News

A new tool called signal detection theory (SDT) found a relationship between subjective cognitive fatigue, often experienced by people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and the activation of certain brain regions, a study reported. Although the relationship was found in both patients and healthy controls after cognitive fatigue was…

Treatment with foralumab nasal spray resulted in marked clinical improvements after three months in the second secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patient treated under a single-patient access program. The findings were generally consistent with those seen in the first SPMS patient and supported a decision by the U.S. Food…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given Ekso Bionics clearance to market its wearable robotic exoskeleton to aid in rehabilitation programs to improve gait and mobility in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Dubbed EksoNR, the device had been approved by the regulatory agency for stroke and spinal…

Higher numbers of immune cells circulating in the bloodstream may mean a greater likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study based on a large pool of genetic data in people of European ancestry. One particular type of immune cell, called natural killer (NK) cells, was linked…

Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA), a form of purified botulinum toxin, has received a positive opinion in Europe for managing urinary incontinence in adults with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO), or overactive bladder. The opinion is specifically for those who experience bladder issues due to multiple sclerosis (MS) or spinal cord…

Find Therapeutics and SATT Conectus have joined forces to develop a promising therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and optic neuritis based on a new class of compounds that shows the potential to regenerate myelin. Myelin is the fatty protective sheath around nerve fibers that’s progressively lost…

The overall risk of death is about 75% higher for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than in the general population, according to a new study. “The association was independent of demographic, socioeconomic variables, lifestyle factors, baseline diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer status,” researchers wrote. The study,…

Erin Stevenson’s doctor laughed when she asked him 13 years ago if the vertigo she felt while training for a first 100-mile bike ride could be related to her mother’s multiple sclerosis (MS). MS isn’t a genetic disease, but Stevenson managed to persuade the doctor to schedule a brain…

Treatment with Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab) after COVID-19 vaccination significantly boosted the levels of antibodies against the virus among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were taking B-cell targeted therapies, a small study showed. “This is important as it provides a different strategy for protection against…

Treatment with the approved multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy dimethyl fumarate (DMF) did not affect the function of the thyroid gland, an organ that secretes hormones to regulate metabolism, a medical records study concluded. Screening for thyroid problems is not needed for people with MS considered for DMF therapy, the…

Formal consideration of legislation to establish a Canada Disability Benefit, with the expectation the measure will provide financial support to Canadians who live with multiple sclerosis (MS), is being praised by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. On June 2, the legislation was tabled in Canada’s House of…

Using the portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device during a targeted exercise program significantly improves walking skills in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to recent real-word data. Notably, significant improvements were observed from the second week onward, and more than half of the 42 patients patients experienced clinically meaningful gains…

A protein called nephronectin mediates autoimmunity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), and blocking this protein was found to prevent disease progression and processes that drive T-cells toward an inflammatory state, researchers reported. Study findings support nephronectin, a protein involved in kidney development, as a promising treatment…

A medication currently approved to treat certain kinds of cancer, called topotecan, could be repurposed for treating neuroinflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) because it reduces the inflammatory activity of immune cells called microglia. That’s according to the study, “Myeloid cell-specific topoisomerase 1 inhibition using DNA origami…

More than half of the people with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with Aubagio (teriflunomide) showed no evidence of disease activity after two years on treatment, according to a study in Italy. The study, “Evolution of teriflunomide use in multiple sclerosis: A real-world experience,” was published in the Journal of…

A blood biomarker test developed by Octave can effectively monitor overall disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), helping to improve the care being given, the company reported. The assay, dubbed the MS Disease Activity (MSDA) test, can also be used to monitor disease activity across…

A Phase 1/2 clinical trial is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of a cutting-edge immunotherapy called extracorporeal photopheresis in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, dubbed PHOMS (NCT05168384), is enrolling up to 45 adults with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) at a…

A single infusion of FibroBiologics‘ investigational cell therapy, CYMS101, was able to inhibit disease activity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), and appeared safe in early MS clinical trials, the company announced in a press release. Data from the mouse and human studies were…

The presence of self-reactive antibodies, typically seen in autoimmune diseases like scleroderma, may be common among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). That finding from a small study indicates high levels of these antinuclear antibodies were correlated with relapse status and ongoing inflammation in MS. The study, “Antinuclear…

Lyvispah — a dissolvable granular formulation of baclofen — is now commercially available in the U.S. for adults and adolescents, 12 and older, with spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other spinal cord disorders. In people with MS, the strawberry-flavored formulation is particularly suitable to ease flexor…

Worsening disability was associated with worry about COVID-19 in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) living in the U.S. and Italy, a study evaluating the pandemic’s impact has found. In both countries, MS patients with greater psychological disabilities, such as depression, were more likely to have worrying thoughts, while those…

Acknowledging advances in early detection of multiple sclerosis (MS), the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is broadening its membership and inviting all veterans with the progressive neurodegenerative disorder to join the nonprofit organization. Now, all veterans with MS are eligible for PVA membership and the same support available to…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is extending by three months its review of ublituximab, an experimental anti-CD20 antibody being developed by TG Therapeutics for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The FDA had agreed to review the company’s application requesting ublituximab’s approval late last year, and…

A new scoring system might more precisely evaluate disease development, severity, and treatment response in a commonly used mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) known as the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis or EAE model, scientists report. This scoring system, called “I AM D EAE,” was described in the study, “…

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded $3.9 million to fund clinical research to test the impact of a low-glycemic diet on physical, cognitive, and psychological function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The four-year project, called “Impact of diet quality and calorie restriction on physical function and…

Novartis’ Mayzent (siponimod) and Kesimpta (ofatumumab) are gaining ground among multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies in Canada, according to the latest Spherix Global Insights’ report. “Following an eventful 2021 that included the launch of two new brands — Novartis’ Kesimpta and BMS’ Zeposia — and generic versions of Biogen’s…

Among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients starting on Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), an early decrease in the leakiness of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is associated with a lower likelihood of disease activity after two years, according to a new study. The blood-brain barrier is a cellular divisor that regulates which substances…

Repeated fecal transplants from healthy donors were safe and well-tolerated in a small group of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study reported. Treatment also showed a potential to ease intestinal permeability in MS and enrich the presence of protective microbes in the gut. Given that the trial…

Treatment with Ponvory (ponesimod) significantly reduces the risk of worsening disability or new relapses for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with a placebo, according to a new analysis funded by the therapy’s maker Janssen. The study, “Comparative Efficacy of Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Therapies:…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to have lesions in three regions of the brain — the anterior temporal horn, periventricular region, and cerebellar hemisphere — compared with people with other inflammatory brain diseases, a study reports. Looking for lesions in these parts of the brain may…