March 14, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Keto Diet, Milk and MS, Disability Progression, Neural Sleeve Ketogenic Diet Eases Symptoms, Aids Life Quality in Small RRMS Study This new report says that a ketogenic diet might help people with MS. It’s certainly helped my wife lose weight, but will it help my symptoms? I wondered about that in a recent ‘MS Wire’ column.
February 25, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ACTRIMS2022 ā Immune System ‘Reset’ by Stem Cell Transplant Undergoing a stem cell transplant, a procedure that aims to “reset” a person’s immune system, can reduce relapse rates and ease disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), new data show. The findings suggest that such a transplant ā fully, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or aHSCT ā is…
January 26, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD After Pregnancy, Women Show More Brain Lesions, Volume Loss Women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have more brain lesions and accelerated brain volume loss (BVL) after pregnancy compared with pre-pregnancy measurements, recent data showed. Brain lesions in the early postpartum period ā the first months following childbirth āĀ were associated with a higher risk of worsened disability and relapse…
December 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Results From Trial of Simvastatin for SPMS Expected in 2025 MS-STAT2, a clinical trial testing whether the cholesterol-lowering medication simvastatin might slow disability progression in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), has finished enrollment. A total of 964 people are now in the trial (NCT03387670), making it the largest progressive MS trial not run by a commercial…
December 17, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Pregnancy Poses Challenges to MS Management, Review Study Shows Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who receive high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) before conception have a greater risk of relapses and disability progression during pregnancy than those given moderate-efficacy or no DMTs, according to a systematic review of studies. Exclusive breastfeeding for at least two to four months, however,…
November 19, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Cladribine as Injection May Limit Relapsing MS Progression for Years Patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with subcutaneous cladribine saw limited disease progression over a follow-up period of up to 20 years, especially with increased cumulative dosing, according to a recent study. Subcutaneous (SC) cladribine is administered as an under-the-skin injection. It is a formulation different from…
November 11, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS sNfL Levels Linked to Relapse-free Disability Progression, Move to SPMS Measuring levels of the protein serum neurofilament light chain (NfL)Ā can help to identify people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) at higher risk of relapse-free disability progression or conversion to secondary-progressive disease, according to a study from Germany. The study, “NfL predicts relapse-free progression in a longitudinal…
October 18, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 ā Ublituximab Better Than Aubagio at Reducing Disability 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 conference. The investigational anti-CD20…
October 15, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 ā Real-world Data Support Mavenclad Benefits in Relapsing MS 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 conference. Mavenclad…
October 14, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ECTRIMS2021 ā Brain Lesions Help Predict Long-term Disability 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 8, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Hydroxychloroquine Shows Potential to Treat PPMS in Phase 2 Trial Treatment with hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria medication, appeared to help slow disability progression among people with primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) in a small, proof-of-concept clinical trial. Hydroxychloroquine “is a promising treatment candidate for PPMS and should be investigated further in randomized controlled clinical trials,” its researchers wrote. Results ofĀ the study…
September 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Tecfidera May Reduce Relapse Rate More Than Other RRMS Therapies First-line treatment with Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) leads to a lower rate of relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) than does treatment with Aubagio (teriflunomide) or injectable immunomodulators, according to an analysis of insurance data from France. “These data will be useful to feed into physician…
September 1, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Early High-efficacy DMTs Linked to Better RRMS Outcomes in Sweden People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in Sweden have lower rates of worsening disability than those who live in Denmark, likely due to differences in treatment strategies in each country, according to a new study. “This study shows that, for the first time to our knowledge, differences in national…
August 31, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Moderate-to-severe Bowel Problems Found in 14.5% of Patients Moderate-to-severe bowel dysfunction was detected in 14.5% of adult people with multiple sclerosis (MS), an Italian study reports. The prevalence of bowel dysfunction was increased in women and in patients with progressive forms of MS, higher disability, older age, and longer disease duration. Despite the prevalence of bowel dysfunction…
