January 24, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias April Hester Is Lacing Up Her MS Hiking Boots Again 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 accomplishment for anyone, but it was a particularly special achievement…
July 18, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Higher Doses of Opicinumab as Add-on Therapy Fail to Lessen MS Disability, Phase 2 Trial Shows Treating people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā with opicinumab and Avonex (interferon beta-1a) for 72 weeks did not lead to a dose-dependent reduction in disability, Ā results of a Phase 2 trial show. However, an ongoing study is evaluating opicinumab in a subgroup with better clinical responses.
October 5, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2018 ā Biogen’s MS Treatments Found Safe, Effective in Clinical and Real-world Data Clinical data and real-world results support the long-term efficacy of Biogenās medications for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to scientific presentations being released by the company. Specifically, findings support the effectiveness ofĀ Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Tysabri (natalizumab) used early in the disease’s course, as well as the…
September 24, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD CHMP Favors Approving Gilenya to Treat Children and Teenagers with RRMS in Europe The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), an arm of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), has recommended thatĀ Gilenya (fingolimod) be approved to treat children and adolescents, ages 10 to 17, with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). If the CHMP opinion is accepted, Gilenya ā marketed by…
September 17, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Gilenya More Effective Than Avonex in Lowering Relapse Rates, New Lesions in Children with Relapsing MS, Phase 3 Trial Shows Two years of treatment with oral GilenyaĀ (fingolimod) significantly reduced the rate of relapses when compared toĀ AvonexĀ (interferon beta-1a) intramuscular injections in children and adolescents with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS), according to Phase 3 clinical trial results. Additionally, Gilenya (marketed by Novartis) decreased the number of central nervous…
July 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Single Gene Variant May Identify MS Patients at Risk of Liver Damage Linked to Interferon-Beta Use, Study Says A genetic variant close to a gene called interferon regulatory factor 6Ā (IRF6) may help to predict those multiple sclerosis (MS) patients most at risk of liver injury while using interferon-beta therapies, a study reports. The study, āCommon variation nearĀ IRF6Ā is associated with IFN-Ī²-induced liver injury in multiple sclerosisā was published…
June 12, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD Gilenya Seen to Particularly Benefit Young Adults with Higher Relapse Rates, Trial Data Show Young adults withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) have higher relapse rates and respond better to Gilenya treatment compared to the overall MS population, data from a post hoc analysis of three separate trials show. The study, āRelapse Rate and MRI Activity in Young Adult Patients With Multiple…
May 15, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Gilenya Approved by FDA as First DMT for Children, Ages 10 and Older, with Relapsing MS Gilenya (fingolimod) has become the first disease-modifying therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat children and adolescents with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). This expanded approval allows Gilenya, previously indicated for adults patients 18 or older, to be used to treat pediatric relapsing MS…
January 23, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Who Are You to Tell Me What MS Therapy I Need? I’m used to seeing insurance companies here in the United States make decisions about MS therapies, including refusing to pay for certain treatments unless other, less expensive ones are tried first. These, of course, are decisions that should be made between patients and their doctors, not by insurers.
November 15, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Ozanimod Superior to Avonex in Treating Relapsing MS in Phase 3 Trials, Celgene Reports Celgene released the results of two Phase 3 trials showing that patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) who were treated withĀ ozanimod had lowerĀ relapse rates andĀ fewer MRI brain lesions compared to those given a current first-line therapy, AvonexĀ (interferon Ī²-1a). These results will be used to support a request…
August 2, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Gilenya Seen as Most Effective in Younger and Previously Untreated Patients with Relapsing MS A study analyzing results from three Phase 3 clinical trials shows that Gilenya (fingolimod) effectively prevents relapses in different types of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, with the therapy being most efficient in younger patients and those withoutĀ previous treatment. The findings highlight the importance of starting treatment early, and not…