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A variant of the HLA-DRB1 gene — called HLA-DRB1*03 — appears to predispose people to developing multiple sclerosis (MS) in childhood, and to correlate with greater disease activity among those who do, a study in Greek patients suggests. The research also points to a protective role of one other variant of this…

Ursolic acid, a compound found in some herbs and in the peels of certain fruits, promoted nerve cell repair and restored the myelin sheath covering and protecting nerve endings in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. Due to its strong anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory…

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society have created a new database to track COVID-19 infections in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related diseases. The database, called COViMS (COVID-19 Infections in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases),…

Changing the gut’s microbial community (microbiota) with antibiotics prevented the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), but not its progression after the disease was established, data from a mouse model of the disease show. These findings support evidence that microbiota manipulations affect inflammatory immune responses involved in MS development, but…

The small variants seen in the DNA code among individuals may affect the ability of oligodendrocytes to produce myelin, the protective coat surrounding neurons and whose destruction is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. These findings open the possibility of new therapeutic options that target the…

Specialist inpatient rehabilitation is a cost-effective strategy that can improve the clinical outcomes of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly those at more advanced stages of the disease, a study in the United Kingdom (U.K.) found. The study, “Cost-efficiency of specialist inpatient rehabilitation for adults with…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Atara Biotherapeutics has temporarily paused patient enrollment in the second and randomized part of its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial investigating ATA188 in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). People treated in the first, open-label part of this trial, however,…

People exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke during adolescence may be more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life, a study suggests. The study, “Exposure to passive smoking during adolescence is associated with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis,” was published in the Multiple…

Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a) and Avonex (interferon beta-1a), both by Biogen, may be used — if necessary — by women with relapsing multiple sclerosis who are pregnant or breastfeeding, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in updating prescribing information for these MS treatments. Due to the limited…

New or worsening headaches are a more common side effect of interferon-beta (IFN-beta) treatment in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than previously appreciated, a new study suggests. The study, “Interferon-Beta-Induced Headache in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Frequency and Characterization,” was published in the Journal of Pain Research.

For multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with considerable disability, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) appears to lower the risk of continued progression in both relapsing and primary progressive forms of the disease, data from an exploratory and post-hoc analysis of three Phase 3 trials report. These findings were in the study, “…

Physical exercise can ease fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and potentially benefit them in many other ways, and should be part of rehabilitation programs for patients, a large review study suggests. The study, “The impact of physical exercise on the fatigue symptoms in patients with…

A study from Spain found the diet of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to contain more fat and protein, and fewer carbohydrates, than recommended, which was linked to abdominal weight gain and higher levels of inflammation. As “an excessive intake of lipids” is known to be “related to oxidative stress…

Truxima, a biosimilar of rituximab, is comparable to the originator therapy in terms of effectiveness and safety for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. Rituximab — marketed as Rituxan in the United States — is an antibody-based therapy that works by killing B-cells, which are immune cells…

A nerve cell protein found in the blood shows potential as a biomarker of neuroinflammation and future neurodegeneration in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. The protein, called serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL), is a known marker of injury to axons (nerve…

EHP-101, a cannabidiol-derived investigational therapy being developed by Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals (EHP) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), is not a controlled substance in Canada, the company announced. The active ingredient in EHP-101 is a derivative of cannabidiol, abbreviated CBD. This is one of the most well-known active compounds in…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have lower than usual levels of molecules called bile acids circulating in their blood, a  study found. These molecules, produced in the liver to aid fat absorption in the gut, also appear to block inflammation and nerve cell damage in the brain. Oral treatment with …

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended Zeposia (ozanimod) oral capsules to be approved in the European Union (EU) to treat adults with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Opinions released by CHMP, an arm of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), are generally accepted by the European Commission,…

Researchers developed a way of reprograming cells to use synthetic materials — provided by the team — to create artificial, working structures within or about the cells. This approach may be a way to reprogram nerve cells to produce myelin-like protective polymers — large molecules made of many repeating…

Using a mix of broad diagnostic terms and more disease-specific ones may help physicians and patients to better communicate symptoms of autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis (MS) that are not always obvious or easy to explain, a study reported. The study, “Using autoimmune strategically: Diagnostic lumping, splitting,…

ANI Pharmaceuticals is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the right to reintroduce in the U.S. market its Cortrophin Gel (repository corticotropin injection, 80 U/ml) to treat acute exacerbations in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases. Currently, the only repository corticotropin injection available in…

The neurotechnology company Helius Medical Technologies has received authorization from Health Canada to market its portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device to treat gait deficit in patients with mild-to-moderate multiple sclerosis…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zeposia (ozanimod) oral capsules to treat adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), including relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS),  active secondary progressive MS (SPMS), and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, when it will arrive in clinics…

Continuous production of fatty molecules (lipids) is crucial to the maintenance of the myelin sheath that wraps nerve fibers to protect them, ensuring the transmission of electrical impulses between nerve cells, a study reported. These findings may have strong implications for treating disorders caused by myelin loss, including…

Cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of “talk” therapy, may help ease the severity of insomnia, fatigue, and anxiety in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), improving the quality of their sleep, data from a single-site trial suggest. The study “Feasibility and Treatment Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia…

Older age at onset and evidence of active disease, like clinical relapses or inflammatory brain lesions, significantly increase the likelihood of  faster disability progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), a natural history study suggests. These findings — which included active disease being seen in 31% of the 178…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the clinical hold and cleared the investigational new drug (IND) application to assess IMS001 in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), ImStem Biotechnology announced. The company plans to start a Phase 1 study in the U.S. this…

A planned Phase 2 clinical trial of a potential treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis has been postponed to keep hospital resources open to treat people with COVID-19 during the ongoing global outbreak, and to reduce the risk of exposure to MS patients, GeNeuro, the investigate therapy’s developer, announced. The…

Ethnicity does not seem to have an influence on the degree of cognitive impairment seen in patients at the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), a U.S.-based study suggests. The study, “Race, ethnicity, and cognition in persons newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the…

Janssen has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking for ponesimod to be approved as an oral treatment for adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). Ponesimod, formerly ACT-128800, is an experimental treatment that targets the protein sphingosine-1-phosphate…