News

Fewer people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are willing to receive recommended routine vaccines today than before the COVID-19 pandemic, even as neurologists and family doctors talk with them more frequently about immunization, a new study in Germany has found. While vaccination records showed improved coverage for several vaccines, researchers…

Most people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) had stable or improved disability scores after receiving the experimental CAR T-cell therapy azercabtagene zapreleucel (azer-cel) in a small Phase 1 clinical trial. TG Therapeutics, which is developing azer-cel under a licensing agreement with its previous developer, Precision…

Early treatment with the experimental oral therapy vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) may lead to less long-term disability in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from the CALLIPER Phase 2 trial and its extension. Immunic, the company developing vidofludimus calcium, presented the findings…

Genentech’s experimental oral therapy fenebrutinib may help control the chronic inflammation in the brain associated with disability progression in both relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS). That’s according to new analyses of data from three ongoing Phase 3 trials, in which…

About four out of 10 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Thailand were found to be either at risk of malnutrition or already malnourished, which appear to be associated with more severe disability, a single-center study shows. Data also showed that a significant proportion of people with two related…

When Christina Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2021, she finally had an explanation for the symptoms that had been disrupting her life. The diagnosis also gave her a community where she could share her experiences, find support, and help others facing the same challenges. Now,…

In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), pain is associated with more reported difficulties with thinking and memory, but does not predict how patients perform in objective cognition tests, according to a recent study. Mental health issues, along with pain and fatigue, were associated with greater perceived cognitive problems. “Given…

Small changes in the gene that provides instructions for making the vitamin D receptor (VDR) protein were not individually associated with the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), but certain variants were linked to motor symptoms and lesions in the upper spinal cord, a new study found. “In summary, this…

Vitamin D and curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, reduced the proportions of certain inflammation-related immune cells in laboratory experiments using blood samples from people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study has found. The combination had a greater effect on certain immune cell populations than either compound alone,…

Some paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) — MRI findings linked to chronic inflammation — disappeared in the brains of adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) after they underwent an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT), a small study found. No new PRLs appeared during follow-up. The findings contrast with an earlier…

A systematic review of clinical studies found no clear evidence that melatonin supplements reduce relapses, disability progression, or new MRI-detected disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Some small studies suggested melatonin may improve sleep, fatigue, pain, physical and cognitive function, and mood, but the findings were inconsistent.

Blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a marker of nerve damage, may help predict the risk of future disease activity and progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are starting treatment, a study found. However, NfL levels at treatment initiation did not independently…

Thinning of a layer of nerve cells in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, was associated with slower information processing in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), independent of physical disability, a study found. Researchers concluded that the findings support retinal imaging as a potential…

In people newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), a higher number of oligoclonal bands (OCBs) — bands of antibodies found in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — may reflect more widespread lesions on MRI scans and poorer verbal learning and memory, a study found. “While…

Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) may be more effective than Kesimpta (ofatumumab) or Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) at preventing disability progression among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an indirect comparison of clinical trial data. “In the absence of head-to-head clinical trials, [matching-adjusted indirect comparison] provides a valuable statistical…

Anti-CD20 therapies, a type of treatment approved for multiple sclerosis (MS), may be highly effective in MS partly because they reduce the immune system’s ongoing response to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a well-established risk factor for MS. That’s according to a study involving nearly 200 people that found…

Parental stress may help explain the link between disease-related difficulties and lower self-esteem in children and adolescents with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS), a study in Israel found. The findings suggest that higher fatigue, greater disease severity, and slower processing speed in children were each associated with greater parental stress. Greater…

Generic medications are expected to be equivalent to their brand-name counterparts — but a new study found that generic versions of certain treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) were linked to greater variability in disease biomarkers than the original drugs. “We identified differences in circulating protein biomarker variability between brand…

Scientists at the University of Colorado are testing an experimental approach for multiple sclerosis (MS) that uses electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve to potentially boost the brain’s ability to rewire itself and make rehabilitation more effective. The trial (NCT06641271) is enrolling by invitation at the Clinical…

Scientists have created a “mini-brain” model, the size of a grain of rice, from human stem cells that can mimic multiple sclerosis (MS)-related damage and repair, offering a new avenue for testing drugs that restore the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers. The 3D spheroid model contains human nerve cells…

Quantum Biopharma is collaborating with Thermo Fisher Scientific to prepare a Phase 2 clinical trial of Lucid-MS, an experimental oral therapy designed to slow myelin loss, in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Under the agreement, Thermo Fisher’s PPD clinical research business will support…

A brief, personalized neuropsychological rehabilitation program may help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) manage cognitive difficulties, according to a feasibility study. Participants reported improvements in their ability to use cognitive strategies, plan daily activities, and cope with fatigue. The study (ISRCTN11203922) showed that the program, called Neuropsychological Evaluation and…

Higher levels of physical activity may be associated with a lower likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), mainly among people with low sun exposure, a Swedish study suggests. The study assessed leisure-time physical activity and sun exposure. In the overall population, no clear overall association was found between physical…

Adding probiotics to standard multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies may help to reduce fatigue, depression, and disability levels, as well as improve quality of life, in people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), according to data from a small clinical trial. Probiotics are live microorganisms intended to support health. Compared with patients…

A new $1 billion fundraising campaign by the National MS Society aims to accelerate research breakthroughs in multiple sclerosis (MS) and expand access to patient care and support — with the ultimate goal of bringing the world closer to a future without MS.

A fast-track diagnostic pathway that includes a specific MRI marker called the central vein sign (CVS) cut the average time to diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) by about three months compared with the usual outpatient route, according to a hospital review. It also eliminated the need for invasive lumbar punctures,…

Altered neurovascular coupling (NVC), the process that matches brain activity with the blood flow needed to support it, is associated with poorer cognitive function and greater disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. The most consistent finding was an abnormal balance between blood flow and spontaneous…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to review an application from Roche seeking approval of its BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib as a treatment for relapsing forms of both multiple sclerosis (MS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS). Further, the FDA granted the application priority review, under…

An estimated 3.1 million people worldwide are now living with multiple sclerosis (MS), up from about 2.8 million in 2020, according to the latest update of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation’s Atlas of MS. The new estimate means that global MS prevalence — the number of people living…

An experimental therapy called kamuvudine-9 (K-9) reversed established paralysis and vision loss in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), offering hope for treatments that can restore lost function rather than just prevent future damage. “Most MS therapies are aimed at preventing the next attack. What’s remarkable is…