April 9, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Overall Cost of DMTs Stable 2018ā2020, Study Finds The overall cost of disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. remained stable from 2018 to 2020, according to pharmacy and medical claims data from Prime Therapeuticsā insured members. This stabilization derived from a balance between a reduction in Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection) use due…
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 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 5, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ACTRIMS2021 ā Taking Medication During Pregnancy Reduces Healthcare Costs 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. Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who continue taking disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) throughout pregnancy accrue lower non-maternity healthcare…
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 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…
January 27, 2021 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Age Found to Be Main Driver of MS Disability, Patient Therapy Response Age is a main driver of disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) and has a key influence on patients’ therapeutic responses to Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Tysabri (natalizumab), a study showed. Given those findings, age should be considered in the risk/benefit assessment that’s used in the decision-making process for…
January 8, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Study: Past Long-term DMT Use Tapers Risk of Current MS Progression Long-term use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) has a beneficial cumulative effect compared to shorter treatments, delaying the development of irreversible disability and conversion to secondary progressive MS (SPMS), a recent study…
November 6, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Study Flags Possible DMT Risk for MS Patients Over Age 45 The use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) increased the risk of precancerous growth in those older than 45 years of age, according to an age-related adverse events analysis of several dozen clinical trials.Ā …
October 14, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Aubagio’s Long-term Benefits Not Influenced by Prior Treatments, Review Finds Prior treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) does not affect the long-term benefits of Aubagio (teriflunomide) in treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. The study, “Prior treatment status: impact on the efficacy and safety of teriflunomide in multiple sclerosis,”…
September 30, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Rituximab, Ocrevus Linked to Higher Risk of Worse COVID-19 Outcomes The use of certain disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) such asĀ rituximabĀ andĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), which lower the number of a patient’s immune B-cells,Ā may increase the odds of developing a more severeĀ COVID-19 disease course for people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. The study, which includes data from the…
September 17, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Tysabri Better Than Other DMTs at Easing Some MS Symptoms Tysabri (natalizumab) is superior to other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) at improving balance and vision, easing bladder problems and sexual dysfunction, and alleviating anxiety in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from an Australian study. The study’s findings were presented at…
September 16, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Cognitive Problems in Children With MS Can Persist Into Adulthood Cognitive problems can persist into adulthood in people whose multiple sclerosis (MS) began in childhood or adolescence, and are linked to neurological issues and delays in treatment initiation, a study reports. Early use ofĀ disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and of approaches designed to preserve cognition should be encouraged for pediatric…
September 16, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Pediatric MS Patients May Do Best on Intravenous DMTs, Study Finds Most children and adolescents with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS), especially those treated intravenously with a disease-modifying therapyĀ (DMT), achieve no evidence of disease activity within two years of diagnosis, according to a real-life study from the U.S. Patients whose DMTs are infused into a vein (intravenous treatment) areĀ more likely…
September 15, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – High-efficacy DMTs More Effective at Slowing Retina Atrophy in RRMS Patients, Study Finds Compared to low-efficacyĀ disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), high-efficacy medications are more effective at slowing the loss of nerve cells making up different layers of the retina ā the region at the back of the eye that enables one to see ā in patients with relapsing-remitting…
September 15, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Relapses During Pregnancy More Likely on Higher Efficacy DMTs Women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)Ā using moderate- or high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) before conceiving are more likely to have a relapse during pregnancy than are those taking low-efficacy DMTs or no medicines at all, a registry-based study found. This greater relapse risk during pregnancy could be reduced with…
September 14, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Long DMT Exposure May Delay Disability Progression, Wheelchair Use Longer exposure to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) may delay disability progression and the time until people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) require the aid of a wheelchair, an Italian registry-based study found. The study also suggests that starting treatment with DMTs ā medications that reduce the activity of…
