News

Men with multiple sclerosis (MS) who started on high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) experienced significantly fewer relapses than those who started with moderate-efficacy DMTs, according to real-world claims analysis involving more than 10,000 U.S. patients. “No significant difference in relapse was found among females,” researchers wrote. “This observation highlights…

The incidence of late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS), a form of multiple sclerosis (MS) that begins after age 50, has risen steadily between 2005 and 2020, particularly among people in their 60s, scientists in Italy report. “Our study is the first population-based study describing the IR [incidence rate] of LOMS…

Exercise effectively reduces fatigue and improves muscular fitness in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), though the optimal exercise type and dose differ for each outcome, according to a meta-analysis of published studies involving more than 3,500 patients. Mind-body exercise, which combines physical movement, mental focus, and controlled breathing, was…

IMP761, an experimental immunotherapy Immutep is developing for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune conditions, has shown a promising safety profile in an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial  in healthy volunteers, with no treatment-related side effects reported to date, the company said. The first-in-human Phase 1 trial…

About four in five adults with stable multiple sclerosis (MS) for at least five years remained free of disease activity after stopping first-line treatment with a disease-modifying therapy (DMT), according to a study based on data from the DOT-MS clinical trial. Still, disease activity reemerged in roughly 20%…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough therapy designation to Sanofi’s BTK inhibitor candidate tolebrutinib for the treatment of adults with nonrelapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). According to Sanofi, tolebrutinib is the first investigational BTK inhibitor with the ability to reach the brain…

A specific type of brain lesion called a paramagnetic rim lesion, or PRL, is associated with worse disability over time in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but available disease-modifying therapies (DMT) can lower the chances of the appearance of these lesions, according to two studies published by scientists…

An interplay between genetic and environmental risk factors, including tobacco smoke exposure, affects brain development in early childhood, which could increase the likelihood a person will develop multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study. Among young children in the Netherlands, being at a high genetic risk for MS,…

Blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) — a biomarker of nerve cell damage used in multiple sclerosis (MS) research — are influenced by factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), and storage conditions of the blood samples, according to a recent report. Such factors may need to…

Bionxt Solutions is preparing to launch a pilot clinical trial to compare BNT23001, its new sublingual, or under-the-tongue, formulation of cladribine, to the original medication Mavenclad to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). Mavenclad is a tablet formulation of cladribine that’s approved for adults with relapsing forms of MS. The…

Vaccination does not increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in children and adolescents within five years, a study found. Instead, there was a trend toward a lower risk of pediatric-onset MS in vaccinated children. This in line with earlier findings that vaccination is not a risk factor for…

Nabiximols and other cannabis-based preparations sometimes used with multiple sclerosis (MS) appear to work well for controlling spasticity, a common disease symptom that occurs when muscles stiffen or tighten, a meta-analysis of findings in published studies reported. Larger studies into cannabis-based treatments of spasticity for these patients…

Tiziana Life Sciences is expanding its Phase 2 clinical trial testing foralumab nasal spray for the treatment of nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), with six additional clinical sites across the northeastern region of the U.S. The new sites, all at top U.S. institutions, bring together leaders in…

Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) who come from poorer families or other disadvantageous circumstances tend to have more inflammation and irreversible brain tissue loss, a new study reports. “Our findings suggest that social disadvantage in childhood can have lasting effects on MS severity,” Kimberly A. O’Neill, MD, study coauthor…

Hospitalization for severe COVID-19 is significantly associated with a twofold higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study involving nearly the entire population of Sweden. No increased risk of MS was found among those who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, or received…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) — which uses a patient’s own stem cells — face unique physical and emotional challenges at every stage of the process, from balancing hope and fear when deciding on moving forward with the treatment…

Roche signed a definitive agreement to acquire Poseida Therapeutics, a deal that includes Poseida’s portfolio of CAR T-cell therapy candidates being developed for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases. Poseida and Roche have been collaborating since 2022 on cell therapies for people with blood cancer. The companies…

Higher cholesterol levels are associated with worse cognitive impairments in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. The findings imply that medications or lifestyle changes that reduce cholesterol levels may be useful for addressing MS cognitive impairment, researchers said. The study, “Lipid measures are associated…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared an extended version of Neurophet Aqua, an MRI analysis software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to measure disease-related changes in brain scans. Earlier clearance enabled Neurophet‘s software to analyze brain atrophy using T1-weighed MRI scans in people with neurodegenerative conditions.

Adding noninvasive brain stimulation to physical therapy may help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) improve their balance and walking ability, a study shows. Benefits to physical therapy with and without brain stimulation were observed, but most only remained significant after six months in those who’d also received brain stimulation.

LPX-TI641, Lapix Therapeutics‘ experimental oral therapy to restore immune system balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, was found safe and well tolerated at all doses tested in healthy adults. That’s according to top-line data from a Phase 1 trial (NCT05853835), which…

A large majority of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who received Tysabri (natalizumab) in a real-world setting experienced no evidence of disease activity for as long as six years, according to a study from a single center in Hungary. No evidence of disease activity, known as NEDA-3,…

Fampyra (fampridine), an oral medication that’s approved to improve walking ability in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), may also help some people with poor working memory, according to a new study. Working memory refers to a person’s ability to keep small pieces of information at the forefront of…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are primarily admitted to the hospital due to urinary tract infections, which indicates that bladder problems need to be better managed in this population, a study shows. Neurological problems without an identifiable cause came second among the reasons for admission to a hospital,…

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), a nonsurgical treatment that delivers mild electrical impulses to a nerve in the ankle, significantly reduced bladder activity and improved sexual function for women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a clinical trial. While PTNS is designed to modulate neural mechanisms involved in…

An artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool called Muse aims to accelerate drug development by optimizing clinical trial patient recruitment. The tool, designed as part of a collaboration among Formation Bio, OpenAI, and Sanofi, is designed to be implemented across a range of areas. Sanofi will first put it…

Cognitive rehabilitation scientist Yael Goverover, PhD, has been recognized with the title of Fellow of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) for her contributions to research on multiple sclerosis (MS) and her efforts at advancing cognitive rehabilitation for people with the disease. Goverover’s work has focused on understanding…

Activation of a protein called DLK may drive the death of nerve cells that have been demyelinated, or lost their protective myelin coating, in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study from U.S. researchers. The findings shed light on how a failure to repair lost or damaged…

Two enzymes in brain cells are responsible for mediating the toxic effects of certain fat molecules in multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study in a mouse model of the disease suggests. According to the researchers, these enzymes may serve as potential targets for easing neurodegeneration in people with MS.

Backed by a $1 million grant, researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio will explore ways to keep astrocytes in check, protecting the nervous system from damage due to multiple sclerosis (MS). These star-shaped cells of the brain and spinal cord go awry and become toxic in this…