News

Sanofi and ImmuNext have announced an agreement to develop an antibody with the potential to treat a series of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and lupus. Under the terms of the agreement, ImmuNext will give Sanofi an exclusive, worldwide license to develop and commercialize INX-021, a CD40L…

Australia has granted a patent to RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals for an active ingredient in a therapy that could benefit multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The patent is for Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4), the driving force in the company’s RGN-352 treatment. RGN-352 promotes myelination, or the production of protective myelin sheaths for damaged neurons and other nerve…

The effect air and noise pollution can have on the development of neurodegenerative diseases is not fully understood, but results from a large study published in The Lancet suggest living close to heavy-traffic roadways could increase the risk of developing dementia — but not other neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS)…

Early data from TG Therapeutics’ Phase 2 trial of its B-cell-targeting experimental multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment ublituximab (TG-1101), showed that the drug is well-tolerated and effectively reduces B-cells in the blood. MS therapies that deplete B-cells have been effective in relapsing and progressive forms of MS. Like other B-cell-targeting drugs in…

Repeated magnetic stimulation of the brain may help to rebuild the brain’s network in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), leading to improved working memory, researchers reported. But more studies are necessary to confirm the procedure’s safety and efficacy as a treatment for MS. Results were published in a study titled…

Researchers have identified two factors that allow Th17 cells —  which drive multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune conditions — to form memory cells in the body and cause repeated symptom flare-ups. Knowing the identity of the molecules, which are immune mediators called cytokines, will make it possible for scientists to search…

A modified Paleolithic diet reduced fatigue and increased the quality of life of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study shows. The diet may also reduce inflammation by increasing vitamin K levels, the researchers said. The study, “Randomized control trial evaluation of a modified Paleolithic dietary…

The European Commission is awarding 15 million euros to support MultipleMS, a large global project designed to develop new personalized medicine approaches for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The funds, equal to about $15.2 million, will be provided through the agency’s Horizon2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The program, the European Union’s largest research…

Cyclophosphamide (CPM) may delay the progression of disability in the first years of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), but patients must take it for two years — and many are unlikely to tolerate it for that long. The study, “Double-Blind Controlled Randomized Trial of Cyclophosphamide versus Methylprednisolone in Secondary Progressive…

Compugen has reported new and promising results from studies on animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS) that support its lead drug candidate, CGEN-15001, as a potential treatment for a variety of autoimmune diseases, including MS. Specifically, CGEN-15001 was shown to restore immune tolerance and balance in a durable and sustained manner in treated…

Researchers have found a microbial protein from the Haemophilus influenza pathogen that is recognized by antibodies in a subpopulation of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The finding supports the idea of a link between microbial infections and neurodegenerative diseases like MS, whose causes are uncertain. Haemophilus influenza is an opportunistic pathogen…

GeNeuro recently announced that it has finished enrolling multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the CHANGE-MS Phase 2b  study — several months ahead of schedule. The company now expects to report topline results in mid- to late autumn rather than at year’s end. “Completing enrollment in CHANGE-MS several months sooner than previously anticipated…

Healthcare providers frequently assess multiple sclerosis (MS) patients for the development of other health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, pain and sleep disturbance, according to results of a survey-study. The study also includes information about how health professionals treat and counsel MS patients diagnosed with these conditions. The study, “…

A number of important discoveries, therapeutic developments, and events related to multiple sclerosis (MS) were reported daily by Multiple Sclerosis News Today throughout 2016. Now that the year is over, it is time to briefly review the articles that appealed most to our readers. Here are the top 10 most-read articles of 2016, with…

Lack of physical activity and a poor diet may be the most common risk factors for poor health and survival in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. The research, “Individual And Co-Occurring SNAP Risk Factors,” was published in the International Journal of MS Care. The development…

Recently published data from three Phase 3 trials of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) show that the investigational drug does what no other therapy has achieved so far — working to prevent disease in both relapsing and primary progressive (PP) forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Publications in the New England Journal…

Ibudilast (MN-166) has shown enough promise as a treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) that its U.S. Phase 2b trial (NCT01982942) should continue, the U.S. National Institute of Health’s Data and Safety Monitoring Board has recommended. A key goal of the 96-week trial is to determine whether ibudilast can slow the…

President Obama’s signing of the 21st Century Cures Act on Dec. 13 is expected to bring real change to those living with multiple sclerosis (MS). The legislation will lead to better research and clinical trials. It also puts increased weight on the role patients play in developing treatments for their…

The 21st Century Cures Act, recently signed into law by President Barack Obama, includes provisions that aim to speed up the process by which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews stem cell treatments for patients with degenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease. This act also…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently extended until the end of March its review of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Ocrevus (ocrelizumab). The application was submitted by Roche, requesting FDA approval for Ocrevus as a treatment for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and — for a first…

Genentech is recruiting U.S. participants for a Phase 3 study (NCT02637856) of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who were not helped by previous disease-modifying therapies, according to a press release from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The trial is an open-label study, meaning…

The discovery of a new type of immune cell in the membranes covering the brain is likely to advance understanding of the immune system’s impact on the brain, a study says. It could also lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers knew the immune…

Ari Waisman, a multiple sclerosis (MS) researcher credited with having made major contributions to “the successful development of modern anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory therapies,” was recently honored by the Sobek Foundation. The author of over 170 scientific articles on MS, Waisman is the director of the Institute for Molecular Medicine at the University Medical Center…

Researchers, using camels as an inspiration, have finally developed antibodies against a group of proteins known as metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are involved in the pathology of diseases that include multiple sclerosis (MS) and cancer. Results on this work, long a goal of scientists, were published in the journal PNAS, under…

Nine research teams at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech will be awarded grants totaling $550,000 for studies addressing issues related to brain development and brain function in health and disease. Among the university-funded projects receiving between $50,000 and $70,000 each is research into potential new treatments for multiple sclerosis. “We are planting seeds that…

Scientists at the University of Buffalo have identified a critical step in the process of nerve myelination after birth, a discovery that holds promise for the development of more effective therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). The research involved the study of voltage-operated calcium channels, which initiate many physiological…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted Bayer’s filing of a supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for two products designed to improve the lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS): myBETAapp and the BETACONNECT Navigator. Bayer created the BETACONNECT system to increase patient treatment compliance and improve…

Hemoglobin leaking from injured red blood cells may be associated with brain atrophy in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), according to researchers at the Imperial College London, U.K. The study, “Free Serum Haemoglobin Is Associated With Brain Atrophy In Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis,” was published in the journal Wellcome…

Certain contrast agents used during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may accumulate in specific brain areas and contribute to disease duration and severity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. The study, “Gadopentetate But Not Gadobutrol Accumulates In The…

Promising data from a small Phase 2a clinical trial sponsored by RedHill Biopharma for an antibiotic designed to fight certain infections suggests that adding the drug candidate to interferon treatment reduced relapse rates and brain lesion formation in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). This novel treatment approach was based on…