July 24, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Low Vitamin D is Linked to Severe Acute Optic Neuritis in Multiple Sclerosis For the approximately 15-20% of multiple sclerosis patients with acute optic neuritis (AON), lack of vitamin D may be partly responsible. A new study published in Neurology identified a link between vitamin D levels and AON severity. Individuals with higher vitamin D levels may experience less severe…
July 23, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD USC PhD Student Creates Project to Treat MS with Nanotechnology A Ph.D. student at theĀ University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering, Kun Yue, is developing a model of selected brain circuits to study multiple sclerosis (MS) in an effort to develop a nanotechnology based treatment for the disease.Ā Yue believes that new technology can lead…
July 21, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Alkermes’ ALKS 8700 to Treat MS is Preparing for a Phase 1 Clinical Trial Alkermes plc is looking to add one more treatment to the repertoire for multiple sclerosis drugs by initiating a Phase 1 clinical trial study of ALKS 8700. This novel molecule, developed by Alkermes, will be evaluated for safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics. “We expect the results of this study to…
July 18, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 8 Compounds Potentially Useful For Treating MS Discovered Using Innovative Research Tool Eight new drugs that are able to stimulate the nervous system were discovered by a research team atĀ UC San Francisco recently. The team utilized a novel screening platform and examined the cellular effects of 1,000 chemical compounds. The scientists believe the discovery may impact the treatment of the tissue…
July 18, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Startup ImStem Raising Funds For Novel Stem-Cell MS Treatment Startup biotech company ImStem BiotechnologyĀ is looking to raise additional funding for their upcoming clinical trials after publishing promising research on a unique stem-cellĀ treatment used on mice withĀ multiple sclerosis. Ā The company has already received previous funding…
July 16, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Lemtrada For RRMS Still Under Review in the U.S., Now Approved in Scotland The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) Ā announced the approval of the drug Lemtrada, produced byĀ Genzyme, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and active disease defined by clinical or imaging features, within the national health system (NHS) in Scotland. Lemtrada…
July 15, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Music Professor With MS Featured In PBS Documentary About the Disease The American Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) recently aired a documentary about a University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) music professor, who suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS), on OETA.Ā “Healed: Music, Medicine and Life with MS,” tells the story of Jim Klages‘s struggle against the disease. Klages was an accomplished musician and…
July 14, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Tysabri Protects Against Relapse in Multiple Sclerosis, According To Study According to a study published in JAMA Neurology, multiple sclerosis patients are greatly benefited by Biogen Idec’s Tysabri (natalizumab) and tend to relapse if they discontinue treatment. Natalizumab had a protective effect on patients who were continuously treated with Tysabri beyond a 24-dose timepoint within the study,…
July 9, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Antihistamine Repurposed for Remyelination in Phase 2 Trial from UCSF The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) initiated a clinical trial to evaluate the antihistamine clemastine fumarate, manufactured by Novartis as Tavist, for its efficacy in treating multiple sclerosis patients. The laboratory of Dr. Jonah Chan, a professor of neurology at UCSF, used a high-throughput method to identify Tavist…
July 8, 2014 News by Charles Moore Ireland Eases Medical Marijuana For MS Restrictions; Canada Cracks Down; US States Legalize; Researchers Debate The Republic of Ireland is legalizing the medical prescription of cannabis for people with Multiple Sclerosis, under a new revision to current Irish laws. The Irish Mirror reports that Pat O’Mahony, CEO of Ireland’s Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) confirmed July 7 that the Department of Health is…
July 7, 2014 News by Charles Moore MS And Insect Borne Disease Danger: What Works And What Doesn’t Profiled An Everyday Health blog by New Jersey-based husband and wife team Brad and Robynn Mann notes that more time spent outdoors during the warmer months means more potential encounters with insects that can be disease vectors, notably mosquitos and ticks. Mr. Mann, who is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS),…
July 2, 2014 News by Charles Moore Cleveland Clinic Researchers Find iPad A Powerful Multiple Sclerosis Assessment Tool Tracking patients’ progress is a critical part of MS management, a process that can benefit from greater objective analysis. Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have determined that tablet computers, which feature built-in technologies like accelerometers, gyroscopes, and touchscreens, when combined with appropriate software, can provide pretty good MS assessment capabilities.
July 1, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Genzyme Drug Lemtrada Approved in Argentina, Still Under Review in US Lemtrada, a drug produced by GenzymeĀ for the treatment of adult patients suffering from relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) with active disease, was approved by Argentinaās National Administration of Drugs, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT). “We are pleased by the continued global support for Lemtrada,” said Genzyme…
June 30, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Actavis Plans Generic Version of Acorda’s Multiple Sclerosis Drug Ampyra Acorda TherapeuticsĀ recently announced receiving a notice letter from pharmaceutical companyĀ Actavis PlcĀ indicating theirĀ plansĀ to commercialize a generic version of Ampyra, Acorda’s multiple sclerosis treatment drug. Acorda claims that Actavis submitted a marketing approval application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking permission to develop and commercialize a new drug,…
June 27, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis Linked to Regional Brain Damage Fatigue, a common symptom of multiple sclerosis, could be a result ofĀ regional damage in the brain. A study published in Radiology by a group in Italy led by Massimo Filippi, MD, from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University showed that local, rather than global, atrophy is associated with fatigue.
