December 22, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD 3 New COVID-19 Treatments Now Available to MS Patients in UK People with multiple sclerosis (MS) living in the U.K. are now eligible to receive one of three new treatments for COVID-19 that are meant to prevent serious disease in at-risk populations who tested positive for the virus. First available under this plan were Regeneron and Rocheās antibody-based therapy…
December 17, 2021 Columns by Jamie Hughes Feeling Overwhelmed? Wander Under the Stars If you read my last column, you know that my Thanksgiving was eventful, to say the least. Well, it looks like Christmas is shaping up to be another banger. My father-in-law is back in the hospital, still trying to kick the infections that have knocked him flat recently. We…
December 17, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study: Anti-CD20 Therapies, Gilenya Lower Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines Certain treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) ā specifically, anti-CD20 antibody therapies and Gilenya (fingolimod) ā are likely to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines for COVID-19, according to a new study. “Highlighting groups who have mounted an inadequate vaccine response has already been helpful in guiding who should receive…
December 15, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Pets Raise Sense of Well-being in Pandemic, But Challenges Remain Owning a dog, cat or other household pet during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has helped multiple sclerosis (MS) patients gain a better overall sense of their health and well-being, a single-site survey by mail of people in the U.K. reported. But pet-owning patients reported no significant improvements in their…
December 3, 2021 Columns by John Connor Thereās a New Primary Carer in Town Well, there’s a new carer at home, actually, but town sounds so much cooler. Like an old-time Western sheriff! My dear wife, Jane, has taken a few days off to attend an ayurvedic yoga retreat, so I’m without the care of She Who Really Must Be Obeyed. (I’ve…
December 3, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias My Lemtrada Treatment, 5 Years Later It was five years ago, Dec. 5, 2016, that I scootered into the office of Dr. Heidi Crayton, my neurologist, and plopped into a soft, brown leather recliner. Day 1 of Round 1 of my Lemtrada (alemtuzumab)Ā infusions was about to begin. I’d prepped for this day: two days…
December 3, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Immune-suppressing Medicines May Reduce COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy A class of immune-suppressing medications called TNF-alpha inhibitors can reduce the efficacy of vaccines for COVID-19, according to a study that included patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. The results also suggest that a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine may help to protect patients with…
December 1, 2021 Columns by Beth Ullah I’m Climbing the Hills of Adversity, Just Not in Heels āShoes are the quickest way for women to achieve instant metamorphosis.ā ā Manolo Blahnik As the holidays approach, I’m reminded to be thankful for what I have. I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) at 26 years old, and when I became paralyzed, I thought I’d never…
November 29, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Stem Cell Trial, COVID-19 Vaccines, MS Blood Test First Patient Dosed in Phase 1 Trial of IMS001 Therapy IMS001 is an investigational treatment that uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) ā cells derived from human embryos. Preclinical studies have shown that IMS001 has the ability to stabilize an overactive immune system, as is the case in people with…
November 29, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD ‘Giving Tuesday’ Donations to MS Society of Canada Being Matched Donations to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada will double in value for this year’s Giving Tuesday on Nov. 30, meaning each donation will provide three times the support for Canadians with multiple sclerosis (MS) . An anonymous donor will double match each donation made on Giving Tuesday,…
November 22, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects With MS Similar to Public at Large Side effects upon receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) are similar to those reported in the general population, and patients on certain disease-modifying therapies are less likely to have vaccine reactions,Ā a survey-based study found. The findings provide āa reassuring pictureā for those who feel hesitant about…
November 19, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD MS Society of Canada Urges Consistent Access to COVID-19 Boosters The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada is urging that all provinces and territories in Canada offer COVID-19Ā booster vaccines to at-risk populations, including people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. In letters sent earlier this month, in collaboration with 11 other health charities, the…
November 5, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias I’m Grateful for My COVID-19 Booster Shot I’m hurtin’ a little today. I have mild muscle aches, a bit more fatigue than usual, and dragging legs. It could just be a bad MS day, or it could be the result of my COVID-19 booster shot a couple days ago.Ā I received a third shot of the Moderna…
October 29, 2021 Columns by John Connor I’m Back in the Desert Without a Horse Well, that was fun. I’ve got my party hat on from a recent birthday (of course I have one, itās my trusty trilby! See my avatar above) and have been out and about having a lot of fun. I splurged by spending time with family and friends, ’cause…
October 22, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias It’s Flu Vaccine Time Again, So Here’s What You Need to Know A couple weeks ago, my wife and I rolled up our sleeves and got our shots again. No, not the COVID-19 vaccine. We’ve already had two of those, and expect to receive a third before Thanksgiving. The latest shot was a seasonal flu vaccine, which we’ve gotten every year…
October 13, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ECTRIMS2021 ā Rituximab as First RRMS Therapy Outperforms Others Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13ā15. GoĀ here to see the latest stories from the…
