News

A team of researchers at the Tel Aviv University report the role of obesity as a major risk factor triggering and maintaining autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn’s Disease and multiple sclerosis. The study was published in Autoimmunity Reviews. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system reacts against the body…

Patients who suffer from progressive conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), are submitted to unnecessary evaluations for disability benefits and often denied the full payment of their out-of-work benefits or deemed as fit to work when they are in fact not able. This new perspective was highlighted by a…

Photo From University of Alberta The company behind FDA-approved multiple sclerosis drug AVONEX® (Interferon beta-1a), Biogen Idec, together with the government of the province of Alberta, has…

Drug manufacturers Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech announced that they expanding the ongoing clinical research program for the study of laquinimod, a potential treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), as the companies are now initiating the ARPEGGIO trial. In addition, Teva has also announced…

Sanofi subsidiary and rare disease treatment specialist Genzyme has just announced the successful enrollment of the first participant in their multicenter Phase II clinical trial for the company’s pipeline intravenous drug for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), vatelizumab. This novel drug is composed of humanized monoclonal antibodies that specifically target…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently awarded MS researcher Lauren Strober, PhD from the Kessler Foundation, a three-year grant for her investigational research, totaling $457,921. The funding is part of a multi-site study that will be conducted by the investigator to understand the influence that having…

A study entitled “Longitudinal Follow-up of a Cohort of Patients with Incidental Abnormal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings at Presentation and Their Risk of Developing Multiple Sclerosis” published in the International Journal of MS Care reports that asymptomatic patients accompanied by Magnetic Resonance Images suggestive of…

A study presented at the 61st annual meeting of the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) held October 29 to November 1 in Savannah, Georgia, further corroborates growing awareness of a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in neuromuscular disease.’ The study, entitled “…

An encouraging experimental drug that is being developed for Multiple Sclerosis continues to show promise in being able to offer neuroprotective benefits — an effect that could slow and eventually cure MS. Masitinib, which is being developed by AB Science for numerous neurological indications, including Alzheimer’s disease, progressive multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic…

Researchers from UC San Francisco, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Yale School of Medicine recently developed a software tool that helps researchers understand the complex genetic origins of many autoimmune diseases and, ultimately, to better diagnose and treat them. The study was published yesterday in …

Next Sunday, November 2nd, Sydney, Australia will hold one of the country’s largest fundraising events to support multiple sclerosis research and advocacy, the MS Gong Ride, a one day community bike ride designed to collect $3.8 million. Each biker is asked to help raise $250 for the historic ride that celebrates its…

A new human clinical trial testing the drug ATL1102 to treat Multiple Sclerosis was approved by FDA, carrying the promise of new therapeutics to affected patients. Antisense Therapeutics Limited (ANP) announced recently in a press release the FDA’s positive decision to approve their request to submit an Investigational…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society granted the 2014 Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research to Philip Laurence De Jager, MD, PhD, who is a neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as an associate professor of neurology at the Harvard Medical School. The award, meant to…

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently accepted the results from Genzyme’s TOWER and TOPIC  clinical trials, which assessed the safety and efficacy of oral, once-daily Aubagio® (teriflunomide) for Multiple Sclerosis, and will add the positive data to the product’s U.S. label. Genzyme is a leader in the development…

Among autoimmune diseases, Multiple Sclerosis is one of the most progressive and debilitating, affecting between 300,000 and 400,000 people in the United States alone. The cause of the disease remains elusive to researchers, making it extremely difficult to research and develop effective therapies for treating symptoms and reversing neural…

While Canada is home to one of the world’s most comprehensive social healthcare systems, it is unfortunately home to one of the largest multiple sclerosis patient populations as well. According to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, at least 100,000 Canadians have the disease, and at least 20,000 of them live…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society‘s Lone Star Chapter, which is sponsoring the nonprofit organization’s annual Houston-area Walk MS fundraisers, has announced that Woodlands-based biopharmaceutical company Opexa Therapeutics, a company currently developing personalized immunotherapies for multiple sclerosis (MS), will also support the fundraising effort. This is the fourth consecutive…

A new study entitled, “Vaccines and the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis and Other Central Nervous System Demyelinating Diseases” published in the JAMA Neurology journal, reports that no association was observed between vaccinations and an increased risk for Multiple Sclerosis or other central nervous system…

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) has announced that its next annual meeting will be held in 2015 between May 27 th and 30th at the JW Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 2015 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers aims to gather healthcare professionals as…

The first and largest study on the association between Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Uveitis was recently presented at the 18th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The meeting was held at the McCormick Place in Chicago between October 17-21, 2014. Uveitis is a disorder characterized by inflammation of…

One of the most effective and engaging fundraising strategies the National Multiple Sclerosis Society organizes annually is the Bike MS series. Several times a year, in different locations throughout the country, thousands of MS patients from all over the world, as well as friends, family, and advocacy…

Much of the research and development focus for treating Multiple Sclerosis revolves around pharmaceuticals. However, the development and use of novel medical devices are also becoming a factor in treating the disease as well. A new study entitled “A dorsiflexion assist orthosis reduces the physiological cost…

A member of the musical Osmond family, David Osmond, recently released a music video for his inspirational song “I Can Do This.” He has dedicated it to men and women all over the world who are faced with challenges that make them doubt their abilities and self-worth, but the real…

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen Idec has just announced a new support program for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) that encourages patients to turn their attention to daily activities that enhance their emotional and mental state. The newly launched MS Blueprint program assists patients and caregivers in setting positive and realistic goals,…

Heartwarming support for multiple sclerosis campaigns and charity events poured in at last week’s exclusive gastronomic fundraising event, the Toqué! for MS benefit, made possible by the tireless, collaborative efforts of Louis Vachon, the event’s Honorary Chair and President and CEO of the National Bank, and Toqué! Restaurant’s Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux,…

Multiple Sclerosis information resource MSology.com has announced the launch of MS Radio, an exclusive MS-focused radio program, to celebrate the organization’s second anniversary. MSology.com provides news, feature articles and practical tips to more than 100,000 people worldwide. The first radio episode (available here) is a…

Several national health organizations have come together to design a series of continuing education opportunities focused on better managing multiple sclerosis entitled, Optimizing Multiple Sclerosis Management. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of leading MS organization for professionals, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC); Nurse Practitioner Alternatives (NPA), and Spire Learning, allied…

The U.S. Supreme Court deliberated on a request from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to preserve the patent of its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone from generic competitors until September 2015. Recent reports indicate that the court gave the company a mixed opinion. The hearing occurred this…

Featureflash / Shutterstock.com Television’s “Queen of Mean,” Revenge‘s Madeleine Stowe, recently opened up about her early memories of her father living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that, until today, does not have a known cure. However, thanks to the efforts of countless researchers and MS…

Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will announce their latest results from the Phase 1 data of CTP-354, a drug developed to treat spasticity — a chronic condition associated with patients with brain disorders, including Multiple Sclerosis — at the next American Neurological Association’s Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. The Phase 1 randomized,…