News

Issues with sexual performance and satisfaction are common with multiple sclerosis (MS), and show significant associations with measures of quality of life, a study shows. Sexual problems tend to be more pronounced among patients with severe fatigue and depression, data suggest. These findings highlight areas where healthcare providers can…

Real-world use of nabiximols, an oral spray cannabinoid treatment, was associated with a self-reported easing of spasticity and related symptoms for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study in Austria. Most patients (87.5%) said they were at least partly satisfied with the therapy — available…

Clinical trials testing rehabilitation strategies for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) include a disproportionate number of white participants and have generally paid little attention to how race and ethnicity may influence outcomes. Further, few efforts have been undertaken to make MS trials more racially and ethnically diverse. A team…

Fujirebio has launched two fully automated laboratory tests to measure levels of the neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein, a proposed biomarker of nerve cell damage in multiple sclerosis (MS), in the blood and spinal fluid. NfL is a structural protein found in nerve cells that gets released into…

A bacterial toxin in the gut — specifically, the epsilon toxin produced by Clostridium perfringens bacteria in the intestinal tract — may be a key environmental driver of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study. After finding the toxin at a higher abundance in the fecal samples of MS…

Tiziana Life Sciences plans to launch a Phase 2 clinical trial to investigate its foralumab nasal spray in people with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) in late 2023, the company announced. The decision follows a Type C meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), wherein…

Treatment with InnoCare Pharma’s orelabrutinib — an experimental inhibitor of the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) enzyme — led to significant reductions in new active brain lesions among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). That’s according to the results of a 12-week interim analysis of a global Phase 2…

People who drink black and green tea, coffee, and nonalcoholic beer may be significantly less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), a study in Iran has found. In contrast, consuming carbonated beverages, milk, and natural fruit juices seems to increase the chances of developing the neurodegenerative condition, according to…

Note: This story was updated March 29, 2023, to correct that cognitive function was assessed via questions about memory and three other cognition outcomes. Sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and sleepiness may contribute to self-reported cognitive decline in women with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests.

Cannabis-based products are more likely to be used by multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with higher levels of disability and pain than those with lesser disability or pain, according to a study of findings in Spain and France. This “may encourage health authorities to consider relaxing the barriers to cannabis use for…

People with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) may experience more severe inflammatory activity and nerve damage early on in the course of their disease as compared with individuals who have secondary progressive MS, a new study indicates. The results also suggest that primary progressive MS patients tend to have…

Adherence to a high-quality diet may help alleviate symptoms of depression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study from Australia suggests. The study examined several dietary regimens that have been developed to help manage MS symptoms generally by avoiding foods that might increase inflammation, a key driver…

A team of scientists has developed a wearable microscope — to be carried on the backs of animals in a lab — that can be used to evaluate cell activity in the spinal cord of living mice with greater clarity than has ever before been possible. The scientists say this…

An agreement with Helius Medical Technologies has made HealthTech Connex (HTC) the exclusive provider, for at least the next five years, of the noninvasive Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS) device in the Vancouver area of British Columbia in Canada. The new deal supplants an earlier clinical research and promotions…

Itaconate, a metabolite produced during cellular energy production activities, was found to restore the balance of immune T cells and reduce multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in a mouse model of the disease, a study reported. The common metabolite specifically suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory T cells while promoting the…

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has approved a class settlement overhauling a decades-old medical clearance system that led to illegal discrimination in the U.S. Foreign Service against people with mental health conditions or other disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The class settlement, signed in December,…

Infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 significantly accelerates neurological disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), at least in the first months after infection, a study from Belgium reported. A more severe case of COVID-19, one requiring hospitalization, also significantly associated with a faster worsening of MS…

A pair of experts are calling for genetic tests to be developed to identify people at higher risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a serious brain infection that can occur as a side effect of certain multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments. “The availability of a simple, relatively inexpensive test…

MRI scans of the brain acquired early on after the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) may help predict disease severity and disability accumulation after 10 years, a new study found. In particular, there were two MRI biomarkers — inter-caudate diameter (ICD) and third ventricular width (TVW) — detected…

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…