September 26, 2016 News by Charles Moore StemGenex CSO Tells FDA at Hearing to Regulate Adult Stem Cell Therapies as ‘Blood Tissue Product’ In a presentation at a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) public hearing earlier this month, the chief scientific officer of StemGenex Medical Group,Ā Steven A. Brody, MD, PhD, said succinctly: “Stem cells have arrived and have captivated the scientific and medical communities. With this excitement comes responsibility and with this…
September 23, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Primary Progressive MS Patients May Soon Have Ocrevus as Treatment Results from the ORATORIO trial, exploring Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for the treatment of primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), showed that the drug stopped disease progression for more than two years in more patients than a placebo. The findings, a highlight at the European Committee for Treatment and Research…
September 23, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Progressive MS Alliance Awards $18M to 3 Research Projects into Disease Treatments, Expanded Testing The International Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Alliance, a worldwide group of MS organizations that supportĀ research efforts, has awarded three, four-year grants ā called Collaborative Network Awards, and worth $6 million each ā to speed work intoĀ potential treatments for progressive MS. Found in about 15 percent of all initially diagnosed…
September 23, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Protein Biomarker Identified for MS May Predict Disease Severity, Treatment Response A newly discovered potential biomarker of multiple sclerosis (MS) may help to distinguish between peopleĀ who will go on to have less severe disease and those in whom the disease will progress,Ā researchers at Linkƶping University in Sweden report. The biomarker’s discovery came through an investigation into the immune system of MS…
September 22, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Treatment for Relapsing MS, Ozanimod, Shows Efficacy in 2-Year Extension of Phase 2 Study Results from the extension period of aĀ Phase 2 trial,Ā assessingĀ ozanimod as a potential treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, showed that the drug can effectively and safely improve clinical measures of RRMS after two years of treatment. The announcement was made by Celgene International SĆ rl, a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation,…
September 22, 2016 News by Ćzge Ćzkaya, PhD Single Treatment Protects Myelin and Reverses Paralysis in MS Study in Mice Researchers showed that it could be possible to treat and cure inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) by injecting a single dose of biodegradable polymer particles containing myelin self-antigen into the lymph nodes.
September 22, 2016 News by Charles Moore Information on Clinical Trials to Be More Complete and Accessible Under New HHS Rules The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recentlyĀ announced policy changes designed to make information about clinical trials of investigational drugs, biologics and products more widelyĀ available to the public, issuing amended rulesĀ that specify the requirements for registering clinical trials and for submitting summary results to itsĀ ClinicalTrials.govĀ website. The…
September 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Novartis’s Siponimod Appears to Slow SPMS Progression in Phase 3 Study AĀ presentation at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2016 Congress gave patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) a reason for optimism, as Novartis reported that siponimod (BAF312) reduced the risk of disability progression in a Phase 3 study of patients with secondary progressive (SP) MS.
September 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – 2 Rounds of Lemtrada Seen to Effectively Treat MS Relapses for Years Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) as a first treatment option for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients reduced relapse rates and disability progression throughout a study period of six years ā although most patients received treatment only in the first two years. The study showed that Lemtrada has the potential to harness disease activity…
September 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Few Serious Autoimmune Reactions to Lemtrada Treatment Seen in 3 MS Clinical Trials Autoimmune side effects during five years of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) treatment were generally not serious and mainly affected the thyroid, according to an analysis of patients in three large, Phase 3 clinical trials of the therapy. The data were presented at the Free Communications 1 session of the European Committee…
September 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – MS Patients on Oral Gilenya Stick Longer with Treatment in Phase 4 Study A recent study showed that after one year, the majority of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients taking oral Gilenya (fingolimod) therapy stuck with their treatment, while a large proportion of thoseĀ usingĀ injectable disease-modifying drugs did not. The data, presented at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2016…
September 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD REAL MS Inviting Patients to Join Research Project Aiming to Promote More Personalized Care Accelerated Cure ProjectĀ is still recruiting forĀ itsĀ iConquerMSĀ project, REAL MS, an alreadyĀ 3,000-strong patient-powered research network for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). REAL MS (ResearchĀ EngagementĀ AboutĀ Life withĀ MultipleĀ Sclerosis)Ā isĀ a longitudinal research study, designed partly by MS patients themselves, intending to answer critical questions about individualĀ experiences of livingĀ with MS from among a large and heterogeneous group…
September 20, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Gilenya Study Shows Long-term Benefits for MS Patients NovartisĀ recently announced positive results from the ACROSS study, which is assessing the clinical effect of Gilenya (fingolimod) in 10-year disability outcomes in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The results were presented at theĀ European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple SclerosisĀ (ECTRIMS) Sept. 14-17 in London. The ACROSS study…
September 20, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – GeNeuro Reaches Enrollment Halfway Mark in Study of GNbAC1 to Treat Multiple Sclerosis GeNeuroĀ announced that it has reached ā more quickly than expected ā the halfway mark for patient enrollment inĀ itsĀ Phase 2b study, CHANGE-MS,Ā assessingĀ GNbAC1 as a therapy forĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Patient recruitmentĀ is continuing at sites across Europe. The company alsoĀ reported onĀ theĀ trial’s design in a poster presentation, “A placebo…
September 20, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – MS Patients Achieve Sustained Improvements in Mobility with Ampyra A recent study showed that the clinical benefits offered by Ampyra (fampridine) in improving mobility among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients hasĀ clinical significance. The results were shown in an oral presentation, āSustained clinically meaningful improvements in walking ability with prolonged-release fampridine: results from the placebo-controlled ENHANCE study,ā atĀ the European Committee for…
