May 26, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #CMSC17 – Single Session of Ball-throwing Exercise Improves Balance Control in MS, Study Shows Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) regain part of their balance control after a single training session of ball-throwing exercises, finds a study supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Researchers presented theirĀ study, āA Single-Session Training of Ball Throwing Exercise Improves Balance Control in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis,ā at…
May 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC17 – Genentech Starts Site to Connect MS Patients and Caregivers with Resources GenentechĀ has rolled out a website to connect multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and caregivers with resources that can help them. The company unveiledĀ GatherMSĀ at the annual meeting of the Consortium for Multiple Sclerosis CentersĀ in New Orleans. The event started May 24 and will end May 27. Genentech created GatherMS…
May 25, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD PML Found in Ocrevus-Treated Patient Who Had Used Tysabri for 3 Previous Years A multiple sclerosis (MS) patient treated in Germany withĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā has developed the dreaded brain infection progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).Ā But it is not clear whether the recently approvedĀ Genentech/Roche-developed treatmentĀ is the cause. The patient took the last dose of a three-year course of Tysabri (natalizumab)Ā in February. Tysabri is…
May 25, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Fampyra Granted Standard Approval in Europe as Trial Results Support Effectiveness Fampyra (prolonged-release fampridine tablets) ā sold in the U.S. as Ampyra (dalfampridine) ā has now been granted standard marketing authorization in Europe. The approval was based on the results of a Biogen-sponsored Phase 3 clinical trial confirming the drugās safety and efficacy in improving walking in patients with multiple…
May 25, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe Launches ‘Life Moments with MS’ to Mark May 31, World MS Day May 31 isĀ World MS Day. In its honor, Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe has launched āLife Moments with MS” ā a social media campaign to raise awareness about theĀ challenges people with multiple sclerosis (MS) face every day. Tevaās campaign, which uses the hashtag #LifeMomentswithMS, also includes educational resources on what…
May 24, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc N.Y. Stem Cell Foundation Grows Brain Immune Cells in a Dish, Offerings Clues into MS Research Researchers from the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF)Ā have developed a method to produce brain immune cells, called microglia, from human stem cells. ThatĀ can help scientists uncover biological mechanisms involved in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions. “NYSCF’s mission is to bring cures to patients faster,” Susan L.
May 24, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Healthline Names MS News Today One of the Best Multiple Sclerosis Blogs of 2017 HealthlineĀ recently selectedĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ as one of the Best Multiple Sclerosis Blogs of 2017, spotlighting its columns as “thoughts from experts and patients from all kinds of backgrounds” and “a source of inspiration for everyone.” The team at Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is delightedĀ to be…
May 23, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Results of Phase 3 Trial for Celgene’s Ozanimod Suggest Therapeutic Benefit in RMS Patients Relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) patients taking the investigational drug ozanimod, also known as RPC-1063, had lowerĀ relapse rate than those on weekly Avonex (interferon Ī²-1a) therapy, according toĀ CelgeneĀ in an announcement updating results of its Phase 3 RADIANCE trial. Ozanimod is a new orally administrated drug that selectively inhibits the…
May 23, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Brain IFN-gamma Drives MS Disease Processes, Russian Immune Factor Analysis Finds MS brain inflammation is a result of interactions between processes in the brain and the rest of the body, with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) being a key player, according to a detailed analysis of cytokines in the spinal fluid and serum of MS patients. Russia’sĀ Kazan Federal UniversityĀ found that IFN-gamma activates other…
May 22, 2017 News by James Frederick, PA-C, MMSc US Blacks, Hispanics Less Likely to Get Neurological Care in Doctor’s Offices and Clinics African- and Hispanic-Americans are less likely than whites to receive care for neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis in a doctor’s office or clinic, according to a study. Many of them end up in a hospital emergency room after failing to obtain treatment that could have helped them avoid an…
May 22, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Real-world Spanish Study Confirms Gilenya’s Ability to Reduce Multiple Sclerosis Relapses A real-world medical-facilities setting has confirmed clinical trial findings thatĀ GilenyaĀ (fingolimod) can reduce multiple sclerosis relapses, according to a Spanish study published inĀ Plos One. Gilenya, developed byĀ Novartis Pharmaceuticals,Ā was the first oral disease-modifying therapy to obtain U.S. and European approval. TheĀ Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency authorized…
May 19, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Phase 3 Study of High-Dose Biotin, MD1003, in Treating Primary and Secondary MS Patients Underway A Phase 3 clinical trial has been launched by MedDay Pharmaceuticals to investigate whether treatment with high-dose biotin (MD1003) may easeĀ disability and improve mobility in non-relapsing primary or secondary progressive MS patients. The study is recruiting participants across the U.S., Canada and Europe. Biotin is a form of…
May 19, 2017 News by Charles Moore Pilot Study of myMS App, Created to Aid Patients and Research, Starting in US A clinical trial of a smartphone app that helps multiple sclerosis (MS) understand and manageĀ their disease ā and to aid and speed research āĀ is nowĀ recruiting peopleĀ nationwide. Claimed to be the first of its kind, the app, called myMS, is designed to give MS patients quick and easyĀ access toĀ pertinentĀ information, fromĀ clinical evaluations…
May 18, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ocrevus Market Entry Already Changing Dynamics in MS Treatment Choices, Spherix Analysis Suggests Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are largely moving away from injectable drugs and towards oral treatments when they switch from first to second-line MS therapies. ButĀ that might change with theĀ introduction of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), whichĀ has becomeĀ the drug of choice for manyĀ neurologists advising patients on drug switches. The real-world analysis by…
May 18, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Obesity and Poor Vitamin D Levels Tied to Risk of Childhood MS in Study A study of nearly 600 children with multiple sclerosis reportedĀ that genes linked to low vitamin D levels and obesity contribute to the risk of developing MSĀ in childhood. While the two are also risk factors for adult-onset MS, obesity and low vitamin D have a larger risk impact on childrenĀ thanĀ adults. The…
