Progressive MS Challenges to Be Dicussed at CMSC Meeting

The needs of patients who suffer from progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) will be addressed in a presentation hosted by Alan Thompson, MD, FRCP, from the University College London (UCL) during the Donald Paty Memorial Lecture. The Lecture will take place during the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 29th Annual Meeting between May 27th and 30 in Indianapolis, IN.

There are currently about 2.3 million people in the world diagnosed with MS, with half of them eventually suffering the challenges of progressive MS throughout their lives. The physician will discuss methods to overcome them, which is particularly relevant as there are currently no virtual therapy options and MS disability is closely related to the progression of the disease.

The lecture is entitled “Overcoming the Challenge of Progressive MS” and will take place on Saturday, May 30th, starting at 8:00 am. The annual CMSC meeting is an event designed particularly for healthcare professionals from several different disciplines, and is the only one in North America that offers the most recent data on therapy advancements and research regarding MS.

“The challenges for developing an effective treatment for Progressive MS are numerous and during my lecture, I will help define the diagnosis and underlining symptoms, discuss current trial medicines and some opportunities for the future,” stated Thompson, who serves as dean of the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences, and director of the Neurological Disorders Program at the UCL Partners Academic Health Science Center.

The investigator is focused on studying the pathological mechanisms related to neurological disability and recovery from progressive MS. In addition to the discussion of the challenges in progressive MS, Thompson will also talk about the International Progressive MS Alliance, which gathers together MS Societies and clinical academics all over the world to support research that can help overcome barriers in progressive MS.

The lecture to be hosted by Thompson will finalize the fourth day of events, with a full agenda of lectures, workshops, symposia, roundtables, panel discussions and poster and platform presentations. The CMSC annual meeting includes nine learning tracks covering basic science as well as psychosocial disease management, such as cognition and depression, symptom management, nursing, rehabilitation, comprehensive care, research and skills development.

There are continuing education credits available for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and occupational therapists, while the credits for psychologists need to be approved by the APA. The conference was announced last October by the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers with the purpose of creating a unique meeting that would gather all groups committed to improve the lives of people with MS.