September 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – 2 Rounds of Lemtrada Seen to Effectively Treat MS Relapses for Years Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) as a first treatment option for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients reduced relapse rates and disability progression throughout a study period of six years ā although most patients received treatment only in the first two years. The study showed that Lemtrada has the potential to harness disease activity…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Antioxidant Lipoic Acid Appears to Slow SPMS Patients’ Neurodegeneration A pilot study exploring the antioxidant lipoic acid in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) demonstrated that treatment for two years reduced the speed of brain tissue loss and improved the patients’ walking speed. The surprising finding was presented during the āNew directions in progressive MS researchā…
August 26, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Can Diet Ease MS Fatigue? Clinical Trial, Now Recruiting, Wants to Find Out The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ announced that itĀ has dedicatedĀ more than $1 millionĀ to support a clinical study at the University of Iowa that will compareĀ two types ofĀ diet and their effectiveness in easing fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). “The National MS Society is committed to identifying wellness solutions to…
August 3, 2016 News by admin Phase 2 Study of Oral Antibiotic to Treat Relapsing MS, RHB-104, Nearing Finish RedHill Biopharma announced that theĀ final patient has completed the last step of itsĀ Phase 2 clinical study (CEASE-MS) of RHB-104 as a potential treatment forĀ people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). RHB-104 is an antibiotic oral medication that blocks inflammation in addition to killing bacteria. RHB-104 was originally developedĀ as a treatment for…
August 1, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Phase 3 Study of Ocrevus in Relapsing MS Patients Now Recruiting in US and Canada A Phase 3 clinical trial exploring Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is now recruiting participants. The trial, sponsored by Genentech (NCT02637856), is seekingĀ patients who have previously taken aĀ disease-modifying treatment that did not adequately controlĀ their disease activity. Participants mustĀ be between 18 and 55…
July 21, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Study of Potential Therapy for Relapsing MS That Targets B-Cells Now Recruiting Patients in US Patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā are being recruited forĀ aĀ clinical trial evaluatingĀ an experimental monoclonal antibody called ublituximab, the National MS Society announced in a recentĀ newsĀ release. The study, being conducted at seven U.S. sites, will enroll at least 24 patients, but this number can go up to 100. MSĀ is considered to be…
July 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 127 Progressive MS Patients Finish Treatment in Phase 2 Study of Ibudilast, MediciNova Reports MediciNova recently reported that half of the 255 patients enrolled in a Phase 2b clinical trialĀ (SPRINT-MS) exploring MN-166 (ibudilast) in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) had completed the 96-week-long treatment. Interim data will be analyzed by the trialās external Data Safety Monitoring Board later this year, with results…
July 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 127 Progressive MS Patients Finish Treatment in Phase 2 Study of Ibudilast, MediciNova Reports MediciNova recently reported that half of the 255 patients enrolled in a Phase 2b clinical trialĀ (SPRINT-MS) exploring MN-166 (ibudilast) in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) had completed the 96-week-long treatment. Interim data will be analyzed by the trialās external Data Safety Monitoring Board later this year, with results…
June 30, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Coherus’ Oral Therapy for Relapsing MS Seen to Reduce Brain Lesions by Half in Phase 2b Trial Coherus BioSciencesĀ recently reported that itsĀ candidate therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), CHS-131, reduced the development rate of new brain lesions by nearly 50% in previously untreated relapsing-remitting MS patients. The Phase 2b trial (NCT02638038), randomizing patients to receive either CHS-131 or placebo in a double-blind manner, also showed the…
June 30, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Vaccine to Treat Multiple Sclerosis Showing Promise and Soon to Enter Phase 3 Clinical Testing A therapeutic vaccine for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), called Xemys,Ā is showingĀ positive results in pre-clinical and clinical trials, and is soonĀ to enter Phase 3 clinical testing. Xemys was developed by researchers at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of SciencesĀ and their colleagues. While traditional vaccines are…
