April 28, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: MS disability not worse for most on Kesimpta over 5 years More than 80% of patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) given Kesimpta (ofatumumab) continuously for up to five years in a clinical trial did not have any documented worsening of disability over the duration of the treatment. That’s according to new data from the ongoing…
April 28, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: Low rates of disease activity after stem cell transplant There was no evidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity for at least two years in patients who underwent an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) at a center in Mexico. And by the most recent follow-up ā a median of about seven years after the procedure ā…
April 27, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: No relapses on Ocrevus for 90% of Black, Hispanic patients More than 90% of Black and Hispanic patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in a Phase 4 clinical trial experienced no new relapse activity or sustained disability worsening after nearly one year, according to an interim analysis. However, more than half of these patients experienced…
April 27, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: Aubagio reduced risk of developing MS symptoms in RIS trial Treatment with Aubagio (teriflunomide) significantly reduces the risk that adults with radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) will develop symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), new clinical trial data show. This is the second trial showing that approved disease-modifying therapies can delay the development of MS in people who have…
April 26, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD AAN 2023: Tolebrutinib safely lowers relapse rates over 2.5 years About 2.5 years of treatment with tolebrutinib was associated with low relapse rates and stable disability levels among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data in an ongoing, open-label extension of a Phase 2b trial. The oral treatment also continued to show a “favorable”…
April 26, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: TUDCA supplements lower inflammatory cell counts in progressive MS trial Supplements with tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) were generally well tolerated among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to findings from a small clinical trial. Results also showed that patients given TUDCA supplements had lower levels of certain inflammatory immune cells than those given a placebo, but no…
April 25, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: MSC-NP aids walking in advanced progressive MS patients Use of the cell therapy MSC-NP failed to show a significant effect on overall disability scores among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a Phase 2 clinical trial. Results, however, indicated that MSC-NP improved walking ability for people with more advanced disease ā…
April 25, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Possible treatment target in myelin damage, inflammation pathway Damage to the myelin sheath, a hallmark feature of multiple sclerosis (MS), leads to increased levels of fatty molecules called VLCFAs, which are converted by brain cells into an inflammation-driving signaling molecule called S1P, a study suggests. The discovery of this novel molecular pathway may open up new avenues…
April 24, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Region in Japan sees steady increase in MS prevalence over 20 years Tokachi, a region in northern Japan, has seen a steady increase in the prevalence or proportion of people in the population living with multiple sclerosis (MS) over the past two decades, a recent study found. Data show the disease has also become more common in women in northern…
April 24, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: MS therapies don’t seem to raise pregnancy complications Most treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) are not associated with an increased risk of complications during pregnancy, according to a new analysis. A few therapies were associated with slightly elevated rates of congenital abnormalities for babies exposed to treatment during pregnancy, but small sample sizes limit being able to…
April 21, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Secondary progressive MS found to start later, move slower than PPMS People with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) seem to experience slower worsening of their disabilities than those with the primary progressive form of the disease (PPMS), a new study reports. However, SPMS patients tend to be older and have more advanced disability when they enter the progressive stage…
April 21, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Aidaptus auto-injector wins Red Dot award for product design Owen Mumford‘s Aidaptus auto-injector, which lets a wide range of under-the-skin medications to be administered, has won a Red Dot Award in the Product Design 2023 category. Launched in 2021, Aidaptus is a disposable auto-injector whose design fits multiple-sized prefilled glass syringes without changing parts. This could provide…
April 20, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD First participant completes dosing in Phase 1 Lucid-MS trial The first participant has completed dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial testing FSD Pharma‘s Lucid-21-302, an experimental oral medication for all types of multiple sclerosis (MS), in healthy volunteers. After receiving a green light from Health Canada to launch the first-in-human trial, the company began by…
April 20, 2023 News by Mary Chapman New optometric technology may help reduce fall risk Sensoria Health and Padula Rehabilitation Technologies (PRT) have launched a wearable system crafted for optometry practices to improve balance, gait, and coordination, and to help reduce the risk of falls, particularly among older people. The system, NeurOpTrek powered by Sensoria, is designed to assess a person’s fall risk…
April 19, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Greater psychological resilience tied to better outcomes in MS: Study Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with greater psychological resilience ā a better ability to cope with and recover quickly from problems and difficulties ā tend to have higher levels of social and occupational functioning, a new study found. Resilience was linked to a number of functions, including relationships, communication, social…
April 19, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Janssen acquires rights to PIPE-307, potential myelin restoring therapy Pipeline Therapeutics is collaborating with a branch of Janssen Pharmaceuticals to advance PIPE-307, a potential oral treatment of nervous system conditions that is expected to enter a clinical trial in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The compound previously was found to be safe and tolerable in…
April 18, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New formulation of ibudilast found to ease inflammation in MS mice A novel formulation of ibudilast, delivered into the nose, was able to reduce inflammation and prevent nerve damage in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. The nasal formulation also improved regeneration of myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibers that is progressively lost…
April 18, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Vitamin D at high dose doesn’t lower MS relapse risk, Phase 3 trial finds A high-dose vitamin D supplement did not reduce the risk of relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) already using a disease-modifying therapy to control disease activity, according to findings of a Phase 3 clinical trial. The VIDAMS study (NCT01490502) ā standing for Vitamin D…
April 17, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Yoga better than physical therapy at improving MS quality of life: Study A three-month yoga program was significantly better than physical therapy at improving quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a Russian study reports. Significant effects were observed in patientsā physical and social functioning, life activity, and mental health, researchers found. āRegular yoga classes under the guidance of…
April 17, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Skin patches may be more convenient MS antibody medicine Scientists have developed new skin patches that could offer a more convenient and less painful way to administer antibody-based medicines to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other disorders. “The developed [skin] patch is minimally invasive, self-administrable, and designed to be fully embedded into the skin with a short…
April 14, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Abnormal perceptions may help cause heat sensitivity in MS: Study Abnormal perceptions of discomfort and fatigue likely play a role in causing increased heat and cold sensitivity to extreme temperatures among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. However, the results suggest that MS does not generally affect how the body regulates its own temperature. “Our findings…
April 14, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS High medical costs for MS patients starting Ocrevus, Lemtrada, Tysabri People with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to accrue more medical costs after switching to infusible therapies Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), Tysabri (natalizumab), or Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), according to an analysis of data from commercially insured patients in the U.S. “The overall healthcare costs for MS patients increased a lot…
April 13, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD FDA puts partial hold on trials of Merck KGaA’s evobrutinib in MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed a partial clinical hold on ongoing trials of evobrutinib, Merck KGaA’s experimental BTK inhibitor for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision was based on two cases of patients in Phase 3 clinical trials of evobrutinib who were…
April 13, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Cariloop partners with Walgreens to support MS patients, caregivers Cariloop has teamed up with Walgreens to provide support services at select neurology-specialty pharmacies to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their caregivers. Through its caregiver platform, Cariloop offers services such as professional counseling and cloud-based tools to help families manage challenges and plan for caregiving-associated activities.
April 12, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Training of pelvic floor muscles in MS found to help urinary symptoms Training of the pelvic muscles, provided alongside lifestyle advice via telerehabilitation ā tailored exercise instruction delivered via an online video call ā significantly reduced urinary symptoms in women with multiple sclerosis (MS), a controlled study showed. The use of pelvic floor muscle training or PFMT, which are exercises…
April 12, 2023 News by Mary Chapman MSAA’s 9th annual ‘Improving Lives Benefit’ goes live and virtual The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is holding its ninth annual Improving Lives Benefit to spotlight inspirational members of the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. This year’s fundraisers feature an in-person reception in Philadelphia on May 3 and a “Together at Home” virtual reception on May 18,…
April 11, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Mavenclad benefits for MS sustained up to 15 years after last treatment The benefits of Mavenclad (cladribine) were sustained for up to 15 years after its last treatment course in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to real-world data from the CLASSIC-MS study. More than half of those who received the oral therapy in the clinical trials that supported…
April 11, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Lemtrada aids cognitive skills, eases depression in real-world MS study One year of treatment with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) significantly improved cognitive abilities, particularly with processing speed, and eased depression in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a small real-world study reported. Most of the 39 patients (92%) evaluated after that treatment year showed either stable or improved…
April 10, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Immune regulation treatment for MS found safe in 1st human study OCH, a molecule designed to have beneficial effects on immune regulation in multiple sclerosis (MS), led to increases in regulatory immune cell subsets and immunomodulatory gene activity in healthy volunteers and MS patients. That’s according to data from a first-in-human study of the compound, which also found the immune…
April 10, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Vaccine against Epstein-Barr virus may enter clinical trial next year EBViously announced that it has developed a candidate vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus and plans to bring it into clinical trials starting in 2024. The company is a spinoff of Helmholtz Munich, part of a German government research network. It is led by scientists with expertise in EBV…