June 1, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Walk MS Fundraising Events To Be ‘Virtual Experience’ in 2021 Due to the ongoing COVID-19-associated restrictions, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is inviting supporters of its Walk MS events to connect, celebrate, and fundraise for the fight against multiple sclerosisĀ (MS)Ā through a virtual platform. āThe National MS Society creates Walk MS celebrations in every state so participants can…
May 28, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD At-home Brain Stimulation Program Now Available New York University (NYU) Langone Health has launched an at-home, therapeutic program of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) ā a type of non-invasive brain stimulation ā to reduce cognitive, motor, speech, or mood symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other brain disorders. A first of its kind, the…
May 14, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Varies by DMT, Study Finds Are you being treated with a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) and wondering how it might affect the efficacy of an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine? If so, a recent study may provide some clarity. The study, published in Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders, looked at 125 MS patients either being treated with…
May 14, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD MS Therapies That Deplete B-cells Appear to Work Against COVID Immunity B-cell-depleting therapies given to adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) affect the production of antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, a study reported. This finding has “consequences” for immunity in this patient group, whether that immunity follows SARS-CoV-2 infection or…
May 13, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Conversational Bot to Promote COVID-19 Vaccination Among Patients A conversational bot is being developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) to promote COVID-19 vaccinations among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are hesitant to take the vaccine. The project is meant to provide accessible digital health information about the vaccines to more vulnerable populations…
May 7, 2021 Columns by Jamie Hughes When in Doubt, Make a Mixtape Spring is here, a time weād normally be out and about getting some sun and recharging our souls after a long winter. I certainly look forward to working in the yard, hiking, having outdoor picnics, and taking the occasional road trip. But this isnāt a typical year, is…
May 3, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: FDA and Tysabri, COVID-19 and CD20, Gilenya Infections, Therapeutic Lag FDA Rejects Under-the-skin Tysabri for Relapsing MS I expect this decision will be a disappointment for those who had hoped to be able to self-administer highly effective Tysabri as a shot rather than an IV infusion. But I switched from Avonex to Tysabri, because after a few years of…
April 30, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias What Do the Oscars and Our COVID-19 Response Have in Common? What could the Academy Awards and COVID-19 possibly have in common for people with disabilities? Stay tuned, and I’ll tell you. First, the Academy Awards. The documentary “Crip Camp,” about a summer camp for young adults with disabilities, was up for an Oscar. Its co-director and co-star, Jim LeBrecht,…
April 27, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Ocrevus, Rituximab Linked to More Severe COVID-19 Cases in Italy Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17ā22. GoĀ hereĀ to read the latest stories from the conference. Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that target CD20 are associated with worse outcomes from COVID-19 inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, an…
April 26, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 and Flares, Hiding MS Status, Blood Proteins, Tysabri #AANAM ā COVID-19 Often Leads to Flares in MS Patients, Survey Finds I’ve read more than a few social media posts from people with MS who are concerned that the COVID-19 vaccines will cause a flare. National MS Association guidelines say the vaccines may cause a temporary, mild fever…
April 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā COVID-19 Often Leads to Flares in MS Patients, Survey Finds Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17ā22. GoĀ hereĀ to read the latest stories from the conference. The majority of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience new or worsening symptoms after developing COVID-19, a patient survey…
April 7, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Tecfidera, Gilenya and Ocrevus Losing Favor as Switch Therapies in US, Spherix Finds Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), Gilenya (fingolimod), and Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) are losing ground to more recent therapies among U.S. multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients switching treatment, according to the latestĀ Spherix Global Insightsā report. The launch of MS generics, bioequivalents, and new brands in the U.S. market over the past year has increased…
April 5, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Reeve Foundation Launches Support Groups for People Affected by Paralysis The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation has launched virtual support groups for people living with paralysis ā either due to multiple sclerosis (MS) or other conditions ā and their caregivers. Paralysis in some or all limbs occurs in MS and other neurological disorders, often exacerbating feelings of social isolation,…
April 2, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Why We Still Need to Wear Masks, Socially Distance, and Wash Our Hands “I’ve had my shots, so I’m protected,” a friend recently told me, referring to the COVID-19 vaccine.Ā My wife and I also have received our COVID-19 vaccines. More than a month has passed since our second shots of the Moderna vaccine, so we are protected ā theoretically. But theory doesn’t…
April 2, 2021 News by Mary Chapman MS Run the US 3,260-mile Relay Keeps Going Despite Pandemic The pandemic notwithstanding, MS Run the US has fielded 18 runners ā including eight with multiple sclerosis (MS) ā to traverse the United States to raise awareness and funds to support MS research and to aid those living with disability caused by the neurodegenerative disease. The organizationās Ultra…
March 29, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19, UK ‘Mega-trial’, Pilates, Rituximab Certain Factors Worsen Outcomes in MS Patients With COVID-19 The worse your MS disability is, it seems, the worse the outcome if you’re infected with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. If you’re still debating whether to get a COVID-19 vaccine, this might help you make up your mind.