September 20, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Lemtrada and Tysabri Seen as Most Effective Therapies for MS in 5-Year Study A five-year study comparing theĀ efficacy of different treatments for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) foundĀ that, in general, Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Tysabri (natalizumab) are more effective asĀ therapies than Gilenya (fingolimod) and interferon Ī². StudyĀ results were presentedĀ in an oral presentation, āComparison of 5-year treatment outcomes between alemtuzumab versus natalizumab, fingolimod and interferon Ī²-1a,ā…
September 20, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Higher Risk of MS for Women in Finland In a large nationwide study in Finland, researchers found evidence supporting the link between vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) inĀ women. The results were givenĀ in an oral presentation, āSerum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and risk of multiple sclerosis among women in the Finnish Maternity Cohort,ā…
September 20, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Sanofi Releases Patients’ Views of Aubagio as Effective Treatment for Relapsing MS Sanofi GenzymeĀ presented positive results from itsĀ Phase 4 study into patient-reported assessments ofĀ Aubagio (teriflunomide), an approved oral treatmentĀ for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). Real-world patient responses were reported at the 32ndĀ Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), recentlyĀ held in London. The clinical…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – MS Patients May Be at Lower Risk for Other Illnesses, Danish Study Suggests Preliminary results of a study in Danish patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) suggest that inverse comorbidity may exist in the MSĀ population, lowering patients’Ā risk for other types of diseases. The results were givenĀ in an oral presentation, āInverse comorbidity in multiple sclerosis. Findings in a complete nationwide cohort,ā atĀ theĀ 32nd Congress of theĀ European…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Antioxidant Lipoic Acid Appears to Slow SPMS Patients’ Neurodegeneration A pilot study exploring the antioxidant lipoic acid in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) demonstrated that treatment for two years reduced the speed of brain tissue loss and improved the patients’ walking speed. The surprising finding was presented during the āNew directions in progressive MS researchā…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Data on Merck Treatment for Relapsing MS, Cladribine Tablets, Show Long-Term Benefit MerckĀ recently presented new efficacy data from itsĀ three Phase 3 clinical trials, showing that a relatively short course of treatment withĀ Cladribine tabletsĀ led to long-term reductions in annualized relapse rate (ARR) in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). The data were givenĀ in two oral presentationĀ at the 32nd Congress of the…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Treatment of Progressive MS May Have Delayed Result There might be years-long lags in response to disease-modifying drugs in patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study that analyzed data from two large clinical trials of progressive MS patients. The study fuels the idea that clinical trials of disease-modifying drugs for progressive MS need…
September 19, 2016 Columns by admin MS Columnist’s Picks of the Week: ECTRIMS, Biomarkers, Cannabis, Migraine, Research Award Hereās my Pick of the Weekās News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. #ECTRIMS2016 was undoubtedly the star of the week ECTRIMS, the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, dominated the news stories of the week when it held its 32nd congress in London. There…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Poor Medication Adherence in Pediatric MS Patients Linked to Fatigue, Lack of Routine Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) inĀ North America identified a number ofĀ challenges inĀ adhering to disease-modifying therapies ā a potential first step to devising Ā therapeutic approaches that mightĀ improve adherence to MS medications among young patients and, subsequently, disease outcomes in these children. The results were presented in the talk, āMedication adherence in…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Brain MRI Scans Can Predict Which Patients Will Progress into SPMS The presence of certain brain and spinal cord lesions can be used to predict if an MS patient with clinically isolated syndrome will progress into relapsing or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) within 15 years. Researchers agree that knowing which patients who will rapidly deteriorate will help physicians tailor both…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Biogen and AbbVie Present New Positive Data on Zinbryta to Treat Relapsing MS BiogenĀ andĀ AbbVieĀ presented positive new post-hoc analysis from the pivotal DECIDE clinical trial, whichĀ showed that a significantly larger number of relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) patients treated with Zinbryta (daclizumab) hadĀ no evidence of disease activity (NEDA)Ā compared to thoseĀ treated with Avonex (interferon beta-1a).Ā The data wereĀ given at the recentĀ 32nd Congress of the European…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Vitamin D3 Oil Supplements May Benefit MS Patients in Early Disease Stages Patients with relapsing-remittingĀ multiple sclerosis (RRMS) might benefit from cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)Ā oil as an add-on therapy in the early phases of the disease. This findingĀ was presented in an oral presentation, āHigh dose cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) oil as add-on therapy in subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis receiving subcutaneous interferon Ī²-1a,ā given atĀ theĀ 32nd…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Modeling Approach Able to Identify Likely Disease Trajectory in Progressive MS Patients Long-term observationsĀ together withĀ mathematicalĀ modelingĀ present a wayĀ of predicting the likelyĀ disability trajectory of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The approachĀ was outlinedĀ in a presentation, titled āLong-term disability trajectories in primary progressive MS patients – a latent class growth analysis,ā given atĀ theĀ 32nd Congress of theĀ European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple SclerosisĀ (ECTRIMS), held in London…
September 16, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Stem Cell Transplantation Shows High Efficiency A high fraction of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who underwent a transplant with their own bone marrow stem cells after immunosupression therapy, show no signs of disease activity after treatment, according to a new study. The results were presented inĀ a talk, āClinical experience in aggressive multiple sclerosis treatment with…
September 16, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Researchers Disagree on Feasibility of MS Bone Marrow Transplants On the second day of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2016 CongressĀ Sept. 14-17 in London, researchers shared their views on bone marrow transplants for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The debate, āBone marrow transplantation is a justifiable treatment for active relapsing…