July 5, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Estriol Plus Copaxone May Protect Against Nerve Damage in RRMS Taking the pregnancy hormone estriol in combination with Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) significantly reduced the blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) — a marker of nerve damage — in women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), clinical trial data show. These lower NfL levels were significantly associated with a…
June 16, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Signal Detection Theory May Help Measure MS Cognitive Fatigue A new tool called signal detection theory (SDT) found a relationship between subjective cognitive fatigue, often experienced by people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and the activation of certain brain regions, a study reported. Although the relationship was found in both patients and healthy controls after cognitive fatigue was…
June 10, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD No Thyroid Problems With DMF Therapy, Records Study Concludes Treatment with the approved multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy dimethyl fumarate (DMF) did not affect the function of the thyroid gland, an organ that secretes hormones to regulate metabolism, a medical records study concluded. Screening for thyroid problems is not needed for people with MS considered for DMF therapy, the…
March 31, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Most Patients Adhere to Betaseron Therapy Over 1 Year, App Data Show Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Betaseron (interferon beta-1b) had over 90% treatment compliance — the percentage of doses administered — over one year, according to a study of data collected by the BETACONNECT autoinjector and the myBETAapp. After one year, the number of patients still using Betaseron…
March 28, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Key to Unlocking Blood-brain Barrier Discovered in Mouse Study A team of researchers has discovered that the key to bypassing the blood-brain barrier — a semipermeable border that protects the brain against toxins in the blood but also blocks potential treatments — is the Unc5B receptor in the endothelial cells that line the tiny blood vessels in the brain.
March 18, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD 3D Showing of Mayzent Binding to Receptor Could Advance Treatments For the first time, researchers have brought to light the precise three-dimensional structure of Mayzent (siponimod) as it binds to its molecular target, the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1). These findings are expected to aid in developing next-generation MS therapeutics with better selectivity for S1P1, enhancing their potency while reducing…
March 17, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD MS Focus of Paralyzed Veterans of America’s Newest Committee Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) has formed a committee to better address the needs and interests of veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS), including help with obtaining care and disability benefits. The nonprofit PVA is the only congressionally chartered veterans organization working to assist and represent veterans with spinal…
March 7, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Using Trait Mindfulness Techniques May Help Reduce Depression in MS Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients reported fewer difficulties regulating their emotions, and reduced depressive symptoms when they applied trait mindfulness techniques, a study showed. Trait mindfulness refers to an innate ability to pay and maintain attention to moments in the present with an open, non-judgmental attitude. Notably, the use of…
February 21, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Life Quality of Children With MS Affected by Parents’ Distress: Study The psychological distress of a parent whose child is found to have multiple sclerosis (MS) may directly impact the quality of life of the child. That’s according to a new study that revealed a worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in MS children after their diagnosis. These findings support…
February 18, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD ‘Cellular Big Bang’ Reveals Immune Driver in Study of Twins An increased production of CD25 – an immune receptor that regulates T-cell proliferation and activation – is the most noticeable blood cell immune alteration in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with their unaffected identical twins, a study discovered. The increased CD25 levels, which correlated with disease severity, were…
February 16, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Newly Created Cells Better at Repairing Myelin in Preclinical Study Therapeutics designed to produce new oligodendrocytes — the cells responsible for the protective myelin sheath that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS) — might be the most effective approach for disorders such as MS, according to a study conducted in a fish model. That’s because oligodendrocytes that survive being…
February 15, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD VISIONARY-MS Trial of CNM-Au8 to End Early Due to Pandemic VISIONARY-MS, a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of CNM-Au8 in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) with disease-related visual impairment, will conclude early due to COVID-19 pandemic-related challenges. The release of trial data is expected in the second half of this year, according to…
January 20, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Exergames May Improve Balance Better Than Standard Rehab Exergames — playing video games that involve physical exercise — may be more effective at improving balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than conventional rehabilitation, a review of current studies suggested. The study, “Efficacy of Virtual Reality and Exergaming in Improving Balance in Patients With…
December 30, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Vitamin D Supplements May Improve MS Quality of Life Vitamin D supplementation may improve quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a literature review study. Because vitamin D deficiency is common in MS patients, these findings suggest that “supplementation should be applied at least in a dose that covers the recommended intake,” the researchers…
December 29, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Higher, Fewer Copaxone Doses Lowered Relapse Rates Over 7 Years A higher dose of Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) given three times weekly over seven years led to sustainably lower relapse rates and slowed disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a long-term analysis of the GALA study. The higher dose — 40 mg/mL — was generally well-tolerated with no…
