News

University to Use New Balance and Mobility Trainer for Therapy, Research

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) recently installed a state-of-the-art SafeGait 360 Balance and Mobility Trainer on its Austin, Texas campus. The device is a ceiling-mounted body-weight support and fall protection system that tracks patient movements 2,500 times per second. The trainer was designed in collaboration with…

Celgene Partners with Abide to Bring Cannabis-like Treatment for MS into Further Clinical Tests

Abide Therapeutics announced that Celgene has opted to obtain the rights, outside of the United States, to ABX-1431, Abide’s endocannabinoid system modulator being developed to treat neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), by reproducing within the body the physical benefits (minus the psychotropic effects) of cannabis. ABX-1431 is an…

Tysabri May Be More Effective Than Gilenya at Reducing Disease Activity in MS Patients, Study Says

An indirect comparison of results from randomized clinical trials in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients suggests that Tysabri (natalizumab) is more effective than Gilenya (fingolimod) at reducing disease activity. The study, “The Efficacy of Natalizumab versus Fingolimod for Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review, Indirect…

PathMaker Wins Innovation Prize for Neurotherapies to Treat Spasticity, Muscle Weakness

PathMaker Neurosystems is the winner of the Universal Biotech Innovation Prize 2016 for its innovative, non-invasive neurotherapy technologies to treat conditions linked to neural pathway disruption, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The selection was announced at Innovation Days, an international event honoring the best in the life sciences and held in Paris on Oct. 3–4. Launched in 2009 by a…

MS Trust to Oppose NICE Plan to Reject Zinbryta as MS Therapy in Health System for England, Wales

The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Trust is expressing its disappointment at the recent committee decision of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to not recommend Zinbryta (daclizumab) be made available as a therapy to MS patients using the public health system in England and Wales. NICE’s preliminary recommendation was based on a review of…

Lifelong Exercise Doesn’t Lower the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis, Large Study in Women Reports

In a large prospective study with validated measures of physical activity, researchers found no evidence that exercise reduced a woman’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Although physical activity is known to have numerous health benefits, it seems unlikely to protect a person against the likelihood of developing MS, the study concludes. The study, published…

Phase 3 Study to Test Oral Combination, Tecfidera and Ponesimod, to Treat Relapsing MS

Actelion announced that it will investigate the therapeutic potential of a new, oral combination therapy with ponesimod and Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) as a treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). The Phase 3 clinical study, being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), aims to find…

Instability of Myelin Membranes May Be True Trigger of MS, Study Reports

In multiple sclerosis (MS), scientists have long believed that the body’s own immune system attacked myelin sheaths, the “insulating tape” that surrounds neurons, causing the disease. But researchers at Tel Aviv University are challenging that view, in a study reporting that MS may in fact be triggered by an instability inherent in the myelin membranes. The…

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 support research efforts, has awarded three, four-year grants — called Collaborative Network Awards, and worth $6 million each — to speed work into potential treatments for progressive MS. Found in about 15 percent of all initially diagnosed…

#ECTRIMS2016 – Treatment for Relapsing MS, Ozanimod, Shows Efficacy in 2-Year Extension of Phase 2 Study

Results from the extension period of a Phase 2 trial, assessing 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 Sàrl, a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation,…

Information on Clinical Trials to Be More Complete and Accessible Under New HHS Rules

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced policy changes designed to make information about clinical trials of investigational drugs, biologics and products more widely available to the public, issuing amended rules that specify the requirements for registering clinical trials and for submitting summary results to its ClinicalTrials.gov website. The…