December 1, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Patients at Higher Risk of Bladder Cancer, But Not Breast, Colorectal Cancer 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 differences were found between MS patients and unaffected individuals in terms of their risk of breast and…
November 30, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Novartis, iHeartRadio Partner to Launch 1st Streaming Station for MS Community 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 content and relatable topics to which listeners can connect, uplift and recharge,” Leverne Marsh, vice president and…
November 25, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Gut Immune Cells That Travel to Brain May Help Resolve MS Disease Relapses 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. The underlying mechanisms of this event and these cells’ role in MS remain largely unclear, but these…
November 23, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Early Use of Ocrevus Best for Slowing PPMS Progression, Long-term Data Show 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 than six years show. Findings from the ORATORIO trial, comparing immediate use with a two-year delay, support Ocrevus’ sustained…
November 20, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Smartphone Typing Patterns May Be Tool for Monitoring MS Progression, Study Finds 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 coincided with clinically meaningful changes in measures of disease activity, disability, and/or fatigue in MS patients with and without…
November 20, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Patients With Depression Symptoms Have More Difficulty Multitasking, Study Shows 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, a study has found. Notably, no such association was observed among healthy individuals, suggesting an MS-related link between mood,…
November 20, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Autoimmune Registry Releases Comprehensive US List of These Diseases 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 created in part to provide patients and scientists easy access to the latest peer-reviewed research, information on clinical…
November 17, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD TEPP-46 Might Worsen MS Rather Than Treat It, Study Suggests 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 inflammation and neural damage from the spinal cord to the brain in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis…
November 11, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Additional Group of RRMS Patients Sought to Take Lower Dose of IMU-838 in Phase 2 Trial 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. The decision was based on previous trial results showing that both doses tested (30 and 45 mg…
November 10, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Stem Cell Transplant More Effective Than Lemtrada in Treating RRMS, Study Suggests 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 in Sweden reported. Adverse events (side effects) were more frequent with AHSCT over the first three…
November 2, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus Still Reigns for Progressive MS, Spherix Reports, But Challenges Noted Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) continues to be the most prescribed treatment for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) among U.S. neurologists, according to the latest Spherix Global Insights’ report. However, Novartis’ Mayzent (siponimod) “is beginning to close the gap” with Ocrevus among those with active secondary progressive MS…
October 30, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Adults With MS Wanted for 12-week Trial Assessing Health Benefits of Tele-exercise Adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders are being recruited to take part in a 12-week clinical trial that aims to assess the health benefits of home-based tele-exercise — performed while seated — led by the Burke Neurological Institute, in New York, according to an…
October 29, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MD1003 Fails to Prevent Disability Progression in Progressive MS Patients, Trial Shows MD1003, MedDay Pharmaceuticals’ high-dose biotin therapy, failed to significantly improve functional ability or walking speed in people with non-active progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. Besides failing to meet the trial’s goals, the therapy was associated with inaccurate results in…
October 27, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Metabolic Enzyme PKM2 a Potential Therapeutic Target for MS, Preclinical Study Suggests Suppressing pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) — an enzyme involved in cellular metabolism — in T-helper (Th) immune cells lessened myelin loss and disease severity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibers that helps speed transmission of signals between nerve cells, is damaged and lost…
October 26, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Biogen Discontinues Development of Opicinumab for MS Biogen is discontinuing the clinical development of opicinumab, its experimental treatment candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS), based on data from the Phase 2 AFFINITY clinical trial. The announcement, amid a third-quarter report, indicated that the study failed to meet both its main and secondary goals, without further details. The trial,…
October 23, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD New Genetic Variants Found in African Americans of European Ancestry at Higher MS Risk Two genetic variants have been identified by researchers within a genome region previously reported to drive a 1.44-times increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a group of African Americans with European ancestry. Located in genes involved in immune responses, the variants fully explain the reported European ancestry-associated increased…
October 22, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Impact of Gut Microbiota in MS More Complex Than Thought, Study Shows The presence of a particular gut bacterium widely used in probiotics, called Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri), was sufficient to increase disease severity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), but only in genetically susceptible animals, a recent study shows. These findings highlight the complex interactions between…
