MS relapse

My youngest recently left for college. It was hard to say goodbye, but I know it was time to let her go. I am now an empty nester, though I prefer to think of myself as a successful bird launcher. So what happens now? Many people get to know their…

A disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS) is a form of treatment that alters how the disease develops over time. DMTs have the potential to impede the progression of MS and decrease the number of relapses a patient experiences. In MS, the immune system is…

A panel of 20 proteins in blood may be used to quantify disease activity, namely relapses and lesions, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new paper proposes. “A multi-protein panel like the one developed in this study has the capability to capture the state of a patient’s MS…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with sleep medications and antidepressants. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Many years ago, it was brought to my attention that I suffer from insomnia and chronic fatigue.

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with high-dose steroids to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. My first experience treating an MS relapse with intravenous steroids was interesting.

Dormant Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) becomes activated during periods of disease relapse in multiple sclerosis (MS) and triggers inflammatory activity in multiple types of immune cells, a study suggested. Blocking EBV activation can reduce the inflammatory activity of immune cells, supporting the idea that targeting the dormant virus may…

TG Therapeutics is conducting two post-marketing studies to determine how safe Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) is among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as well as their babies. The goal is to generate data on the use of Briumvi during pregnancy and lactation…

Certain biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — around the time of a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis may help predict the time to reaching certain disability milestones among people with a relapsing-remitting (RRMS) disease course, according to findings from…

Is there something you now have that you once hoped and prayed for? I’ve been struggling with the demands of a new job for the past few weeks. As a virtual dietitian, I heavily rely on computers to meet with clients and do other necessary work. But staring at a…

A subcutaneous (under-the-skin) formulation of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) helped most adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) remain free of clinical relapses and new or worsening brain lesions, according to one-year data from the Phase 3 OCARINA II study. Given twice a year as a 10-minute injection, this formulation of Ocrevus…

Two years of treatment with Briumvi (ublituximab) in clinical trials resulted in a confirmed reduction in disability for more than 1 in 10 people with early relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) who had not received any prior treatment. That’s according to new data from the ULTIMATE Phase 3 trials,…

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) continued to prevent disability progression among people with relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) over 10 years, according to clinical trial analyses. The most pronounced benefits were observed in patients who started on the therapy in the controlled part of the trials, compared with…

For people recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), first-line treatment with Kesimpta (ofatumumab) was associated with a lower risk of disability progression over starting it after about 2.5 years of using Aubagio (teriflunomide). That’s according to six years of data spanning the ASCLEPIOS I (NCT02792218) and…

Undergoing fertility treatment with assistive reproductive technologies does not increase the likelihood of having a relapse for women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are taking a disease-modifying therapy (DMT), according to a new analysis. “The results are reassurance for women with MS who plan to undergo assistive reproductive…

Researchers have identified three distinct immune signatures in the blood of people with early multiple sclerosis (MS) that seem to be linked to specific disease trajectories and response to treatment, potentially offering a path to personalized care. “These findings represent a pivotal shift towards precision medicine in MS,” Heinz Wiendl,…

The prescribing label for Mavenclad (cladribine) in Great Britain has been extended to include the treatment of adults with active relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), as defined by clinical or imaging features. This decision made the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) the first to…

People who start treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) soon after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at a lower risk of relapse in the long term compared with patients who start on less effective disease-modifying therapies (DMT), a study has found. Patients on Tysabri, an antibody-based therapy,…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients diagnosed in more recent years — specifically after 2017 — were more likely to start sooner on a first MS disease-modifying therapy (DMT) than were those diagnosed between 2014 and 2016, an analysis of data from three large MS registries found. However, starting with…

Almost all of the nearly 700 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Italy who responded to a patient survey reported at least one unmet MS care need — ranging from insufficient access to primary care, social interactions, assistance, doctor-patient relationships, and information about the neurodegenerative disease. More than half…

Desiree Lama graduates from the University of Texas at Austin. (Photos courtesy of Desiree Lama) Day 24 of 31 This is Desiree Lama’s story: My journey with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) began when I was only 14 years old. I can vividly recall the smells, sights (or lack…

Leigh Anne Nelson wears the jersey of her favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs. (Photos by Brett Nelson) Day 15 of 31 This is Leigh Anne Nelson’s story: During my first experience with what I believe was an MS-related illness in 1996, I had numbness and loss…

Alex Ramirez stands outside of his home. (Photos courtesy of Alex Ramirez) Day 13 of 31 This is Alex Ramirez’s story: In January 2018, I started to feel terrible in a way I can’t put into words. I went to the hospital, and after multiple MRIs, I was prescribed…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided not to approve an application seeking clearance of GA Depot — a long-acting formulation of glatiramer acetate — for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Importantly, this is not a rejection of the application for the…

Tori Henderson receives her monthly infusion at an appointment. (Photos courtesy of Tori Henderson) Day 9 of 31 This is Tori Henderson’s story: Henderson, left, poses with her daughter, Kerriyah, for her birthday at Disney World. Thanksgiving 2017 will forever hold a special place in my memories. I…

The experimental BTK inhibitor evobrutinib was no better than Aubagio (teriflunomide) at preventing relapses, reducing brain lesions, or slowing disability progression in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from two Phase 3 trials. Both medications had generally similar safety profiles, although increases…

Bethany Carman runs her first 10K at the Mornington Running Festival in Australia. (Photos courtesy of Bethany Carman) Day 4 of 31 This is Bethany Carman’s story: Hello, I’m Beth. I’m 30 years old, based in Melbourne, Australia, and I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS)…

About two-thirds of people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) remained completely free from relapses over six years of treatment with Zeposia (ozanimod) in the DAYBREAK clinical trial. Most also saw no sustained disability progression during that period and the mean number of new or enlarging lesions…

Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy), an approved treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), is now available to patients in Europe, where it’s being marketed by Neuraxpharm. The infusion therapy, developed by TG Therapeutics, was first launched in Germany, with additional rollouts following in other European countries. Under…

About 4 in 5 people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who receive a stem cell transplant remain free of relapses for at least six years, and this may translate into being able to get back to work, a small study from Norway suggests. The study, “Autologous hematopoietic…

Coupling a noninvasive brain stimulation procedure with an intensive rehabilitation program significantly improved motor function and balance in adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a randomized clinical trial finds. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive treatment approach that delivers pulses of magnetic fields to modulate nerve…