News

The MS Society of Canada is providing thousands in funding to 66 research projects that aim to accelerate scientific understand of multiple sclerosis (MS) and to improve care for people with the disease. The society announced the winners of its 2022–23 Annual Research Competition in four categories…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a Phase 1b/2a trial of PIPE-307, Pipeline Therapeutics‘ investigational myelin-restoring treatment, in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The trial will enroll about 45 RRMS patients from multiple U.S. sites who will be randomized to receive either three months…

Reviewing an MRI of one’s brain and seeing lesions on it is a frightening prospect for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). “The lesions, the bright spots on a brain scan, that’s probably the last place in your body most of us want to see things. [It’s] such an important…

A team of researchers has discovered that the key to bypassing the blood-brain barrier — a semipermeable border that protects the brain against toxins in the blood but also blocks potential treatments — is the Unc5B receptor in the endothelial cells that line the tiny blood vessels in the brain.

Eight weeks of hormone therapy was tolerable, and its use may ease the hot flashes and greater disease-related disability this life transition can cause in menopausal women with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results of a small Phase 1b/2a trial of Duavee, an approved therapy. Public concerns over the safety of…

Exposure to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) just before conception or during the first three months of pregnancy does not seem to increase the risk of adverse outcomes for women with multiple sclerosis (MS) or their babies, according to a small Australian study. All of the patients stopped taking Ocrevus upon…

A researcher in Barcelona, Spain, has been chosen to receive the 2022 John Dystel Prize for his work advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The $40,000 prize, given jointly by the National MS Society and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), will be…

A four-protein complex, or tetramer, of the protein STAT5 is involved in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS)-like autoimmune disease in mice, a new study shows. The findings point to this protein complex and its signaling pathway as a potential treatment in MS and other autoimmune conditions, scientists noted.

Eight weeks of an online mindfulness program significantly lowered levels of depression and improved quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers in Australia report. “This study adds to growing evidence on how wellness strategies can help people with MS to reduce symptoms and enable fuller participation…

Higher doses of temelimab were generally safe and resulted in beneficial trends on key neurodegeneration markers in adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who already were on rituximab treatment, according to top-line data from the ProTEct-MS Phase 2 clinical trial. While the study’s small size…

Treatment with cannabis-based medications may ease muscle spasms, decrease pain, and aid in sleep for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but more research is needed to evaluate the potential benefits of cannabis use. That is the finding of a team of U.S. researchers who published a review paper, “…

Nothing was working for Jennifer Stansbury Koenig, who was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in 2010 the day before she learned she was pregnant. The first disease-modifying therapy (DMT) Koenig started in 2013, Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), an oral capsule developed and marketed by Biogen, made her…

A measure of the nose’s sensitivity to smell could be used to detect whether treatments for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) are working or not, a new study indicates. The scientists noted that their results need to be validated through further study, but said the findings suggest that a smell…

A risk variant in the BDNF gene is tied to increased brain inflammation and reduced cortical thickness on MRI scans in people newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a recent study found. “We report for the first time an association between the BDNF [genetic variant] and central inflammation…

Telehealth services for physical and mental healthcare were used often by people with multiple sclerosis (MS) during the COVID-19 pandemic and most were satisfied or highly satisfied with such care, according to a study based on survey results. “The findings suggest that telehealth services were well liked during the…

For the first time, researchers have brought to light the precise three-dimensional structure of Mayzent (siponimod) as it binds to its molecular target, the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1). These findings are expected to aid in developing next-generation MS therapeutics with better selectivity for S1P1, enhancing their potency while reducing…

Among healthcare providers in the U.K., considerable variation exists in marking the transition from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a study based on interview responses reports. Neurologists and nurses with MS specialties also expressed a reluctance to label patients as having progressed to…

Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) has formed a committee to better address the needs and interests of veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS), including help with obtaining care and disability benefits. The nonprofit PVA is the only congressionally chartered veterans organization working to assist and represent veterans with spinal…

NervGen Pharma has been cleared to enroll a second group of healthy volunteers into the multiple ascending dose portion of its Phase 1 clinical trial of NVG-291, a therapeutic candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS). The trial’s Safety Review Committee approved the second group after seeing promising safety data…

Getting the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine to protect against tuberculosis (TB) — an immunization often given to infants and small children in countries where TB is common — does not decrease a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. “Within a large birth cohort…

Initial treatment with Novantrone (mitoxantrone) can reduce the risk of relapses and worsening disability in people with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a 10-year study from France. “Our results support the short-term use of [Novantrone], followed by a maintenance therapy for patients with early highly…

The MS Society of Canada‘s virtual MS Read-a-Thon event has been extended to March 20, giving children and families throughout Canada extra time to enjoy reading while raising funds for the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. The event, which began Jan. 27, seeks to generate $110,000 to…

Six months of treatment with foralumab, an experimental nasal spray, safely and effectively improved motor and cognitive function while easing immune activation and inflammatory responses in a person with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), Tiziana Life Sciences, the therapy’s developer, announced. The patient — the first with MS to…

PIPE-307, an investigational myelin-restoring medication being developed by Pipeline Therapeutics for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), appears to be safe and well tolerated in healthy adults. The results are from a Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT04725175) that evaluated the safety and tolerability of PIPE-307 in 70…

While people who smoke cigarettes are more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, MS patients who are daily alcohol drinkers are more likely to show signs of faster neurodegeneration, a new study highlights. The findings suggest that quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol would be beneficial for people…

Cionic has received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its lightweight, leg-worn Neural Sleeve to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that affect mobility. The decision comes four months after the company submitted the device — the first to…

A substantial amount of disability worsening happens independently of relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), including those in earlier stages of relapsing-remitting disease, a study in a large patient database reported. While its findings “confirm relapses contribute to the accumulation of disability, primarily early in multiple sclerosis,” data…

Maternal or paternal exposure prior to conception to the multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy Aubagio (teriflunomide) does not seem to increase the risk of adverse pregnancy events, including miscarriage, preterm birth, small newborn size, or malformations, according to the results of a recent Danish study. About…

The number of nurses in the U.K. with a specialty in multiple sclerosis (MS) care rose significantly between 2018 and 2021, but these specialists on average carry a patient caseload that’s 50% higher than recommended, as a pronounced rise in MS cases was also noted, the MS Trust reports.

Roche is teaming up with the University of Plymouth in the U.K. to help develop Floodlight MS, the company’s app to monitor multiple sclerosis (MS). “We were pleased to collaborate with Roche on an innovative project to validate the Floodlight MS app and, as with everything we do…