August 6, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD MD1003 Aids Walking Speed in Progressive MS, But Carries Risks High-dose biotin aided walking speed in people with progressive multiple sclerosis after 12 to 15 months as an add-on treatment, an analysis of placebo-controlled clinical trials shows. However, the therapy failed to improve other measures of disability, and was associated with inaccurate lab test results caused by high levels…
July 20, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Nerve Tissue Scarring May Explain MS Progression Nerve tissue scars associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) show marked differences from those of similar neurodegenerative disorders, according to a recent study. MS-associated inflammation causes brain and spinal cord lesions (nerve tissue scarring) that often are bigger and last longer than those of two other demyelinating diseases: myelin oligodendrocyte…
July 16, 2021 Columns by John Connor Down and Out in London Town Last month, my brother-in-law finally managed to return to Thailand and his lovely wife. He’d been trapped in the U.K. for over a year due to COVID-19. Thailand has quite rightly imposed a Kafkaesque set of rules about entering the country on an extended immigrant visa. Luckily, we had…
June 28, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Early Use of High-efficacy DMTs Favor Lesser Disability Over Time Long-term disability outcomes tend to be better in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who are treated early on with highly effective therapies, a study based on patient registry data indicates. The study, “Long-term disability trajectories in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients treated with early intensive or…
June 18, 2021 News by Somi Igbene, PhD Younger Age, DMT Use at Early Relapse May Lessen Later Disability People with Ā multiple sclerosis (MS) who are usingĀ a disease-modifying therapyĀ ā and are at a younger age ā when they have a relapse within the first three years of their disease course are more likely to recover completely, lowering their risk of long-term, 10-year disability, a study suggests. Complete recovery…
May 3, 2021 News by Aisha I Abdullah PhD Combining Different Tests Gives Clearer View of Patient Life Quality The combined use of generic and disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures gives a clearer representation of the effects of multiple sclerosis on patients’ quality of life and enables a more accurate comparison across countries, a study has found. āThe…
April 28, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā Research Focuses on Measuring Therapeutic Lag Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, held April 17ā22. GoĀ hereĀ to read the latest stories from the conference. A novel method to calculate how long it takes therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) to become fully effective…
April 20, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā Measuring Blood Proteins Could Predict Disability in SPMS Editorās note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17ā22. GoĀ here to read the latest stories from the conference. Among people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) without active disease, high blood levels of the…
April 9, 2021 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD Retinal Layer Thickness May Predict MS Progression, Relapses Measurements of the thickness of the eye’s retina ā the layer of nerve cells lining the back of the eye ā could be used to predict disability progression and relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a real-world study from Austria suggests. āOur study shows that both crossectional and…
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 25, 2021 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD Early MRI Findings May Predict Disease Worsening in Children with MS Abnormalities detected on MRI scans at the onset and within the first two years of disease may predict disability worsening in children with multiple sclerosis (MS), a nine-year study reports. Specifically, damage in the spinal cord, brain, and optic nerve plays a major role in predicting outcomes in these…
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 18, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD More Trials Needed to Clarify Benefits of Alzheimerās Therapy Memantine in MS Treatment of up to a year with memantine ā an approved therapy forĀ Alzheimerās diseaseĀ ā failed to prevent cognitive decline and disability, and to significantly reduce fatigue and spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), a review of published studies shows. The therapy, soldĀ under the brand nameĀ Namenda, works…
March 4, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – Benign Versus Aggressive MS ā the Hunt for Clues 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 the latest stories from the conference. While researchers make progress in pinpointing markers of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), identifying those that signal…
March 4, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – Cognitive, Without Physical, Disability Growing Concern in MS 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 the latest stories from the conference. Cognitive impairment without physical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) may grow in prevalence as newer therapies better control…
March 3, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ACTRIMS2021 – Research Finds Race- and Ethnicity-based Differences in MS Therapies 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 the latest stories from the conference. Clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, including their response to therapies, vary based on race and ethnicity,…