News

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Kesimpta (ofatumumab) are both highly effective at preventing relapses and disability worsening in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in real-world clinical practice, though data show small differences in their clinical profiles. While Ocrevus was linked to fewer relapses and Kesimpta to a lower…

Probiotic supplements may ease fatigue, reduce pain, and lower inflammation in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), though they do not appear to significantly lessen disability or improve mental health, according to a new pooled analysis of six clinical trials. “Probiotics may offer moderate benefits for symptom management in MS,…

Scientists have identified dozens of genes in specific immune cells that may influence the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) and susceptibility to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), offering new clues about the biological mechanisms that may connect EBV infection with MS. A new study by…

Treatment with Ponvory (ponesimod) for up to 13 years was associated with sustained low disease activity in adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), with relapse rates and brain lesion activity decreasing over time. That’s according to new data from a completed Phase 2b clinical trial (NCT01006265) and its long-term…

Some lifestyle habits, such as engaging in physical activity and not smoking, may provide the greatest health benefits earlier in the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), while others, such as eating a healthy diet, may be of more help to those who have been living with the disease for…

Immunic says it’s on track to announce early data by year’s end from twin late-stage trials testing vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) — an oral therapy believed to have both anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties — in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The top-line results from the…

A trio of scientists in Australia has developed a mathematical model that can be used to help understand disease activity patterns in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The model uses two overarching variables — inflammation and myelin damage — to describe how relapses and stable disease occur in…

A drug used to prevent stroke complications may help preserve myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review of data from animal studies. The treatment, nimodipine, was also associated with reduced inflammation, nerve damage, and disease severity in several…

People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who show even a single silent lesion on an MRI scan while taking a lower- or moderate-efficacy disease-modifying therapy (DMT) may benefit from switching to a higher-efficacy treatment, according to a large international study. Researchers found that having one or more silent…

Certain cannabis-based therapies may provide relief from spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review of data from 27 clinical trials involving more than 3,000 participants. Among the different therapies evaluated, those containing an equal mix of two of the main compounds found in the cannabis…

In people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), greater physical disability is associated with poorer cognitive function, while higher levels of formal education are linked to better cognitive performance, a new study found. The findings highlight the relationship between physical and cognitive symptoms of MS, even among people with mild…

Following the submission of thousands of pages of documentation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light for a mid-stage clinical trial of Lucid-MS, a potential first-in-class oral therapy for multiple sclerosis  (MS). With the FDA’s clearance of an investigational new drug (IND) application from…

Concussions during adolescence may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), but only if the concussion occurs before the individual has infectious mononucleosis, a condition caused by infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), according to a new study. The findings suggest that a concussion occurring before a person…

Elevated levels of a blood protein called GFAP are associated with an increased risk of disease progression in the absence of relapse activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. The study also found that patients whose GFAP levels declined after starting MS treatment had…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who engage in structured exercise programs tend to report lower levels of fatigue, according to an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The strongest evidence was seen for cardiorespiratory exercise. Resistance training, which often involves weights and resistance bands, also…

Smoking cigarettes may speed up disease progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), while alcohol consumption showed no clear harmful effect, according to a long-term study involving more than 1,300 adults in Germany. Researchers found that smokers, particularly light smokers, were significantly more likely to experience worsening disability and…

After receiving positive regulatory feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Oculis is planning to expand clinical testing of its experimental therapy privosegtor as a potential treatment for acute relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Privosegtor is already being investigated as a treatment for…

An international team of experts is calling for an overhaul of the system that has been used for decades to categorize and describe multiple sclerosis (MS). The researchers presented a roadmap outlining how to begin moving from the current system that divides MS into three major subtypes toward a…

Many people with heat sensitivity related to multiple sclerosis (MS) either don’t know about cooling strategies that may help ease their symptoms or know about them but don’t use them regularly, according to a Swiss registry study. Nearly three-quarters of participants reported that more extreme temperatures, most commonly heat,…

Taking vitamin C supplements may reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly for people with a higher genetic predisposition to the disease, according to a study. The researchers stressed that further work is needed to validate the findings, but they said their data warrant additional studies to…

A specific type of gut bacteria known as Veillonella ratti — a bacterium shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects — reduced the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse model of the disease, according to a new study. The research suggests that V. ratti changes the activity of other gut…

Damage to the brain’s gray matter — the part of brain tissue that houses the bodies of nerve cells — is associated with a higher risk of long-term disability worsening, cognitive impairment, and death in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study that followed dozens of patients…

Following a Mediterranean-style diet may be associated with lower odds of multiple sclerosis (MS) onset, and diet-related differences in biological processes that regulate gene activity may partly help explain the association, a study in Australia has found. Specifically, differences in DNA methylation were estimated to account for up to…

Therapies to remove harmful immune B-cells that drive inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) may also work by mobilizing protective, gut-derived B-cells into the bloodstream and nervous system, a new study shows. Researchers also found that higher levels of molecules thought to drive such protective functions in B-cells were linked…

Treatment with neural stem cells — cells that have the ability to mature into supportive cells of the brain and spinal cord — showed early signs of neuroprotection in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to long-term follow-up data from a small early clinical trial. The…

Australian researchers are using lab-grown “mini brains” to investigate new ways to repair myelin, the protective coating surrounding nerve cells that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS). The 3D lab models, grown from human stem cells, will allow researchers to study how myelin forms naturally in the human…

Under-the-skin (subcutaneous) injections of Tysabri (natalizumab) allow people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to receive treatment much faster, more conveniently, and with less disruption to daily life than the original into-the-vein (intravenous) form, a study found. Use of the subcutaneous formulation, which is approved in the European…

People diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to eat healthier diets and take more vitamin supplements than those without the chronic autoimmune disease, according to a new study in Egypt. “MS patients showed a different dietary pattern characterised by higher micronutrient and supplement intake, most likely reflecting post-diagnosis behavioural…

A small molecule called CN045 may help repair myelin — the protective coating around nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS) — according to a new preclinical study. Researchers found that CN045 promoted the maturation of myelin-making cells in lab tests and modestly increased remyelination, the process…

Certain diets may support cognitive function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a systematic review of available studies. Studies of the low-fat Swank and Wahls diets reported improvements in processing speed and self-perceived cognitive function, although the evidence was limited. Evidence for the Mediterranean diet was mixed, while…