April 25, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Real-world Data of Gilenya Treatment Validates Slowed Brain Shrinkage as Disease Progression Measure A real-world study of Gilenya (fingolimod) in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) confirms benefits of the treatment seen in clinical trials. The Novartis-sponsored study also demonstrated that measures of brain shrinkage can be used in a clinical setting to evaluate disease progression. The data, presented at theĀ American Academy of…
April 24, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD ATA188, Which Kills B-Cells Targeting Epstein-Barr Virus, Shows Promise as MS Treatment An investigational treatmentĀ called ATA188 that wipes out B-cells targeting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has shown promise as a multiple sclerosis treatment, a Phase 1 clinical trial involving a small patient group indicates. The trial, conducted in Australia, covered six people with primary or secondary progressive MS. B-cells are a…
April 24, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc Glove with Sensors Measures Spasticity More Accurately than Physicians A Ā multidisciplinary team at the University of California at San Diego has come up with a computerized glove used as a sensor to measure spasticity, or stiffness, in the limbs of patients with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and stroke. The system is more accurate than physiciansā assessments of spasticity…
April 21, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Decisions to Stop Taking Tysabri for MS Are Often Subjective, Study Concludes Many decisions to stop taking the multiple sclerosis treatmentĀ Tysabri (natalizumab)Ā appear to be based largely on subjective factors such as patients’ or physicians’ view of the risk, rather thanĀ objective assessments of the risk, a study indicates. TysabriĀ is an approved immunotherapy for active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Despite its benefits, there…
April 21, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Canadian Study of MS-Prone Family Proves that in Rare Cases, Multiple Sclerosis is Inherited A combination of mutations in two genes makes members of a Canadian family a 7-in-10 chance of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) ā a radical increase from the 1-in-1,000 risk among theĀ general population, according to a study that illustrates the huge impact certain genes can have on disease development. Interestingly, the…
April 20, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Early Use of Tecfidera and Tysabri Improves MS Patients’ Outcomes, Studies Suggest The latest results on Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and TysabriĀ (natalizumab) use in a clinical practice setting suggest that early treatment can improve outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This and other recent dataĀ on Tecfidera and Tysabri for the treatment of MS will be presented by BiogenĀ at the…
April 20, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Teva to Discuss MS and Huntington’s Therapies at Premier Neurology Conference Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will discuss two of its multiple sclerosis therapies, one that reduces relapses and one that appears to protect nerve structure, at a premier neurology conference in Boston this month. It will also give presentationsĀ at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of NeurologyĀ on therapies…
April 20, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD AAN Annual Meeting Offers First Ocrevus Data Update Since MS Therapy’s Approval by FDA New data on the recently approved multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) will be presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting 2017, which will take place April 22-28 in Boston. The meeting is the first scientific conference focusing on neurology since the U.S.
