News

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients undertaking stress-reducing activities — particularly physical and relaxation activities or meditation — at least once a week are less likely to have depression, an international study shows. Additional links were found between physical activity and reduced risk of fatigue, and between meditation and a greater…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with fatigue have significantly lower levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP) — a molecule involved in nerve cell function — in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) relative both to those without this common symptom and healthy people, a study shows. The CSF is the liquid…

The experimental therapy XPro1595 was found to promote remyelination — the repair of the myelin sheath — in a mouse model of myelin loss, new data show. Myelin, the fatty covering that helps nerve fibers send electrical signals, is damaged by the immune system in …

Biogen has entered a licensing agreement to develop and potentially commercialize MedRhythms‘ investigational music-based digital therapy, MR-004, designed to help make walking easier for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The partnership combines Biogen’s leadership and expertise in MS with MedRhythms’ digital therapeutics platform that uses sensors, algorithms, and music…

Reports of psoriasis — an autoimmune skin disease that shares some biological processes with multiple sclerosis (MS) — are disproportionally high among MS patients on therapies that deplete B-cells, according to a U.S. study based on patient adverse event data. Conversely, patients on Tysabri (natalizumab), glatiramer acetate (sold…

A Phase 3 trial will test the ability of a group resilience training program, called READY, to promote quality of life and better psychosocial outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Involving more than 200 MS patients, the trial will compare the benefits of READY training against those of…

Women who were exposed to sexual or emotional abuse as children may be at an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life, according to a large study in Norway. The risk was even higher among patients who experienced a combination of two or more types of abuse in…

Eating a ketogenic diet — one low in carbohydrates and high in fats — led to markedly less fatigue and depression for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in a small clinical trial that was designed to assess the tolerability of the dietary intervention. Measures of disability and quality…

Breast cancer is less likely to be detected through a routine cancer screening for women with multiple sclerosis (MS), while colorectal cancer is more likely to be detected at an early stage in MS patients compared with those without the disease, a Canadian study found. “Understanding the pathways to earlier…

Rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) were similar among Black and white people, but significantly lower in Hispanics and Asians living in southern California, a study found. These findings contrast with previous studies that have long reported lower MS rates among Black people compared to white people. Those discrepancies might…

Researchers have identified four new brain proteins that are targeted by inflammatory T-cells in multiple sclerosis (MS), which could aid in the development of more specific and safer treatments for people with the condition. The study, “Identification of four novel T cell autoantigens and personal autoreactive profiles in…

Administering the maresin-1 molecule — a natural anti-inflammatory in the body — in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) led to lower levels of inflammation and improved neurological function, a recent study showed. Maresin-1 and other molecules in its family are called specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) and are…

More than half of Canadians with multiple sclerosis (MS) report using cannabis to help manage their symptoms, according to a new study. The study, “Medical cannabis use in Canadians with multiple sclerosis,” was published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. Humans have used the cannabis plant for millennia,…

Tysabri (natalizumab) given every six weeks was found to be similarly effective as the standard four-week dosing schedule at stopping nervous system damage in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). That’s according to the full results of the Phase 3b NOVA clinical trial, which compared Tysabri dosing schedules…

The uncertainties that accompany multiple sclerosis (MS) are among the biggest challenges faced by people with the disease, with two-thirds of patients in a recent survey saying “they’re scared for the future” because of such unknowns, the MS Society, which conducted the U.K. survey, reports. “We may all think the…

In an unusual challenge, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada is raising millions to promote multiple sclerosis (MS) research in that country by having supporters rappel off the roof of a downtown Toronto office building. More than 145 individuals across at least 36 teams are expected to participate in the…

The National Institute for Health and Care Evidence (NICE) in England has issued a briefing on the use of Icometrix‘s icobrain system to assess disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) based on MRI scans. The NICE statement was in the form of a medtech innovation briefing, or…

The portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device, which improves walking abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), is now available commercially in the U.S. for patients ages 22 and older who have a prescription from their healthcare provider. The device was approved last year by the U.S. Food…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects all aspects of life, from physical and mental health to relationships, and from work and finances to hobbies and holidays, according to results from an online survey conducted by the U.K.’s MS Trust. Most respondents said they wanted more support to manage their fatigue, improve…

Quanterix’s ultra-sensitive blood test that measures a biomarker of nerve damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been granted a breakthrough device designation by U.S. regulators. It is thought that the test, which employs the company’s Simoa technology, can accurately predict the risk of disease activity in…

Long-term treatment with tolebrutinib significantly reduced signs of disease-related brain damage in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from a Phase 2 clinical trial and its extension study. Specifically, the investigational oral therapy was found to keep the number of inflamed brain lesions…

Kesimpta (ofatumumab) is now accessible to eligible Canadians with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) through public drug plans in Ontario and Quebec. The treatment has been included as an exceptional medication under both the Ontario Drug Benefit Exceptional Access Program and the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec. This…

Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) who in their first year after disease onset experience pyramidal symptoms, such as spasticity or weakness, visual problems, or show signs of cerebellum involvement like poorer coordination are more likely to have worse long-term disability, an analysis of registry data indicates. The analysis also…

The first participant has been enrolled in a new clinical trial that is testing whether an antihistamine in combination with a diabetes medication might promote the repair of the myelin sheath in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The trial’s first participant, Annabelle, was diagnosed with relapsing MS over a…

More relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients given ublituximab remained relapse-free over the two-year long Phase 3 ULTIMATE clinical trials, compared to those given Aubagio (teriflunomide), new data show. “The prevention of relapses represents an important goal of disease-modifying therapy with the potential for a marked impact on the accumulation of disability,” Lawrence Steinman,…

Serum levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) — proteins found in nerve cell projections — can help in the prediction of disease progression among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis of data from two large Phase 3 trials. The researchers said that NfL…

Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a), an approved treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), is detected at minimal concentrations in the breast milk of patients using the therapy postpartum, a small study showed. This is in line with label updates on Plegridy and other interferon beta therapies in Europe and…

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is presenting virtual and in-person ways to support its eighth annual Improving Lives Benefit, which will showcase more than a half-century of efforts for the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. The virtual event, themed “Together at Home,” will be held at…

The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China has agreed to approve a Phase 2 trial testing the safety and efficacy of the investigational therapy SN1011 in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). SN1011 is being developed by SinoMab Bioscience to treat a range of autoimmune and inflammatory…

There is minimal data available on the safety of most disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) when used during breastfeeding, a new review indicates. The study “Disease-Modifying Drugs and Breastfeeding in Multiple Sclerosis: A Narrative Literature Review,” was published in Frontiers in Neurology. Disease-modifying therapies, or DMTs,…