January 2, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Top 10 Multiple Sclerosis Stories of 2018 Multiple Sclerosis News Today brought you daily coverage of key findings, treatment developments, andĀ clinical trials related to multiple sclerosis (MS) throughout 2018. We look forward to reporting more news to patients, family members, and caregivers dealing with MS during 2019. Here are the top 10 most-read articles of…
December 17, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Cannabis, Switching Interferons, Brain Stimulation by Smartphone, Lipoic Acid MS Patients Report Beneficial Effects of Cannabis with Few Side Effects, Survey Shows This survey agrees with what I’ve found in my limited experience with cannabis (in my case, CBD oil). A small amount can ease some of my spasticity and help me to get a better…
December 14, 2018 News by Santiago Gisler MS Patients Report Beneficial Effects of Cannabis With Few Side Effects, Survey Shows Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients report that cannabis has beneficial effects on their symptoms with minimal side effects, according to a survey that also showed that varying effects on health may be due to differences in how users consume cannabis. Findings from the survey were reported in the…
December 12, 2018 News by Mary Chapman GB Sciences, LSU Partner on Cannabinoid Research and Development Project for MS, Other Diseases As debate continues about the effects of medical marijuana on multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases, cannabis companyĀ GB SciencesĀ and Louisiana State UniversityĀ (LSU) have agreed on a cannabinoid research and development project. This collaboration between a public and a private enterprise is a first in the therapeutic cannabis…
October 26, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD Stanford Researchers Open Medical Cannabis Company with Oral Therapy for MS Pain, Spasticity as Initial Goal A new medical cannabis company calledĀ Katexco PharmaceuticalsĀ aims to develop oral therapies that harness the brain’s endocannabinoid and nicotine receptors to treat inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Co-founded by two Stanford University researchers ā Jonathan Rothbard, PhD, and Lawrence Steinman, MD ā Katexco will leverage their expertise…
August 30, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski The Dilemmas Facing Medical Cannabis Prescribers Medical cannabis has created a dilemma for medical providers who care for people who might benefit from its use. Iāve been thinking more about this lately because my home state of Ohio will have legal medical marijuana dispensaries starting on Sept. 8. The law passed in 2016, and it…
August 28, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD MMJ International Asks FDA to Approve Studies of Cannabis-based Therapies MMJ International has filed two applications with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting permission to begin clinical studies testing its pharmaceutical grade cannabis-based therapies in easing symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis and Huntingtonās disease. āThe filing of these applications with the FDA brings us one step…
July 13, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Medical Marijuana Could Mean Trouble for Gun Owners I’ve written before aboutĀ medical marijuanaĀ (MMJ) and its use by those with MS. I’ve also written about how MS affectsĀ gunĀ ownership. This column is about both MMJ and guns. Thirty-one states,Ā plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam have legalized the use of marijuana for medical use.
June 29, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD Sativex Relieves Pain in MS Patients, Italian Study Confirms Researchers confirmed that Sativex spray is beneficial in alleviating pain in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and also improved their pain sensitivity to cold temperatures. The study reporting the findings, āPain Modulation after Oromucosal Cannabinoid Spray (SATIVEX) in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Study with Quantitative…
June 25, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD Axim Biotech Given Patent for Method of Making Medical Cannabis Compound Axim BiotechĀ announced that its way of extracting and purifying THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) ā an active compound in medical cannabis ā has been approved to receive a patent. The notice of allowance for patient No.Ā 15/146668Ā came in letter from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Axim said in…
June 13, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MMJ Bioscience Files Request with FDA to Open Phase 2 Study of Medical Cannabis in Progressive MS MMJ Bioscience, which specializes in medical cannabis products, has filed a request with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to open Phase 2 clinical trials evaluating the companyās THC/CBD pharmaceutical compounds as possible treatments for symptoms ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). THC refers to the tetrahydrocannabinol compound, part of the…
June 7, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #CMSC2018 ā Pharmacist Discusses Advances, Challenges in Cannabinoids Research to Treat MS Several studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of cannabis and its derivate products to manage the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. But there is still much to be done to enhance their use and accessibility to patients who may benefit from these therapies, according to…
May 22, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Thomas Jefferson University Opens Registry for Patients Using Medical Marijuana The Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and HempĀ has launchedĀ mmj.org, an initiative to advance the scientific communityās understanding of medical marijuana and its derivatives through the creation of a comprehensive national patient registry. The Thomas Jefferson UniversityĀ center registry aims to enrollĀ 100,000 medical marijuana patients…
March 14, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD MMJ BioScience Obtains First Canadian License to Produce Medical Cannabis MMJ Bio ScienceĀ has becomeĀ the first company to obtain a Canadian license to produce medical cannabis, with the initial authorization covering products forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ andĀ Huntington’s disease. The Health CanadaĀ license allows the company to extract cannabinoids from plants that it grows to produce therapies that will be tested in U.S.
