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…
August 31, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Testing Extra Dose in MS, Other Diseases A new clinical trial launched by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is evaluating the impact of an extra dose of an approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccine in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases who did not properly respond to an original vaccine regimen. Approximately 600 people will…
August 9, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Sonoma Raises $265M to Advance Its T-cell Therapies Sonoma Biotherapeutics has raised $265 million in investment funding to support the development and production of novel immune T-cell therapies to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). “We are ushering in a new era of medicine, using immune cells as living therapies that…
August 6, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD CNM-Au8 Seen to Raise Energy Metabolism of Brain in RRMS Trial Clene’s investigational oral therapy CNM-Au8 improved energy metabolism in the brain of adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to top-line results from the REPAIR-MS trial. This open-label Phase 2 pilot study (NCT03993171), taking place in Texas, is running in parallel with REPAIR-PD, another Phase 2…
August 6, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD MD1003 Aids Walking Speed in Progressive MS, But Carries Risks High-dose biotin aided walking speed in people with progressive multiple sclerosis after 12 to 15 months as an add-on treatment, an analysis of placebo-controlled clinical trials shows. However, the therapy failed to improve other measures of disability, and was associated with inaccurate lab test results caused by high levels…
August 5, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Canadian Patients Say Their Top Concern Is Access to MS Providers Accessing healthcare providers knowledgeable about multiple sclerosis (MS) and being able to afford additional services to improve overall health were the most pressing healthcare concerns among Canadians with the condition, a survey suggests. “These findings provide healthcare planners prioritized concerns and a profile of [people with MS] that have…
August 4, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Swank and Wahls Diets Found to Help with MS Fatigue, Quality of Life The low-fat Swank diet and the Wahls elimination diet reduced fatigue and improved quality of life after three months for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a clinical trial has found. “It’s encouraging that fatigue was reduced and quality of life improved in both groups,” Bruce Bebo, PhD, from…
August 3, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Tysabri Safe and Effective Taken Every 6 Weeks, NOVA Trial Finds Tysabri (natalizumab) given every six weeks was as safe and effective over nearly 1.5 years of use as its approved four-week dosing in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to top-line data from the Phase 3b NOVA study. Tysabri is typically administered every four weeks, or about…
July 22, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Combinations of Variants Contribute to Genetic MS Risk Genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) depends on an individual’s particular combination of multiple risk variants, a study reveals. The study, “Genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis: interactions between conserved extended haplotypes of the MHC and other susceptibility regions,” was published in the journal BMC Medical…
July 12, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Sugar Molecules in Yeast Cells Prevent Inflammation in Mouse Model A component of yeast cell walls — called MGCP — prevented disease in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) by activating anti-inflammatory immune T-cells while suppressing inflammatory T-cells, a study showed. This work also supporting the microbiome’s role in affecting inflammation in autoimmune diseases like MS. “We have…
July 12, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Anti-inflammatory Molecule Can Pass Brain Barrier, May Treat MS A potential anti-inflammatory treatment, xB3-IL-1RA was able to reach the central nervous system of a rodent model of multiple sclerosis (MS), and with repeat doses delay disease onset and ease clinical symptoms, according to the investigational therapy’s developer Bioasis Technologies. These findings support the utility of Bioasis’ xB3 peptide…
July 9, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Cambridge-1 ‘Supercomputer’ to Advance UK Research in Ills Like MS Nvidia announced the launch of the U.K.’s most powerful supercomputer — called Cambridge-1 — which uses a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and simulation to help scientists to better understand complex diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and to design new therapeutics. Cambridge-1 is the first supercomputer designed…
July 7, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD High-Potency SPMS Meds Limit Relapses, Study Finds High-potency therapies are more effective at reducing the frequency of symptom relapses in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) than low-potency medications, a 10-year study showed. Notably, there was no difference in the effectiveness of either high- or low-potency medicines to limit the progression of disability. “When the…
July 7, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Early High-efficacy Therapies May Be Better to Eliminate MS Activity Using high-efficacy therapies as a first treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients significantly increases the likelihood of having no evidence of disease activity after one and two years, compared to using moderately effective therapies, according to a real-world study of Norwegian patients. However, with each additional attempted treatment, the…
June 14, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Scientists Discover Enzyme Needed for Activating Myelin Repair The enzyme TET1, which is progressively lost with age, is essential to activate genes needed to repair myelin — the sheath around nerve cells that is damaged in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — a study in mice has found. The…