October 21, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Immune Cells’ Ability to Clear Myelin Debris Is Potential Therapeutic Approach for MS, Mouse Study Shows Oral administration of trehalose — a sugar molecule found in plants and fungi and reported to have neuroprotective effects — eased symptoms and halted disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). These benefits were associated with a restoration of the ability of microglia (the brain’s immune cells) to break down…
October 20, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Majority of MS Patients in US Report Mistreatment by Caregivers in Survey In a nationwide survey of caregiver abuse and neglect among Americans with advanced multiple sclerosis (MS), more than half of respondents reported some form of mistreatment, with psychological and financial abuse being the most common. Having a caregiver with a mental illness was the greatest risk factor for mistreatment, the survey…
October 9, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Simple Sugar Molecule May Be Potential Myelin-repairing Therapy for MS Oral administration of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) — a natural simple sugar sold as a dietary supplement — prevents myelin degeneration and loss of motor function in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibers that helps to speed transmission of signals between nerve cells, is damaged…
September 30, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Iron Deficiency May Be Linked to Depression and Poorer Life Quality Low blood levels of ferritin — the main form of iron stored in cells — are significantly associated with more severe depressive symptoms and poorer quality of life in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a small study from Poland reports. Data showed no link between the levels of other measures of…
September 24, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Older Age at DMT Discontinuation Linked to Sustained NEDA in CIS Patients Older age at disease-modifying therapy (DMT) discontinuation is the main predictive factor of sustained “no evidence of disease activity” (NEDA) in people starting DMT immediately after being diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), according to a study in Austria. In particular, patients discontinuing DMT at age 45 or…
September 22, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD NIH Awards $2.3M to Bioengineer to Advance Diagnosis, Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $2.3 million grant to a bioengineer at Indiana University’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering to improve diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The project aims to find ways to detect disease-associated cells based on their ability…
September 22, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Gilenya Remains Favorite S1P Receptor Modulator in US, But Zeposia May Catch Up, Survey Finds Among oral sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators for multiple sclerosis (MS), Novartis’s Gilenya (fingolimod) remains physicians’ favorite in the U.S., but prescriptions of recently-launched Bristol Myers Squibb’s Zeposia (ozanimod) are beginning to rise, according to a survey conducted by Spherix Global Insights. Also, COVID-19 not…
September 21, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Pregnancy Delays Likely MS Onset by About 3 Years, Large Study Finds After a pregnancy or childbirth, most women who went on to develop clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) did so about three years later than those who were never pregnant, a large and multicenter study reported. Multiple pregnancies or births, however, were not seen to further affect CIS onset. More research is…
September 18, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Fatigue Tops Survey About Relapsing MS Symptoms Fatigue is the most impactful symptom on daily functioning in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and is more severe in patients with relapse, pain, depression, and sleep disorders, according to a U.S.-based survey. The results were based mostly on a new MS-specific tool called the Fatigue Symptoms…
September 17, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Masitinib Delays Disability Progression in PPMS, Non-active SPMS AB Science’s lead candidate masitinib safely and effectively delays disability progression in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and non-active secondary progressive MS (SPMS), according to top-line data from a clinical trial. The therapy was found to significantly lower the risk of first and confirmed (three-month) disability progression, and to reduce…
September 17, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Early Use of Ocrevus Slows Thalamic Atrophy in Relapsing MS and PPMS Early use of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) significantly slows shrinkage of the thalamus — a brain region involved in sensory and motor functions — in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS), according to new analyses from three Phase 3 trials that compared immediate use with a two-year…
September 16, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Pediatric MS Patients May Do Best on Intravenous DMTs, Study Finds Most children and adolescents with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS), especially those treated intravenously with a disease-modifying therapy (DMT), achieve no evidence of disease activity within two years of diagnosis, according to a real-life study from the U.S. Patients whose DMTs are infused into a vein (intravenous treatment) are more likely…
September 15, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Remyelination Mainly Conducted by Pre-existing Myelin-producing Cells, Study Finds Remyelination — or the restoration of lost myelin, the protective sheath surrounding nerve cell fibers — in multiple sclerosis (MS) depends mainly on pre-existing oligodendrocytes (myelin-producing cells), rather than on newly-generated oligodendrocytes, according to a recent study. The data also showed that perineuronal, or satellite,…