April 23, 2020 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell To Thine Own Self Be Kind: Spreading the Message of Self-care I give freely of my heart and wear it proudly on my sleeve. Those who know me would say it waves. I care deeply for my family, friends, and colleagues. I derive immense joy in my volunteer work with rescue animals. Be it Walk MS, animal welfare, or a…
April 22, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Starting Mayzent Early of Greater Benefit in SPMS, 5-Year Trial Data Show People with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) who began treatment with MayzentĀ early and continued its use for years are less likely to experience disability progression than those starting the medication later in their disease course, five-year data from the EXPAND study suggest. Data from this same Phase 3…
April 21, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace MS Patients Face Additional Barriers Due to the Coronavirus Well, this is super weird. Being told to stay home and leave our houses only for food, medication, or exercise is bizarre for those of us in England. Itās starting to take a toll on my mental health.Ā The other day, I stood in line at…
April 20, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Fampyra, COVID-19, Vitamin D, Neurodegeneration Fampyra, Aid for Walking, Favored for Inclusion in NHS Scotland I used Ampyra, as Fampyra is known in the U.S., for about a year. It improved my walking a little, but I had to give it up due to cost. It’s been available in the States for a decade,…
April 20, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Sanofi to Detail Trial Results of Oral Relapsing MS Therapy Online on Thursday Sanofi will host an online science session to present results of a Phase 2b clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of its investigational, oral BTK inhibitor SAR442168 in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The virtual session, owing to the cancellation of the American Academy…
April 17, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias A Snapshot of COVID-19 and Disease-modifying Therapies Are people with MS more susceptible than the average person to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19? And if COVID-19 attacks them, what’s the likely course of their illness? What about COVID-19 and disease-modifying therapies? Doctors from around the world are collecting information right now to try to answer these…
April 16, 2020 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Manifesting Change with SPMS The state of our world lies heavy on my shoulders. I worry about and miss my family. Our geographical distance, although unchanged, seems to have grown exponentially. Is everyone so far, or am I so very confined? I understand how a prisoner in solitary confinement finds his own perception…
April 15, 2020 News by Mary Chapman Two Data-sharing Initiatives Launched Regarding MS and COVID-19 Through two new initiatives, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and their healthcare providers can contribute to a global effort to study and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in MS and related disorders. The initiatives are aimed at helping clinicians identify the best way to manage the novel coronavirus in…
April 13, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Database, ATA188 Trial Postponed, Teen Smoking, Myelin and Fruit Peels New Database to Compile COVID-19 Data About People with MS and Related Diseases There are databases in the U.K. and other parts of Europe for tracking people with MS who have tested positive for COVID-19. This one is aimed at people in North America. This site will join the…
April 10, 2020 Columns by John Connor Becoming Self-absorbed with MS During the Pandemic With everything being so awful, the goal is to write uplifting copy. OK, sounds like my sort of gig. One way of dealing with things is to become self-absorbed with the old MS. I think it’s getting jealous. How can a mere virus get all this attention? MS: “I’m far…
April 9, 2020 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Zeposia Is Now Approved, But Expect Delays Zeposia’s recent approval in the U.S. is exciting news for all in the MS community. Unfortunately, we will need to table that excitement a bit longer. Despite its approval, the treatment’s commercial distribution will be delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am confident, however, that it will be…
April 9, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New Database to Compile COVID-19 Data About People with MS and Related Diseases The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society have created a new database to track COVID-19 infections in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related diseases. The database, calledĀ COViMS (COVID-19 Infections in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases),…
April 7, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Atara Pauses Enrollment in Part 2 of Immunotherapy Trial in PPMS and SPMS InĀ response to theĀ COVID-19 pandemic, Atara Biotherapeutics has temporarily paused patient enrollment in the second and randomized part of its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial investigating ATA188 in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). People treated in the first, open-label part of this trial, however,…
April 3, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias Neurologists Turn to Telemedicine During Coronavirus Sheltering Dr. Aaron Boster assessed the gait of his multiple sclerosis patient, who walked forward and back. Earlier, he had checked the patient’s seventh cranial nerve by having him close his eyes tightly and smile. Then, Boster checked the ninth, 10th, and 12th cranial nerves by having him stick out his…
April 2, 2020 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell I’m Choosing to Let My Spirit Shine During the COVID-19 Crisis We are living in unprecedented times. Years from now, references will be made to COVID-19. Numbers of those afflicted and those we lost will live on in print. Future generations will learn how phrases such as “social distancing” and “stop the spread” originated. This pandemic will leave a…