April 19, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Are Ocrevus and Rituxan Similar? Neurologists Respond to Patients’ Concerns While manyĀ multiple sclerosis patients celebrated the recent approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), others argued that the drug is largelyĀ a rebranded version ofĀ rituximab. Rituximab ā sold as Rituxan for indications like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,Ā chronic lymphocytic leukemia, andĀ rheumatoid arthritis ā is used off-label to treat relapsing MS. In online forums and social media,…
April 19, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Sanofi Genzyme to Discuss Three Multiple Sclerosis Therapies at Boston Event Sanofi GenzymeĀ will discuss three of its multiple sclerosis therapies at theĀ American Academy of Neurology annual meetingĀ in Boston, April 22-28. The presentations will cover two approved treatments for relapsing MS ā LemtradaĀ (alemtuzumab) and AubagioĀ (teriflunomide) ā and one that has been in a Phase 1 clinical…
April 18, 2017 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Norwegian Researchers Analyze MS Life Expectancy, Survival and Mortality in 60-year Longitudinal Study A 60-year longitudinal multiple sclerosis (MS) study in a Norwegian cohort analyzing life expectancy, survival and mortality concluded that MS patients live shorter lives and have higher mortality than the general population. The report, āSurvival and cause of death in multiple sclerosis: a 60-year longitudinal population study,ā…
April 18, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Realigning Upper Vertebrae Can Relieve MS Symptoms, Chiropractic Studies Suggest The Blair Chiropractic Technique may ease multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, studies indicate. The technique involves adjusting the spinal column’s upper cervical vertebrae. These bones can misalign, interfering with the neck-area connection between the brainstem and neural canal. Manipulating this area can alleviate MS symptoms in many patients, chiropractic studies have…
April 17, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Genentech, Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme Support Nationwide 2017 ‘Walk MS’ Events Genentech, NovartisĀ and Sanofi Genzyme are sponsoring this yearās Walk MS, an annualĀ event to raise funds for multiple sclerosis (MS) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). Genentech, a division of Roche, returns as an MS Walk sponsor for the second year and will promote the āMS Voiceā…
April 17, 2017 News by Kara Elam MS Patients Using RebiSmart Injection Device Stick to Treatment Schedules, Study Shows Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who used theĀ RebiSmart (Merck Serono) device to inject themselves with interferon beta-1a (INF Ī²-1a) did an excellent job of sticking to their treatment timetable without skipping treatments, according to a study. They also had a lower annual disease relapse rate and more relapse-free periods,…
April 13, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Scottish Medicines Consortium Approves Zinbryta for NHS Treatment of RRMS Patients in Scotland The United KingdomāsĀ National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)Ā last month recommendedĀ Zinbryta (daclizumab)Ā to treatĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)Ā in England and Wales. On April 10,Ā Scotland receivedĀ Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC)Ā approval for the National Health Service (NHS) to prescribe ZinbrytaĀ as a treatment for RRMS. Zinbryta is…
April 13, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 3D Laboratory Cell Growth System Should Speed Up MS Remyelination Research A physical scaffold that allows lab-grown brain cells to grow in a three-dimensional manner is giving scientists a whole new way of studying the regeneration of myelin, nerve coatings whose damage is at the heart of multiple sclerosis. The scaffold is allowing researchers to test large numbers of compounds for…
April 12, 2017 News by Charles Moore Court Ruling Against 4 Patents Protecting Ampyra May Speed Arrival of Generics A ruling by the Ā U.S. District Court for the District of DelawareĀ invalidated four of five patents held by Acorda Therapeutics that pertained toĀ Ampyra (dalfampridine), a treatment for walking difficulties in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, raising the possibility of generic forms of the drugĀ coming onto the market in a…
April 12, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Firefighter with Relapsing MS on Ocrevus: ‘I Have Really Good Days and I Have Bad Days’ Texas firefighter Wayne Donovan is amongĀ theĀ estimatedĀ 250,000 to 350,000 Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS). He enrolled in a clinical trial testing Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), which theĀ Ā U.S. Food and Drug Administration recentlyĀ approvedĀ as the first therapyĀ for both relapsing and primary progressive forms of MS. Donovan was diagnosed in 2011 at…
April 11, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Kentucky Student Whose Mom Has MS to Cycle Across US with Other Fund-raisers Caleb Taylor, a second-year University of KentuckyĀ Law School student, has chosen a challenging way to raise awareness and raise funds for multiple sclerosis, a disease that changed his family’s life forever when it struck his mother. Taylor will pedal across America as part of the Bike the US for…