June 17, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Adamas Reports Positive Results in Study of Drug to Treat MS Patients with Walking Difficulties Adamas Pharmaceuticals recently reported positive results from its Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical trial evaluating ADS-5102 (amantadine HCl), an extended-release version of amantadine, inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with difficulties inĀ walking. The trial (NCT02471222),Ā aĀ double-blind, placebo-controlled and two-arm parallel groupĀ study,Ā evaluated ADS-5102 given once dailyĀ at 340 mg, at bedtime, for four…
June 16, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Zealand Clinical Trial to Test Potential of Antipsychotics to Treat SPMS An immunologist atĀ Victoria University of WellingtonĀ is leading a clinical trial that will use existing drugs in a new way to try toĀ treat secondary progressiveĀ multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a disease form that affects more than one-third of all multiple sclerosisĀ patients but has no effective treatment options. Anne La Flamme, a professor…
June 13, 2016 Columns by admin Stem Cell MS Patients Lead Normal Life Thanks To aHSCT Procedure People with MS who were involved in a long-term clinical trial are out and about enjoying a full and normal life with no signs of the disease. This follows their recovery from the stem cell transplants involving aggressive chemotherapy, or aHSCT as the procedure is known. Results of the clinical…
June 10, 2016 by admin Aggressive Stem Cell Therapy Stops MS Relapses, According to Long-term Clinical Trial Stem cell treatment has been proven to both halt MS clinical relapses and the development of new brain lesions over a prolonged period, according to the results of a new study. The results, achieved in 23 out of 24 patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial, were published in…
June 6, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Ocrevus (Ocrelizumab) in PPMS Prevented Disability Progression, Lowered MRI Lesion Volume, Study Shows Data recently presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual Meeting showed that Roche/Genentechās investigational drugĀ ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) lowered the risk of disability progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), a condition for which no approved treatments exist. The study was presented during the “…
June 3, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Connections Between Brain Hemispheres in MS Improved with Ampyra (Dalfampridine) While most multiple sclerosis (MS) researchers focus on the autoimmune and inflammatory processes of the disease, researchers at the Mind Research NetworkĀ (MRN) believe that improving axonal function might contribute to better MS outcomes. Using Ampyra (dalfampridine), they thoroughly analyzed the function of nerve axon connections between the two brain…
May 17, 2016 News by Charles Moore UK Clinical Trials Testing Robotic Legs That Might Allow Patients to Walk Hands-Free The first U.K. clinical trials of robotic legs that might allow people with mobility impairment to move ā hands-free ā are underway at the University of Kent. Clinicians and engineers at Kent are carrying out the study in a partnership with the East Kent Hospital’s University Foundation Trust…
May 5, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD New Phase 2 Trial of a B-cell Antibody, TG-1101, to Treat Relapsing MS Getting Underway TG TherapeuticsĀ recently announced the opening of a newĀ clinical trial evaluating TG-1101, its glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The Phase 2 clinical trial, titled “A Placebo-Controlled Multi-Center Phase 2 Dose Finding Study of Ublituximab, a Third-Generation Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody, in Patients…
April 19, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Promising Phase 1 Trial Results of Stem Cell Therapy in Progressive MS Patients Being Presented at AAN Meeting Potentially groundbreaking research byĀ the Tisch Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New YorkĀ (MSRCNY) will be presented on April 19 at the 68thĀ American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual MeetingĀ taking place in Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Saud A. Sadiq, director and chief research scientist at the Tisch center, will present results of a…
April 15, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Innate Immunotherapeutics Fully Enrolls Phase 2 Study of Drug Candidate to Treat SPMS Innate Immunotherapeutics, Ltd., announced that it hasĀ completed patientĀ enrollment inĀ its ongoingĀ Phase 2B, placebo-controlled clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of theĀ drugĀ MIS416Ā as a once-weekly treatment forĀ secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). MIS416 is a biologically derived immune modulator that targets myeloid cells, a subset of innate immune cells that can…
