April 13, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 3D Laboratory Cell Growth System Should Speed Up MS Remyelination Research A physical scaffold that allows lab-grown brain cells to grow in a three-dimensional manner is giving scientists a whole new way of studying the regeneration of myelin, nerve coatings whose damage is at the heart of multiple sclerosis. The scaffold is allowing researchers to test large numbers of compounds for…
April 12, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Firefighter with Relapsing MS on Ocrevus: ‘I Have Really Good Days and I Have Bad Days’ Texas firefighter Wayne Donovan is amongĀ theĀ estimatedĀ 250,000 to 350,000 Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS). He enrolled in a clinical trial testing Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), which theĀ Ā U.S. Food and Drug Administration recentlyĀ approvedĀ as the first therapyĀ for both relapsing and primary progressive forms of MS. Donovan was diagnosed in 2011 at…
April 11, 2017 Columns by Patricia Silva, PhD Importance of Elevators for Universal Housing You might think that the Fair Housing ActĀ required multifamily buildings to have elevators, but no, it doesn’t. A multifamily dwelling of four units that does not have an elevator is not required to have one. However, the ground floor units must be fully…
April 7, 2017 Columns by Patricia Silva, PhD ABLE Act Improvements Reintroduced in Congress The ABLE Act improvement bills were reintroduced into CongressĀ this week and referred to committee on April 4.Ā The billsĀ died in committee in 2016 before an active campaign could garner enough attention in that election year. I urge all readers in the U.S. toĀ call yourĀ representatives and senators to encourage them to…
April 7, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Canada, World’s Multiple Sclerosis Capital, Launches 3-Way Collaboration to Research MS Progression Three Canadian entities ā Toronto-based Biogen CanadaĀ andĀ theĀ MS Society of Canada, and Montreal-basedĀ Brain CanadaĀ ā have jointly invitedĀ researchers to establish a multiple sclerosis (MS) progression cohort in Canada. The $7 million nationwideĀ MS Progression CohortĀ offersĀ a timely opportunity to investigate some of the biggestĀ challenges in curingĀ progressive MS, such as…
April 6, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD ‘Adequate and Rapid Delivery’ of Ocrevus Expected, Says Genentech Director in Interview Ocrevus (ocrelizumab),Ā now approved for both relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), is expected to become available in the coming week. While patients and neurologists are waiting, Multiple Sclerosis News Today spoke to Genentech about the treatment’s approval, future research plans, and what patients can expect in terms…
April 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Transcript of Interview with Dr. Robert Lisak, a Neurologist and MS Expert, About Ocrevus Here is a transcript of the Multiple Sclerosis News Today interview about Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) with Dr. Robert Lisak of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). Lisak, a professor of neurology and of immunology and microbiology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, is aĀ former…
April 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ocrevus Holds Promise, But Needs to Prove Itself in ‘Long Term,’ Says Dr. Robert Lisak with CMSC Interest inĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the first FDA-approved treatment for bothĀ relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, isĀ running high among patients and the organization representing them ā as, arguably, are expectations ofĀ its use. But how do physicians involved in MS care view the newcomer? Dr. Robert Lisak (Photo courtesy…
April 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Research on Faulty Stem Cells Suggests MS Patients Need Tailored Therapies Brain stem cells from primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) patients lack the ability to repair brain damage and to trigger the maturation of protective myelin-producing cells, a surprising study with far-reaching implications indicates. The study also showed that stem cells from individual patients reacted differently to compounds developed to trigger…
April 3, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD What Every MS Patient Should Know About Ocrevus and Its Use With the recent approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for both primary progressive and relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), interest in the medication is peaking.Ā To helpĀ readers of Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ better understandĀ this new medication and how it works, as well issues dealingĀ with access, use, and potential side effects, here is aĀ summary…
March 31, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Diplomat Pharmacy Chosen to Dispense Ocrevus to MS Patients Across US Diplomat Pharmacy, the largest independent specialty pharmacy in the U.S., has been selected to dispenseĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), a limited-distribution drug,Ā to people withĀ relapsingĀ andĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Ocrevus was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 28, becoming the first therapy approved for both RMS and…
March 30, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Hope, But No Cheers Yet, Voiced by MS Groups in Europe and Canada Waiting on Own Ocrevus Decision American patient groupsĀ and neurologists haveĀ clearly been giving Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) plenty of attention since news of its approval landed, as a sweep of U.S. reaction to the FDA’s decision showed. But what is happening elsewhere in regard to this firstĀ treatment for both primary progressive and relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS)?…
March 29, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Excitement to Cautious Optimism ā Reactions to Approval of Ocrevus TheĀ historic approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the first-ever treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), set off ripples in the relatively calm waters of MS news reporting. The drug, which was also approved Tuesday as an unusually effective and safe treatment for relapsing MS, is viewed as a game-changer…
March 28, 2017 Columns by Patricia Silva, PhD Dedicated Handicapped Parking is About Availability, Not Cost Being disabled by MS does not have many advantages. One ā free city street parking in California ā is likelyĀ to end soon.Ā In the rush to garner parking revenue, though, the lack of concurrent discussion about providing dedicated handicapped parking (DHP) is troubling. The widespread abuse…
March 28, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Approves Ocrevus as 1st MS Treatment for Both Relapsing and Primary Progressive Forms At long last, and for the first time in medical history, peopleĀ with both relapsing and primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis have reason to celebrate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā as a disease-modifying therapy for both forms of MS, aĀ chronic autoimmune disease.
