December 29, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Receptos Begins RMS Patient Enrollment in SUNBEAM and RADIANCE Trials Biopharmaceutical company Receptos, Inc. is enrolling the first patient in theirĀ SUNBEAM phase 3 trial to evaluateĀ the company’s investigational therapy for the treatment ofĀ patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) and ulcerative colitis (UC), calledĀ RPC1063. In addition, Receptos has recently started its phase 3Ā …
December 26, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD British Columbia Agrees To fund AUBAGIO RRMS Therapy British Columbia’sĀ PharmaCare drug program has announced thatĀ it will fundĀ AUBAGIO, a therapy developed byĀ GenzymeĀ for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.Ā AUBAGIO (teriflunomide) 14 mg has been officially added toĀ PharmaCare’s provincial formulary as a first-line oral agent for patients suffering from relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). As…
December 26, 2014 News by admin Long-Term Multiple Sclerosis Progress Can Be Better Determined Using NEDA Standard A study published on December 22 in JAMA Neurology emphasizes that a standard measurement used to gauge multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, known as “no-evidence-of-disease-activity” (NEDA) is important for determining how the disease will progress long-term. MS is the most common degenerative neurological condition that affects young adults worldwide.
December 23, 2014 News by admin Mouse Fat Stem Cells May Be Beneficial for Studying Transplantation in Multiple Sclerosis Researchers in Spain have found that specific fat stem cells from mice could be excellent tools for studying transplantation of stem cells in autoimmune diseases, such asĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The work was published in the December 12th issue of the journal, Stem Cell Research & Therapy.
December 22, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Icometrix Uses Novel Brain Measurement Software in Major MS Study Icometrix, a biotechnology company focused onĀ unique projects for diagnosing and treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, has designed new software for the measurement of brain lesions and brain volumes and their changes overĀ time. MS, aĀ chronic and neurological condition that affects about 2.5 million people throughoutĀ the world,Ā is often first detectedĀ in patients at…
December 19, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Mapi Pharma Treats First RRMS Patient with Once-A-Month GA Depot Mapi Pharma Ltd.,Ā a development stage pharmaceutical company specializingĀ in the development of high-barrier to entry and high-added value generic drugs, announced it has treated the first patient in theĀ Phase IIa study of GA Depot forĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Lead investigatorĀ ProfessorĀ Ariel Miller, M.D., Ph.D., Head of the Multiple Sclerosis & Brain…
December 18, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Vaccinex’s Experimental Multiple Sclerosis Drug Effectively Treats Demyelination in Animal Study A new study on the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies to treat neuroinflammatory and demyelinating disease entitled āSEMA4D compromises bloodābrain barrier, activates microglia, and inhibits remyelination in neurodegenerative diseaseā was published in the journal Neurobiology of Disease by Ernest S. Smith part of…
December 17, 2014 News by admin Can Tryptophan Help Improve Memory in Multiple Sclerosis Patients? Have you ever eaten a turkey dinner and afterwards someone says that the feeling of drowsiness is caused by the tryptophan in the meat? According to Texas A&M University Professor Dr. Nicolaas Deutz, āThis story about tryptophan in turkey is just kind of a running joke, it has nothing…
December 16, 2014 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD New Multiple Sclerosis Society Funded Study Tests Whether Vibrating Insoles Improve Balance A new Multiple SclerosisĀ pilot studyĀ was awarded a $39,000 grant by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to investigate how patients’ sensation in their feet while standing impacts balance and whetherĀ their ability to walk is improved through the use of vibrating insoles. Multiple Sclerosis is characterized by the destruction of the…
December 16, 2014 News by Charles Moore Can Big Data Lead to Better MS Outcomes? In a new study, researchers based at the Imperial College, London will follow in unprecedented detail the events and experiences in lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in order to improve evaluation protocols for MS treatments. MS is estimated to afflict more than two million people globally, more…
December 12, 2014 News by admin Unraveling Myelin’s Mystery With Neutron Diffraction Researchers have uncovered new information about myelin, a fatty substance that wraps around the axons of brain cells (neurons) allowing them to transmit information quickly from one cell to another. De-myelinating diseases in which the insulating wrap is damaged include multiple sclerosis, in which unpredictable loss of myelin causes…
December 12, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Key Philly-Area Multiple Sclerosis Center Adds MS Specialist To Its Team Dr. Nataliya Ternopolska Pennsylvania-basedĀ Abington HealthĀ Ā has announced that it has named Nataliya Ternopolska, M.D. as the new associate medical director of their Multiple Sclerosis Center. Ternopolska will not only take over theĀ leadership position, but will also join The Neurology Group at the facility. Abington Health is an organization…
December 11, 2014 News by Isaura Santos MS Society Heralds 2014 as a Year Of Great Progress in Multiple Sclerosis Research 2014 was a year of major progress in research for treating and curingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This year theĀ National Multiple Sclerosis Society reports that the organizationĀ invested over $50 million into 380 new and ongoing researchĀ initiatives and projects for MS. The SocietyĀ remains highly…
December 9, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Madeleine Stowe Continues US Multiple Sclerosis Tour to Share Her Family Story Actress and star of the ABC show “Revenge”,Ā Madeleine Stowe,Ā recently shared her personal story of living in a family with someone who suffers from Ā multiple sclerosis (MS). Her father lived for many years with the disease. The actress has decided to help not only MS patients but also…
December 8, 2014 News by Isaura Santos Disappointing Results for Fingolimod Phase III Trial In Primary Progressive MS Novartis International recentlyĀ provided an update on itsĀ fingolimod Phase III trial evaluating the use of the drug inĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (PPMS), reporting that the study did not reveal any significant benefits of prescribing fingolimod over a placebo.Ā However, results regarding…
