February 17, 2015 News by admin Multiple Sclerosis: How Can MRI Measurements be Improved in Trials? A study from German researchers might help to determine how multiple sclerosis is assessed in treatment trials. Published February 6 in the journal PLoS ONE, the study is titled “Regression to the Mean and Predictors of MRI Disease Activity in RRMS Placebo Cohorts –…
February 16, 2015 News by Maureen Newman Stem Cells Used to Treat Secondary Progressive Patients in Clinical Trial What may work better than existing drugs to treat severe multiple sclerosis? Stem cells. A phase 2 clinical study from an international group of research centers compared head-to-head autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and mitoxantrone in treating patients with secondary progressive or relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The findings showed that…
February 13, 2015 News by Maureen Newman Experimental SPMS Drug From Innate Immunotherapeutics Shows Success in Early Trials Under development at Innate Immunotherapeutics is a special drug candidate to treat secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Currently, noĀ viable therapies exist for SPMS — only less-effective means to treat SPMS patients throughĀ drugs designed for relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis — making the prospect of Innate’s experimental SPMS therapy a…
February 12, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Accelerated Cure Project to Increase Participation in MS Trials Nonprofit organization,Ā Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis, is launching a national campaign called iConquerMS,Ā which was designed by and for multiple sclerosis patients to raise awareness ofĀ the importance of health data and supporting research. OnĀ the iConquerMSĀ portal, patients can…
February 10, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Creative Medical Seeks Patent for Stem Cell Therapy for MS Phoenix, Arizona-basedĀ Creative Medical Health (CMH) has just announced it has submitted a patent application for its proprietary mesenchymal stem cell pipeline product, indicated for autoimmune diseases. The companyĀ is already preparing to launch the product into its first line of clinical tests, which will…
February 9, 2015 News by Charles Moore Leading Developer Of Cannabis-Based Therapeutics Nemus To Address MS, Other Unmet Medical Needs The 2012 and 2014 ballots approving legalization of cannabis in four U.S. states have stirred the pot, so to speak, on a wide range of issues and nuances related to the herb — not least marijuana’s clinical use as a therapeutic agent. Medical marijuana remains a topic of debate…
February 6, 2015 News by admin Acorda Announces Phase 1 Results for Remyelinating Antibody in Multiple Sclerosis Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. has released results from a Phase 1 clinical trial of rHIgM22 for multiple sclerosis, showing that the medication is safe and produces few side effects. rHIgM22 is a medication that may induce the re-wrapping of the myelin sheath that surround nerve cells,…
February 5, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Novel Antibody Drug Candidate From Chinese Drug Developer Shows Promise For Treating MS MicroConstants China, Inc., a company thatĀ provides preclinical, clinical, and consulting services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, has just announced it has acquired international rights to the development of AA98 antibody pipeline products, indicated for the treatment of several types of cancer, multiple sclerosis,Ā and age related macular degeneration…
February 4, 2015 News by admin MediciNova To Present on Multiple Sclerosis Therapy at American Academy of Neurology 67th Annual Meeting MediciNova, Inc., has announcedĀ the acceptance ofĀ an abstractĀ describing their ongoing Phase 2b clinical trial of MN-166 (ibudilast) in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The poster is to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 67th Annual Meeting, April 18 – 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. The presentation is titled…
February 3, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Phase I Clinical Studies To Begin Using Anatabine Citrate as Possible Therapy For MS Drug development companyĀ Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Ā recently announced that a newĀ clinical trial application with theĀ United Kingdom’sĀ Medicines Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has been approved. The company is set to proceed with a Phase I study of its flagship pipeline product, Anatabine Citrate,Ā a chemical that is found naturally…
February 2, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Helicobacter Pylori Infection May Help Protect Against Multiple Sclerosis in Females A new study on the association between Helicobacter pylori and multiple sclerosis (MS) entitled āHelicobacter pylori infection as a protective factor against multiple sclerosis risk in femalesā was published in the Journal ofĀ Neurology, Neurosurgery & PsychiatryĀ by Marzena J. Fabis Pedrini from the Centre…
January 30, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Inspiration Offers Sports Tickets on Campaign with Tyler Campbell and Chris Wright Tyler Campbell, the son of the NFL Hall of Famer Earl Campbell, and professional basketball player Chris Wright are not only well-known sports figures, but also for inspiring others with their life journey and struggle with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). Now, Campbell and Wright are inviting other patients who…
January 29, 2015 News by Charles Moore Biogen Idec Enters Big Data Collaborations WIth Google and Imperial College London To Better Understand MS A report by Bloomberg News‘ Caroline Chen says multinational biotech firm Biogen Idec Inc. is teaming up with Internet and IT colossus Google, pooling efforts to research environmental and biological factors potentially associated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) progression. Ms. Chen notes that the Biogen Idec relationshipĀ is…
January 28, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Multiple Sclerosis Association of America Partners With Local Businesses To Raise Funds, Awareness Total Fitness Club (TFC), a private, employee-owned fitness company based in Swansea, MassachusettsĀ recently announced the top placers of their inaugural and yearly Thanksgiving 5K Run & 3K WalkĀ for the benefit of the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA). The event, which pulled together support from a litany…
January 26, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD US Supreme Court Rules on Teva Pharma’s Copaxone Patent Case Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. recently made a major announcement on the U.S. Supreme Court‘s ruling on the matter of “Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. et al. Petitioners v. Sandoz Inc. et al. that reversed the Federal Circuit Courtās judgment of invalidity…
January 23, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Kessler Foundation Study Says Cognitive Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis Depends on Task Length A study from a team of researchers at the Kessler Foundation provides new findings on multiple sclerosis (MS). According to the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, cognitive fatigueĀ exhibited by MS patients is related toĀ the length of the task they are involved in.
