Patricia Silva, PhD, director of science content —

PatrĆ­cia holds a PhD in medical microbiology and infectious diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. Her work in academia was mainly focused on molecular biology and the genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites. PatrĆ­cia earned several travel awards to present her work at international scientific meetings. She is a published author of several peer-reviewed science articles.

Articles by Patricia Silva

Pilot Study May Lead to Telemedicine Benefiting People with Multiple Sclerosis

Telemedicine, which allows healthcare professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients at a distance with telecommunications technology, may soon benefit people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Elizabeth Morrison-Banks, MD, a health sciences clinical professor at theĀ University of California at RiversideĀ School of Medicine,Ā is planning a pilot one-year study of a home-based…

Australians Living with MS Lack Adequate Oral Care, Study Finds

Australians living with multiple sclerosis (MS) don’t haveĀ adequate access to dental care, a new study reports. The study, ā€œHow do Australians living with MS experience oral health and accessing dental care? A focus group study,ā€ appearedĀ in the journalĀ Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. MS is an autoimmune…

Full Transcript of Interview with Genentech’s Medical Director, Peter Chin, on Ocrevus

BelowĀ is a transcript of theĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ interview with Dr. Peter Chin ā€” principal medical director at Genentech ā€” about the importance of the pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a Biologics Licensing Application (BLA) for Ocrevus (ocrelizumab). An an indepth article on this interview,Ā lookingĀ Ocrevus…

#ACTRIMS2017 – Novantrone Lowers Relapse Rates over Long Term, But Carries Cancer Risk

Ten years after completingĀ treatment with Novantrone (mitoxantrone), a chemotherapy drug, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed evidence of markedly lowerĀ annualized relapse rates, but the therapy’s effects began to wane after five years, a studyĀ presented atĀ ACTRIMS 2017 ForumĀ reported. The study also assessed howĀ Novantrone affects disease progression in primary and secondary progressive…

#ACTRIMS2017 – 3 Trials Show MS Patients Receiving Ocrevus Had No Elevated Infection Risk

A detailed analysis ofĀ relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the three Phase 3 trials of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) showed that the treatment did not significantly increase their risk of infections ā€” serious or otherwise. Certain infections, including common colds and influenza, were numerically more common among Ocrevus-treated patients,…

#ACTRIMS2017 – Some Fatty Acids in Diet Help, Others Hurt Immune System, Study Reports

Short-chain dietary fatty acids, such as propionate, drive the production of regulatory immune T-cells in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), while long-chain acids promote T-cells that are involved in inflammatory processes. Since the beneficial fatty acids are safe and can be obtained as over-the-counter dietary supplements, researchers suggest they could…

#ACTRIMS2017 – No Evidence of Progression More Likely Among PPMS Patients on Ocrevus

Genentechā€™s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) increased the proportion of patients with no evidence of progression (NEP) in the recently concluded ORATORIO Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). The evaluation of NEPĀ ā€” a combined measure of three disability assessments ā€” was a secondary exploratory endpoint of…

Brazil Allows HempMeds to Import RSHO Cannabidiol for MS Treatment

The Brazilian government has authorizedĀ HempMeds Brasil, a unit of California-basedĀ Medical Marijuana, to import the parent company’sĀ hemp cannabidiol (CBD) oil flagship product ā€” known as Real Scientific Hemp Oil (RSHO) ā€”Ā for the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. This is the first time Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency…

Exploring Methods to Manage MS-Related Fatigue

FatigueĀ isĀ the bane of my existence. Clutter qualifies as my lifestyle. If I can’t see something it may as well beĀ lost. I spend about 50% of my day trying to find things I have put “someplace safe.” The other half I spend looking for something IĀ just had…

#ACTRIMS2017 – Phase 2 Trial Data Shows Better Walking Speeds in MS Patients Using ADS-5102

Results from aĀ Phase 2 proof-of-concept studyĀ ofĀ ADS-5102Ā (amantadineĀ HCl), showing that multiple sclerosis patients givenĀ the extended-release oral treatment improved their walking speed, will be presentedĀ at ACTRIMS 2017Ā this week. Findings in theĀ poster, ā€œA Phase 2 Study of ADS-5102 (amantadine hydrochloride) Extended Release Capsules in Multiple Sclerosis Patients with Walking Impairment,ā€…