October 5, 2021 News by Somi Igbene, PhD COVID-19 Stalling MS Research Into Rehabilitation, Quality of Life The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be stalling research into rehabilitation and quality of life (QoL) for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in many countries worldwide, a new observational study reports. According to the study, many researchers have found it “significantly more” challenging to recruit participants for studies, and most…
October 4, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ublituximab, ATA188, COVID-19, Cognitive Rehab Ublituximab, Potential Relapsing MS Therapy, Up for FDA Approval Like Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Kesimpta (ofatumumab), ublituximab targets the CD20 protein that’s found on the surface of B-cells in the immune system. It then binds to it and kills the cell, reducing the number of cells that are attacking the…
September 28, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Having MS Did Not Increase Risk of Severe COVID-19 in German Study People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not at greater risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, according to a study of more than 150,000 hospitalized people in Germany. The study, āMultiple sclerosis is not associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19: a nationwide retrospective cross-sectional study from Germany,ā was…
September 24, 2021 Columns by John Connor Despite the Nerves, I Attended My First Family Gathering in 2 Years I know that here in England, COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted for about two months. But trepidation has now been instilled in me. It doesnāt help that the vast number of people catching the virus are still a daily news item, nearly two years after the start of the…
September 20, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Vaccines, Bladder and Bowel Problems, Rim Lesions Patients on Anti-CD20 Therapies Urged to Get COVID-19 Vaccine Some people being treated with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that reduce their CD20 B-cells have been concerned that their DMTs also reduce the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. According to this study, those DMTs, such as Ocrevus, Kesimpta, and Rituxan, do that.
September 20, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Patients in UK Now Offered COVID-19 Booster Shots The U.K.ās National Health Service (NHS) has started its COVID-19 vaccine booster program, offering a third shot ā preferably with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine ā to at-risk populations, including people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision follows a recommendation by the countryās Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, or…
September 17, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Patients on Anti-CD20 Therapies Urged to Get COVID-19 Vaccine While people with multiple sclerosis (MS) taking anti-CD20 therapies do not mount a robust antibody response after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, the vaccines do strongly activate other parts of the immune system that are likely to be helpful in fighting the virus, a new study shows. “The message…
September 13, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Vaccine and Relapse, Protective Parasite, Vibration Training, Infections Risk of MS Relapse Not Increased by COVID-19 Vaccine, Study Finds This new information about one of the COVID-19 vaccines supports what doctors have been saying all along. So, why do some people continue to believe the vaccines raise the risk of a relapse? In my personal, nonscientific opinion,…
September 8, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Risk of MS Relapse Not Increased by COVID-19 Vaccine, Study Finds Getting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19 does not increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses in the two months following vaccination, according to a new study. The results support recommending COVID-19 vaccines for people with MS, its researchers said. “The incidence of relapses in the 2āmonths before and…
August 31, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Testing Extra Dose in MS, Other Diseases A new clinical trial launched by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is evaluating the impact of an extra dose of an approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccine in people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseasesĀ who did not properly respond to an original vaccine regimen. Approximately 600 people will…
August 9, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19, High-dose Biotin, MS Diets, Tysabri Risk of Severe COVID-19 Not Raised by Immunosuppressive DMTs Here’s the latest on whether disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) raise the risk of a person having a bad case of COVID-19 if infected with the novel coronavirus. Researchers report here that DMTs don’t increase that risk. But don’t confuse this information…
August 2, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Risk of Severe COVID-19 Not Raised by Immunosuppressive DMTs Exposure to multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), and particularly immunosuppressive DMTs, does not increase the risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19, or of dying from the disease, when adjusting for known risk factors, an Austrian registry-based study found. These findings add to data showing no…
June 18, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Do High Antibody Levels Mean I’m Protected Against COVID-19? Is 2,500 my magical COVID-19 number? At my annual MS checkup a week ago, my neurologist included a blood test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Antibodies are proteins in the blood that protect the body from being attacked by viruses, bacteria, and the like. In this case, the blood test was searching…
June 4, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD AstraZenecaās COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for MS Patients, Small Study Suggests AstraZenecaās COVID-19 vaccine appears to be reasonably safe for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study of its use in the U.K. Vaccine side effects were in line with those experienced by the general population, its researchers said, such as flu-like symptoms and sore arms.