March 12, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD TV Personality Montel Williams to Speak About Medical Cannabis at New York Event American TV personality Montel Williams, who uses medical cannabis to manage his multiple sclerosisĀ symptoms, willĀ speak at the 5th annual Cannabis World Congress and Business ExpositionĀ in New York City, May 30 to June 2. A prominent medical cannabis advocate, Williams willĀ discuss its legalization and acceptance, a movement that has…
February 15, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Clinicians Who Prescribe Cannabis Should ‘Start Low and Go Slow,’ Study Advises Use of medicinal cannabis may pose risks as it may trigger psychiatric problems, but also because it lacks standardized chemical composition, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. With the legalization of cannabis in some states for medicinal and recreational proposes, additional pressure…
January 15, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Rituxan, Medical Marijuana for Canadians, Extavia, Atira Trial Newly Diagnosed MS Patients Stay Longer on Rituxan Than Other Therapies, Study Finds This is a study that identifies which disease-modifying drugs new MS patients stuck with and which they gave up. And, why they made those choices. But the study is small and was limited to…
January 11, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Harvest One Plans Online Sales of Medical Cannabis for Canadians With MS United GreeneriesĀ plans to launch online retail sales of medical cannabis in February for Canadians covered by the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations ā a program for which certain multiple sclerosis (MS) patients may be eligible. United Greeneries, a unit ofĀ Harvest One Cannabis, an umbrella…
December 7, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Partners in Huge Cannabis Therapy Operation Planned for Australia Apply for Licenses Two companies that plan a huge cannabis-growing and research facility in Australia have applied for licenses to run the operations, whose products could benefit multiple sclerosisĀ patients. MYM NutraceuticalsĀ andĀ PUF Ventures AustraliaĀ asked theĀ Australian Office of Drug ControlĀ for both medical cannabis and cannabis research licenses. The applications come at…
November 29, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MMJ Files US Patent for Multiple Sclerosis Cannabinoid Treatment MMJ International Holdings has applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for new pharmaceutical compounds and methods to treat and prevent symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases responsive to cannabinoids. The patent covers MMJ BioScienceās intellectual property portfolio, which comprises several patent families…
November 21, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Oral Cannabidiol, PTL101, Meets Goals of Phase 1 Study as Possible Spasticity Treatment Results of aĀ Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers show thatĀ PTL101, an oral cannabidiol compound, is a safe and effectively delivered potential treatment ofĀ spasticity inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā and for conditions like epilepsy,Ā Harvest One CannabisĀ announced. These findings were published in the journalĀ Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development, in the study…
November 20, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Cannabis Studies, Oral Therapy Study, and Exercising with Wii MMJ Hires Lead Investigator for Phase 2 Trials of Medicinal Cannabis to Treat Progressive MS The real news here is what hiring a lead investigator means. It means that Phase 2 trials of a medical marijuana product to treat MS pain and spasticity are closer to beginning.
November 16, 2017 News by Ashraf Malhas, PhD Cannabinoid, Dronabinol, Seen as Long-term Treatment Option for Neuropathic Pain in Phase 3 Study Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients being treated with dronabinol, a cannabinoid, do not show signs of drug abuse or dependency, leading researchers to conclude it has potential to be a long-term and safe treatment option forĀ neuropathic pain. The issue of pain management, specificallyĀ central neuropathic pain (CNP), in patients with autoimmune disorders…
November 14, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MMJ Hires Lead Investigator for Phase 2 Trials of Medicinal Cannabis to Treat Progressive MS MMJ BioScience, an affiliate of medical cannabis research company MMJ International Holdings, has hired a principal investigator to lead clinical trials exploring potential therapeutic applications of cannabinoids inĀ progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Dr. Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, a neurology professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo,Ā is executive director…
May 8, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye: Cannabis Gum, Ocrevus, Misdiagnosis and Other Stories The MS Wire is adding a third weekly item, beginning today. It’s a list of several news items that appeared in MS News Today over the preceding week and that caught my eye. Axim Signs Deal to Advance Clinical Trials of Cannabis-based MedChew Rx Gum to…
May 3, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Axim Signs Deal to Advance Clinical Trials of Cannabis-based MedChew Rx Gum to Treat MS Pain Axim BiotechnologiesĀ recently announced that its U.K. partner, Quay Pharmaceuticals,Ā has secured licenses from the British Home Office to continue developing and importing its medicalĀ cannabinoid product MedChew Rx ā a potential treatment forĀ pain andĀ spasticityĀ in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), among other illnesses. MedChew Rx is a gum…
February 20, 2017 Columns by admin MS Patientās Pick of the Weekās News: BFitLifestyles, Cannabis, ARNet, Bioness and More Here`s my Pick of the Weekās News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Fitness Trainer and MS Patient, Dolly Stokes, Launches BFitLifestyles Website with Husband Looking after what you eat and exercising according to your abilities apparently can help alleviate symptoms of many chronic illnesses including…
January 17, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Cannabis Compounds Ease Spasticity in MS, National Academies’ Report States CertainĀ cannabinoids reduce spasticity symptoms inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according toĀ aĀ reportĀ from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineĀ thatĀ scrutinized published research about the benefits and hazards of cannabis and cannabinoid use. Cannabinoids also show proven effectĀ in other areas that may be importantĀ to MS patients, but they are linked…
November 16, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Growing Approval of Cannabis Use in US Expands a Major Market, But Tensions Evident Voters in fourĀ U.S. states onĀ Nov. 8 chose to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, and those in three other states approved the medicinal use ofĀ cannabis ā all gains for pharmaceutical and other companies designing cannabis-based therapies for people with long-term chronic ills whose symptoms might be helped with these…
February 15, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD MS Campaign In UK Pushing for Broader Access to Medical Marijuana A new campaign called “EndĀ our pain” is asking people to sign a petition calling onĀ the U.K. to allow all patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) there to have access to medical cannabis as a treatment for MS symptoms, in keeping with countries Ā such as CanadaĀ and Germany, and a number…