Patricia Silva, PhD, director of science content —

Stem cell transplants are most effective if done in young multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in early disease stages, who have not gone through several rounds of other treatments, according to a large study that followed transplant patients for more than five years. Study results also found that people with relapsing MS are much…

A Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of ozanimod (RPC-1063) in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) shows treatment reduced the disease’s annualized relapse rate (ARR), researchers reported. The Phase 3 SUNBEAM trial (NCT02294058) tested ozanimod, an oral, selective sphingosine 1-phosphate 1 (S1PR1) and 5 (S1PR5) receptor modulator designed to…

Dolly Stokes, a fitness trainer and multiple sclerosis (MS) patient, and her husband, Jeff Stokes, have launched the website for their fitness and wellness company, BFitLifestyles, providing information on how to live an active and healthy life. The Stokes, owners of three fitness-related companies in Fairhope, Alabama – DollyBFitness, BFitLifestyles, and Stokes…

The French economic promotion agency Bpifrance has awarded Boston-based PathMaker Neurosystems a grant to finance the development of its MyoRegulator, a noninvasive neurotherapy technology to treat conditions linked to neural pathway disruption, including neuromotor spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Through the Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir (PIA-1), an investment program offered by Bpifrance, the  grant — whose…

The world’s first registry for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases (ADs) has gone online, to honor National Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month in March. The Autoimmune Research Network (ARNet) is a creation of the Michigan-based American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), which is collaborating with the National Coalition of…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the use of Bioness’ L300 Go System electrical-stimulation rehabilitation device for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and others with walking impairment. It is the first electrical stimulation device to offer 3D motion detection of gait and muscle activation, the company says. The L300…

Researchers have tested a new compound called ST266 in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) and found that its anti-inflammatory properties prevent the loss of cells related to optic neuritis — a condition that leads to vision loss. The study, “Intranasal Delivery of a Novel Amnion Cell Secretome Prevents…

EMD Soreno has recently published Phase 3 clinical data showing that Cladribine tablets reduced the annualized rate of brain volume loss (BVL, brain atrophy) compared to placebo in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study, “Reduced brain atrophy rates are associated with lower risk of disability progression…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients given gentle electrical stimulation to their tongues during physical and cognitive rehabilitation training benefited more than those who did not have the stimulation, a small pilot study demonstrated. Those who received the weak stimulation had significant improvements in balance and better scores than controls in cognition and other…

A new online resource, LiveWiseMS.org, aims to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis (MS) and provide patients and caregivers information about the disease’s symptoms and conditions. The platform, developed by the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN), hopes to promote healthy living and improve quality of life for MS patients and their families.

Regular massage therapy given people with multiple sclerosis (MS) significantly reduced their pain and fatigue, and helped to ease spasticity, a small pilot study reports. The results further support previous findings as to the benefits of massage in treating MS symptoms and improving patients’ quality of life. The study, “Impact of Massage Therapy on Fatigue,…

A specialty shoe insole that may help multiple sclerosis (MS) patients walk and go about their daily lives with more assurance and ease was developed by an Australian-led research team, which is now seeking 176 patients to test the insole in a three-month trial. The study is led by Anna Hatton, a physiotherapy professor…

Scientists have discovered the first blood biomarker for multiple sclerosis (MS) –  a chemical identifier in the blood. The discovery should lead to a simple blood test that makes it quicker and easier to follow the course of MS, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system affecting around 2.3 million people…

Lost in the delights of the library; 10 minutes over meter limit Yes, they chalk-marked the tires and I got a ticket. I was furious. Once again,…

Ninety-five percent of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients believe medical marijuana should be a treatment option, according to a GeneFo online survey. The survey also showed that almost 73 percent had tried it, even though about half said they hadn’t received information from a doctor about its benefits and risks. A National…

Considerable differences exist in how multiple sclerosis patients, healthcare providers and insurance companies assess the value of current MS treatments, according to a literature review study by the data analysis firm Real Endpoints. For the study, a team of clinicians and researchers looked at more than 300 research articles, covering topics like…

A newly concluded clinical trial gives scientific evidence of the benefits that a stem cell transplant holds for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who fail to respond to medications — with researchers calling the procedure a reasonable option for those with high disease activity. Five years after the treatment — high-dose immunosuppressive therapy followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplant — further disease…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who received transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) while playing brain-training video games improved their learning and understanding skills to a greater extent than those who only brain-trained. Researchers at NYU Langone’s Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center underscored that while more research is needed to explore the procedure’s…

A treatment delivered as a nasal solution helped to preserve eye neurons and improve eyesight in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a recent study demonstrated — suggesting that it may be possible to deliver drugs that target the brain in this noninvasive way. But nasal administration is not the only…

More relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Zinbryta (daclizumab) said they felt its health benefits than did those given Avonex (interferon beta-1a) — demonstrating that patient-reported outcomes do mirror objective measures of improved health in a clinical trial of the two drugs. Patient-reported changes in both physical and psychological health contribute to a more comprehensive picture of…

The University of Saskatchewan‘s incoming Chair in Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Research will have a research endowment worth $8.4 million to help him search for a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS). The school has recruited Michael Levin, MD, an experienced MS researcher, to lead the program for a seven-year term that will begin…

Flex Pharma said it plans to prioritize developing its clinical programs in neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and peripheral neuropathies like Charcot-Marie Tooth (CMT). One or two proof-of-concept, Phase 2 clinical trials are planned for this year in the United States to evaluate Flex Pharma’s…

The key to why more women than men develop multiple sclerosis (MS) may be genes that influence physical traits, such as weight, height, and body shape, according to a new study. Researchers caution that the findings need to be verified, but they said processes leading to disease may differ between…

PathMaker Neurosystems and the Brain and Spine Institute (ICM) in Paris will collaborate on human clinical trials to secure CE Mark clearance for PathMaker’s MyoRegulator PM-2200, a noninvasive neurotherapy technology to treat conditions linked to neural pathway disruption, including multiple sclerosis (MS). CE Mark — which stands for “Conformité Européenne,” or European Conformity…

The VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) and the University of Maryland Fischell Department of Bioengineering are collaborating in a research initiative that aims to increase our understanding of multiple sclerosis (MS). The project is being led by Christopher M. Jewell, PhD, an assistant professor in bioengineering. Jewell will…

Two Cleveland Clinic researchers were awarded multi-year grants by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under its Outstanding Investigator Award, to find new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other complex diseases. Bruce Trapp, PhD, an expert in myelin biology and MS, will receive about $7 million over eight years under the…

In what may be one of the most significant discoveries in neurodegenerative disease, researchers have found that brain cells, called astrocytes, contribute to killing neurons and myelin-forming oligodendrocyte cells, which may drive neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Experiments indicate an aggressive astrocyte type kills cells by secreting a yet-unidentified…

A new clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of extended-release baclofen capsules in relieving spasticity related to multiple sclerosis (MS) is calling for 135 people with any form of the disease. The study, taking place in six U.S. states, is sponsored by Sun Pharma, the drug’s developer. Baclofen, an approved MS…

Siemens Healthineers and Biogen will collaborate to develop new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications that can quantify key markers of multiple sclerosis (MS). “By bringing together the shared expertise of both Siemens Healthineers and Biogen in imaging and neurology, respectively, we seek to develop new measurement tools that…

The multiple sclerosis (MS) market shifted during 2016, with oral disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) capturing a greater share and Sanofi-Genzyme’s Aubagio (teriflunomide) being poised for growth, according to a press release from Spherix Global Insights. The conclusions were included in the company’s “RealTime Dynamix: Multiple Sclerosis,” a quarterly report based…