June 16, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Views and News Hosting Events for MS Community in July MS Views and News (MSVN), aĀ non-profit organization that works to improveĀ education, advocacy and service to empower and enhance the quality of life of patients who suffer from multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), has announced it will offerĀ a series of educational eventsĀ on different topics throughout the month of July in…
June 15, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MediciNova Announces Update On Phase 2b Trial of MN-166 (Ibudilast) Involving 255 Progressive MS Patients MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring and developing novel, small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of diseases with unmet medical needs, recently announced that the ongoing clinical trial of MN-166 (ibudilast) in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (progressive MS) has finished the randomization of 255 patients, exceeding the…
June 12, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Adamas Begins Phase 2 Multiple Sclerosis Study for Patients with Walking Impairment Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing therapies forĀ chronic disorders of the central nervous system, recently announced the beginning of a Phase 2 study that willĀ assess the efficacy of amantadine HCl (ADS-5102) in patients with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) who suffer from walking impairments. “We are…
June 12, 2015 News by Charles Moore Most MS Survey Respondents Favor Legal Marijuana Access For Medical Use With 26 statesĀ plus the District of Columbia now allowing medical marijuana use, according to a recent North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) survey, many people with multiple sclerosis are considering the herb as a therapeutic option. NARCOMS is a research program that allows people with Multiple Sclerosis…
June 11, 2015 News by Charles Moore The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America Releases Updated Mobile Phone App The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) has updated its smartphone app My MS Manager with several new features. My MS Manager, a first-of-its kind mobile phone app supporting both Apple’s iPhone (iOS 7.0 or later) and Android mobile devices (also works with iPads, iPod touch, and Android…
June 10, 2015 News by Maureen Newman RedHill Biopharma Enrolls Final RRMS Patient in RHB-104 Clinical Trial RedHill Biopharma Ltd. enrolled the final patient for its Phase IIa, proof-of-concept study testing RHB-104 in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who test positive for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). RedHill is evaluating RHB-104 as an add-on therapy to interferon beta-1a for a treatment…
June 9, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Bone Loss, Osteopenia and Multiple Sclerosis Explored in New Scholarly Review In a recent review published in the journal Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, German researchers explored the complexity of interwoven pathways of osteopenia, and how it relates to diseases such as MS. Osteopenia is a bone condition characterized by a decreased density of bone, which leads to bone…
June 8, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Review Suggests PEG-IFN Therapy for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Significantly Reduces Relapse Rates A study recently published in the journal PLoS One compared the use of a specific treatment based on interferon beta-1a with other approved injectable therapies in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study is entitled āA Network Meta-Analysis of Efficacy and Evaluation of…
June 5, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Researchers Determine Specific Genetic Associations With Multiple Sclerosis In a recent meta-analysis published in theĀ International Journal of Molecular Sciences,Ā a team ofĀ researchers found evidence regarding the association between specific polymorphisms of the gene CD24 and MS using a method that combined data from case-control studies with family-based data. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and…
June 5, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Specific MicroRNA Expression Changes According to the Multiple Sclerosis Disease Stage Researchers at the Don C. Gnocchi Foundation and the University of Milano in Italy recently discovered that the levels of a specific RNA molecule vary in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) according to their disease stage and clinical progression. The study was published in the…
June 4, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Another Study Focused on Stem Cells and Autoimmune Diseases Shows Promise Researchers at Monash University and the MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research in Australia recently proposed that specific human stem cells with immunomodulatory properties represent a new promising therapeutic strategy for diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). The study was published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation and…
June 4, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Health Care Excellence Awards Launched in UK UK-basedĀ MS Trust has announced the launch of newĀ awards designedĀ to distinguish healthcare professionals that are committed to treatingĀ and changing the lives of patients who suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS). The QuDos Awards are currently open for nominations and will featureĀ ten different categories. TheĀ QuDoS in MS Awards ā…
June 3, 2015 News by admin Approach to Treating MS May be Transformed Thanks to Newly Discovered Connection Between Immune-Nervous Systems An exciting new discovery has turned the medical world upside down, and could have important implications for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). It turns out that previously undiscovered vessels exist that connect the nervous system and immune system directly. The study, titled “Structural and functional features…
June 3, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Jack Osbourne and Teva Launch New Educational Multiple Sclerosis Website Reality TV star Jack Osbourne has partnered with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to launch aĀ new website as part ofĀ aĀ three-year campaign called You Don’t Know Jack About MS. The site can be viewed here: www.youdontknowjackaboutms.com. The campaign is meant to raise awareness about…
June 2, 2015 News by Maureen Newman SPMS Therapy Developer Opexa Looks to Treat Patients With Neuromyelitis Optica NeuromyelitisĀ optica (NMO), a rare autoimmune disorder often mistaken for multiple sclerosis, is similar in that it is characterized by myelin destruction in the optic nerves and spinal cord. In contrast to multiple sclerosis, as reported by the Transverse Myelitis Association, NMO does not initially affect…
