January 24, 2022 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD MS Society of Canada Opens 45th Read-a-Thon Fundraiser on Jan. 27 The MS Society of Canada is hosting its annual MS Read-a-Thon, a fundraiser that supports vital services to the multiple sclerosis (MS) community and to disease research while helping children discover the joys of reading. For a 45th year, the program invites children, individually or in teams…
January 14, 2022 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Trial of Cannabidiol-derived EHP-101 for Relapsing MS Enrolling Soon Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals will soon begin enrollment in a Phase 2a clinical trial investigating its cannabidiol-derived therapy EHP-101 in relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The trial (NCT04909502) aims to recruit 50 patients, ages 18-55, with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and active secondary progressive MS (SPMS).
January 12, 2022 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD MS Patients at Greater Cancer Risk for Reasons That Include Lifestyle People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at greater risk of developing cancer than the general population, according to a French study involving nearly 100,000 patients. This increased risk was particularly apparent for prostate, breast, colorectal, and anal cancers, as well as cancers of the trachea, bronchus, and lung. The researchers…
January 12, 2022 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Cognitive Dysfunction Found to Increase Risk of Death in MS Cognitive dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is predictive of worse outcomes, including clinical progression of the disease and a higher risk of mortality, according to a new study. “This review revealed that cognitive dysfunction … was associated with higher odds of transitioning from [a] relapsing–remitting course to…
January 7, 2022 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Phase 1 Trial of ANK-700 for RRMS Advancing to Multiple Doses A Phase 1 clinical trial investigating the safety and tolerability of Anokion‘s ANK-700 in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) has begun enrolling patients for its multiple ascending dose part. This opening of the study’s second part follows positive safety signs in patients given the one of two doses of…
January 5, 2022 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Study Finds Lemtrada Safe for MS Patients With Other Autoimmunity Other autoimmune conditions, particularly those characterized by the presence of anti-TPO antibodies, should not preclude patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) from receiving treatment with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), according to an analysis of pooled data from clinical trials and post-market data. The study, “Autoimmunity and long-term safety and efficacy…
December 29, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD NHS England and Wales to Offer Ponvory at Low or No Cost for RRMS Note: This story was updated Jan. 12, 2022, to note that Ponvory is approved in the U.K. for people with relapsing forms of MS who have active disease, defined by clinical or imaging features. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended that Ponvory (ponesimod)…
December 16, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Management Programs May Help Keep Fatigue Stable Over Long-term Fatigue management — whether through a symptom-specific self-management program or through general education regarding managing multiple sclerosis (MS) — may help people with MS in keeping fatigue levels stable in the long term, a recent study suggests. Indeed, the benefits of such programs were found to remain in effect…
December 15, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Pets Raise Sense of Well-being in Pandemic, But Challenges Remain Owning a dog, cat or other household pet during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has helped multiple sclerosis (MS) patients gain a better overall sense of their health and well-being, a single-site survey by mail of people in the U.K. reported. But pet-owning patients reported no significant improvements in their…
November 30, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Patients Feel Emotions Intensely But Can Struggle to See Them in Others People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have more difficulty recognizing emotions in others, and they experience emotions more intensely than healthy people, a small study found. The study, “Emotional experience is increased and emotion recognition decreased in multiple sclerosis,” was published in Scientific Reports. Emotions are essential for…
November 29, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Neurostimulation via Neubie Aids Movement With MS, Company Says Neubie, a neuromuscular electrical stimulation device developed by NeuFit, led to measurable improvements in function and strength in the six multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who participated in a three-day physical therapy bootcamp, the company announced in a press release. The Neubie device is part of the NeuFit…
November 29, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD ‘Giving Tuesday’ Donations to MS Society of Canada Being Matched Donations to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada will double in value for this year’s Giving Tuesday on Nov. 30, meaning each donation will provide three times the support for Canadians with multiple sclerosis (MS) . An anonymous donor will double match each donation made on Giving Tuesday,…
November 23, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD First Patient Dosed in Phase 1 Trial of IMS001 Therapy ImStem Biotechnology announced that the first patient in its Phase 1 clinical trial for IMS001, an investigational treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), has been dosed at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. The trial (NCT04956744) is recruiting participants with an MS diagnosis ages 18 to 65. More information…
November 23, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Autoimmune Patients Want Clearer COVID-19 Vaccine Info Patients with autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), are uncertain about how to protect themselves against COVID-19, especially with regards to booster shots of the vaccine. According to a national survey by the nonprofit Alliance for Patient Access, these patients are confused due to conflicting information from the…
November 19, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Cladribine as Injection May Limit Relapsing MS Progression for Years Patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with subcutaneous cladribine saw limited disease progression over a follow-up period of up to 20 years, especially with increased cumulative dosing, according to a recent study. Subcutaneous (SC) cladribine is administered as an under-the-skin injection. It is a formulation different from…
November 2, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD FDA Approves Reintroduced Cortrophin Gel for MS Exacerbations The injectable ACTH gel medication Cortrophin Gel (repository corticotropin injection), first introduced in the U.S. in the 1950s, will now be relaunched as a treatment for acute flare-ups in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune conditions, following its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In…
September 7, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Brain Atrophy, Serum NfL Levels May Predict Cognition Early in MS A blood test for serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels, along with radiological findings, can help to detect early cognitive issues in people recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. The study “Cortical Thickness and Serum NfL Explain Cognitive Dysfunction in Newly Diagnosed Patients…
September 3, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD 13th Annual Burgers to Beat MS Day Raises $1.4M Though 13 may be an unlucky number for some, that was not the case for the 13th Annual A&W Canada “Burgers to Beat MS Day.” The initiative raised $1.4 million, bringing the total for the 13-year run to more than $17 million. On Aug. 19, every A&W Teen Burger…