March 31, 2020 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Calm, Care, and Prayer Will Help During the Coronavirus Crisis No one needs to be reminded of the pandemic weāre in the midst of. We live it every day. The novel coronavirus has attacked with a vengeance, proving that no one is safe from its ruins. The actuality of being quarantined and the practice of social distancing have resulted…
March 31, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace How to Cope and Thrive During a Challenging Time Living through this unique time is nothing like Iāve ever experienced before.Ā Thereās so much doom and gloom around lately. I donāt know about you, but the constant government alerts and updates donāt feel like theyāre helping me. Itās enough to drive me insane if I…
March 31, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Bile Acid Supplements May Ease Symptoms of Progressive MS Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have lower than usual levels of molecules called bile acidsĀ circulating in their blood, a Ā study found. These molecules, produced in the liver to aid fat absorption in the gut, also appear to block inflammation and nerve cell damage in the brain. Oral treatment withĀ …
March 27, 2020 Columns by John Connor Do They Know It’s Not Christmas? Quarantine sure feels like Christmas. The shops are stripped bare. The streets are empty. Family homes are stuffed with everyone returning home. In our case, my wife rescued my youngest son from his cool digs near Hammersmith in West London on Monday, just in time. The prime minister announced a…
March 27, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias Online Coronavirus Screening May Not Be Ready for Prime Time A number of websites are currently offering online coronavirus screening. These aren’t a full-scale test. The online sites read symptoms that you enter and then use artificial intelligence to determine how likely it is that you’re positive for the virus. But there’s a bit of a problem. An investigation by…
March 26, 2020 Columns by Tamara Sellman Need to Know: MS and the Battlefield of the Immune System Editor’s note: “Need to Knowā is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum.Ā Leave a comment here or at the original forum category. Iām moved (and, truth be told, empowered) by the #HighRiskCOVID19 hashtag trending…
March 26, 2020 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell A Life Unscripted: Choosing Positivity During a Pandemic Life is unscripted. It is messy and uncertain, with change being the only constant. Much like living with multiple sclerosis, adapting to change is directly correlated to our ability to thrive. We are reminded of this as we adjust to our new reality in the throes of COVID-19. Seemingly…
March 26, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD FDA Approves Zeposia (Ozanimod), Oral Therapy for All with Relapsing MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ZeposiaĀ (ozanimod) oral capsules to treat adults with relapsing forms ofĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), includingĀ relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), Ā active secondary progressive MS (SPMS), and clinically isolated syndromeĀ (CIS). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, when it will arrive in clinics…
March 24, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace Tips for Traveling the World from the Comfort of a Couch Following my previous column titled, “5 Free Activities You Can Do at Home During COVID-19 Hibernation,” I thought it would be fun to share some more free things you can do from home. The more I look into this topic, the more material…
March 23, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Coronavirus and DMTs, Gilenya and Pediatric MS, Ponesimod for RRMS, Cannabis for Spasticity I’m starting this week by linking to our Coronavirus COVID-19 Information section on the Multiple Sclerosis News Today Forums. My fellow moderator, John Connor, and I have been posting information there from our news writers and columnists about the evolving situation. Have You Tested Positive for Coronavirus…
March 23, 2020 News by David Melamed, PhD Phase 2 Trial of Progressive MS Treatment Postponed Due to COVID-19 A planned Phase 2 clinical trial of a potential treatment for progressive multiple sclerosisĀ has been postponed to keep hospital resources open to treat people with COVID-19 during the ongoing global outbreak, and to reduce the risk of exposure to MS patients, GeNeuro, the investigate therapy’s developer, announced. The…
March 20, 2020 Columns by Jamie Hughes Divide and Conquer: Bravery in the Face of the Coronavirus I donāt know if youāve heard or not, but thereās this coronavirus thing going around. And it is disrupting everything from concerts and conferences to schools and my kids’ recreation sports leagues. Donāt get me wrong, as a person who lives with multiple sclerosis (MS) and is therefore immunocompromised,…
March 20, 2020 Columns by John Connor Let’s All Take a Deep Breath Take a deep breath, and I don’t mean the kind promoted by fake memes infecting the web to “prove” that you don’t have COVID-19! My deep-breath moment was in a small elevator at my doctor’s office. An able-bodied woman in her 50s bounded into the elevator behind my wheelchair…
March 20, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias Have You Tested Positive for Coronavirus with MS? What happens if you have MS and you’ve tested positive for COVID-19? How will the disease affect your disease-modifying therapies and your MS? Dr. Barry Singer, (@drbarrysinger), a neurologist who directs The MS Center for Innovations in Care in St. Louis,Ā has posed…
March 19, 2020 Columns by Tamara Sellman MS Awareness Month: How to Fly the Orange Flag in March With March being Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, I got to thinking: What have I done ā or what do I do ā to raise MS awareness? I’ll count some ways to fly the orange flag. Maybe youāll find inspiration. Communications Iām a writer, so obviously I use my skill…