June 2, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Innate Lymphoid Cell Identified As Cause of Multiple Sclerosis Gender Differences In a recent study published in The Journal of Immunology, researchers from a Northwestern Medicine lab discoveredĀ a potential clueĀ about why women are more likely than men to develop autoimmune conditionsĀ such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The researchers used a specific white blood cell, called the innate lymphoid cell,…
June 1, 2015 News by Charles Moore Novartis Pharma Program Helping Young People with MS Get And Keep Jobs Most employers these days talk about having workforce diversity oriented policies that support hiring people living with disabilities and chronic diseases, but what distinguishes rhetoric from reality? What in positive, practical terms can companies do in support of helping people living with visible or invisible challenges find and keep gainful…
May 29, 2015 News by Charles Moore Compassionate Care Center of New York Applies For for Medical Marijuana Production License Compassionate Care Center of New York (CCCNY), based in Newark, Wayne County, is applying to become one of five registered commercial suppliers that will be licensed in New York State to grow medical marijuana. Licensed suppliers will serve the condition-specific palliative needs of qualifying patients with safe and accessible…
May 29, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Patient Lifespan, Comorbidities Studied in New Research Researchers at the University of Manitoba in Canada recently conducted a study that explored the differences in lifespan and comorbidities in patients with multiple sclerosis compared to healthy individuals. The study was recently published in the journal Neurology and is entitled āEffect of comorbidity…
May 27, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Multiple Sclerosis Community Celebrates World MS Day World MS Day is celebrated onĀ May 27 as a day dedicated to thoseĀ who suffer fromĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). In order to mark the occasion, organizations, companies, advocates, and communities are hosting events throughout the worldĀ to share inspiring stories, raise awareness about the disease and campaign to support both patients…
May 27, 2015 News by admin l-Carnitine Not Effective For Depression and Chronic Fatigue in MS and Neuromyelitis Optica A new study confirmed that depression and chronic fatigue often occur in multiple sclerosis (MS); and in a related condition known asĀ neuromyelitis optica (NMO).Ā NMO is similar to MS because myelin–the fatty substance that insulates nerve cells and helps them to communicate–is also lost. In NMO the myelin deteriorates mostly…
May 27, 2015 News by admin Brain Implant That Moves Moves Robot Arm Could Someday Help MS Patients With Paralysis A new robotic device could help people with all types of paralysis, including patients withĀ multiple sclerosis. Erik Sorto is the first person to benefit from the device. Paralyzed at age 21 from a gunshot wound, he is now able to move his robotic arm through the power of his own…
May 26, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD AUBAGIO Included in Prince Edward Island Pharmacare Canadian province Prince Edward Island (PEI) has approved the inclusion of Aubagio (teriflunomide) 14 mg in the PEI Pharmacare’s provincial drug formulary. This means that the drug developed and commercialized byĀ Genzyme is now financially supported by the state as aĀ first-line oral tablet to treat patients who…
May 25, 2015 News by Maureen Newman New Compound Tested in Lab Shows Promise for Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Exploratory research conducted at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Illinois at Chicago may translate into a new therapeutic agent to treat progressive multiple sclerosis. Researchers in the laboratories of Dr. Jefferey L. Dupree and Dr. Douglas L. Feinstein tested a new compound in mice with induced multiple sclerosis…
May 22, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Progressive MS Challenges to Be Dicussed at CMSC Meeting The needs of patients who suffer from progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) willĀ be addressed in a presentation hosted byĀ Alan Thompson, MD, FRCP, from the University College London (UCL) duringĀ theĀ Donald Paty Memorial Lecture. The Lecture will take place during the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 29th Annual…
May 22, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Researchers Identify Potential Cause of Multiple Sclerosis Movement, Balance Problems Researchers inĀ the Department of Immunology at St. Jude Childrenās Research Hospital in Memphis were able to identify a faulty ābrakeā in immune cells which may be involved in theĀ inflammation triggering multiple sclerosis (MS). This brake is believed to be able to control inflammation, offeringĀ the potential for the development of new…
May 21, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Potential Therapeutic Strategy to Halt Disease Progression in Multiple Sclerosis Developed A new study recently published in the journal Annals of Neurology revealed a potential new therapeutic strategy to halt multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression. The study is entitled āMelanoma cell adhesion moleculeāpositive CD8 T lymphocytes mediate central nervous system inflammationā and was led by…
May 21, 2015 News by admin 11-Year Follow-up of Bayer’s BENEFIT Interferon-beta1b Treatment Reveals Positive Results For MS Patients Results from the BENEFIT11 trial indicate thatĀ early treatment with IFNB-1b leads to improvements inĀ cognition and fatigue in the long-term, as well as sustained employment and favorable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes, measured at the 11-year mark. Supported byĀ Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, the study, titled “Long-term Impact of Early MS Treatment with…
May 20, 2015 News by Kara Elam Genzyme Announces New Research Collaboration With Ablynx for Innovative Multiple Sclerosis Therapeutic Project This week, Belgian-based biopharmaceutical company Ablynx announced they have entered into an exclusive research collaboration with Genzyme, a Sanofi company, to investigate the use of Nanobodies as part of a targeted therapeutic strategy for multiple sclerosis (MS). Ā The research will utilize Genzymeās early-stage MS research programs involving neuroprotection…
May 20, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD International Multiple Sclerosis Conference to Focus on Patients’ Experience The 4thĀ International MS Patient Summit, which will be held on May 22 in Rome, Italy, will exploreĀ feedback fromĀ patients who suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS) in an effortĀ to increase knowledge of the disease and, hopefully, improve treatments. Kaz Aston, theĀ conference moderator, is anĀ MS patient herselfĀ who was diagnosed with the…