ACTRIMS 2017

It is no coincidence that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are prone to airway infections, according to research showing that MS disease processes allow suppressive immune cells to travel to the lungs and block inflammatory responses against invading viruses. The study may offer guidance on how vaccines should be used to…

The role of the microbiome and its association with multiple sclerosis was the topic of several sessions and papers at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum. More than 800 researchers and clinicians attended the second annual meeting in Orlando last week to hear…

Medicare spent more $650 million in 2013 and 2014 on one single medication — H.P. Acthar Gel —— that was prescribed by fewer than 1 percent of clinicians to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), with questionable results. That’s the conclusion of new research by Oregon Health and Science University (OSHU), which presented its…

Harold Weiner, MD, believes in using probiotics to help treat multiple sclerosis. He is such a believer that he did a presentation on the subject — “Probiotics in Multiple Sclerosis” — at the just-concluded Americas for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum in Orlando. The event…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who smoke have a significantly worse quality of life than non-smoking MS patients, concludes a new study. Researchers presented the study, “Smokers with MS have greater decrements in quality of life and disability than non-smokers,” at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in…

In a U.S. nationwide case study, a team of researchers found evidence for a potential link between viral infections during childhood, vitamin D deficiency, and the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “Environmental risk factors associated with pediatric MS: The role of remote viral infections and vitamin D revisited,” was recently…

A 60-year follow-up study of nearly 1,400 Norwegian patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) analyzed their survival and risk of dying starting with the onset of the disease through its progression. The study, “A 60- year follow-up on survival and cause of death in multiple sclerosis in Western Norway,” was recently…

Editor’s note: Columnist Laura Kolaczkowski writes from the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum in Orlando, Fla., (Feb. 23-25). Two MS disease-modifying therapies, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Rituxan (rituximab) were featured in this year’s Kenneth P. Johnson, MD, Memorial Lecture…

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), an investigational monoclonal antibody, significantly decreases disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and is associated with a higher proportion of patients reaching no evidence of disease activity (NEDA), according to a new analysis. The study, “NEDA analysis by epoch in patients with relapsing multiple…

Ten years after completing treatment with Novantrone (mitoxantrone), a chemotherapy drug, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed evidence of markedly lower annualized relapse rates, but the therapy’s effects began to wane after five years, a study presented at ACTRIMS 2017 Forum reported. The study also assessed how Novantrone affects disease progression in primary and secondary progressive…

The absence of epigenetic factors in myelin-producing oligodendrocyte cells make sure that myelin production is switched off in the adult brain. Targeting these factors may be a way of triggering myelin regeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS), and a step toward personalized medicine for this disease, Dr. Patrizia Casaccia said in a talk…

Evidence supporting the use of Vitamin D for people with multiple sclerosis continues to grow but there remains many unanswered questions as well.  Ellen Mowry, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins MS Center, presented Vitamin D supplementation as disease modifying therapy, to participants at…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be caused by genetic factors, but environmental cues are increasingly recognized to have an impact on disease onset and development. One environmental factor suggested to play a role in MS is infectious agents, such as viruses. Now, different teams of scientists have explored the…

Sex hormones, and genes in the two sex chromosomes, impact the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in men and women differently, and lead to differences in the course of the disease between the sexes, according to two studies. Two speakers at the ACTRIMS 2017 Forum highlighted the role of sex…

New evidence strengthens the link between a diet high in salt and multiple sclerosis (MS) development, researchers show. The study, “Sodium Chloride Intake and MS,” was presented on Feb. 24 at the ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum being held in Orlando, Florida, by Dr. David Hafler with the Yale School of Medicine. The…

A detailed analysis of relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the three Phase 3 trials of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) showed that the treatment did not significantly increase their risk of infections — serious or otherwise. Certain infections, including common colds and influenza, were numerically more common among Ocrevus-treated patients,…

Short-chain dietary fatty acids, such as propionate, drive the production of regulatory immune T-cells in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), while long-chain acids promote T-cells that are involved in inflammatory processes. Since the beneficial fatty acids are safe and can be obtained as over-the-counter dietary supplements, researchers suggest they could…

Spending more time in the sunshine could make people with multiple sclerosis (MS) feel more energetic, though dietary vitamin D intake’s effect is mixed, depending on what type of MS a particular patient has. That’s the conclusion of a study — “Dietary intakes of vitamin D, sunshine exposure, EDSS and fatigue…

Two Phase 3 clinical trials investigating the long-term effects of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed the drug maintained improved outcomes, even in the absence of further treatment. Both studies were presented at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum, held…

Editor’s note: Columnist Laura Kolaczkowski reports from ACTRIMS in Orlando, Fla. The second Annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) got under way in Orlando, Fla., today and runs through Saturday. I have the honor of being on site to hear  presentations…

First-degree relatives of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients may develop asymptomatic disease, suggesting the need to further evaluate family members to develop timely prevention strategies. The study, “Investigating early evidence of multiple sclerosis in a prospective study of high risk family members,” was presented at the Americas Committee for Treatment and…

Disease processes in multiple sclerosis (MS) likely contribute to the increased sensitivity to airway infections seen in MS patients, a series of experiments in mice demonstrated. The study, presented at the ACTRIMS 2017 Forum, showed that suppressive immune cells travel to the lungs and prevent an essential inflammatory reaction to viral…

Results from a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study of ADS-5102 (amantadine HCl), showing that multiple sclerosis patients given the extended-release oral treatment improved their walking speed, will be presented at ACTRIMS 2017 this week. Findings in the poster, “A Phase 2 Study of ADS-5102 (amantadine hydrochloride) Extended Release Capsules in Multiple Sclerosis Patients with Walking Impairment,”…

The second annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS), a forum for clinicians, researchers and other MS specialists to network and discuss the  latest advances in MS research and treatment is set for Feb. 23–25. This year’s meeting takes place at the Omni ChampionsGate resort hotel in Orlando, Florida. Multiple Sclerosis News…