People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be significantly more likely to have relapses if their Medicare insurance covers fewer disease-modifying therapies, a study shows. The findings suggest that plans with narrower MS treatment coverage may be linked to worse health outcomes, possibly because the therapeutic response to complex diseases…
MS relapse
The night before I was supposed to teach an autoimmune nutrition class, I reentered a role I thought I’d finally outgrown. Instead of educating other practitioners in the functional medicine space, I found myself in the emergency room, listing symptoms I couldn’t fully untangle or explain. I wasn’t there…
Researchers have developed a blood test to identify people at risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) years before the first symptoms appear. The test, described in a recent study, looks for antibodies against a protein of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is a leading risk factor for MS.
Blood levels of a protein called GFAP, which reflects the activation and damage to support cells in the brain and spinal cord, may help predict disease severity and the response to treatment with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new analysis of clinical trial data. “This…
Dear current me, Not that long ago, I wrote a letter to our younger self, newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). That letter was intended to let her know that her diagnosis was not the end-all, be-all and wouldn’t take away from the beautiful and…
Hormone therapies used in gender-affirming care for transgender people may affect disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), a small new study reports, although its researchers cautioned that more research is are needed to more comprehensively assess its impact in MS. The study, “Gender-affirming interventions and prognosis…
Enrollment is now complete in the twin Phase 3 clinical trials testing Immunic Therapeutics‘ oral small molecule vidofludimus calcium in adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). ENSURE-1 (NCT05134441) has enrolled 1,121 patients and ENSURE-2 (NCT05201638) has enrolled 1,100 patients at more than 100…
Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) appears to be safe and effective for children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to real-world data from Kuwait. After about 15 months of treatment, more than 90% of patients with pediatric-onset MS (POMS) remained free of relapses, and most also showed no new…
Almost two years of treatment with fenebrutinib — an investigational oral tablet for multiple sclerosis (MS) — helped patients with relapsing forms of the disease remain nearly free of relapses and disability progression. That’s according to new data from the open-label extension of FENopta (NCT05119569), a Phase…
Before I received my relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis in 2016, I underwent a standard MRI exam, with and without contrast, that scanned my brain, thorax, and cervical spine. I’d never had an MRI before this one. I was vaguely familiar with what the machine looked like, but it’s…
Medicaid coverage for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. is associated with worse disease outcomes — including more clinical relapses and greater disability progression — compared with private insurance, according to a new study that investigated the impact of insurance type and socioeconomic factors on patient care. In…
A single 600 mg dose of Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) — instead of the approved 150 mg initial dose plus a 450 mg dose two weeks later — was well tolerated by adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to new data from the ENHANCE Phase…
A Phase 4 observational study called ENABLE is enrolling adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) across the U.S. to better understand the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) in the real world. At least 500 patients are expected to enter ENABLE (NCT06433752) at some…
No added benefit was found in increasing the dose of Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) — to two to three times the currently approved 600 mg dose — in slowing disability progression in adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from a Phase 3 clinical study. The…
Ena Salcinovic celebrates her birthday three years after her MS diagnosis. (Photos courtesy of Ena Salcinovic) Day 22 of 31 This is Ena Salcinovic’s story: Saturday. Finally. A good day. I still believe that even though I overslept and missed the Red Cross and our weekly international cooking. I…
Starting Tysabri (natalizumab) early in multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment may lead to better outcomes, including greater reductions in relapse rates and less use of MS-related healthcare services over starting it after other therapies. That’s according to a U.S. healthcare claims analysis of more than 1,500 adults with MS.
Tom Anderson, 67, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at about 30 years old. (Photos courtesy of Tom Anderson) Day 16 of 31 This is Tom Anderson’s story: I may be the dimmest star, but don’t get all hokey on me. There are lots of us. The following are the…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a prefilled syringe format for Ani Pharmaceuticals’ purified Cortrophin Gel that’s expected to reduce the number of steps needed for administering the therapy — used in multiple sclerosis (MS) to treat relapses. The approval means that people with conditions…
Nanette Lai locks eyes with her chihuahua Fanny. Lai says mutual gazing between humans and dogs can cause synchronization in areas of the brain. (Photos courtesy of Nanette Lai) Day 12 of 31 This is Nanette Lai’s story: My name is Nanette, and I have lived with relapsing-remitting…
Naty Caez shares about her life with MS on Instagram. (Photos courtesy of Naty Caez) Day 9 of 31 This is Naty Caez’s story: In September 2024, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Everyone’s diagnosis story is going to look a little different, but for me, it took…
Edward Radford gives a thumbs-up while running The Great North Run half-marathon in 2024. (Photos courtesy of Edward Radford) Day 8 of 31 This is Edward Radford’s story: People often say F**k MS, like it’s a battle cry. I get it. For a long time, I saw it that…
A neurodegenerative disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) is estimated to affect more than 1.8 million people worldwide — across all ages, races, sexes, and geographical regions. During Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month this March, patients, caregivers, and other advocates are coming together to provide opportunities to connect, educate, inspire, empower, and…
I’ve noticed a lot of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) report that their disease worsens in the summer months, with fatigue and heat intolerance as common complaints. Not me. I seem to thrive in warmer weather, and I enjoy going outside for the heat. Instead, I struggle in the…
Sanam Saeedi resolved not to allow a diagnosis of MS to determine the course her life could take. (Photos courtesy of Sanam Saeedi) Day 1 of 31 This is Sanam Saeedi’s story: For years, I lived with numbness and tingling in my toes, but dismissed it as a result…
Immune cells from people with multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibit distinct gene activity just before patients have a disease relapse, according to recent research. The observed immune perturbations, which are no longer observed by the time the relapse is actively underway, are consistent with the body’s response to a reactivation…
Using Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) as a first-line treatment for early-stage relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) is significantly better at delaying disease progression than starting with a less effective drug and switching to Ocrevus later. That’s according to nine years of data from the OPERA I (NCT01247324) and…
Switching from anti-CD20 medications to less effective fumarate therapies is linked to reduced healthcare visits and costs related to infections after a year, without affecting the rate of relapses in stable multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to an analysis of a U.S. healthcare claims database, which compared switchers against…
Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were exposed to sunlight for at least half an hour per day during the first summer of life tend to have less disease relapses than those who received less sun exposure during that period, a study found. The risk of relapse was also…
The Floodlight MS app, a digital health application used to track dexterity, walking function, and cognition in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), has been deemed cost-effective in a new analysis. Modeling simulations showed MS patients who use the app experience fewer relapses and slower disability progression, which would improve…
The rate of relapses in children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) tends to increase around the time that menstruation begins, a new study reports. The findings suggest hormonal changes at the onset of puberty may trigger higher disease activity. The use of oral and infusion disease-modifying therapies (DMT)…