The MS Wire – A Column by Ed Tobias

MS_Wire_Ed_Tobias

Ed Tobias is a retired broadcast journalist. Most of his 40+ year career was spent as a manager with the Associated Press in Washington, DC. Tobias was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1980 but he continued to work, full-time, meeting interesting people and traveling to interesting places, until retiring at the end of 2012.

In his weekly column The MS Wire, Ed covers a wide range of topics related to the disease, seeking to bring to light patient perspectives on the latest science, research and disease management news, as well as connecting with fellow MS patients about their own personal experiences in coping with the disease.

June 1, 2020June 1, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Pollution and MS, ATA188, Ofatumumab, Zeposia

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Air Pollution of Urban Life Raises MS Risk, Study from Italy Suggests I grew up in New York City. It’s hard to get more urban than that. There weren’t ... Read more

May 29, 2020May 27, 2020

Am I Having an MS Relapse?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

As I sit down to write this week’s column, it’s hard for me to concentrate. I’d planned to write about new MS mobile apps, but I can’t get my ... Read more

May 26, 2020May 22, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Vascular Disease, Glatopa vs. Copaxone, Exercise Tips, MS App

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Higher Risk of Vascular Disease Among MS Patients in the UK, Population-based Study Reveals You’d think that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) would be likely to have vascular disease ... Read more

May 22, 2020May 21, 2020

Giving My Laptop the Weekend Off

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

My favorite line in the “Downton Abbey” TV series, uttered by the dowager played by Maggie Smith, is “What’s a weekend?” When you’re retired, if you’re working as a ... Read more

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Data, Epstein-Barr, PoNS Device, Mindfulness

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

COVID-19 May Not Be Severe in MS Patients, Early Data from Italy Suggest Keep in mind that COVID-19 information is dynamic. New data about this illness appear every day. ... Read more

May 15, 2020May 13, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Bafiertam, Stem Cell Transplant Damage, Gilenya Study, NurOwn Benefits

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

FDA Approves Bafiertam, Tecfidera Bioequivalent, for Relapsing MS This is the second disease-modifying therapy (DMT) OK’d by the FDA in the past few months. Bafiertam is a delayed-release pill ... Read more

May 8, 2020May 7, 2020

A Good News Story About an MS Treatment

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I love it when a multiple sclerosis treatment works well for someone. It doesn’t matter if that treatment is a medication, a form of physical therapy, or a diet. ... Read more

May 4, 2020May 4, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Diagnosis by Antibody, Ocrevus After 6 Years, Telemedicine, New DMT Pill

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

May 1, 2020May 12, 2020

How Has COVID-19 Affected Your MS Life?

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I canceled my April blood draw. The protocol for Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) requires lab work each month because the treatment can have serious side effects. But I spoke with my ... Read more

April 27, 2020April 27, 2020

News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus Infusion Time, Monocytes as a Therapy Target, MS and Work

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Shorter Ocrevus Infusion Time Up for Approval in US and Europe One of the drawbacks to infusion therapies is the time a patient spends in a recliner receiving the ... Read more

April 24, 2020May 12, 2020

COVID-19, Joey Cocker, and Me

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It’s comforting to have this guy, with his floppy ears, stretched out next to me as I sit here writing. I don’t know why, but the fact that Joey, ... Read more

April 20, 2020May 12, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Fampyra, COVID-19, Vitamin D, Neurodegeneration

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Fampyra, Aid for Walking, Favored for Inclusion in NHS Scotland I used Ampyra, as Fampyra is known in the U.S., for about a year. It improved my walking a ... Read more

April 17, 2020May 12, 2020

A Snapshot of COVID-19 and Disease-modifying Therapies

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Are people with MS more susceptible than the average person to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19? And if COVID-19 attacks them, what’s the likely course of their illness? What ... Read more

April 13, 2020May 12, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Database, ATA188 Trial Postponed, Teen Smoking, Myelin and Fruit Peels

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

New Database to Compile COVID-19 Data About People with MS and Related Diseases There are databases in the U.K. and other parts of Europe for tracking people with MS ... Read more

April 10, 2020April 8, 2020

My Lemtrada Journey, 2 Years After My Second Round

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Happy Lemtrada anniversary to me! It’s been two years since I completed my second round of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) infusions, and I’m happy to say that the results have been ... Read more

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Exercise, Diet, and Myelin

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Regular Exercise ‘Strongly Recommended’ to Ease Fatigue in MS This may seem like a no-brainer. But once upon a time, neurologists told people with MS to avoid exercise. They ... Read more

April 3, 2020April 28, 2020

Neurologists Turn to Telemedicine During Coronavirus Sheltering

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Dr. Aaron Boster assessed the gait of his multiple sclerosis patient, who walked forward and back. Earlier, he had checked the patient’s seventh cranial nerve by having him close ... Read more

March 27, 2020April 28, 2020

Online Coronavirus Screening May Not Be Ready for Prime Time

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A number of websites are currently offering online coronavirus screening. These aren’t a full-scale test. The online sites read symptoms that you enter and then use artificial intelligence to ... Read more

March 23, 2020April 28, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Coronavirus and DMTs, Gilenya and Pediatric MS, Ponesimod for RRMS, Cannabis for Spasticity

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’m starting this week by linking to our Coronavirus COVID-19 Information section on the Multiple Sclerosis News Today Forums. My fellow moderator, John Connor, and I have been posting ... Read more

March 20, 2020April 28, 2020

Have You Tested Positive for Coronavirus with MS?

