Patricia Silva, PhD, director of science content —

Patients who suffer from progressive conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), are submitted to unnecessary evaluations for disability benefits and often denied the full payment of their out-of-work benefits or deemed as fit to work when they are in fact not able. This new perspective was highlighted by a…

Photo From University of Alberta The company behind FDA-approved multiple sclerosis drug AVONEX® (Interferon beta-1a), Biogen Idec, together with the government of the province of Alberta, has…

Drug manufacturers Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech announced that they expanding the ongoing clinical research program for the study of laquinimod, a potential treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), as the companies are now initiating the ARPEGGIO trial. In addition, Teva has also announced…

Sanofi subsidiary and rare disease treatment specialist Genzyme has just announced the successful enrollment of the first participant in their multicenter Phase II clinical trial for the company’s pipeline intravenous drug for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), vatelizumab. This novel drug is composed of humanized monoclonal antibodies that specifically target…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently awarded MS researcher Lauren Strober, PhD from the Kessler Foundation, a three-year grant for her investigational research, totaling $457,921. The funding is part of a multi-site study that will be conducted by the investigator to understand the influence that having…

Next Sunday, November 2nd, Sydney, Australia will hold one of the country’s largest fundraising events to support multiple sclerosis research and advocacy, the MS Gong Ride, a one day community bike ride designed to collect $3.8 million. Each biker is asked to help raise $250 for the historic ride that celebrates its…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society granted the 2014 Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research to Philip Laurence De Jager, MD, PhD, who is a neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as an associate professor of neurology at the Harvard Medical School. The award, meant to…

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently accepted the results from Genzyme’s TOWER and TOPIC  clinical trials, which assessed the safety and efficacy of oral, once-daily Aubagio® (teriflunomide) for Multiple Sclerosis, and will add the positive data to the product’s U.S. label. Genzyme is a leader in the development…

While Canada is home to one of the world’s most comprehensive social healthcare systems, it is unfortunately home to one of the largest multiple sclerosis patient populations as well. According to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, at least 100,000 Canadians have the disease, and at least 20,000 of them live…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society‘s Lone Star Chapter, which is sponsoring the nonprofit organization’s annual Houston-area Walk MS fundraisers, has announced that Woodlands-based biopharmaceutical company Opexa Therapeutics, a company currently developing personalized immunotherapies for multiple sclerosis (MS), will also support the fundraising effort. This is the fourth consecutive…

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) has announced that its next annual meeting will be held in 2015 between May 27 th and 30th at the JW Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 2015 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers aims to gather healthcare professionals as…

One of the most effective and engaging fundraising strategies the National Multiple Sclerosis Society organizes annually is the Bike MS series. Several times a year, in different locations throughout the country, thousands of MS patients from all over the world, as well as friends, family, and advocacy…

A member of the musical Osmond family, David Osmond, recently released a music video for his inspirational song “I Can Do This.” He has dedicated it to men and women all over the world who are faced with challenges that make them doubt their abilities and self-worth, but the real…

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen Idec has just announced a new support program for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) that encourages patients to turn their attention to daily activities that enhance their emotional and mental state. The newly launched MS Blueprint program assists patients and caregivers in setting positive and realistic goals,…

Heartwarming support for multiple sclerosis campaigns and charity events poured in at last week’s exclusive gastronomic fundraising event, the Toqué! for MS benefit, made possible by the tireless, collaborative efforts of Louis Vachon, the event’s Honorary Chair and President and CEO of the National Bank, and Toqué! Restaurant’s Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux,…

Several national health organizations have come together to design a series of continuing education opportunities focused on better managing multiple sclerosis entitled, Optimizing Multiple Sclerosis Management. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of leading MS organization for professionals, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC); Nurse Practitioner Alternatives (NPA), and Spire Learning, allied…

The U.S. Supreme Court deliberated on a request from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to preserve the patent of its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone from generic competitors until September 2015. Recent reports indicate that the court gave the company a mixed opinion. The hearing occurred this…

Featureflash / Shutterstock.com Television’s “Queen of Mean,” Revenge‘s Madeleine Stowe, recently opened up about her early memories of her father living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that, until today, does not have a known cure. However, thanks to the efforts of countless researchers and MS…

One of the concerns patients with neurologic diseases such as multiple sclerosis face is decline or loss of bladder control. It can be an embarrassing and frustrating problem, which is estimated to occur in about 80% of MS patients, as the disease causes a slowing down or interruption in signal transmission…

Evotec AG, a German company specializing in the provision of drug discovery resources to biotech companies and learning institutions, announced that is going to begin three new research projects for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), which will be supported by funds from the German Federal Ministry of Education…

Spanish-Filipino biopharmaceutical startup Ankar Pharma is working on a promising treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). Dr. Ana Martinez, a professor and researcher at the Biological Research Center (CIB) of the Spanish National Council for Research (CSIC), explains that while there are several palliative treatments available on the market…

New Zealand-based Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC) has approved the funding of new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), which are expected not only to reach more patients, but also be more effective in curtailing the disease’s progressive symptoms. The therapies currently funded are meant for the treatment of …

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently honored several admirable MS advocates and leaders during the annual NMSS Ambassadors Ball, held in Washington, D.C., to benefit local MS patients and research initiatives. The upscale black-tie evening brought together some of the most accomplished industry leaders and celebrities at the Georgetown Ritz…

Germany’s Multiple Sclerosis Association is hosting an event dedicated to recognizing those who have devoted much of their time and effort to supporting and empowering MS patients in spite of their debilitating condition. The Chairman, former president Christian Wulff, will be present on Thursday, October 16, in Berlin to…

Now more than ever, groundbreaking, new therapies for chronic diseases and infections come with high price tags. Earlier in the year, Gilead Sciences’ drug Sovaldi for Hepatitis C, as well as Vertex’s Kalydeco for Cystic Fibrosis, both raised eyebrows over their cost. Now, a new MS therapy is doing the…

The British National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated their guidelines on the provision of health care for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the United Kingdom, which number approximately 100,000 people. The institute recommends now that every patient who is suspected to suffer from the…

A scientist from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) is the recipient of 1 of only 5 Multiple Sclerosis Innovation grants from German biopharmaceutical company EMD Serono. Manu Nair, the foundation’s Vice President of Technology Ventures, said that this funding from a new collaborative relationship is a crucial step towards…

54 new multiple sclerosis (MS) research and development initiatives are set to receive substantial funding in order to accelerate new therapies. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) announced that it has pledged $19 million to fund these new MS studies as part of their mission to better manage…

San Francisco Bay Area-based Glialogix, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing novel treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), announced yesterday that they have closed a Sponsored Research Agreement with Fast Forward, a non-profit organization that aims to accelerate MS treatment development. Glialogix will receive funding for one of their…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune neurodegenerative disease that the biomedical research and pharmaceutical industry has yet to find a cure for. It is a progressively debilitating condition that manifests with a number of unpredictable symptoms that can greatly reduce one’s quality of life. In order…