April 11, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc PathMaker Launches Clinical Trial of MyoRegulator to Treat Spasticity, Common in MS PathMaker Neurosystems, Inc.,Ā recently announced the launch of anĀ Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approvedĀ clinical trial, in partnership with Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ Health System) andĀ The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research,Ā to evaluate the safety and efficacy ofĀ MyoRegulator for the treatment of spasticity, one of the most common symptoms in multiple sclerosis…
April 5, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Clinical Trial Data on Experimental MS Therapeutic Vaccine, Xemys, Released PJSC Pharmsynthez, a pharmaceutical company based in Russia, recently announced completed follow-up findings and data analysis from a Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trial ofĀ its novel therapeutic vaccine Xemys for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). XemysĀ utilizes Xenetic Biosciences patented ImuXen technology. In the open-label, dose-escalating trial, 20 patients…
March 18, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Resistance Training in Ms Patients Found to Improve Hip Strength, Walking Ability Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineĀ released preliminary results of an ongoing study intoĀ an effective and progressive resistance training program to improve hip strength and walking ability, areas ofĀ concern in neurodegenerative diseasesĀ like multiple sclerosis (MS). The program, consisting of exercises using resistant…
March 7, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Progressive MS Clinical Trial of Rituximab Stopped After Drug Fails to Show Effectiveness Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)Ā announced that a small clinical trial of a progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment was stopped early due to poor results. The trial was evaluating the drug rituximab for its efficacy in depleting harmful immune cells and decreasing nerve damage in these MS…
February 16, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Trial to Improve Physical Activity, Lower Fatigue via Telehealth Is Enrolling Participants A new Ā multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā clinical trial being led byĀ Case Western Reserve UniversityĀ investigatorsĀ is now recruiting 215 individuals, across 10 U.S.Ā states to assess whether the fatigue management and physical activity interventions often provided by rehabilitation centers can effectivelyĀ be offered byĀ telehealth, throughĀ a series of teleconferences and phone interviews. AnĀ National MS…
January 20, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Potential MS Stem Cell Therapy Moves into Phase 2 Trial for 1st Time in US The Tisch MS Research Center of New York (Tisch MSRCNY) recently announced that its stem cell-based therapy as a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) will move into Phase 2 clinical testingĀ after encouraging results in a Phase 1 trial, and on the advice of Ā the U.S. Food and Drug…
January 8, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Patients and Caregivers Invited to Take Part in Meditation Study A new randomizedĀ andĀ controlled trial is recruiting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to investigate the effect of a mindfulness-based telemedicine intervention program on patients and their caregivers. The clinical study’sĀ protocol was recently published in the journal Trials,Ā titled “A telemedicine meditation intervention for people with multiple sclerosis…
January 4, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Pilot MS Study Suggests High-Dose Vitamin D Supplements Are Safe and Beneficial Results from a small pilot study indicated that high-dose vitamin D supplementation is safe and tolerable in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and that it can reduce the presenceĀ of autoimmunity-causing immune T cells. Patients are now being recruited for a larger clinical trial. The study, entitled āSafety and immunologic…
December 22, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Experimental RRMS Therapy to Be Tested in a Phase 2b Clinical Trial GeNeuro, a company developing therapies for neurological and autoimmune disorders, recently announced the initiation of a Phase 2b clinical trial to assess its lead investigational antibody GNbAC1 in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The trial, called āCHANGE-MS,ā plans to enroll 260 patients across 68 centers acrossĀ theĀ European Union and…
December 3, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD RRMS Clinical Study of New Antibiotic Therapy Nearing End RedHill Biopharma, Ltd., recently announced the conclusion of the last dosing and patient follow-up visit for its Phase 2a proof-of-concept study to assess the efficacy and safety of the experimental drug RHB-104 as an add-on therapy to interferon beta-1a in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).