June 6, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Fatigue in MS Might Be Handled with Interactive Self-Management Resource Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients using an interactive, self-guided fatigue management resource, developed by researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada, reported lower fatigue and improved cognition after three months, showing that fatigue self-management tools can contribute to the treatment of this common MS symptom. The pilot study, ā…
June 6, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Study Aims to Improve MS Care by Considering Patients’ Perspectives One of the highlights at the āComprehensive Care in MS and Symptom Managementā session of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual Meeting, was an attempt to address the exclusion of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) from the design and delivery of healthcare aimed at this…
June 6, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #CMSC16 – Sexual Dysfunction in Hispanic MS Patients Exists with Other Issues, Study Shows Sexual dysfunction correlates with depression and bladder dysfunction in Hispanic patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to the results of a recent study presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). The study, āSexual Dysfunction and Its Correlation to Depression and Bladder Dysfunction in…
June 6, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – New Screening Tool for Swallowing Difficulties in MS Evaluated Identifying multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who suffer from dysphagia — swallowing difficulties — early on allows the prevention of aspiration pneumonia, a leading cause of death in MS. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas developed a screening tool to detect dysphagia and presented encouraging preliminary data on…
June 6, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Novel Model of Home Care for Patients with Progressive MS Proven Beneficial, Increased Patients’ Satisfaction A new model of care implemented to address the needs of patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and their caregivers has provenĀ beneficial by reducing hospital stays, avoiding major care expenses, and improving patients’ satisfaction. The model has been tested in MS patients with high disability scores, and preliminary results of…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Interview with Bayer’s VP and General Manager on Betaconnect/Betaseron and Customized Therapy Global pharmaĀ Bayer HealthcareĀ aims toĀ improve human health by diagnosing, preventing, and treating a variety of diseases. The company currently provides products for general medicine, hematology, neurology, oncology, and women’s healthcare. In 1993, Bayer’s BetaseronĀ (interferon beta-1b) became the first disease-modifying drugĀ to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Ā for…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Home Evaluation Prototype to Improve At-home Rehabilitation After Hospitalization Researchers at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta areĀ developing a prototype that addresses physical and cognitive parameters, daily routines, and homes of patients to better implement rehabilitation within the home environment. The study wasĀ presented in “Functional Home Evaluation: Missing Pieces in Treatment and Transition Processes” during the Consortium…
June 3, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Study of PPMS Patient Characteristics Highlights Need for More Information PeopleĀ with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS)Ā are usually older and more disabled than thoseĀ withĀ relapsing-remitting MS, researchers atĀ Washington UniversityĀ reported. The team is studying demographic and clinical characteristics of PPMS patients enrolled in theĀ NARCOMSĀ registry, to better understand their unmet needs and possibly improve research into potential treatments. The study, ā…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Visual Assessment May Provide Information on Cognitive Function in MS Patients Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that visual function in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients correlates with cognitive function ands suggests that disease severity and outcomes of neuroprotective therapies in MS patients may be assessed through visual function measurements. The findings were recently presentedĀ in the oral presentation “…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Susan Bennett On the Importance of Exercise for MS Patients Susan E. Bennett, a specialist in multiple sclerosis (MS) rehabilitation, reinforced the importance of exercise for MS patients to improve quality of life, during the June 1-4Ā Ā 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), in National Harbor, Md. “Everybody should be exercising. If you have MS it…
June 3, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Online Atlas Links Cell Characteristics to Genes for Stem Cell Research The use of induced pluripotent stem cells to create disease-specific neurons and oligodendrocytes for the study of multiple sclerosis (MS) is hampered by the huge variability of features such cells possess. To getĀ around this problem, researchers from Ohio State University created an atlas of how cell characteristics are linked…
June 3, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Stem Cell Therapy in MS: Exclusive Interview with Dr. Mark Freedman On June 2, a symposium titled “Cell-based therapies in MS” was presented at theĀ 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). One of the speakers was Dr.Ā Mark S. Freedman, professor of medicine (neurology) at the University of OttawaĀ inĀ Canada, who discussed the use of stem…
June 3, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – MS Patients Sleep Quality Improved with Exercise, Researchers Say Exercise might improve sleep quality in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 annual meeting, June 1 – 4,Ā at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. The study, āThe Impact of…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Sleep Quality in MS Patients Reported to Impact Memory, Perception, Functional Abilities Poor sleep quality may be associated with impaired memory and decreased functional abilities in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to the study “Impact of Sleep Quality on Cognitive and Physical Function in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.”Ā The study was presented during the Whitaker Research Track Session II at the…
