A range of new multiple sclerosis (MS) data from Biogen will be revealed at the 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Vancouver, Canada, on April 15–21. Presentations will include studies on Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), one of the most frequently used oral MS treatments worldwide, as well as several other…

A case report of a woman with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who developed shingles while being treated with dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) has raised questions of whether the drug reactivates the varicella-zoster virus. The study, “Disseminated zoster with paresis in a multiple sclerosis patient treated with dimethyl fumarate,“ was published in…

Editor’s note: The term B-cells is, in fact, a collective term for a group of cells having rather different properties. Some B-cells cells play a role in fighting invading pathogens or flawed cells, and can be wrongfully activated to target normal cells in autoimmune diseases. Regulatory B-cells (Bregs), instead act…

Millions of television viewers who watched the popular HBO mob drama series “The Sopranos” saw actress Jamie Lynn Sigler grow from a teen into a young woman as Meadow Soprano, the independent-minded daughter of mafia boss Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini. This week, Sigler revealed she has been battling multiple…

Delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) was recently approved for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), although the mechanisms by which the drug exerts its action were not fully understood. A new study from the University Hospital Münster, Germany, shows that dimethyl fumarate alters the balance between subpopulations of T-cells to promote…

Alkermes plc, a biopharmaceutical company focused on therapies for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, announced that it has successfully met its 2015 goals for their product and late-stage pipeline drug portfolio, including ALKS 8700, a monomethyl fumarate (MMF) drug candidate for the treatment of multiple sclerosis…

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand (MSNZ) announced that PHARMAC has agreed with its request to finance two novel first-in-line therapies for relapsing-remitting forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), making them accessible to patients there. PHARMAC recently agreed to fund the two treatments, teriflunomide (Aubagio), supplied by Sanofi-Aventis NZ, and dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera),…

Advancing key medicinal treatments like TECFIDERA (dimethyl fumarate), the most prescribed oral treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), is a key focus of a company-wide restructuring recently announced by Biogen, Inc. TECFIDERA has been shown to reduce relapse rates, slow disability progression and the number of brain lesions in patients with relapsing forms…

A top MS researcher for Biogen Idec answered questions in an exclusive interview with Multiple Sclerosis News Today correspondent Dr. Ana de Barros at a Satellite Symposia entitled “MS developments: transitioning evidence into clinical practice” presented by the company this morning at the 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and…

Biogen is scheduled to present the latest efficacy and safety profile updates on TECFIDERA (dimethyl fumarate), its lead treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), during the 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) happening now in Barcelona, Spain until October 10, 2015. The…