January 21, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Receptos Launches SUNBEAM Phase 3 Trial for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Biopharmaceutical companyĀ Receptos, Inc. has enrolled the first participantĀ withĀ relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) in its SUNBEAM phase 3 trial, which will evaluate the potential therapyĀ RPC1063 in patients who suffer from the disease. The company’s phase 3 RADIANCE trial, also…
January 20, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Amarantus Acquires DioGenix to Bolster New MS Diagnostic Division Amarantus BioScience Holdings, Inc. has announced the acquisition ofĀ DioGenix, Inc., which will be merged asĀ a newĀ foundational asset intoĀ a growing neuro-diagnostic division at AmarantusĀ calledĀ Amarantus Diagnostics. Amarantus BioScience isĀ dedicated to developing novel neurological diagnostic tests and therapy options in the fields ofĀ neurology, psychiatry, ophthalmology and regenerative diseases, including multiple…
January 19, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MedDay Provides Update on Pipeline Progress for Primary & Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Drug MedDay, a biotechnology company that develops new drugs for nervous system disorders, announced an update on the progress of its development pipeline with its leadĀ product MD1003 for the treatment of primary and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The first study is expected to be complete in early 2015, while…
January 15, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Researchers Study Device to Improve Balance for MS Patients Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients often experience difficultyĀ with balance and fear falling, which may prevent themĀ from being social or participating in exercise and community activities, affecting their quality of life. However, a pioneering study conducted atĀ the University of Massachusetts Amherst is looking to understand the role of…
January 14, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Plegridy for Relapsing MS Now Approved in Scotland The Scottish Medicines Consortium has just approved Biogen Idec’sĀ Plegridy (peg interferonĀ beta-1a) for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients between 18 to 65 years old, making the Consortium the first United Kingdom-based regulatory body to endorse the disease-modifying drug on the…
January 13, 2015 News by admin A Step Toward Multiple Sclerosis Treatment? Phase 2 ANTI-LINGO-1 Results Announced Biogen Idec, a Cambridge Massachusetts Biotechnology company,Ā has released results from itsĀ Phase 2 acute optic neuritis (AON) RENEW trial. The trial testedĀ anti-LINGO-1, a medication that restores myelin — a fatty substance that facilitates nerve cell impulses by wrapping around them and providing insulation. The trial results indicateĀ that anti-LINGO-1…
January 12, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National Multiple Sclerosis Society Funds Bionure’s Optic Neuritis Treatment Research California-based, late-preclinical stage pharmaceutical company,Ā Bionure, Inc,.Ā has just announced it has signed a Sponsored Research Agreement with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, thanks to Fast Forward, a division of the Society dedicated to commercial research and development for novel solutions for multiple sclerosis (MS). According…
January 8, 2015 News by admin Multiple Sclerosis Risk Does not Increase with HPV Vaccine According to Study Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can help protect against several health problems, including cervical cancers in women. Some reports have raised concerns however, that the vaccine might actually increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. A studyĀ entitled “Quadrivalent HPV Vaccination and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis and Other…
January 7, 2015 News by Charles Moore Nova Scotia First Of Canada’s Atlantic Provinces To Fund Aubagio Treatment For Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Canada has one of the world’s highest Multiple Sclerosis (MS) prevalence rates. Some 100,000 Canadians live with the disease, and three people are newly diagnosed each day. Most people are diagnosed with relapsing MS in their twenties and thirties, and MS is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults…
January 6, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD RRMS Study Using MRI Reveals Benefits of Experimental Therapy in Achieving No Evidence of Disease Activity Results from aĀ Phase 3 clinical trial entitled “AVANCE” revealed promising clinical outcomes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis treated forĀ one year with peg interferon beta-1a. The analysis wasĀ published in the journal BMC Neurology, in a study entitled āEffect of peg interferon beta-1a on MRI measures…
January 5, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Immunosuppressive Therapy, Cell Transplantation Offers Promising Treatment for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Immunosupressive therapy in combination with hemotopoietic cell transplant was found to induce remission of Multiple Sclerosis activity for up to 3 years. The new findings could usher in a new mode of effective treatment for MS that could greatly improve quality of life for those with the disease and…
January 2, 2015 News by Charles Moore Three Years After Stem Cell Transplant Therapy Most MS Patient Subjects Still In Remission A new study published online before print in the journal JAMA Neurology reports that three years on, most members of a small subject group of patients with active relapsing-remitting (RR) multiple sclerosis (MS) who had received an experimental high-dose immunosuppressive therapy (HDIT) followed by a transplant of their own…
December 31, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Top 14 Multiple Sclerosis Stories of ’14 Given the fact that MS isĀ aĀ chronic, progressive, and disabling disease for which there is no cure, the multiple sclerosis community is always looking forward to the latestĀ news regarding new therapies, devices or scientific findings about treating and curing the disease. TheseĀ are the top 14 news stories of 2014 from…
December 30, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New MS Study Seeks To Understand How Inflammation Causes Neuronal Damage in Multiple Sclerosis A team of researchers from Italy recently examined if p53 genetic variants influence synaptic and toxic effects of cytokines in the neurodegenerative processes that occurs in Multiple Sclerosis. The study, entitled āInterleukin-1β causes excitotoxic neurodegeneration and multiple sclerosis disease progression by activating the apoptotic protein p53,ā was recently published…