February 20, 2023 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Lawrence Steinman honored for research on ties between EBV, MS Lawrence Steinman, MD, a professor of neurology who is leading the development of Pasithea Therapeutics‘ PAS002 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has received the 2023 Pioneer in Medicine Award. The prize is given by the Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics (SBMT) and the World Brain…
February 17, 2023 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS CerraCap invests in Predicta Med’s autoimmune disease platform The startup company Predicta Med has received an investment from CerraCap Ventures to advance its leading platform focused on early diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other immune-related diseases. The Israel-based startup has created the world’s first platform designed to use medical information to determine…
December 7, 2022 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Tevogen Plans Novel T-cell Therapies Aimed at EBV in MS, Cancer Tevogen Bio has announced plans to develop T-cell therapies targeting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpes virus known to be a major environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision comes on the heels of positive safety data from a proof-of-concept Phase 1 Tevogen trial that…
August 30, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Landos, Johns Hopkins Partner to Advance Potential MS Oral Therapy Landos Biopharma has entered into a research partnership with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine focused on advancing LABP-66 as a potential oral, once-daily therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other disorders, the company announced. LABP-66 is a lab-made molecule that activates NLRX1, a receptor that is key in…
August 26, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS MSAA Is ‘Improving Lives Through Art’ The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is inviting people to participate in its Improving Lives Through Art Series, a cycle of virtual fundraising events starting Sept. 14. The kick-off event of this four-part fall series is a virtual follow-along painting experience. Tickets can be purchased here…
August 25, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS DC United Goals Now Worth Up to $20,000 for National MS Society D.C. United and its official sponsor, Leidos, opened a campaign to donate up to $20,000 to the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, the soccer team announced. The initiative aims to support the almost one million people in the U.S. living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Among them is…
March 8, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Safety Board Says Phase 2 Temelimab Trial Should Move Forward A Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating GeNeuro‘s investigational antibody temelimab as a treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) should continue as planned, without modifications. That’s the recommendation of a Drug Safety Monitoring Board, an independent committee of clinical research experts, which was evaluating the trial of the…
March 4, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS BMS Grants to National MS Society, Others Aim for Diversity in Care and Trials The National Multiple Sclerosis Society was among 56 nonprofit organizations chosen by Bristol Myers Squibb to share an $11 million award supporting projects that promote health equity and access to better care across ethnically and racially diverse and underserved communities in the U.S. Other awarded projects aim to promote diversity…
February 9, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Tool to Potentially Diagnose MS via Eye Movements Gets $2.5M Funding Boost C. Light Technologies announced it raised $2.5 million in seed funding to further develop a noninvasive eye tracking device that might diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases through measures made in a matter of seconds. Currently a prototype, the device captures neurodegeneration by mapping what is called fixational…
February 5, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS MS Society of Canada Grant Supports Trial of Metformin in Young Patients Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada have given CA$400,000 (about $312,500) to support a pilot clinical trial investigating the potential of metformin, a common diabetes therapy, to treat children and young adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Phase 1/2 feasibility trial (NCT04121468) is recruiting up to 30…
February 4, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Online Art Auction Supports National MS Society An online auction event supporting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is is running through Feb. 13 on Facebook. Organized by The Dyeing Arts group, the fundraising auction features tie dye and handcraft art from several online communities. The event arose from a partnership between Lighthouse Outdoor Products…
February 3, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS New Center to Advance Research on MS, Neurovascular Disorders A $2.5 million donation from the Simon Family Trust is supporting the creation of a new center of expertise to help in the development of new therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases. The new center is being launched by researchers from Gladstone Institutes and the…
February 2, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS European Project Uses Artificial Intelligence to Help Improve Patient Care The recently launched BRAINTEASER project focuses on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve the care of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). An initiative of a European consortium, BRAINTEASER could benefit patients, caregivers, and clinicians by enhancing the ability to predict,…
