The MS Wire – A Column by 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.

March 30, 2020March 30, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 and MS, Zeposia Approved, Talk Therapy, Temelimab Trial Postponed

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

As the COVID-19 pandemic swirls around us, we will continue to provide our readers with information about the novel coronavirus and many other MS topics at our MS News ... Read more

March 27, 2020March 25, 2020

Online Coronavirus Screening May Not Be Ready for Prime Time

Columns, 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, 2020March 23, 2020

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

Columns, 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, 2020March 19, 2020

Have You Tested Positive for Coronavirus with MS?

Columns, 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, 2020March 16, 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, 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, 2020March 13, 2020

Guidelines for DMT Use as COVID-19 Spreads

Columns, 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, 2020March 11, 2020

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

Columns, 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

January 10, 2020January 8, 2020

I Was Seconds Away from Calling the Medics

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

My nose started running about a week before the sledgehammer hit. Then came a chesty cough, not yet as serious as the one that had my wife wheezing, but ... Read more

December 20, 2019January 8, 2020

Who’s Willing to Accept More DMT Risk, You or Your Neuro?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

As more high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are being made available, people with multiple sclerosis have to decide how much risk they’re willing to accept in exchange for the treatment’s ... Read more

December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: US Patent for Remyelination Therapy, Tysabri and Inflammation, Canada Funding Mavenclad

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

MetP Pharma Awarded US Patent for Potential Remyelination Therapy Mention remyelination and the reaction from most of us with multiple sclerosis is probably, “How soon?” This announcement makes me ... Read more

December 13, 2019December 11, 2019

Have You Joined the Conversations in Our MS Forums?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

About a year and a half ago, Multiple Sclerosis News Today introduced a forums section. It’s a great place to post a question or comment about MS, or to ... Read more

December 9, 2019December 9, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Gilenya Generics, MS Pain and Fatigue Toolkit, Profit Drives MS Meds Prices, MS and Sugar Link

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

FDA Approves Three Generic Versions of Novartis’ Gilenya for Treating Relapsing MS It’s always nice to hear about generics becoming available to replace expensive multiple sclerosis treatments. But I ... Read more

December 6, 2019December 4, 2019

I’ve Had Success with the Bioness L300 Go This Time Around

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I used the Bioness L300, a functional electrical stimulation (FES) device, for about seven years to counter my left foot drop. I strapped it to my leg just below ... Read more

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Immunoadsorption, MS Therapies Approval, Cannabis-based Capsules for Study, Pregnancy and MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Immunoadsorption May Be Superior to Plasma Exchange in Treating Steroid-resistant Relapses in MS Steroids may be an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis relapses, but they have negative side effects. ... Read more

November 22, 2019November 19, 2019

It’s Freezing and I’m Stuck on My Scooter

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It happened on the coldest day of the season. It was 16 degrees F with wind chill. I was outside, using my electric scooter to take Joey, our cocker ... Read more

November 18, 2019November 18, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mayzent in EU for SPMS; Depression, Fatigue, and Quality of Life; Acthar Gel; Soothie Cushion

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

CHMP Favors Mayzent as Oral Treatment Specifically for Active SPMS Patients in EU Mayzent (siponimod) is one of the newest disease-modifying treatments (DMT). I’m pleased that the Committee for ... Read more

November 15, 2019November 13, 2019

Is It Good that Google Is Crunching Our Healthcare Data?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Google has quietly teamed up with Ascension, one of the largest healthcare organizations in the United States, to process the medical records of millions of people. According to The ... Read more

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: EU Lemtrada Safety Guidance, Targeted Treatment Project, SPMS Patients Unaware of Diagnosis

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

EMA Safety Group Advises Lemtrada Be Limited to ‘Highly Active’ RRMS Patients at Hospitals with ICUs I’m highlighting this report because, like several Europe-based doctors I know, I think ... Read more

November 8, 2019November 6, 2019

Top MS Worries Highlight the Need for a Comprehensive Care Program

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

What worries you most about living with multiple sclerosis? I’m catching up with a small survey by Can Do MS, an organization that promotes health and wellness education programs. ... Read more

November 4, 2019November 4, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Vumerity Approval, Low Antibody Levels in MS Patients, GA Depot Trial, Tecfidera Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Vumerity Approved in US as Treatment for RRMS and Active SPMS By my count, Vumerity is the 18th disease-modifying therapy (DMT) that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ... Read more

November 1, 2019October 30, 2019

My Lemtrada Journey: Observations at 18 Months After Round 2

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It’s time for another update on how I’ve been doing with my Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) treatments. The bottom line is that I’m doing well. Lemtrada is a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) ... Read more

October 28, 2019October 28, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Cognitive Impairment, Genetic Variant Risk Factor, Protein Biomarkers, Gilenya Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Higher Intellectual Ability, Early-life Physical Activity May Protect Against Cognitive Impairment in MS, Study Suggests The finding that physical activity provides a protective effect for cognitive abilities makes sense ... Read more

October 25, 2019October 22, 2019

Am I Too Old for Aggressive MS Treatment?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A question raised by neurologist Gavin Giovannoni on the Barts-MS blog lit up my radar recently. Dr. G asked whether “elderly” people with MS should be treated differently than ... Read more

October 21, 2019October 21, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Injectable DMTs, Ofatumumab ‘Success Story,’ MS and Night Shift Work, MS Biomarker Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

#ECTRIMS2019 – Are Injectables Inappropriate for Active Relapsing MS Treatment? Injectable disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have been around for a long time. I took part in a Phase 3 clinical ... Read more