March 16, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Novantrone Lowers Relapses, Eases Disability in Highly Active RRMS Initial treatment with Novantrone (mitoxantrone) can reduce the risk of relapses and worsening disability in people with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a 10-year study from France. “Our results support the short-term use of [Novantrone], followed by a maintenance therapy for patients with early highly…
September 20, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Neuros Say that Flu Shots and Other Vaccines Are OK for Those with MS This is the time of year when my wife and I start thinking about getting our flu shots. We’ve already had the pneumonia and the older shingles vaccine and hope to soon update with the new shingles vaccine, Shingrix (recombinant zoster vaccine). These vaccines are OK with my neurologist and…
July 13, 2018 Columns by John Connor Steering My Own Boat and Making a Splash The U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) turned 70 last week. In England, yes, we are mourning our semi-final defeat by Croatia in the World Cup, but to most of us, the NHS is the U.K.’s crowning glory. There are innumerable problems and proposed solutions involving the institution, yet…
June 22, 2018 Columns by John Connor A Tale of Two Halves For those reading this in the U.S., part of what I’m going to write will likely be incomprehensible, as it involves the World Cup. That’s football, not soccer. The rest of the world is in thrall to this sporting event. Even if your country doesn’t qualify, you grumpily…
August 21, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye This Week: Older Therapies and Cancer, New Gut Study, Ocrevus in Canada Older Immunosuppressants May Increase MS Patientsā Cancer Risk, Study Reports We’re talking about some pretty harsh immunosuppressant drugs here: azathioprine, mitoxantrone, and possibly cyclophosphamide. Unlike newer drugs, targeted to specific cells, these knocked out an entire spectrum of immune cells when they were administered. If you’ve used…
February 27, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ACTRIMS2017 – Novantrone Lowers Relapse Rates over Long Term, But Carries Cancer Risk Ten years after completingĀ treatment with Novantrone (mitoxantrone), a chemotherapy drug, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed evidence of markedly lowerĀ annualized relapse rates, but the therapy’s effects began to wane after five years, a studyĀ presented atĀ ACTRIMS 2017 ForumĀ reported. The study also assessed howĀ Novantrone affects disease progression in primary and secondary progressive…
May 16, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Mitoxantrone, a Drug for Progressive and Severe Relapsing MS, Linked to Colorectal Cancer Risk Mitoxantrone, Ā a multiple sclerosis (MS) Ā drug that isĀ alreadyĀ associated with a higher risk for leukemia and heart damage, may also raise a person’s risk ofĀ colorectal cancer, researchers at theĀ University of WĆ¼rzburg, in Germany, reported. If confirmed in larger studies, the findings indicate that colonoscopies should be conducted on MS patients after…
September 22, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Clinical Benefit of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Therapies Highlighted in Review A review study recently published in the journal Cochrane Database of Systematic Review (CDSR) focused on the clinical benefit of different therapiesĀ available for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study is entitled āImmunomodulators and immunosuppressants for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a network meta-analysisā and was led…
February 16, 2015 News by Maureen Newman Stem Cells Used to Treat Secondary Progressive Patients in Clinical Trial What may work better than existing drugs to treat severe multiple sclerosis? Stem cells. A phase 2 clinical study from an international group of research centers compared head-to-head autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and mitoxantrone in treating patients with secondary progressive or relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The findings showed that…