News

Dr. Rebecca Coll, a young researcher at the University of Queensland Institute of Molecular Bioscience, won the 2016 Research Australia Discovery Award for her work in identifying promising anti-inflammatory compounds that are able to block the NLRP3 inflammasome — a key driver of inflammation. The discovery could greatly benefit patients with inflammatory diseases,…

The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has launched a new website to make access to information and services easier, and a newly designed MS Focus magazine. MS Focus magazine is the foundation’s publication dedicated to common challenges, solutions, and stories of the…

Magenta Therapeutics has completed its first round of financing, raising $48.5 million to develop ways of bringing bone marrow stem cell transplants to more patients with autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), among other illnesses. The new company aims to develop the first complete platform that can overcome the challenges in stem cell transplants,…

Discovery MS, a nonprofit research initiative based at the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI) in North Carolina, had its official launch recently, and announced a series of research projects into multiple sclerosis (MS). The initiative uses private funding to advance research aiming to develop new prognostic and diagnostic tools for MS.

AXIM Biotechnologies announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be issuing a patent covering all cannabinoids — both natural and synthetic —  used in a chewing gum delivery system that may be included in its cannabinoid-containing, controlled-release chewing gum products. The USPTO has given the company a Notice of…

BAS Research, recently granted California’s first medicinal marijuana manufacturing and research license, is teaming with Montel Williams’ LenitivLabs startup to begin developing, producing and marketing medical-grade cannabis products. BAS’ goal is to replace the social stigma associated with cannabis by creating medical marijuana products with standardized dosing and proven efficacy. Its products are aimed at…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPa0bMG3zac In this film from MS Get Involved, Kerrie Newton talks about her exercise regimen and how important it is to her. She explains that exercising each day allows her to be able to stand for short periods and how it makes her feel better emotionally and helps with…

Quanterix and UmanDiagnostics are working to advance an assay capable of detecting neuron damage in a blood sample — a tool that could aid in the early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative conditions. The collaboration brings Quanterix’ Simoa technology together with Uman’s antibodies against neurofilament light (Nf-L) — a…

In a cross-sectional study, researchers found that sexual dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is linked to fatigue and depression. Treating these factors and identifying their causes is a potential strategy to treat the problem. The study, “Sexual function in multiple sclerosis and associations with demographic, disease…

Voters in four U.S. states on Nov. 8 chose to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, and those in three other states approved the medicinal use of cannabis — all gains for pharmaceutical and other companies designing cannabis-based therapies for people with long-term chronic ills whose symptoms might be helped with these…

Researchers have discovered that glial cells can also participate in pain sensation and enhance it in several disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “Gliogenic LTP spreads widely in nociceptive pathways,” was published in the journal Science. Our sensation of pain is processed in the brain…

Advances in brain imaging are making it possible to visualize early and ongoing events in multiple sclerosis (MS) — beginning with the first signs of inflammation caused by immune cells entering the brain. Should the new technique become available to physicians, it likely will not only allow for more precise diagnoses, but…

Chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) not only impact patients, they also inspire fear among healthy people who may be at risk of the disease. In a new study, researchers found that the availability of multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies provides “peace of mind” value to currently healthy individuals, particularly when…

In general, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) choose their disease-modifying drug (DMD) treatment based on considerations of effectiveness and potential side effects. But the weight they assign to these considerations can differ widely, making it important they are part of treatment decisions, especially regarding DMDs. These findings are in the report, “Identification and…

Despite recent studies showing that treatment with Ampyra (Fampyra in Europe; fampridine) improves both walking speed and ability, and offers psychological benefits to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) recently decided to not recommend the drug for use on the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland.

People with late-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to more rapidly rise in disability scores than younger patients with early onset MS, according to study in MS patients in Kuwait that compared their scores during follow-up consultations. Typically, the first symptoms of  multiple sclerosis occur between the ages of 18 and 40, with…

Researchers in Russia found for a first time an association between variants in GAL, a gene that codes for the galanin protein, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Importantly, they also found that this association is sex specific. The study, “Single-nucleotide polymorphism rs948854 in human galanin gene and multiple sclerosis: a…

B-Temia announced the launch of its “b-Klinic Mobility” business unit, offering clinical services, information, training, and ongoing support to patients and healthcare professionals who use the company’s Keeogo walking assistive device. Keeogo is B-Temia’s first product in the class of dermoskeletons, designed to assist persons with mobility-related challenges that limit…

The British government announced on Oct. 31 that a new Personal Support Package will be available for people with health disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), ensuring they receive personalized health and employment support. A Green Paper – a government document for consultation – is available online to open…

In multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who do not respond to interferon-beta treatment, autoimmunity may depend on processes that differ from patients helped by this treatment— a finding that could lead both to better therapies and tests that predict a patient’s likely response. The study, “An interferon-β-resistant and NLRP3…

Researchers at McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Canada developed a new tool to diagnose cachexia — also called wasting syndrome. It’s characterized by weight loss, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness, and a significant loss of appetite in someone who is not trying to lose weight, mainly in cancer patients. The tool may also…

A cost-effectiveness analysis of reimbursement recommendations for four relatively new multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments made by agencies in four countries — Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the U.K. — found overwhelming support (88 percent) for either full or restricted reimbursement for each therapy. The analysis, performed by the Decision Resources Group, is…

Medical Marijuana announced that Axim Biotechnologies, a cannabinoid-based product developer in which it owns a strategic interest, has released a product pipeline chart highlighting development timelines for its cannabinoid-based therapeutics, including those for  multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The  chart illustrates the stage each drug is in, from preclinical testing to, eventually, applications for regulatory…

A variant in the TYK2 gene, which encodes an immune system protein, may work to protect people from autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), without overly depressing the body’s ability to fight opportunistic infections, researchers at the University of Oxford report. Their study, “Resolving TYK2 Locus Genotype-To-Phenotype Differences In Autoimmunity,” was published…

A large international research effort concluded that the geographical area where a person lives affects how early they will start showing symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and that people living in the more northern regions having the earliest disease onset. The age at which a person fell ill also was…

Dr. Daniel Reich, a researcher with the National Institutes of Health (NIH),  has been recognized for his pioneering work on brain imaging to advance both the treatment of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and scientific understanding of the disease. Reich, a neurologist, neuro-radiologist and neuroscientist, was awarded the 2016 Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS…

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), a humanized monoclonal antibody, is able to remodel the immune responses of innate immune cells in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a recent study. This previously unreported phenotype may contribute to the benefits of the drug for RRMS patients. The study, “Alemtuzumab…

Immunization with molecules present specifically in myelin may be a new approach to treating multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study that found that the mouse version of such molecules could stop ongoing disease processes in an MS mouse model. The study, “Targeting Non-classical Myelin Epitopes to Treat…

AXIM Biotech has closed on a private funding round that will enable it to continue clinical trials for a variety of conditions, including its pharmaceutical candidate MedChew Rx, a patented cannabinoid release chewing gum for treating pain and spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS). According to a press release from SECFilings.com,…

Results from a Phase 2 clinical trial showed that treatment with Ampyra (prolonged-release fampridine) brought both physical and psychological benefits to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). These findings, from the MOBILE study (NCT01597297), were published under the title, “Prolonged-Release Fampridine Treatment Improved Subject-Reported Impact Of Multiple Sclerosis: Item-Level Analysis Of The…