January 11, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD 2nd Patient to Get Foralumab Nasal Spray After Promising First Data Following promising data from the first participant in a special access program that’s testingĀ foralumabĀ nasal spray forĀ secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a second patient has been enrolled in the ongoing evaluation. The first patient in the study, by Tiziana Life Sciences, the nasal spray’s developer, was halfway through…
September 30, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Oct. 4 Online Conference Offers Latest Insights Into Progressive MS An upcoming conference focused on progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) will offer the latest insights about the underlying biology of the disease, and treatment and clinical strategies in development. The one-day conference, “Emerging Research & Trial Strategies for Progressive Multiple Sclerosis,” is taking place virtually on Oct. 4,and is…
August 6, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD MD1003 Aids Walking Speed in Progressive MS, But Carries Risks High-dose biotin aided walking speed in people with progressive multiple sclerosis after 12 to 15 months as an add-on treatment, an analysis of placebo-controlled clinical trials shows. However, the therapy failed to improve other measures of disability, and was associated with inaccurate lab test results caused by high levels…
July 2, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Trials of IMU-838 in RRMS, Progressive MS Start Later This Year The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Immunic Therapeutics to initiate two clinical trials of its investigational medicationĀ IMU-838 (vidofludimus calcium) in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), as well as a separate trial for people with progressive types of MS. The RRMS clinical trial program, expected…
May 26, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD First SPMS Patient Dosed With Foralumab Nasal Spray Foralumab, an investigational anti-CD3 antibody that is administered via a nasal spray, has been given for the first time to a person with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). It was administered under an Individual Patient Expanded Access Program, which earnedĀ approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in…
April 20, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā Measuring Blood Proteins Could Predict Disability in SPMS Editorās note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17ā22. GoĀ here to read the latest stories from the conference. Among people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) without active disease, high blood levels of the…
April 16, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Helper T-cells Drive Transition from RRMS to SPMS, Study Suggests A group of helper T-cell (Th cells), a type of immune cell, could be responsible for the transition from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), with important implications for diagnosing and treating SPMS, a new study found. The study, āInvolvement of cytotoxic Eomes-expressing…
April 1, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD SPMS Patient First To Be Treated With Antibody Given via Nasal Spray For a first time, an immune-modulating antibody will be given via nasal administration to treat a person with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a request to use the antibody ā a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody called foralumab ā under an…
March 26, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Rituximab Fails to Lessen Brain Inflammation in Progressive MS Trial Injecting rituximab ā a cancer therapy sometimes used inĀ multiple sclerosis ā into the spinal canal of people with progressive forms of MS did not demonstrably lower inflammation or improve clinical conditions, according to the results of a small trial. “Contrary to the initial high expectations, no clear-cut effect on…
June 26, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS NICE Does Not Favor Adding Mayzent to NHS England for Active SPMS TheĀ National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is recommending againstĀ Mayzent (siponimod) as a treatment for active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) in the U.K., because its cost-effectiveness relative to an existing treatment for these patients is not known. NICE’s draft guidance for Mayzent is open…
April 22, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Starting Mayzent Early of Greater Benefit in SPMS, 5-Year Trial Data Show People with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) who began treatment with MayzentĀ early and continued its use for years are less likely to experience disability progression than those starting the medication later in their disease course, five-year data from the EXPAND study suggest. Data from this same Phase 3…
April 14, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus Use Still Growing in Europe But Challenges on Horizon, Spherix Reports Prescriptions ofĀ RocheāsĀ OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab) among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients initiating or switching aĀ disease-modifying therapy (DMT) continue to rise in Europe, according toĀ a surveyĀ conducted byĀ Spherix Global Insights. Ocrevus, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody administered directly into a vein,Ā was approved in the European UnionĀ to treat active forms…
March 26, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD FDA Approves Zeposia (Ozanimod), Oral Therapy for All with Relapsing MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ZeposiaĀ (ozanimod) oral capsules to treat adults with relapsing forms ofĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), includingĀ relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), Ā active secondary progressive MS (SPMS), and clinically isolated syndromeĀ (CIS). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, when it will arrive in clinics…
February 24, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Masitinib Slows Disability Progression in PPMS and Non-active SPMS, Phase 2/3 Trial Reports AB Science‘sĀ masitinib significantly slowed disability progression in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and non-active secondary progressive MS (SPMS) at a lower dose of 4.5 mg/kg a day, top-line results from a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial show. Masitinib, formerly known as AB1010, is an oral…
January 21, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Mayzent Approved in Europe as First Oral Treatment for Active Secondary Progressive MS TheĀ European CommissionĀ has approvedĀ Novartis‘s MayzentĀ (siponimod) as the first oral treatment for adults with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (SPMS). Active SPMS is defined by the presence of evident relapses or the detection of inflammatory activity in brain lesions on imaging scans. āAs the only indicated oral therapy proven for…