June 25, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Hilton Foundation Opens Submissions for Innovation Award in MS The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is accepting submissions for the first edition of the MarilynĀ HiltonĀ Award for Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research, which will support novelĀ and potentially paradigm-shifting research on Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The award will grant up to $6 million in funding to several projects over a four-year…
June 25, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Long-Term Cognitive Impairment from Multiple Sclerosis Reaffirmed by Kessler Foundation Researchers at the Kessler Foundation bolstered the knowledge of cognitive decline in multiple sclerosis patients with an article published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. This longitudinal study is one of the longest among studies of cognition in multiple sclerosis. “While cognitive impairment is known to affect…
June 25, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Roche Turns to MS Research on Agreement with Versant Ventures The Swiss pharmaceutical companyĀ RocheĀ recently announced a partnership agreement with California-based Inception Sciences and venture capital firm Versant Ventures. The three companies will work together to form a new company, Inception 5, which will be dedicated mostly to the development of therapies for multiple sclerosis. Inception 5’s research will focus…
June 24, 2014 News by admin Multiple Sclerosis Drug Gilenya May Also Stop Chemotherapy Pain, According To Research A team of researchers from the University of Saint Louis has found a molecular pathway involved in a painful chemotherapy side effects, and a drug that might be able to stop it. Paclitaxel (also known as Taxol) is a chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat different forms of cancer…
June 23, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Compassionate Use Trial of Innate Immunotherapeutics’ Multiple Sclerosis Drug Shows Positive Results Australian biotechnology companyĀ Innate Immunotherapeutics’ trial for a drug designed to treat secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) has produced positive results. Innate’s experimental MIS416 has revealed benefits to the majority of SPMS patients who were prescribed it as a “compassionate use drug,” given the total lack of…
June 23, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Physiotherapist Creates Group Exercise Manual for MS Patients Group exercise could be very beneficial in improving the health of multiple sclerosis patients, according to Sheila Lennon, Physiotherapy ProfessorĀ fromĀ Flinders University, in Adelaide, Australia. Lennon is the creator of a new training manual for clinicians, as she advocates the need forĀ regular and ongoing physiotherapy in the public health system.
June 20, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Unique Stem Cell Therapy from StemGenex Studied in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Multiple sclerosis patients may soon benefit from StemGenex’s leading resource of adult adipose stem cells. StemGenex is now recruiting patients for a clinical trial investigating the regenerative potential of multiple sclerosis patients’ autologous stem cells derived from their own stromal vascular fraction. “Currently available drugs for multiple sclerosis…
June 19, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Remyelination Strategies for Multiple Sclerosis Presented at Biogen Idec-Sponsored NYAS Conference On June 26th, a conference devoted to the topic of “Demyelination and Remyelination: From Mechanism to Therapy” will be presented by the New York Academy of Sciences and Acorda Therapeutics. The topic hits home to millions of people worldwide suffering from demyelinating diseases, especially those affected by multiple sclerosis.
June 19, 2014 News by Charles Moore Increased R&D Focus On PoNS Neuromodulation Therapy Device For People With MS; Other Neurological Conditions Newtown, Pennsylvania based Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. announced on June 6th that the company has entered into an agreement and plan of merger whereby the Company has agreed to acquire 100% of issued and outstanding common shares of Neurohabilitation Corporation (“Neuro”) of Delaware by way of a plan of…
June 18, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Lipoatrophy Occurrence for MS Patients Higher than Originally Thought The risk of developing lipoatrophy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients administrated with glatiramer acetate is greater than 60 percent, according to a study developed at theĀ Riverside Medical Clinic that reviewed 73 MS patients. It was already known that the drug could cause the condition, however the rate is higher…
June 18, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Biogen Idec, AbbVie Show Superiority of Daclizumab High Yield Process in RRMS Biogen Idec, who recently presented over 60 company-sponsored presentations at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers and the Sixth Cooperative Meeting with Americas Committee for Treatment and…
June 16, 2014 News by Charles Moore Can Low Carb, High Fat Ketogenic Diets Improve MS And Other Neurological Disease Symptoms? Dr. Terry Wahls, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.A., where she teaches internal medicine residents in primary care clinics, in addition to being a physician is also a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient. First diagnosed in 2000,…
June 16, 2014 News by Charles Moore Natalizumab, Other Biogen Idec MS Therapies Featured at Medical Congresses; Company Joins Sailing Sclerosis Foundation Oceans of Hope Project Biogen Idec, a U.S. biotechnology company specializing in therapies for neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders and cancer, has announced that more than 60 company-sponsored presentations highlighting key data from its extensive portfolio of marketed and investigational multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies were featured during two 2014 neurology conferences. The company…
June 16, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Researcher Recommends Brain Imaging To Treat MS-Related Depression Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can predict responses to depression treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to Anthony Feinstein, Professor at the Department of Psychiatry of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre & the University of Toronto. In the presentation āDepression in MS: Is brain imaging helpful?ā at…
June 13, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Motor and Sensory Rehabilitation Training Benefits Multiple Sclerosis Patients’ Balance A study involving a clinical trial treating multiple sclerosis patients with sensory training was published in Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation and reports optimistic results. Lead author Davide Cattaneo,…