July 1, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Exposure to DMTs Does Not Increase Risk of Severe COVID-19 in MS Patients, Study Finds Exposure to disease-modifying therapies does not increaseĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients’ risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19, according to a registry-based study. However, MS patients who are older, obese, or have severe neurological impairments have a greater risk of developing a severe form of the disease. Findings…
June 22, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD More Research Needed Into How Exercise, Rehab Aid Cognition in MS Cognitive problems are common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) but inadequately addressed by disease-modifying therapies, whileĀ cognitive rehabilitation and exercise training programs can be effective, a review study reported.Ā Research studies of exercise programs need to include larger groups of patients with demonstrated cognitive difficulties, however, and more pharmacological…
April 14, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus Use Still Growing in Europe But Challenges on Horizon, Spherix Reports Prescriptions ofĀ RocheāsĀ OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab) among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients initiating or switching aĀ disease-modifying therapy (DMT) continue to rise in Europe, according toĀ a surveyĀ conducted byĀ Spherix Global Insights. Ocrevus, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody administered directly into a vein,Ā was approved in the European UnionĀ to treat active forms…
January 15, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Almost Half of MS Patients Change or Stop DMT Due to High Financial Burden, Survey Shows The high cost of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS), and the challenging process of insurance approval, lead to treatment gaps or alterations, increased symptoms, and sacrifices in lifestyle, a survey from theĀ National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) shows. āPeople with MS are paying the price, not…
January 14, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Progression Affected by Degree of Relapse Recovery and Timing of DMT Use, Study Says Recovering well after a first relapse and starting aĀ disease-modifying therapy (DMT) immediately afterward considerably increases the likelihood of slowing progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. Its findings support relapse recovery as a critical factor for DMT initiation, and one that should be assessed routinely in MS…
January 3, 2020 News by Alejandra Viviescas, PhD DMT Use Linked to Fewer Hospitalizations Among Adults with MS in Canadian Province The growing reliance on disease-modifying therapies (DMTs)Ā to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā has led to fewer hospitalizations but not a drop in the number of physician visits, a population study of DMTs and their impact on healthcare use in Canada reports. The study, “Association between…
December 11, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Tysabri May Promote Inflammatory B-Cell Activation in MS Patients, Study Says Tysabri (natalizumab), an effective T-cell targeting treatment for multiple sclerosisĀ (MS),Ā seems to also promote the activation of pro-inflammatory immune B-cells in people with this disease, a studyĀ found. The study, “Natalizumab promotes activation and pro-inflammatory differentiation of peripheral B cells in multiple sclerosis patients,” was published in the…
November 27, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Profit and Competitors’ Prices Major Drivers of MS Therapy Costs in US, Pharma Execs Say Prices for newĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies in the United States are decided most by competitors’ prices, and continual increases in the cost of existing treatments by concerns for company profits and future growth, a study based on”confidential” interviews with four biotech executives with experience in the MS field reports. U.S.
October 17, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Rituximab Linked to Greater Risk of Infections in MS Patients in Real-world Swedish Study Newer disease-modifying treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) are effective but also known to carry a greater risk of infections in a patient group already more likely to be troubled by infections ā and this higher risk is particularly evident in treatment with rituximab, a DMT often used off-label in…
October 7, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS RRMS Patients Not Using DMTs More Likely to Have Been Misdiagnosed, Cite Poorer Relationships with Doctors, Survey Says People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who don’t use disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are more likely to have been misdiagnosed previously, and to have poorer relationships with their healthcare providers, the results of a new survey suggest. The survey, titled “Multiple Sclerosis In America 2019,” was conducted byĀ …
September 17, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Age Seen as Crucial in MS Outcomes, with 40 Marking Shift from Relapses to Progression Age at disease onset is tightly linked to clinical outcomes in multiple sclerosisĀ patients, a Swiss study in those on disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) reports. It foundĀ a risk of continuous relapses more likely in pediatric MS, and that of disease progression in those with adult-onset MS. Patients at age 40…
August 29, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Therapy Costs Increase More Than Sevenfold for MS Patients on Medicare, 10-Year Study Reveals The out-of-pocket costs for self-administered disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on Medicare increased more than sevenfold from 2006 to 2016, according to a new study. This was reported by researchers at theĀ University of Pittsburgh in a…
May 8, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Research Suggests Misconceptions About MS Risk in Pregnant Women New research suggests that even though pregnant women with multiple sclerosis (MS) are often viewed as high risk by their physicians, pregnancy Ā does not seem to increase the likelihood of adverse obstetrical outcomes for those patients or their babies. The research was presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting…