News

Predicting whether an asymptomatic child or adolescent with signs of demyelination on imaging scans will develop multiple sclerosis (MS) is difficult using adult diagnostic criteria, a small study found. The findings highlight the need for more suitable criteria for pediatric patients, which could let them begin treatment…

Disease relapses are no more likely in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) after fertility treatment than they were before such treatment, a study found. Researchers also observed that almost half of the women receiving fertility treatment were on disease-modifying MS therapies, which may have helped to keep a…

Most neurologists in the U.S. are aware of the recent approval of Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and about half anticipate testing the therapy in the next six months, according to an analysis by market research company Spherix Global Insights. The therapy, developed…

The body has two distinct lineages of immune cells that can be distinguished by the presence or absence of the vitamin D receptor, a preclinical study reports. The findings shed more light on how vitamin D fine-tunes immune responses and may help researchers better understand the link between vitamin…

Supplementation with phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), a molecule produced during cellular energy generation, eased the signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse model of the disease, a study revealed. The metabolite inhibited a protein called JunB, which blocked the production of the pro-inflammatory molecule interleukin-17 (IL-17) and suppressed…

The Kanabo Group has established what it claims is the U.K.’s first online medical cannabis clinic to help people with multiple sclerosis and other conditions manage chronic pain. Called Treat It, the clinic is expected to help those whose conventional pharmaceutical medicines are ineffective or those…

A new podcast series called “A Campbell Never Quits” is telling the life story of Tyler Campbell, a patient advocate who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) during his junior year at college. “The podcast aims to appeal to sports fans, people living with MS, and anyone who appreciates…

A new collaboration between ModeX Therapeutics and Merck, known as MSD outside North America, is expected to advance the development of ModeX’s MDX-2201, an investigational vaccine targeting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). A history of infection with EBV — known for causing infectious mononucleosis, or mono, and certain…

Because people with multiple sclerosis (MS) usually undergo regular MRI scans to image their brains, their data could help researchers learn more the long-term effects of COVID-19 on brain tissue. That’s the argument by a team of researchers in the paper, “Multiple sclerosis as a…

Higher blood levels of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is associated with a significantly lower risk of confirmed disability progression during treatment in people with relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis of data from three Phase 3 clinical trials. Notably, the lower disability progression rates reported in…

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential currents (IFC) — both interventions apply electrical stimulation through electrodes placed on the skin — can help to ease pain in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results from a small clinical trial. Results suggested that, while both treatments can reduce…

Aiming to promote equitable access to multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments worldwide, an international MS alliance is asking that three disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) be added to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines. Inclusion on the WHO list is considered an important if “initial” step in assuring that helpful treatments…

Cionic — developer of the Neural Sleeve for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that affect mobility — has chosen the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab as the inaugural location for its Center of Excellence program. The Chicago-based facility has been named the nation’s top physical medicine and…

MSC-NP, a form of stem cell therapy that’s currently in early clinical trials for multiple sclerosis (MS), can reduce the inflammatory activity of brain immune cells called microglia, according to a new study. The therapy is known to reduce disease severity and improve myelin regeneration in animal models of…

MS Australia is funding a study by researchers at Curtin University into how diet might affect multiple sclerosis (MS) onset in children. Led by Eleanor Dunlop, PhD, a dietitian and postdoctoral researcher at the Perth university’s School of Population Health, the study will investigate the influence different types of…

An upcoming study will investigate how well icobrain MS, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology, can interpret MRI data from people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and how its use might influence patient care. The project, called AssistMS and led by Icometrix — the technology’s developer — and Queen Mary University of London…

Neurologists in the U.S. are generally favoring more aggressive early treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis by market research company Spherix Global Insights. With over a dozen therapies available in the U.S. to treat relapsing forms of MS, patients and providers have options to…

A new study of women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had previously given birth may have identified one of the mechanisms behind the lasting protective effects of pregnancy seen in MS patients. Patients who’d had children were found to have a number of differences in methylation, a type of…

Following a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of cognitive problems, including with memory and thinking skills, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a preliminary study suggests. The diet includes a high intake of fish, fruits, legumes, vegetables, and healthy fats (olive oil); and a low intake of meat,…

GA Depot, an experimental long-acting version of glatiramer acetate, significantly reduced relapse rates and prevented the development of new lesions among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, according to new data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. Disability levels also were significantly reduced with the treatment, given…

New data from a Phase 2 clinical trial testing vidofludimus calcium, Immunic Therapeutics’ novel oral treatment candidate for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), show promising safety and efficacy, according to the company’s chief medical officer. The therapy was found to safely reduce brain lesions and prevent disability progression in…

Can Do MS has three missions for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their care partners — providing education about life with the disease, building connections among people, and activating them to be proactive about managing their condition. “Those are the three pillars that our programs are built…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) being treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) less frequently than the recommended every six months are not more likely to experience inflammatory disease activity, an analysis of some 360 patients whose dosing schedules changed during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests. Nicole Bou Rjeily, MD, a postdoctoral…

Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) recently became the third anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). TG Therapeutics, the therapy’s developer, is now aiming to make Briumvi the most accessible therapy in its…

Treatment with the experimental oral therapy ibudilast (MN-166) does not significantly improve quality-of-life measures compared with a placebo among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from a Phase 2 clinical trial. Analyses from the trial suggest that a marker of nerve damage…

Taking high-dose vitamin D supplements as an add-on to standard MS treatment doesn’t reduce the risk of inflammatory disease activity for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to data from a clinical trial. The findings “suggest that prescribing higher doses of vitamin D for purposes of…

Certain cells in the eyes — specifically blood vessel cells and a type of neurological immune cell called microglia — exhibit high expression or activity of genes that have been linked to multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports.  The researchers also “identified…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has long been considered a disease that mostly affects white women. But in the U.S., the numbers indicate that Black people, particularly Black women, may be more likely to develop the neurodegenerative disease than people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. For Black individuals, this misunderstanding…

More than half of the people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who received Briumvi (ublituximab) in the ULTIMATE clinical trials had no signs of disease activity over the first six months of the trial — and over 80% of participants had no disease activity for the…

People infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) — including HIV-positive individuals who received antiretroviral treatment at some point after infection — are significantly less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), a new analysis suggests.  The decrease in MS risk was particularly pronounced…