May 17, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Online BrainHQ Training Program Boosts Cognition in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis, NYU Study Shows The onlineĀ BrainHQĀ adaptive training program developed by Posit Science is better than any computer game at helping multiple sclerosis (MS) patients improve their cognitive skills, according to a study by researchers at New York University (NYU). The study,Ā āCognitive function in multiple sclerosis improves with telerehabilitation: Results from…
May 17, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc PODS May Aid in Transporting Growth Factors for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, Other Diseases PODSĀ (POlyhedrin Delivery System), a new technology designed to transport any protein in the human body, may open up new approaches in treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases, says its British developer,Ā Cell Guidance Systems. Created by Hajime Mori, a professor at Japan’s Kyoto Institute of Technology,Ā PODS is…
May 16, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc RRMS Patients on Beta-Interferon Therapy Have Increased Risk of Stroke, Study Finds A large-scale study revealed potential adverse reactions to beta-interferon (IFN-Ī²) therapy, one of the most common treatments used for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). According to the study published in the journal Neurology, patients have an increased risk of stroke, migraine, depression, and of developing abnormalities in the blood. In…
May 16, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Multiple Sclerosis Experts Offer Guidelines on Contraceptive Use Among Women with MS Two studies that recently appeared in theĀ Multiple Sclerosis JournalĀ shed light onĀ how contraceptive use may affect women with MS, as well as how the disease might affect the safety and effectiveness of birth-control medications. Relapsing MS patients treated with older drugs such as interferons and Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) have a…
May 15, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Transcription Factor T-Bet Triggers MS, Other Autoimmune Diseases, Study Finds The expression by immune B-cells of a protein called T-bet is crucialĀ to promoting production of autoantibodies that recognize and destroy the tissues of one’s own body, finds a new study by researchersĀ at National Jewish HealthĀ in Denver. The study, āB cells expressing the transcription factor T-bet drive lupus-like autoimmunity,ā…
May 15, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD At 2017 BIO Convention, Former Mass. First Lady Ann Romney Will Discuss Living with MS Former Massachusetts First Lady Ann Romney,Ā global ambassador for Boston’sĀ Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Womenās Hospital,Ā will deliver a keynote address at theĀ Biotechnology Innovation Organizationās (BIO) International Convention in San Diego. Romney, who is scheduled to speak June 21, will talkĀ about how her multiple sclerosis (MS)…
May 12, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MSAA’s Dr. Jack Burks Responds to Readers’ Questions About Ocrevus and Its Use Recently approved, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) should now be available nationwide for patients prescribed the therapy. But as with any new treatment, concerns about safety and practical issues are on many patientsā minds. Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Dr. Jack Burks ā a neurologist and researcher who servesĀ as chief…
May 12, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Loss of Spinal Cord Neurons May Not Be a Good Predictor of MS Disability, British Study Finds Loss of spinal cord neurons may not be a reliable tool to predict disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), contrary to what was originally thought, according toĀ researchers at Queen Mary University of London. Their study, āAxonal loss in the multiple sclerosis spinal cord revisited,ā appeared in the journal…
May 11, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National Multiple Sclerosis Society Commits to $17 Million for 43 Research Projects The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ is pumping $17 million intoĀ 43 research projectsĀ that represent almost half of its $40-million research funding commitment in 2017. Among the projectsĀ are trials evaluating intermittent fasting as a way to harness inflammation and stem cell research. A growing number of studies indicate thatĀ stem cells can slow…
May 11, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD NMSS, British Partners to Launch Phase 3 Trial to Determine Efficacy of Simvastatin in SPMS Patients The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ (NMSS), together with its British partners, plans to launchĀ a Phase 3 trial in the next few months to investigate whether simvastatin ā a cheap drug that controls cholesterol levels ā may be a suitable treatment for people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The trial,…
May 10, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Increased Risk of Autoimmune Diseases Linked to Malaria-resisting Gene Variation A variation in a gene that likely promoted resistance to malaria in Sardinia may have increased the risk of people there developing autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study, āOverexpression of the Cytokine BAFF and Autoimmunity Risk,ā was published in The…
May 10, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Exposure to Sunlight During Pregnancy Has No Influence on MS Risk in Children, Polish Study Finds The risk of childrenĀ developingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life has no link to how much sunlight their mothers were exposed to during pregnancy, a Polish study found. The study, āMonth of birth and level of insolation as risk factors for multiple sclerosis in Poland,ā appeared in the journal…
May 9, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Laquinimod Fails to Meet Primary Clinical Trial Goal of Slowing Progression of RRMS LaquinimodĀ failed to meet its primary Phase 3 clinical trial objective of slowing the progression ofĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) after three months, according to its developers,Ā Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Active Biotech. That has prompted the partners to abandon their quest to use the therapy to treat RRMS. Laquinimod…
May 9, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MedDay’s New Phase 3 Trial and Belief in Biotin’s Potential to Treat Progressive MS: An Interview with Dr. FrĆ©dĆ©ric Sedel A global Phase 3 clinical trial assessingĀ MD1003 ā also known as high-dose biotin ā for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) might lead to the approval of one of the first treatmentsĀ helping selectĀ progressive patients to improve. The trial aims to prove that high-dose biotin can reverse disability in non-active progressive MS.
May 8, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Pregnant Women with Relapsing MS Can Use Copaxone Without Harming Baby, Study Indicates Babies of women with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) who receive daily injections ofĀ Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) while pregnant carry the same risk of developing birth defects as babies as a whole, according to a study by the therapy’s developer,Ā Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. The findings can help doctors counsel and treat…