News

A combination of drugs widely used in anti-aging studies seems to compromise the function of the brain’s myelin-making cells and cause profound myelin loss, according to the findings of a new study in mice and lab-grown cells. The dual treatment, which combines dasatinib and quercetin, also known as D+Q, caused…

Close relatives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are 100 times more likely to develop the neurological disorder than the general population, according to a new analysis of GEMS data. Among participants in GEMS, a large-scale observational study assessing MS risk among family members, about half said…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has designated UC Davis Health in California as a new Center for Comprehensive MS Care, recognizing its ability to provide coordinated, multidisciplinary care for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The designation is part of the society’s Network of MS Healthcare Professionals, which…

Innocare Pharma has dosed the first healthy volunteer in a clinical trial in China testing ICP-538, its oral treatment candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. The novel experimental therapy works by promoting the degradation of the VAV1 protein, essential for the function of T-cells and…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who experience their first symptoms after age 50 tend to have faster disability progression than those with earlier disease onset, according to a recent study. The also more commonly develop primary progressive MS (PPMS). In addition, late-onset MS was associated with a higher risk of…

For people with multiple sclerosis (MS) on Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) whose disease is well controlled after at least a year of treatment, discontinuing the infusion therapy does not appear to increase the risk of new disease activity or disability progression for about two years. That’s according to a new retrospective…

A genetic variant strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease may also worsen neurological damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. Researchers found that MS patients carrying the APOE4 variant showed greater signs of neurodegeneration than those without it, including higher levels of nerve damage biomarkers,…

Most people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have persistently high levels of antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but these antibodies are much less common in people with other neuroinflammatory diseases and in healthy people, a study found “This study indicates that serial testing for EBV-specific antibodies could serve as…

While many genetic factors that increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) are shared across ancestral backgrounds, a study identified a variant that may reduce MS risk in South Asian people, which had not been seen in European studies — suggesting that studies focusing mainly on people of European descent…

Immunic Therapeutics has been granted a new patent in Europe covering multiple dosing regimens of its experimental therapy vidofludimus calcium and related molecules for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other indications. The patent, titled “Dosage Regimen of Vidofludimus for Use in the Treatment of a Chronic Inflammatory…

Loss of brain volume (brain atrophy), a measure often used in clinical trials to track disease progression, may not accurately reflect worsening disability in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). That’s according to a new analysis of data from the Phase 3 PROMISE trial, in which measures of…

Although the total number of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) has increased globally in recent decades due to population growth and aging, MS is causing fewer deaths and less disability now than in the past, according to a new study. Predictions also suggest that this trend toward reduced…

The CD20 inhibitor Briumvi (ublituximab) significantly outperformed Aubagio (teriflunomide) at lowering relapse rates and reducing disease activity on brain MRI scans in people with highly active relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to a new analysis of pooled data from the ULTIMATE I (NCT03277261)…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are about twice as likely to develop restless legs syndrome (RLS) — a constant urge to move the legs during rest or inactivity — than those without the disease, according to a study in Spain. Among MS patients, having a family history of…

Subtle drops in activity levels detected by wrist-worn sensors — especially in the morning — may predict worsening disability and brain tissue loss in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. The data suggest that continuous monitoring with these devices could reveal early signs of disease progression…

A researcher at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Australia has received funding from MS Australia to uncover how genetic risk factors contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS). Hamish King, PhD, will use the AU$400,000 (about $281,000) grant to investigate how more than 100 genetic changes linked to MS…

A “molecular atlas” of disease that can predict illness years before symptoms appear is the goal of a massive new research project analyzing blood samples from U.S. military service members. Known as ORIGIN, the initiative uses stored samples from the Department of Defense to hunt for early warning signs of…

A Phase 1 clinical trial testing azercabtagene zapreleucel (azer-cel), TG Therapeutics’ CAR-T-cell therapy, in progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) is now recruiting participants at eight sites across the U.S. The study (NCT06680037) is expected to enroll up to 32 adults with primary progressive MS…

Low to moderate doses of vitamin D supplements may be linked to lower relapse rates in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new meta-analysis of clinical trials. Higher doses did not show the same benefit, and vitamin D supplementation overall did not significantly change disability scores. “Based on…

Long-term exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), while short-term exposure may worsen disease activity and disability in people who already have the condition, according to a new study. “Long-term air pollution exposure was associated with higher MS risk, and short-term exposure with…

A test that measures a specific set of proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord — may help support the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. The approach could be particularly useful for people who lack a common…

Fenebrutinib, Genentech’s investigational BTK inhibitor, was found to significantly reduce relapse rates compared with the approved therapy Aubagio (teriflunomide) in two Phase 3 clinical trials involving people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Positive top-line results from one of those trials, FENhance 2 (NCT04586023),…

A specific pattern of damage seen on MRI scans, called a paramagnetic rim lesion, is associated with a higher risk of developing overt multiple sclerosis (MS) in people who have MS-like brain lesions but no symptoms, according to a new study. This condition is known as radiologically isolated syndrome…

Treatment with the experimental nasal spray therapy foralumab reduced microglial activity in people with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), according to new data from an expanded access program. Microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, are believed to contribute to the chronic inflammatory processes that drive gradual disease progression…

This March, organizations and advocates are marking Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month with fundraisers, educational events, and other activities to spotlight the disease and its impact on an estimated 1.8 million people worldwide. The annual campaign reaches beyond the general public to include researchers, lawmakers, industry leaders, policymakers, and…

Having parents who have ever smoked cigarettes, or who smoked in the three months before pregnancy, is associated with a significantly increased likelihood of childhood-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study in Italy. The findings suggest that early-life exposure to cigarette smoke, including around the time of…

Two of the most effective treatments for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) — Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Tysabri (natalizumab) — are essentially matched in their ability to control the disease, a new nationwide study from Denmark suggests. Researchers found no significant difference between the two therapies in preventing relapses, slowing…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a nearly fivefold increased risk of developing dementia compared with those without the disease, according to a real-world study in Taiwan. Treatment with disease-modifying therapies significantly reduced the risk for neurodegenerative dementias, or dementias associated with the loss of brain cells, the…

Myelin-making cells in some areas of the brain were more resistant to injury in a mouse model of myelin damage than the same cells in other brain regions. Researchers created detailed, brain-wide maps showing exactly where myelin-making cells, known as oligodendrocytes, are located in the brain. Using these maps, they…

The Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis (ACP) has launched a new community-led initiative designed to ensure that people from underrepresented multiple sclerosis (MS) communities help set priorities for future MS research. sp The initiative, called Prioritized Research Agenda Development and Advancement (PRADA), creates a…