March 28, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD CGEN-15001, Compugen’s Tolerance-Inducing Autoimmune Therapy for MS, Is Subject of Two Presentations CGEN-15001, which could become the first tolerance-inducing therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune conditions, is on the agenda of a scientific conference in Canada that is going on now and another conference in May. The first CGEN-15001 presentation thatĀ CompugenĀ isĀ delivering is atĀ theĀ Keystone Symposia: Immune Regulation in Autoimmunity and…
March 28, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ocrevus’ Journey from Defiant Idea to Game-Changing Treatment Twenty years ago, the idea that B-cell depletion could treat multiple sclerosisĀ would have been greeted with a hearty laughĀ byĀ any well-respected neurologist or MS researcher ā or perhapsĀ a scoff. But times change and research advances. Today, a medicine that gets rid of certain B-cells may beĀ the most powerful drug yetĀ developed against…
March 27, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Two Genes Team Up to Increase Risk of Multiple Sclerosis, Study Indicates A person unlucky enough to have two specific gene variants is at significantly higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. The research, which gave scientists insight into the processes that cause MS, also suggestedĀ that another mutation increased the effects of a known MS risk gene. The…
March 24, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National MS Society-Sponsored Group Creates Tool Set to Measure Outcomes in MS Clinical Trials Four newly published articles, the focused work of a group of researchers, evaluate the validity of four outcome measures commonly used in clinical trials of multiple sclerosis (MS) to set standards for such measures, the National MS Society recently reported. The effort by the Society-sponsored MS Outcome Assessments Consortium…
March 23, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD The Countdown Is on for This Year’s MuckFest MS Fundraising Series The 2017 version of MuckFest MS, the five-kilometer fundraising mud-run series, will begin in a few weeks. The event, organized by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Event 360, features more than 18 obstacles in muddy settings. They include theĀ swing set, muck off, skid mark, and more. Participants…
March 22, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Worldwide Clinical Trials to Host Free Webinar on Biosimilars for MS Awareness Month Worldwide Clinical TrialsĀ has added two webinars to its free webinar seriesĀ ā the first to observeĀ Multiple Sclerosis Awareness MonthĀ in March and the second for Parkinsonās Awareness MonthĀ in April. Although both are free, attendees need to sign up in advance (see the link below). The first informative session will take place…
March 22, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Swallowing Problems in MS That Lead to Pneumonia Need Attention, Professor Says Swallowing difficulties and reduced cough are a major, yet commonly overlooked, issue in patients with multiple sclerosis and other brain conditions, according to Dr. Don Bolser, aĀ University of FloridaĀ (UF) professor. Pharmaceutical companies haven’t recognized the importance of preventing bits of food and drink from getting into the lungs while…
March 21, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Kadimastem Obtains US Patent for Neurodegenerative Disease Stem Cell Technology The United States has granted a patent toĀ Kadimastem’sĀ stem cell-based technology for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases of the nervous system. The patent involves the technology the company used to produce supporting cells in the central nervous system derived from human stem cells, including myelin-producing cells. TheĀ United…
March 21, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Physician Assisted Suicide’s Appeal to MS Patients in Unbearable Pain Highlights Urgency in Treating Depression Half of the more than 7,500 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients responding to a recent survey revealed they’dĀ consider physician-assisted suicide if they could no longerĀ enjoy anything that made life worth living. In addition, 65 percent of respondents said they’d definitely or probably let a physician terminate their lives if they were…
March 20, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Alkermes Begins Phase 3 Study of ALKS 8700 as Relapsing MS Treatment AlkermesĀ has started a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating ALKS 8700, the oral monomethyl fumarate (MMF) prodrug it is developing for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The multicenter, double-blind, active-controlled trial (NCT02634307) will examine whether the gastrointestinal tract can tolerate ALKS 8700 better thanĀ Tecfidera…
March 17, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD In Reversal, NICE Recommends Relapsing MS Treatment Zinbryta for England and Wales The United Kingdom’sĀ National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has cleared its initial doubts and now recommendsĀ Zinbryta (daclizumab)Ā to treatĀ relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in England and Wales. NICE had initially rejectedĀ Zinbryta after a first stage of the drugās review process, due to some issues linked to…
March 17, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ocrevus and the Hope of ‘Ending MS Forever’: Interview with MS Societyās Tim Coetzee The potential approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā this monthĀ supports the idea that, someday, a world free of multiple sclerosis (MS) is possible, according to Dr. Tim Coetzee, the National Multiple Sclerosis Societyās chief advocacy, services and research officer. While Coetzee ā and the society he representsĀ ā realize the potential of…
March 17, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Full Transcript of Interview with Tim Coetzee of the National MS Society Here is a transcript ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today‘s interview with Dr. Tim Coetzee ā chief advocacy, services and research officer for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society ā about the importance of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s awaitedĀ decisionĀ onĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), and the other ongoing research. Tim…
March 16, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Discovery of T-cells’ Role in Myelin Regeneration Could Lead to Therapies That Mimic Processes Regulatory T-cells in the central nervous system trigger the maturation of stem cells that increase the production of myelin at injured neurons ā a discovery that places the idea of regeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) in a whole new light. Myelin is a substance essential to the functioning of the…
March 16, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Acorda Launches Interactive and Talking ‘MS Awareness Facts’ Alexa Service for March In recognition of multiple sclerosis (MS) awareness month, Acorda Therapeutics has launched its Alexa skill, calledĀ MS Awareness Facts. Ā The interactive voice-controlled serviceĀ allows users to ask Amazon Alexa for information regarding MS and its debilitating symptoms. Amazon Alexa is a cloud-based service that enable customers to interact in…