March 7, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: GA Depot found to ease MS disability in Phase 3 trial GA Depot, an experimental long-acting version of glatiramer acetate, significantly reduced relapse rates and prevented the development of new lesions among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, according to new data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. Disability levels also were significantly reduced with the treatment, given…
March 7, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: RRMS treatment may ‘give patients a better choice’ New data from a Phase 2 clinical trial testing vidofludimus calcium, Immunic Therapeuticsā novel oral treatment candidateĀ for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), show promising safety and efficacy, according to the company’s chief medical officer. The therapy was found to safely reduce brain lesions and prevent disability progression in…
March 6, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Can Do MS brings education, connection, activation Can Do MS has three missions for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their care partners ā providing education about life with the disease, building connections among people, and activating them to be proactive about managing their condition. “Those are the three pillars that our programs are built…
March 6, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Delays in Ocrevus infusions not tied to greater MS activity People with multiple sclerosis (MS) being treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) less frequently than the recommended every six months are not more likely to experience inflammatory disease activity, an analysis of some 360 patients whose dosing schedules changed during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests. Nicole Bou Rjeily, MD, a postdoctoral…
March 3, 2023 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell ACTRIMS 2023: Learning, lectures, and leaving with hope Even the cold and rainy Southern California weather did little to dampen the excitement of the more than 1,800 attendees converging on the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. People filtered in, eager for the meeting to begin. Excitement reached a fever pitch Thursday morning as the curriculum came to life.
March 3, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: TG aims to make Briumvi accessible to patients Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) recently became the third anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). TG Therapeutics, the therapy’s developer, is now aiming to make Briumvi the most accessible therapy in its…
March 3, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Ibudilast did not lift life quality in progressive MS trial Treatment with the experimental oral therapy ibudilast (MN-166) does not significantly improve quality-of-life measures compared with a placebo among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from a Phase 2 clinical trial. Analyses from the trial suggest that a marker of nerve damage…
March 3, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: High-dose vitamin D doesn’t reduce MS activity: Trial Taking high-dose vitamin D supplements as an add-on to standard MS treatment doesn’t reduce the risk of inflammatory disease activity for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to data from a clinical trial. The findings “suggest that prescribing higher doses of vitamin D for purposes of…
March 2, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Certain eye cells tied to MS-related changes in study Certain cells in the eyes ā specifically blood vessel cells and a type of neurological immune cell called microglia ā exhibit high expression or activity of genes that have been linked to multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports.Ā The researchers also “identified…
March 2, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Documentary offers hope for the Black MS community Multiple sclerosis (MS) has long been considered a disease that mostly affects white women. But in the U.S., the numbers indicate that Black people, particularly Black women, may be more likely to develop the neurodegenerative disease than people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. For Black individuals, this misunderstanding…
March 2, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Most on Briumvi show no MS activity after 6 months More than half of the people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who received Briumvi (ublituximab) in the ULTIMATE clinical trials had no signs of disease activity over the first six months of the trial ā and over 80% of participants had no disease activity for the…
March 1, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: HIV-positive people found to be less likely to develop MS People infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ā including HIV-positive individuals who received antiretroviral treatment at some point after infection ā are significantly less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), a new analysis suggests.Ā The decrease in MS risk was particularly pronounced…
March 1, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: MS clinical research lacks diversity, representation Nonwhite populations are underrepresented in research that tests therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS), meaning most available data on a treatment’s effectiveness and safety can’t be generalized to all patients. “The absence of diversity in MS research is a problem that concerns us all,” said LĆ©orah Freeman, MD, PhD, a…
March 1, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: CNM-Au8 bound for Phase 3 testing after positive data Treatment with the experimental oral suspension therapy CNM-Au8 led to improvements in measures of vision, cognitive and motor function, and brain health for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from the proof-of-concept VISIONARY-MS trial. Bolstered by these positive results,Ā Clene Nanomedicine is planning to launch a…
February 28, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Intermittent fasting shows potential to lessen MS severity Limiting calorie intake over two days of each week for three months led to beneficial immune and metabolic changes, as well as improvements in cognitive function, among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study found. A restrictive diet also promoted a better body composition, namely a reduction in…
February 28, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Astrocyte receptors may help to ease MS cognitive issues Activating certain receptors on astrocytes ā a type of nerve support cell ā may offer a way of treating cognitive problems in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to recent research. MS mouse models genetically engineered to lack these receptors, called TNFR2, showed signs of greater cognitive problems, whereas cognitive gains…
February 27, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Loss of myelin in spinal cord tied to MS disability A greater loss of myelin ā the protective coating around nerve fibers ā in the part of the spinal cord found in the neck was associated with worse disability in people with multiple sclerosis, data from a new study showed. More substantial myelin loss in this region, known…
February 27, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Should EBV be targeted in MS? Experts debate. A history of infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been shown to be a strong risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis (MS) ā but is targeting the virus a viable strategy for MS prevention or treatment? This question was the subject of a debate, “How To…
February 27, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: ‘Bacteria X’ in gut microbiome may drive inflammation A certain bacterial species is enriched in the gut of people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) and may promote neuroinflammation and drive disability progression in these patients, a study found. When isolated from SPMS patients and given to a mouse model, this strain led to more pronounced neurological…
February 24, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Anxiety, depression more common in MS before onset Psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety are more common among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the five years leading up to disease onset than in people from the general population, according to a recent analysis. Individuals who would later go on to develop clinical signs of MS also…
February 24, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Portable MRI device able to detect brain lesions in MS A portable MRI device may be used to detect brain lesions that are indicative of multiple sclerosis (MS), and serve as a low-cost imaging tool that can be brought to patients for testing, according to a new analysis. While the system is not yet accurate enough to be used…
February 24, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Medication, talk therapy both ease MS-related fatigue Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of talk therapy, and medication given separately or in combination can ease fatigue significantly for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from a clinical trial. The effect on fatigue was comparable for talk therapy, medication, or the combination in validated…
February 23, 2023 by BioNews Staff ACTRIMS 2023: Catching up with Can Do MS Multiple Sclerosis News Today talks to Kathy Costello, chief operating officer of Can Do MS, at the ACTRIMS Forum 2023 about some of the initiatives and projects coming up for the nonprofit organization. Kathy discusses upcoming initiatives and in-person community programs, including a half-day program taking place at the Consortium…
February 23, 2023 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Evobrutinib safely keeps relapse rates low after 4 years Evobrutinib, an experimental BTK inhibitor being developed for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), continues to be well tolerated and is showing low relapse rates after four years of treatment. That’s according to new data spanning a Phase 2 trial (NCT02975349) that tested evobrutinib against…
February 20, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Forum opens Thursday with theme of ‘going viral’ The multiple sclerosis (MS) community is gearing up for the eighth annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum, taking place this week both virtually and in San Diego, California. The yearly meeting, occurring Feb. 23-25 at theĀ Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, is bringing together…