March 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Certain Factors Worsen Outcomes in MS Patients With COVID-19 People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have more extensive mobility issues are more likely to have worse outcomes from COVID-19, a new study indicates. The study findings also indicate that COVID-19-associated outcomes are worse among MS patients who are Black, older, have heart-related diseases, and who were treated with…
March 22, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ponvory, Ocrevus, COVID-19 Survey, Ampyra Ponvory (ponesimod) Approved for Adults With Relapsing Forms of MS Add one more medication to the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) arsenal. Ponvory is a once-a-day pill that aims to reduce immune system activity. It’s similar to Aubagio (teriflunomide), which I used for about two years, and which I believe helped…
March 22, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD National MS Society Encourages Patients to Get COVID-19 Vaccine Most patients with relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 ā and any vaccine of three authorized for use in the U.S. is safe to receive ā according to recent guidance from the National MS Society. Despite mounting evidence that…
March 19, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias The MS Immune System: Suppressed, Compromised, or What? Lately, I’ve seen a lot of incorrect information on social media about how multiple sclerosis affects our immune system. Some of it seems to be prompted by concerns that MS makes someone more susceptible to COVID-19, or confusion about whether people with MS can safely receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Here…
March 19, 2021 News by Aisha I Abdullah PhD Survey: COVID-19 Concerns Affected MS Management Concerns about COVID-19 caused people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to postpone or deviate from recommended care ā including appointments, imaging scans, and laboratory tests, a survey found. But notably, while most patients perceived their disease-modifying therapies as an added risk factor…
March 12, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias My 2nd COVID-19 Vaccine Shot Caused No Harsh Side Effects Last week, my wife and I were back in Bowie, Maryland, for our second shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. It was a sunny and warm afternoon after a windy, cold, and wet month. We hoped that was a good omen. Nina, the same pharmacist who gave us our…
March 12, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD UK Study to Compare Struggles of Patients With ‘Long-COVID-19’ and MS Researchers in the U.K. are seeking patients who found it difficult to return to work or school after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) or COVID-19 to participate in a survey that aims to gather more data on the physical and mental health of individuals with these conditions.
March 8, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Vaccines, Benign and Aggressive MS, Cog Fog, Diet All of the stories this week are from the ACTRIMS 2021 Forum, an MS research conference held virtually Feb. 25ā27. #ACTRIMS2021 ā COVID-19 Vaccines Safe for MS Patients, Minimally Affected by DMTs My wife and I received the second shot of the Moderna vaccine last week. (You can read…
March 2, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – COVID-19 Vaccines Safe for MS Patients, Minimally Affected by DMTs Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25ā27. GoĀ hereĀ to see all the latest stories from the conference. The currently approved COVID-19 vaccines pose little to no risk to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and…
February 15, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: DMTs and COVID-19 Vaccines, Better Trials, Ocrevus, Spinal Lesions National MS Society Urges DMT Dosing Changes for COVID-19 Vaccinations The National MS Society has revised its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations first issued about a month ago. The guidelines still say the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are considered safe for people with MS, including those using disease-modifying therapies, or DMTs.
February 12, 2021 Columns by John Connor Britain Leads the World in Two Types of Jabbing I was 6 years old when British boxer Henry Cooper knocked Cassius Clay on his bottom. (It was that long ago, folks ā 1963. This was before Clay’s religious conversion and consequent name change to Muhammad Ali.) Unfortunately, Clay was literally saved by the bell. I remember dashing around…
February 12, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias The First COVID-19 Shot Is Finally in My Arm It’s a good thing my wife, Laura, is persistent. Thanks to her tenacity, we’ve both been able to get our first shots of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. According to the pharmacist who gave us our shots, in two weeks we should be about 60% protected from the SARS-CoV-2 virus…
February 12, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD National MS Society Urges DMT Dosing Changes for COVID-19 Vaccinations To potentially increase the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is recommending dosing adaptations for some disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Based on expert consensus and available data, the guidance is particularly relevant for MS patients considering initiating or already being…
February 4, 2021 News by Diana Campelo Delgado Telemedicine Found Effective During Italy’s COVID-19 Lockdown Telemedicine is a feasible and effective method of remote care for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, an Italian study suggests. The study, āTelemedicine during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Outpatients Service Perspective,ā was published in the journal Neurology International. The…