News

Cortrophin Gel (repository corticotropin injection), an injectable gel medication approved for acute flares in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other chronic autoimmune diseases, is now available through the AllianceRx Walgreens Prime specialty pharmacy to patients living in the U.S. First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England is set to again recommend against adding Fampyra (fampridine) to the list of medications available to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with walking difficulties through the country’s national health service (NHS). The poor cost-effectiveness of Fampyra — sold…

Protxx and the University of Victoria are partnering to explore digital biomarkers for multiple sclerosis (MS) that may improve monitoring of disease progression, and facilitate more personalized care and a better quality of life. The digital biomarkers are based on motion vibrations picked up by Protxx’s wearable “phybrata”…

Certain treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) — specifically, anti-CD20 antibody therapies and Gilenya (fingolimod) — are likely to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines for COVID-19, according to a new study. “Highlighting groups who have mounted an inadequate vaccine response has already been helpful in guiding who should receive…

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who receive high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) before conception have a greater risk of relapses and disability progression during pregnancy than those given moderate-efficacy or no DMTs, according to a systematic review of studies. Exclusive breastfeeding for at least two to four months, however,…

There is minimal evidence that the expensive anti-inflammatory medication Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) is more effective than inexpensive corticosteroids for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases, according to a new review paper. “We found no evidence where it was a conclusive slam dunk that…

Fatigue management — whether through a symptom-specific self-management program or through general education regarding managing multiple sclerosis (MS) — may help people with MS in keeping fatigue levels stable in the long term, a recent study suggests. Indeed, the benefits of such programs were found to remain in effect…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to review TG Therapeutics’ application seeking the approval of ublituximab as a treatment for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. An FDA’s decision is expected on or before Sept. 28. The agency is not currently planning to hold an…

Owning a dog, cat or other household pet during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has helped multiple sclerosis (MS) patients gain a better overall sense of their health and well-being, a single-site survey by mail of people in the U.K. reported. But pet-owning patients reported no significant improvements in their…

Leaders of the International Progressive MS Alliance have proposed a global research strategy to find better ways to care for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). They detailed their proposal in the paper, “Charting a global research strategy for progressive MS—An international progressive MS…

Visual disturbances are common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly among those with secondary progressive MS (SPMS), longer disease duration, and worse disability status, a new study has found. Yet, “visual complaints may occur in people with all types of MS, anytime along the disease course, and…

Children and young adults who spend more time outdoors in the sunshine are less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study, which suggests that sunshine might help to protect against the disease. “Advising regular time in the sun of at least 30 minutes daily especially…

An imaging technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT) could be useful for monitoring nervous system damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially early on in the disease, a study in patients reports. The study, “Optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis: A 3-year prospective multicenter study,”…

A new subset of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) — a type of immune cell known mostly for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects in the gut — infiltrates the brain and promotes the abnormal immune attacks that drive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study in a mouse model…

The National MS Society has announced it is funding 13 new research projects that seek to better understand the risk factors involved in multiple sclerosis (MS) development and progression. The funding — nearly $7 million in total — also will go to “rescue” 22 MS-related research projects that…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Lyvispah, a dissolvable granular formulation of baclofen, to treat spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The strawberry-flavored formulation, developed by Saol Therapeutics, is particularly suitable to ease flexor spasticity, the involuntary bending of the knees and hips toward the…

Sensorimotor exercise, which aims to improve the neuromuscular system with reduced pressure interventions, such as robotic-assisted training or aquatic exercises, was found to have the greatest total benefits on both mental and physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, aerobic exercises — such…

Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Aubagio (teriflunomide) are the preferred disease-modifying treatments for managing relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in Canada, according to a report from Spherix Global Insights. The report was part of Spherix’s RealTime Dynamix: Multiple Sclerosis (Canada) service, which collects data on market trends of MS…

Having a greater sense of control over life circumstances — a coping resource called mastery — is associated with a significantly lower risk of future depression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, an international study shows. The findings suggest that developing greater mastery may prevent MS patients from developing depression,…

The use of oral contraceptives does not increase the risk of a second attack of symptoms or the progression of disability in women with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or early stage multiple sclerosis, a study demonstrated. Notably, the researchers also “did not find a protective effect on disability…

While older multiple sclerosis (MS) patients whose conditions are stable commonly stop using disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), a study indicates this decision can shortly lead to a marked disease worsening in a substantial portion of them. “Our results raise important questions about the accepted practice of discontinuing medications once MS…

Lucid-MS, a new chemical molecule being developed by FSD Pharma for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), has shown the ability to restore motor function in an animal model of the disease, the company announced. After about 50 days of treatment, animals receiving Lucid-MS showed a marked decrease…

Taking the hormone melatonin may increase overall sleep quality in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a clinical trial found. The compound, available as an over-the-counter dietary supplement, was particularly effective at extending sleep time in patients. Of note, sleep time decreased with age, meaning that “younger participants may have…

Aubagio (teriflunomide) failed to significantly reduce relapses in children with multiple sclerosis (MS), but two years of treatment decreased the number of brain lesions on MRI scans, according to the final results of the Phase 3 TERIKIDS clinical trial. Importantly, the lack of a signficantly lower relapse rate…

A class of immune-suppressing medications called TNF-alpha inhibitors can reduce the efficacy of vaccines for COVID-19, according to a study that included patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. The results also suggest that a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine may help to protect patients with…

Low vitamin D levels in the bloodstream are associated with slower information processing speeds in people with early-stage multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. “Our data support the hypothesis that vitamin D is involved in cognition in MS,” its researchers concluded. The study, “Serum Vitamin D as…

A researcher at the University of Houston has received a $100,000 grant to investigate adherence to oral disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and correlations between adherence patterns and disease outcomes over time. The one-year grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was awarded…

A nuclear protein called heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 or hnRNP A1 — abnormally found outside the nucleus in people with neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) — is essential for nerve cell function and survival. Those are the findings of a new study, by Canadian researchers, of nerve…

A new collaboration between Arterys and Combinostics seeks to bring comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) imaging solutions to the diagnosis and care of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases. Under the partnership, Arterys will include Combinostics’ AI-powered cNeuro on its medical imaging cloud AI platform…

Certain cell therapies that hold promise for treating autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis might work not because of the way the cells live in the body during treatment, but because of how they die. A better understanding of how these cell therapies work “is important in designing treatment protocols…