December 8, 2014 News by Isaura Santos Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Announces FDA To Review sBLA For DysportĀ® As Treatment For Upper Limb Spasticity Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, IncĀ announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to review theĀ supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Dysport® (abobotulinumtoxinA)Ā to treat upper limbĀ spasticity, a condition that affects many people in the United States, including multiple sclerosis (MS)…
December 5, 2014 News by admin Failure of Brain Development in Early MS Suggests Need for Neuroprotection Researchers from Canada and the U.S. have found that brains of young people with multiple sclerosis fail to develop fully. The article appeared November 5, 2014 in the journal NeurologyĀ entitled, “Onset of multiple sclerosis before adulthood leads to failure of age-expected brain growth.” Multiple sclerosis is caused…
December 5, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Review Finds MS Treatment Goals Shifted Focus in 2014 The “2014 Multiple Sclerosis Therapeutic Update,” published in the journal Neurohospitalist by author Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MCR, provides a positive outlook on the state of current treatments and research for future treatments of multiple sclerosis. A host of new therapies, as well as common-place…
December 4, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD GeNeuro and Servier to Co-Develop Breakthrough Multiple Sclerosis Drug Neurology and autoimmune therapeutics companyĀ GeNeuro SA has just announced the formation of a partnership with independent French pharmaceutical companyĀ ServierĀ for the co-development and marketing of GNbAC1 for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It is the first humanized monocloncal antibody treatment formulated to address one of this disease’s causal factors, making it…
December 4, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD CreateWriteNow Launches Journaling Challenge that May Help MS Patients Cope with Disease Keeping a journal may help patients suffering from severe and chronic diseases deal with their conditions, as well as with the stress and emotions that accompany symptoms. In a real-life testament to this,Ā Mari L. McCarthy, who suffers from multiple sclerosis andĀ started using journaling to cope with it, is launching…
December 3, 2014 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Rogue Protein Found in Alzheimerās, Parkinsonās Also Present in Multiple Sclerosis In a recent study entitled āDetection of protein aggregates in brain and cerebrospinal fluid derived from multiple sclerosis patientsā a team of researchers reported to have detected soluble oligomers in both brain and cerebrospinal fluid samples from multiple sclerosis patients. The study was published in the…
December 2, 2014 News by admin Scientists Block Multiple Sclerosis in Mice Using Estrogen-Like Drug A team of researchers at the University of California, Riverside, along with other collaborators, have identified a drug associated with estrogen, indazole chloride (Ind-Cl), that blocks the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were reported December 1st in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. MS…
December 1, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Delays Ruling on Teva Petition Against Generic Copaxone for MS Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the company behind multiple sclerosis drugĀ COPAXONEĀ® (glatiramer acetate injection), has been pursuing the US Food and Drug Administration‘s decision against approving a generic version of the drug, by Mylan, Inc.Ā Teva’s petition has been turned down several times,…
December 1, 2014 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD New Insights Into “T Helper Cells” Could Guide Future Multiple Sclerosis Therapies A recent study entitled āSTAT5 programs a distinct subset of GM-CSF-producing T helper cells that is essential for autoimmune neuroinflammationā describes a new subset of T helper immune cells ā TH-GM ā thatĀ express a particular cytokine profile with implications inĀ therapeutics for multiple sclerosis. The study was…
November 25, 2014 News by Charles Moore Province Of Ontario Funds Genzyme’s AUBAGIO For Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis With 100,000 Canadians living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and three people newly diagnosed every day, Canada has one of the highest prevalence rates for the disease in the world. Most people are diagnosed with relapsing MS in their twenties and thirties, and MS is the most common neurological disease affecting…
November 24, 2014 News by admin Newly Identified Immune Cell Sheds Light on Multiple Sclerosis Cause Researchers from the National University of Singapore have found a new type of immune cell that could aid in the development of treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS). The study was published on November 21 in the journalĀ Cell ResearchĀ entitled, “STAT5 programs a distinct subset of GM-CSF-producing T helper…
November 24, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Experimental Drug for RRMS, SPMS Enters Phase 2 Trial Lexington, MA-based biopharmaceutical companyĀ Xenetic Biosciences, Inc.Ā has just announced its new license partnerĀ Pharmsynthez has completed dosing in its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial with pipeline product MyeloXen⢠forĀ relapsing remitting and secondary progressive (SPMS) multiple sclerosis. The MyeloXen trial is currently underway in Russia with…
November 24, 2014 by Maureen Newman New Mouse Model Better Represents JC Virus That Infects MS Patients Researchers in the laboratory of Steve Goldman, MD, PhD, Co-Director of University of Rochester Center for Translational Neuromedicine, are delving deeper into the science behind progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a disease caused by the JC virus, which commonly affects multiple sclerosis patients and others with compromised immune…
November 21, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Major MS Cognitive Rehabilitation Trial Funded by British Health Service TheĀ Cognitive Rehabilitation for Attention and Memory trial (CRAMMS), a major study to be conducted on patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, was recently awarded £1,167,000 ($1,828,000) by the British National Health ServiceĀ (NHS), through its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Program. The study, which is expected to be the largest trial of its…
November 21, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Individualized Multiple Sclerosis CE Plan Wins Excellence Award The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, an international membership association of healthcareĀ education professionals, has just selected the winner for theĀ 2015 Outstanding CE Enduring Material by the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions. The winner is a joint CE activity entitled, “Confronting Current Challenges…