MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Neural Sleeve, Supplements, Ocrevus, Cladribine Injection
Wearable ‘Neural Sleeve’ Counters Foot Drop, Aids Mobility in Study
This is a neat concept, described by the manufacturer as a lightweight sleeve on the lower leg that predicts the movement a leg is about to make. Then it sends a signal to the muscles to help lift that foot. The device is supposed to be similar to a legging and fashionable enough to wear with shorts. This seems to be similar to how my Bioness L300 Go functional electrical stimulator works to counter my foot drop, though this device may be lighter and prettier.
The neural sleeve has generated some “Where can I get this?” comments on our MS News Today Facebook page, but keep in mind that it’s not yet approved for marketing. A proposal for it hasn’t even been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration yet. There’s also been no mention of what it might cost.
People in a Neural Sleeve gait study were reported to show an “average improvement” of 143% in foot drop, a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that hinder mobility, its developer, Cionic, reports.
The wearable “bionic” device — which analyzes, predicts, and augments a person’s movement — is designed to help people with such conditions move about with greater ease and independence.
Click here or on the headline to read the full story.
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Long-term Supplement Use May Improve Gait, Strength in RRMS
I take a multivitamin for general health, vitamin D3 to help my MS, and calcium for my bones. But I’ve never been treated with anything like the special combination of antioxidants and fatty acids described in this article. I’ve read comments from many people over the years who strongly believe in using all sort of supplements, and maybe there’s a magic mix that we should all know about. So, I’m happy to see a placebo-controlled study like this one that provides some real measurements of supplement efficacy.
Long-term use of a high-dose nutritional supplement containing specific antioxidant vitamins and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may boost walking performance and other measures of functional capacity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new study found.
The study, “The Effects of Specific Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Antioxidant Vitamins on Gait and Functional Capacity Parameters in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis,” was published in Nutrients.
Click here or on the headline to read the full story.
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Ocrevus Benefited RRMS Patients Who Responded Poorly to DMTs
Here’s another positive report about Ocrevus. It’s encouraging to read that there was no evidence of disease progression after switching to Ocrevus in patients whose MS had been progressing on other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). But I have a question and a comment: Would these positive results have been similar if these patients had switched to a different high-efficacy DMT other than Ocrevus? Also, note that this study was sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Roche, and Ocrevus’ developer, Genentech, is a subsidiary of Roche.
Most relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients switching to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) following suboptimal responses to other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) show no evidence of disease activity, according to final two-year data from the European-based CASTING Phase 3b trial.
These clinical benefits, which entail no relapses or disease progression and no new or enlarging brain lesions over the trial’s duration, were observed across a wide range of patient subgroups, regardless of prior treatment background, and were not associated with new safety concerns.
Click here or on the headline to read the full story.
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Cladribine as Injection May Limit Relapsing MS Progression for Years
This is another study with encouraging results. However, cladribine injections aren’t approved to treat MS. This research is based on off-label use of the medication by 52 patients diagnosed with relapsing MS and treated in Poland between 1996 and 2020. The research team suggests a “cautious interpretation” of their results.
Patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with subcutaneous cladribine saw limited disease progression over a follow-up period of up to 20 years, especially with increased cumulative dosing, according to a recent study.
Subcutaneous (SC) cladribine is administered as an under-the-skin injection. It is a formulation different from Mavenclad, marketed by EMD Serono (Merck KGaA outside of the U.S. and Canada), an oral formulation of cladribine that is approved to treat relapsing MS.
Click here or on the headline to read the full story.
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Reg Bavis
I would like more info an a picture of this device it sounds like a product that would help me , I have ms since 95 and now have to use a scooter to get around and I have to pick up my legs with my hands . Reg Bavis
Ed Tobias
Hi Reg,
As noted, this device is not yet on the market. The manufacturer hasn't even submitted an application for FDA approval yet. If you click to read the full story, however, there should be a link to the manufacturer, or the original news release, and that might lead you to a picture.
Ed