December 2, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Mount Sinai Taking Part in Phase 2 Trial of NurOwn Cell Therapy in Progressive MS Mount Sinai Medical Center has joined withĀ BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics to explore the safety and efficacy of NurOwn as a potential treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in an ongoing Phase 2 trial. The New York center is the fourth clinical site participating in the trial, in addition…
November 22, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Ocrevus Top Choice of US Neurologists for Active SPMS, But Mayzent and Mavenclad Gaining Interest, Report Says Genentech‘sĀ OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab) continues to be the most prescribed medication to reduce inflammatory disease in people with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (SPMS) amongĀ U.S. neurologists, even though Novartis’Ā MayzentĀ (siponimod) and EMD Serono’sĀ MavencladĀ (cladribine) were approved in March to treat this same MS…
November 18, 2019 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Mayzent Approved in Australia as First Treatment for Secondary Progressive MS Novartisās MayzentĀ (siponimod) has been approved by Australiaās Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), making it the first therapy to be approved for this use in Australia. SPMS is a form of MS that develops after the onset of…
November 15, 2019 News by Grace Frank CHMP Favors Mayzent as Oral Treatment Specifically for Active SPMS Patients in EU The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued an opinion supporting MayzentĀ (siponimod) as an oral treatment specifically for adults with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (SPMS) in the European Union. Opinions released by CHMP, an arm of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), carry weight and are…
November 11, 2019 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Early Damage on Brain Scans and Greater 5-Year Disability Help Predict 30-Year Outcomes in MS, Study Finds A 30-year study of outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients reports that radiological findings in the first year of disease onset, and the amount of disability evident at five years, helps to predict both the likelihood of a person advancing toĀ secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and long-term survival. The study,…
November 4, 2019 by Vaidyanathan Subramaniam Emotional Disturbances and SPMS About 65% of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)Ā will progress to a second stage of the disease called secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). People with SPMS often have a variety of symptoms that can lead to a roller coaster of emotional changes. Here are some ways to…
November 1, 2019 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Study: 40% of SPMS Patients in Italy and Germany Unaware of Diagnosis A new study shows that 40% of patients in Italy and Germany who have Ā secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) are not aware of their diagnosis, indicating a need for significant improvement in patient-physician communication.
October 30, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Vumerity Approved in US as Treatment for RRMS and Active SPMS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Vumerity (diroximel fumarate)Ā for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), including clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and active secondary progressive disease (SPMS). Vumerity (previously known as ALKS 8700) was developed by Alkermes…
October 23, 2019 News by Alejandra Viviescas, PhD NfL and CHI3L1 Work as Biomarkers of Disease Activity and Progression in MS, Study Says The levels ofĀ neurofilament light chainĀ (NfL) and chitinase3-like1 (CHI3L1) in the cerebrospinal fluid ā the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord ā serve as respective biomarkers of disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. Measuring levels of both proteins also helps to…
October 23, 2019 by Emily Malcolm Is SPMS Going to Affect My Life Expectancy? Receiving a diagnosis ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive neurological disorder, can be frightening. One of the first things patients ask is ā what does this mean for me? Will my life expectancy drop with this diagnosis? What is life expectancy? Life expectancy is a “best guess” of…
October 22, 2019 by Emily Malcolm SPMS and Diet: What Foods Can Help? ManyĀ treatmentsĀ for multiple sclerosis (MS) are targeted at reducing inflammation, thereby slowing progression of the autoimmune disease. An anti-inflammatory diet also may slow disease progression, as well as enhance the positive effects of anti-inflammatory medications. In MS, the immune system mistakenly attacks the protein coat that surrounds nerve…
September 26, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MRI Marker May Be Better at Predicting MS Disease Progression, Study Finds The volume of atrophied (shrunken) regions in the brain, as visible through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, can predict disease progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), new research reveals. The finding was published in the journalĀ Radiology in an article titled, “Atrophied Brain T2 Lesion Volume…
September 20, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Mayzent’s Benefits from a Patient Perspective a ‘Key Question,’ Says EXPAND’s Principal Investigator The most recent data continue to support Mayzent‘s (siponimod) benefits and provide more insights on how this therapy can make a difference for those with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) ā in particular, data showing the therapy lowers the risk of becoming wheelchair-dependent. New results from…
September 18, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 ā Ponesimod Superior to Aubagio in Relapsing MS, OPTIMUM Trial Shows Actelion‘s ponesimod, an investigational oral treatment, is superior to Sanofi‘s Aubagio (teriflunomide) in lessening the frequency of relapses and easing fatigue symptoms in adults with active, relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), results of the OPTIMUM trial show. These data will lay the ground for submissions…
September 18, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Data Shows Ublituximab’s Long-term Safety in Relapsing MS, TG Therapeutics Announced Ublituximab continues to be safe and well-tolerated by people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) after a median follow-up of 124.7 weeks ā more than 2 years ā according to data from an extension Phase 2 trial. The data were shown in a…