June 3, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Connections Between Brain Hemispheres in MS Improved with Ampyra (Dalfampridine) While most multiple sclerosis (MS) researchers focus on the autoimmune and inflammatory processes of the disease, researchers at the Mind Research NetworkĀ (MRN) believe that improving axonal function might contribute to better MS outcomes. Using Ampyra (dalfampridine), they thoroughly analyzed the function of nerve axon connections between the two brain…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Treadmill Walking Improves Cognitive Processing in MS Patients Treadmill walking exercise training is beneficial for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, increasing not only their cardiorespiratory fitness, but also their cognitive processing speed, according to the study “Systematically Developed Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Exercise and Cognition in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis,” recently presented at theĀ Consortium of Multiple…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Robot-assisted Rehabilitation May Improve MS Patient Locomotor Function Robot-assisted training may be anĀ effective therapy to improve motor function in the lower limbs of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and help in rehabilitation, according to the study “Robot-Guided Rehabilitation Improves Sensorimotor Functions in Lower-Limb Impairments of Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis,” presented at theĀ Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Medical Affairs VP at EMD Serono Discusses MS Drug Rebif, MS LifeLines Support in Exclusive Interview EMD Serono,Ā the U.S. and Canadian subsidiary and biopharmaceutical business of Merck KGaA,Ā focuses exclusively on specialty care. With expertise inĀ fertility, endocrinology, oncology and neurology, the company is featuring several innovative products with therapeutic potential in the oncology, immuno-oncology, and immunology fields. Rebif (interferon beta-1a), EMD Serono’s therapyĀ for patients withĀ relapsing…
June 2, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Lifestyle Factors and Unconventional Medicine in MS Care A symposium focused on lifestyle factors and unconventional medicine as part of the clinical care provided to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) took placeĀ today at theĀ 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). The symposium, “Expanding the MS Toolkit: Integrating Lifestyle Factors and Unconventional Medicine…
June 2, 2016 News by Ćzge Ćzkaya, PhD MS Drug Tysabri (Natalizumab) Gets Positive Opinion from European Medicines Agency Biogen, announced that TYSABRI, a drug developed to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has received a positive opinion from the European Medicine Agency (EMA) recommending its approval to be used in people with elapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
June 1, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – MS Expert Fred Lublin Discusses Relevance of MS Relapses Dr. Fred Lublin,Ā a renowned multiple sclerosis (MS) expert atĀ Mount Sinai Medical Center, helped launch theĀ Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual Meeting,Ā June 1 – 4, in National Harbor, Md. with the John F. Kurtzke Memorial Lecture he titledĀ āDo Relapses Really Matter?ā āHow relapses influence disease worsening,…
June 1, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Patricia Coyle, an MS Expert, Talks About Vitamin D, Fatigue and Other Key Issues TheĀ Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual MeetingĀ began today, June 1. Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ isĀ providing extensive on-site coverage of the meeting, reporting on presentations, and conducting exclusive interviews with top researchers in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS) and with biopharmaceutical representatives on the latest advances in MS therapies.
June 1, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Research Australia Supporting Effort to Harness Anti-inflammatory Potential of Parasitic Worms Researchers at theĀ University of Technology Sydney (UTS) ithree instituteĀ are takingĀ a novel approachĀ in an attempt toĀ halt disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). The scientists are planning to explore the anti-inflammatory potential of a controlled infection by parasitic worms as a way of preventing the harmful over-inflammation observed in MS and…
June 1, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Variants of Gene Linked to MS, ANKRD55, Found in Immune Cells Associated with Disease Researchers detected theĀ expression of the gene ANKRD55Ā in immune cells, a gene thatĀ has been previously linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) in mice models of the disease. The results suggest a potential role of ANKRD55 in MS pathogenesis. The study,Ā āNovel Insights into the Multiple Sclerosis Risk Gene ANKRD55,ā…
May 31, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Multiple Sclerosis treatment Zinbryta (Daclizumab) Approved by FDA Zinbryta (daclizumab) was approved May 27 for the treatment of adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared Biogenās new long-acting injection as a patient self-administered monthly therapy. The director of Neurology Products at the U.S. FDAās Center for Drug Evaluation…
May 31, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MedDay Presents Phase 3 Extension Data on Potential Drug to Treat Progressive MS Data from an extension phase of aĀ Phase 3 clinical trial, given in an oral presentation by MedDay, reportedĀ that the biotinĀ Ā MD1003 showedĀ effectiveness over time as a possibleĀ treatment of non-active, progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The dataĀ were presented atĀ the recentĀ 2nd Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) in DenmarkĀ byĀ ProfessorĀ Ayman Tourbah,…
May 30, 2016 News by Charles Moore #CMSC16 — Multiple Sclerosis News Today to Provide Extensive On-Site Coverage of Annual Meeting Multiple Sclerosis News Today will provide extended on-site coverage of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual MeetingĀ June 1-4 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, across the harbor from the nation’s capital. Our news team will be posting feature articles on presentations…
May 27, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Report Highlights Series of Changes Needed from Canadian Employers and Government to Improve MS Patients’ Lives A new report by the Conference Board of CanadaāsĀ Canadian Alliance for Sustainable Health Care (CASHC)Ā notesĀ that employers and the Canadian government are not giving enough support towardsĀ increasing workforce participation among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), despite the clear benefits such support would mean to not only the well-being of individuals…
May 27, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD R-Pharm Group To Launch Glatirat, an Analogue of Copaxone for MS Treatment The Russian Ministry of HealthĀ recently granted Marketing Authorization (ŠŠ-003567) to R-Pharm JSC for the development of Ā āGlatiratā (Glatiramer acetate), a drug intended for the treatment of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and clinically isolated syndrome. According to a press release, the registration of āGlatiratā was based…
May 26, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Sanofi Genzyme Launches vs.MS Global Campaign to Raise Awareness on MS’ Physical and Emotional Burden Sanofi GenzymeĀ recently launched vs.MS, a global initiative to raise awareness of the often unspoken physical and emotional burden of relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) on people living with the disease and their care partners. OnĀ World MS DayĀ yesterday, the company called onĀ the MS community to learn more about the…