December 7, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Oral Contraceptives Do Not Increase Risk of 2nd Attack, Worse Disease The use of oral contraceptives does not increase the risk of a second attack of symptoms or the progression of disability in women with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or early stage multiple sclerosis, a study demonstrated. Notably, the researchers also “did not find a protective effect on disability…
December 3, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Aubagio Reduces Lesions in Children in Trial, but Relapse Data Troubled Aubagio (teriflunomide) failed to significantly reduce relapses in children with multiple sclerosis (MS), but two years of treatment decreased the number of brain lesions on MRI scans, according to the final results of the Phase 3 TERIKIDS clinical trial. Importantly, the lack of a signficantly lower relapse rate…
December 2, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Early Cognitive Difficulties in Study Low vitamin D levels in the bloodstream are associated with slower information processing speeds in people with early-stage multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. “Our data support the hypothesis that vitamin D is involved in cognition in MS,” its researchers concluded. The study, “Serum Vitamin D as…
November 8, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Robotic Devices Help Improve Walking for Those with Severe Deficits Using robotic devices during gait training can improve walking abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly among those with severe disability, a review of 17 studies has found. However, the benefits lasted only a few months, suggesting that patients need regular training to maintain the improvements. The study,…
November 5, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Nerve Repair Therapy NVG-291 Safe, Well-tolerated in Healthy People A single dose of NVG-291, a potential nerve repair therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), was safe and well-tolerated among healthy volunteers in a Phase 1 safety trial, and was found to have favorable pharmacological properties, new data show. Given the positive results thus far, a safety committee supervising…
November 5, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Coated Vesicles Found to Safely Reduce Disease Progression in Mice Extracellular vesicles or EVs — tiny sacs of material excreted by cells — that have been coated with protein receptors were found to safely reduce disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet, in Sweden, coated these vesicles with receptors that block pro-inflammatory…
November 3, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Mindfulness Helped MS Patients Cope With Symptoms Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) helped people with multiple sclerosis (MS) cope with symptoms, and many said they would recommend these practices to others living with MS, according to a review of published studies related to patients’ experiences. The participants reported the benefits of a shared experience, but stressed the importance…
October 7, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD 1 Year of Ocrevus Not Linked to Higher Risk of Brain Infection PML One year of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) treatment does not increase the risk for a rare brain infection — called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) — in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. The study, “Risk Assessment of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in Multiple Sclerosis Patients during…
October 4, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD JC Virus Mutations May Predict Rare Brain Infection Linked to Tysabri Mutations in the John Cunningham virus may serve as an early predictor for a rare brain infection in multiple sclerosis patients receiving Tysabri (natalizumab), a study suggests. However, more research is required to investigate the specific mutations in the viral VP1 gene, and validate the risk of the…
October 1, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Ublituximab, Potential Relapsing MS Therapy, Up for FDA Approval TG Therapeutics has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of ublituximab, the company’s investigational anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). Its application was based on data from the ULTIMATE 1 (NCT03277261) and ULTIMATE 2 (NCT03277248) Phase…
September 30, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – ATA188 Benefits in SPMS, PPMS Hint at Remyelination An investigational immunotherapy, ATA188 showed it could reverse disability and improve exercise capacity in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), Atara Biotherapeutics, its developer, reported in an update on a Phase 1 trial and its long-term extension study. EMBOLD trial findings based on MRI brain imaging…
September 14, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Depression Greatly Raises Patients’ Risk of Vascular Disease, Death Depression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients greatly raises their risk of vascular disease and death by any cause, a study that compared this patient group with other patients and a matched public reported. Its researchers recommended further work to determine “whether effectively treating depression” might lower these risks for these…
September 9, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD ADS-5102 Aided Walking Speed in Select MS Patients in INROADS Trial An extended-release formulation of amantadine, ADS-5102 was significantly more effective than a placebo at increasing walking speed in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who had difficulty with this, particularly younger patients with a shorter disease course, the INROADS Phase 3 trial demonstrated. Further clinical work on this investigative…
September 2, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Combo of Biomarkers Predict Future Disease Activity In people with early-stage multiple sclerosis (MS), the presence of high levels of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) protein in the bloodstream combined with thinning of the retina is a strong indicator of future disease activity, a recent study demonstrates. “Our findings encourage the application of both sNfL and retinal…
September 1, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Interferon Beta-1b Effective, Safe for Older MS Patients: Real-world Study A real-world study confirmed the effectiveness and safety of interferon beta-1b in treating older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), those over the age of 40. “These findings from a real-world setting are promising and demonstrate the positive benefit-risk ratio for [interferon beta-1b] in this study population of middle-aged and…