MS symptom, larger studies using standardized measures of…