News

Low to moderate doses of vitamin D supplements may be linked to lower relapse rates in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new meta-analysis of clinical trials. Higher doses did not show the same benefit, and vitamin D supplementation overall did not significantly change disability scores. “Based on…

Long-term exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), while short-term exposure may worsen disease activity and disability in people who already have the condition, according to a new study. “Long-term air pollution exposure was associated with higher MS risk, and short-term exposure with…

A test that measures a specific set of proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord — may help support the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. The approach could be particularly useful for people who lack a common…

Fenebrutinib, Genentech’s investigational BTK inhibitor, was found to significantly reduce relapse rates compared with the approved therapy Aubagio (teriflunomide) in two Phase 3 clinical trials involving people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Positive top-line results from one of those trials, FENhance 2 (NCT04586023),…

A specific pattern of damage seen on MRI scans, called a paramagnetic rim lesion, is associated with a higher risk of developing overt multiple sclerosis (MS) in people who have MS-like brain lesions but no symptoms, according to a new study. This condition is known as radiologically isolated syndrome…

Treatment with the experimental nasal spray therapy foralumab reduced microglial activity in people with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), according to new data from an expanded access program. Microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, are believed to contribute to the chronic inflammatory processes that drive gradual disease progression…

This March, organizations and advocates are marking Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month with fundraisers, educational events, and other activities to spotlight the disease and its impact on an estimated 1.8 million people worldwide. The annual campaign reaches beyond the general public to include researchers, lawmakers, industry leaders, policymakers, and…

Having parents who have ever smoked cigarettes, or who smoked in the three months before pregnancy, is associated with a significantly increased likelihood of childhood-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study in Italy. The findings suggest that early-life exposure to cigarette smoke, including around the time of…

Two of the most effective treatments for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) — Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Tysabri (natalizumab) — are essentially matched in their ability to control the disease, a new nationwide study from Denmark suggests. Researchers found no significant difference between the two therapies in preventing relapses, slowing…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a nearly fivefold increased risk of developing dementia compared with those without the disease, according to a real-world study in Taiwan. Treatment with disease-modifying therapies significantly reduced the risk for neurodegenerative dementias, or dementias associated with the loss of brain cells, the…

Myelin-making cells in some areas of the brain were more resistant to injury in a mouse model of myelin damage than the same cells in other brain regions. Researchers created detailed, brain-wide maps showing exactly where myelin-making cells, known as oligodendrocytes, are located in the brain. Using these maps, they…

The Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis (ACP) has launched a new community-led initiative designed to ensure that people from underrepresented multiple sclerosis (MS) communities help set priorities for future MS research. sp The initiative, called Prioritized Research Agenda Development and Advancement (PRADA), creates a…

In real-world clinical practice, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) showed sustained effectiveness in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), with most patients remaining free from long-term worsening of disability over four years, according to a new study. Relapse rates and MRI disease activity were also low during follow-up. At…

Merck and Mayo Clinic have launched a research collaboration to use artificial intelligence (AI) and large-scale clinical data to accelerate drug discovery and development, with an initial focus on diseases with high unmet needs, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The partnership will combine Mayo’s extensive clinical and genomic…

Continued treatment with TG Therapeutics’ Briumvi (ublituximab) provides sustained clinical benefits for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly if started earlier. That’s according to data from the ULTIMATE I (NCT03277261) and ULTIMATE II (NCT03277248) Phase 3 clinical trials and their ongoing open-label…

The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) is teaming up with Nektar Therapeutics to study the potential of NKTR-0165, an experimental antibody that activates the tumor necrosis factor receptor type 2 (TNFR2), to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). UCSF neurologist Stephen L. Hauser,…

Breastfeeding for longer during infancy may delay the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) and slow its progression for people who later develop the disease, according to a study from Turkey. Researchers found that adults with MS who had been breastfed for more than six months had less severe disease…

Canary Speech and Intermountain Ventures are collaborating to test whether subtle changes in a person’s voice can help identify multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially paving the way for noninvasive tools to diagnose the disease faster. The research will rely on Canary’s vocal biomarker technology and be led by Timothy…

Immunic Therapeutics has closed a private placement that could provide up to $400 million to support the company’s Phase 3 clinical program of vidofludimus calcium in multiple sclerosis (MS) and help fund its transition into a commercial-stage company as it prepares for potential regulatory approval of the…

MS Canada is hosting its annual MS Read-a-Thon, a fundraiser encouraging children to turn their reading goals into donations to support people with multiple sclerosis (MS). This year’s event aims to raise CA$65,000 (nearly $48,000) to support MS research and community programs. So far, 565 people have registered, and…

Following specific diets may help reduce inflammation in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but more research is needed, according to a new review paper. Researchers analyzed data from 13 randomized clinical trials and found some evidence that certain diets, including modified Mediterranean-style and Paleolithic diets, were linked to…

A type of immune cell that has received little attention in multiple sclerosis (MS) research may play a key role in driving the disease. A study found that some people with MS had abnormally high levels of virus-fighting CD8 T-cells in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

A clinical trial testing TG Therapeutics‘ CD20 inhibitor Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) in children with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) will begin enrolling participants within the next few months, the developer announced, also unveiling details of the study’s design. The upcoming Phase 2/3 trial (NCT07220252) will run…

Immunic Therapeutics‘ experimental oral therapy vidofludimus calcium can target key mechanisms underlying disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), including acute and chronic inflammation, as well as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation, according to new trial data. The Phase 2 CALLIPER trial (NCT05054140) investigated vidofludimus calcium against a…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who engage in more physical activity tend to have less severe physical and cognitive disability, a study demonstrated. While past exercise levels showed no correlation with later disease onset or slower disability accumulation, current exercise habits were significantly associated with physical disability in MS…

Bazedoxifene, a medication that alters the activity of the sex hormone estrogen, was safe and well-tolerated but did not promote myelin repair in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The findings come from the ReWRAP study (NCT04002934) and were presented last week at…

A Canadian study is challenging the growing belief that previous infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is necessary for multiple sclerosis (MS) to develop. The findings suggest the virus may not precede every MS case. Using public health insurance claims data, the researchers found a small group of…

Better adherence to a Mediterranean-like diet may help prevent disability worsening in people with early multiple sclerosis (MS), in part by slowing biological aging, according to data from a new study. The findings suggest that diet, biological age, and disability are closely connected and that lifestyle changes could…

The investigational BTK inhibitor tolebrutinib did not lower the risk of confirmed disability progression compared with placebo in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), failing to meet the main goal and several key secondary goals of the Phase 3 PERSEUS trial. It did, however, show signs of…

The complement system — part of the immune system that helps defend against infections — may play a key role in age-related disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to findings from a mouse study. In fact, blocking a complement protein called C3 reduced disease severity in older mice…