January 27, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Age Found to Be Main Driver of MS Disability, Patient Therapy Response Age is a main driver of disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) and has a key influence on patients’ therapeutic responses to Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Tysabri (natalizumab), a study showed. Given those findings, age should be considered in the risk/benefit assessment that’s used in the decision-making process for…
January 21, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS New Study Will Assess Tysabri Effects on MS Cognitive Fatigue Researchers from the Kessler Foundation will launch a new study investigating the effects of Tysabri (natalizumab) on cognitive fatigue — the type of fatigue that happens after strong mental concentration, such as in problem-solving — in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Cognitive fatigue, which is very…
November 13, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Start2Cure Foundation Awards Grant to MS Gene Therapy Project Start2Cure Foundation is funding a research project that will investigate the potential of a gene therapy approach to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune disease characterized by the damage and loss of myelin — the protective layer around nerve fibers, or axons, that is crucial to the…
November 11, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Air Pollution, Once Inhaled, Seen to Trigger Inflammation in RRMS Patients Exposure to air pollution, particularly to particulate matter 10 (PM10), small airborne and inhalable particles, may trigger inflammatory reactions in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), an Italian study reported. The study “Air pollution as a contributor to the inflammatory activity of multiple sclerosis” was published in the Journal of…
November 9, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Tysabri Superior to Gilenya at Easing Activity in RRMS, Study Reports Treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) was more effective than Gilenya (fingolimod) in helping people with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) achieve no evidence of disease activity, a head-to-head study suggested. The study, “BEST-MS: A prospective head-to-head comparative study of natalizumab and fingolimod in active relapsing MS,” was…
November 2, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS People With MS Invited to Submit Their Art for 2021 MSAA Art Showcase People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are invited to submit their artwork to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America‘s (MSAA) annual Art Showcase. The online event aims to share the work of artists with MS and their life stories. Applications are opened till Dec. 14 and are restricted to…
October 29, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Newly Discovered Type of Immune Cells May Be Key in Treating MS A recently identified group of immune cells saved damaged nerve cells from death and promoted nervous system repair, a new study suggests. This finding may represent new promise for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “A new neutrophil…
October 14, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Caregivers of Youth With MS, Other Ills Invited to Survey on Mental Health Access to mental health services for children with a rare disease or other medical or mental health disorder is the focus of an online survey by therapists at Children’s Friend, an affiliate of the Seven Hills Foundation. The foundation, based in Worcester, Massachusetts, runs a variety of programs through…
October 13, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Risk Factors for Unemployment in People With MS Identified in Study Factors related to disease and personality, as well as specific health-related behaviors, are among the main determinants that can put people with multiple sclerosis (MS) at risk of unemployment, a study suggests. In particular, MS disease course, fatigue, self-efficacy (belief in one’s own abilities to cope, in this…
October 12, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Compounds Targeting Inflammatory C-reactive Protein Under Study in Australia A search is on for an anti-inflammatory treatment targeting the C-reactive protein — CRP, a biomarker of inflammation produced by the liver — of possible use in a wide variety of conditions, including immune-mediated diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and the…
October 6, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Hypertension Quite Common Among MS Patients in US, Study Finds Hypertension is considerably more common among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States than among those without the disease, a large data study reported. High blood pressure was found to be 42% more common among MS patients than non-patients adjusted for sex and age, with male…
September 28, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS High Co-occurrence of Psychiatric, Cardiovascular Diseases in MS, Study Reports People with multiple sclerosis (MS) show a high occurrence of comorbidities — two diseases occurring in one person at the same time — with psychiatric and cardiovascular diseases being the most common, a new study reports. Having another co-existing disorder was found to have an impact on MS…
September 23, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Siemens Healthineers, Novartis Partner to Develop NfL Diagnostic Test The development of a diagnostic test using neurofilament light chain (NfL) — a biomarker for nerve cell damage — for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will be part of a collaboration program between Siemens Healthineers and Novartis. The goal of this new collaboration is to design, develop,…