April 10, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Ampyra Aided Walking in PPMS and RMS Patients Over Long Term, Neurologist Says in Interview AmpyraĀ (dalfampridine) shows long-term efficacy in improving walking ability in peopleĀ with multiple sclerosis, according to a study evaluating the treatment’s use in progressive and relapsing MS patients over two years. The study, āMonitoring long-term efficacy of fampridine in gait-impaired patients with multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the…
April 10, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Transcript of Interview on Ampyra Research, MS Walking Ability and Long-Term Use Multiple Sclerosis News Today interviewedĀ Dr. Linard Filli,āØ an MS researcher at the University Hospital ZurichĀ involved in clinical studies of prolonged release Ampyra (dalfampridine), on walking ability in MS patients,Ā and Dr. Andrew Blight, chief scientific officer at Acorda Therapeutics, the treatment’s developer. Here is a full transcript of that interview.Ā An…
April 10, 2017 News by Charles Moore Bike MS Event in Fort Worth Expected to Attract 2,000 Cyclists and Raise $1.8M for MS Research More than 2,000 bicyclists are expected to joinĀ in the 30th Annual Running of the Bike MS: Sam’s Club Round-Up Ride, set for May 6-7 in Fort Worth, Texas.Ā The two-day, 163-mile trek’s objective is to raise $1.8 millionĀ in funding forĀ people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Last year, participants pedaled 279,000 miles…
April 7, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Canada, World’s Multiple Sclerosis Capital, Launches 3-Way Collaboration to Research MS Progression Three Canadian entities ā Toronto-based Biogen CanadaĀ andĀ theĀ MS Society of Canada, and Montreal-basedĀ Brain CanadaĀ ā have jointly invitedĀ researchers to establish a multiple sclerosis (MS) progression cohort in Canada. The $7 million nationwideĀ MS Progression CohortĀ offersĀ a timely opportunity to investigate some of the biggestĀ challenges in curingĀ progressive MS, such as…
April 7, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Exposure to Antibiotics Early in Life May Increase Risk for MS and Other Inflammatory Diseases, Study Suggests The use of antibiotics in childhood, whichĀ alters the microbiome ā or natural bacteria flora in the gut ā may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory diseases, according to an Australian study. The mouse study, āEarly-life antibiotic treatment enhances the…
April 6, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD ‘Adequate and Rapid Delivery’ of Ocrevus Expected, Says Genentech Director in Interview Ocrevus (ocrelizumab),Ā now approved for both relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), is expected to become available in the coming week. While patients and neurologists are waiting, Multiple Sclerosis News Today spoke to Genentech about the treatment’s approval, future research plans, and what patients can expect in terms…
April 6, 2017 News by James Frederick, PA-C, MMSc Nektar Therapeutics Starts Phase 1 Trial of NKTR-358 for Autoimmune Diseases Nektar TherapeuticsĀ has started a Phase 1 clinical trial of its biologic therapy NKTR-358 forĀ inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. NKTR-358 is a first-in-class regulatory T-cell stimulator designed to correct the immune system dysfunction associated with these disorders. ItĀ targets regulatory T-cells, or Tregs. Other immunosuppressant therapies suppress the…
April 5, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD UCSF Neurologist Played Key Role in MS Research Turning to B-Cells, Essential Step to Ocrevus Dr. Stephen Hauser, chair of the neurology department at the University of California San Francisco, was instrumental in the early research and laterĀ clinical trials that ultimately led toĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the first therapyĀ approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Ā for bothĀ relapsing MSĀ (RMS) and primary progressive multiple sclerosis…
April 5, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD UMD Team Reverses Paralysis in MS Mouse Model Using Novel Immunotherapy Strategy Scientists at the University of MarylandĀ have developed an experimental treatment to control the immune system and recover movement in a paralyzed mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The team presented its research April 2 during theĀ 253rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical SocietyĀ in San Francisco. In…
April 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Transcript of Interview with Dr. Robert Lisak, a Neurologist and MS Expert, About Ocrevus Here is a transcript of the Multiple Sclerosis News Today interview about Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) with Dr. Robert Lisak of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). Lisak, a professor of neurology and of immunology and microbiology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, is aĀ former…
April 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ocrevus Holds Promise, But Needs to Prove Itself in ‘Long Term,’ Says Dr. Robert Lisak with CMSC Interest inĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the first FDA-approved treatment for bothĀ relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, isĀ running high among patients and the organization representing them ā as, arguably, are expectations ofĀ its use. But how do physicians involved in MS care view the newcomer? Dr. Robert Lisak (Photo courtesy…