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

What happens if you have MS and you’ve tested positive for COVID-19? How will the disease affect your disease-modifying therapies and your MS? Dr. Barry Singer, (@drbarrysinger), a neurologist ... Read more

March 16, 2020May 12, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Coronavirus Updates, MD1003 Trial Fails to Meet Goals, Sativex and Spasticity Relief, NurOwn Trial Site Announced

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The past week was filled with news about the new coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease that it causes. This story continues to evolve, so it makes no sense to ... Read more

March 13, 2020May 12, 2020

Guidelines for DMT Use as COVID-19 Spreads

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

People with multiple sclerosis have unique concerns about the new coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease that it causes. Many of us use disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that suppress our immune ... Read more

March 9, 2020May 12, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Coronavirus FAQs, Diet, Ozanimod Study, High-dose Vitamin D

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

FAQs About Coronavirus and MS As the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease spreads around the world, people with multiple sclerosis are asking questions specifically related to our illness ... Read more

March 6, 2020March 4, 2020

FDA Approval of Investigational DMT Ozanimod May Be Weeks Away

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

By the end of this month, another disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis may be available in the U.S. Ozanimod is an investigational daily pill for the treatment of ... Read more

March 2, 2020March 2, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Remyelination Research in Animal Models, Depression and Neurological Function, Ofatumumab Approval Moves Closer

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

In this column, I’ll be highlighting some of the research presented at this year’s Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum, held last week in ... Read more

February 28, 2020February 26, 2020

MS Is a Rare Disease? I Think Not

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Feb. 29 is Rare Disease Day. It’s a day on which those in the rare disease community attempt to raise awareness about their diseases. I don’t think MS should ... Read more

February 24, 2020February 24, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: New Baclofen Pump, Bone Marrow Transplant Study, Bladder Problems and Life Quality, Urinary Diversion Surgery

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Flowonix’s Prometra II Pump System Receives FDA Approval for Use with Intrathecal Baclofen This new pump could be a major step forward for people with multiple sclerosis who use ... Read more

February 21, 2020February 19, 2020

Myeliviz Brings Hope for Faster MS Diagnosis

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Myeliviz is the name of a new compound approved for a clinical trial in the U.S. that has the potential to make the process of diagnosing multiple sclerosis faster ... Read more

February 17, 2020February 24, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Report on Ocrevus Use, Cognitive Decline in MS, Gold Nanocrystals and Remyelination Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ocrevus Use Rises Among New Starters with RRMS, Loses Ground to Other Therapies in PPMS Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) bolted out of the starting gate after it was approved for use ... Read more

February 14, 2020February 21, 2020

Smoking and MS: Not a Good Match

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Some interesting statistics about people with multiple sclerosis in the U.K. have been released by Public Health England. The numbers are intended to help health commissioners and providers assess ... Read more

February 10, 2020February 10, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Methionine, MSCT, Spinal Fluid, and BTK Blocker Studies

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Dietary Changes May Delay Development and Progression of MS, Study Finds Methionine is an amino acid found in meat, eggs, and dairy. It’s absorbed by T-cells that are part ... Read more

February 7, 2020February 5, 2020

Bladder Problems Keep Many of Us Looking for the Loo

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Are you frequently up at night for bathroom trips? When you’re outside, are you always looking for a loo? You’re not alone. A recent study confirms that the vast ... Read more

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Epstein-Barr, UTI Factors, New Myelin Imaging Agent, Nerve Impulses and Demyelination

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Epstein-Barr Virus and Certain Genes Interact in Ways That Can Promote MS, Study Finds Much has been written over the years about a possible connection between the Epstein-Barr virus ... Read more

January 31, 2020February 6, 2020

Rising MS Medication Costs Mean Some Patients Are Skipping Doses

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Forced by medication costs to choose between regularly taking their medications or buying groceries, some people with multiple sclerosis are choosing the groceries. Some are skipping doses and others ... Read more

January 27, 2020January 27, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mayzent for SPMS Approved in EU, Memory Training, Trial of Music-based Product to Improve Walking

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Mayzent Helps Regulate the Immune System in SPMS, Study Shows Mayzent (siponimod) is one of several disease-modifying treatments that target specific T-cells and B-cells involved in damage to the ... Read more

January 24, 2020January 22, 2020

April Hester Is Lacing Up Her MS Hiking Boots Again

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

When I wrote about April Hester two years ago, she and her husband, Bernie, had just finished hiking the 500 miles of South Carolina’s Palmetto Trail. That’s no small ... Read more

January 20, 2020January 20, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: High Cost of MS Meds; MS Progression, Relapse, and DMT Timing; Remyelinating Therapy Trial; Myelin Regeneration Mouse Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Almost Half of MS Patients Change or Stop DMT Due to High Financial Burden, Survey Shows I frequently see reports of this on multiple sclerosis patient websites. People with ... Read more

January 17, 2020January 16, 2020

Stem Cells Versus DMTs: MS Treatments Go Head to Head

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

People with multiple sclerosis have been waiting for this: A full-scale clinical trial testing the effectiveness of stem cell transplantation as an MS treatment. The trial is being conducted ... Read more

January 13, 2020January 13, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: AHSCT Trial Enlisting, Interferon-beta and Pregnancy, Probiotics, Language and Brain Health

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

New Trial Compares Stem Cell Treatment to Available Therapies for Severe Relapsing MS This is a biggie. The U.S. National Institutes of Health is conducting a head to head ... Read more