MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: GA Depot, Blood-brain Barrier, Mindfulness

Use of GA Depot in Treating Progressive MS Given US Patent

In the area of MS treatments, one major need is for medications that treat more than just the relapsing form of our disease. GA Depot might help fill that void. The U.S. patent the medication received says it’s designed to cover primary and secondary progressive MS. 

GA Depot is a form of glatiramer acetate, which is sold as Copaxone. The difference between the treatments is that GA Depot is injected into the muscle once a month, rather than under the skin three times a week. It’s currently in a Phase 3 trial.

Mapi Pharma announced that it has been granted a U.S. patent covering the use of GA Depot, a potential long-acting formulation of glatiramer acetate, in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent, No. 11,167,003, is titled, “Methods for suppressing or alleviating primary or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS or SPMS) using sustained release glatiramer depot systems.”

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Key to Unlocking Blood-brain Barrier Discovered in Mouse Study

These researchers view the blood-brain barrier as the “worst enemy” when it comes to developing new MS therapies. But they believe that what they’ve found could open the door to breaching that barrier, which would allow them to directly treat the brain. This could provide new avenues to control MS inflammation, restore nerve function, and ease symptoms.

A team of researchers has discovered that the key to bypassing the blood-brain barrier — a semipermeable border that protects the brain against toxins in the blood but also blocks potential treatments — is the Unc5B receptor in the endothelial cells that line the tiny blood vessels in the brain.

Blocking Netrin-1, a protein that interacts with Unc5B, broke down the barrier on-demand, the scientists found — a discovery that may open the door to the development of therapies that directly target nerve fiber damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

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Online Mindfulness Program Helps Patients With Depression, Trial Finds

Mindfulness is a type of meditation that guides a person to become more aware and accepting of their experiences. The goal is to turn negative reactions that could worsen pain and emotional distress toward positive thoughts. There were several positive comments about mindfulness on our MS News Today Facebook page after this article was posted there.

Eight weeks of an online mindfulness program significantly lowered levels of depression and improved quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers in Australia report.

“This study adds to growing evidence on how wellness strategies can help people with MS to reduce symptoms and enable fuller participation in society,” the National MS Society stated in a press release.

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Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.