November 9, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Age and DMTs, Tysabri or Gilenya, Sativex Trial, Ocrevus and Mayzent Phase 3 Trial of Sativex, Cannabis Extract Treatment for MS Spasticity, Opens in US This is a major step toward making a clinically tested, cannabis-based medication available in the U.S. I’ve always thought that medications containing a THC/CBD combination are useful to lessen some MS symptoms, but the lack…
November 5, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Tysabri Seen as Superior to Gilenya for RRMS in Limited, Head-to-head Study Adults with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with Tysabri (natalizumab) had fewer new and accumulated lesions, and a lower relapse rate than those treated with Gilenya (fingolimod) for 24 weeks, according to…
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…
July 27, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Tysabri in Long-term Use Seen to Lessen Relapses, Stabilize Disease Tysabri (natalizumab) is effective at reducing the frequency of relapses in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and is rarely associated with poor clinical outcomes, a real-life and multiyear observational study reports. The study, āLong-term effect of natalizumab in patients with RRMS: TYSTEN…
July 21, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Tysabri Use Can Lessen Disability in RRMS Patients, Real-world Study Reports Treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) can lessen disability in people withĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS), a large and real-world study found, supporting “confirmed disability improvement” reported in a pivotal clinical trial. Nearly one-quarter of the 5, 384 patients enrolled, particularly those new to treatment, experienced a decrease of at least one…
June 12, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Switch From Tysabri to Other DMT Raises Relapse Risk, Study Finds The risk of a relapse isĀ two to three times higher inĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)Ā patients who switch from Tysabri (natalizumab) to an oral or other injectable…
April 13, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Tysabri Shows Safety, Effectiveness in Real-world RRMS Use: 10-year TOP Data Tysabri (natalizumab) is safe and shows robust, real-world effectiveness at reducing the frequency of relapses in people Ā with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), 10 years of data from a large, observational study report. Findings were reported in āLong-term safety and effectiveness of natalizumab treatment…
March 18, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Gilenya Linked to Slightly Increased Cancer Risk in MS, Swedish Study Suggests The risk of invasive cancer may be slightly higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with GilenyaĀ (fingolimod) compared with those treated with rituximab, and with people from the general population, a Swedish study suggests. The study, āCancer Risk for Fingolimod, Natalizumab, and Rituximab…
February 26, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Stopping Tysabri Early Tied to Active PPMS, Smoking and Depression in Patients, Study Finds The likelihood of discontinuing treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) is higher among patients with progressive relapsing multiple sclerosis, and those who smoke and are depressed, a study reported. Progressive relapsing MS (PRMS) is now largely considered a subset of primary progressive MS, or PPMS marked by periods…
January 17, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias Stem Cells Versus DMTs: MS Treatments Go Head to Head People with multiple sclerosis have been waiting for this: A full-scale clinical trial testing the effectiveness of stem cell transplantation as an MS treatment. The trial is being conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and it’s enrolling people with MSĀ at several centers in the United States and…
December 20, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Who’s Willing to Accept More DMT Risk, You or Your Neuro? As more high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are being made available, people with multiple sclerosis have to decide how much risk they’re willing to accept in exchange for the treatment’s potential benefits. It’s a tough decision not made any easier if a patient’s neurologist is unwilling to accept much risk.
December 16, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: US Patent for Remyelination Therapy, Tysabri and Inflammation, Canada Funding Mavenclad MetP Pharma Awarded US Patent for Potential Remyelination Therapy Mention remyelination and the reaction from most of us with multiple sclerosis is probably, “How soon?” This announcement makes me hope that it’s now a little sooner. The process combines testosterone with a compound that changes the activity of something…
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 1, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Interferons Superior to Glatiramer Acetate, and Tysabri More Effective than Gilenya for RRMS, Real-world Study Finds Interferon therapy (brand names Avonex, Betaseron, and others) is more effective than glatiramer acetate (sold as Copaxone, Glatopa and other generics) for reducing relapses…
October 16, 2019 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Tysabri Treatment Leads to Disease Activity-free Status in Patients with Pediatric-onset MS Early treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) of patients with aggressive pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis is highly effective at achieving disease activity-free status and preventing cognitive decline, a new study shows. The study, āNo evidence of disease activity including cognition (NEDA-3 plus) in naĆÆve pediatric multiple sclerosis patients treated with natalizumab,ā…
September 17, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Tysabri During Pregnancy and After Delivery Seems Safe, Reduces Relapse Risk, Study Finds Continuing Tysabri (natalizumab) treatment up to week 28 of pregnancy, and restarting soon after birth, reduces the risk of relapses in women with multiple sclerosis and appears to be safe for the mother and the baby, new research suggests. Doriana Landi, MD, PhD, from Italy’s University of…
September 12, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 ā Biogen Presents New Real-world Data Demonstrating Clinical Benefits of Tysabri, Plegridy, and Avonex Biogen is presenting new data highlighting the potential clinical benefits of Tysabri (natalizumab), Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a), and Avonex (interferon beta-1a) for the treatment of specific groups of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), including pregnant women and patients with relapsing forms of the disease. The new…
September 12, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Plasma Exchange Ineffective for Treating Tysabri-associated PML, Study Shows Use of plasma exchange (PLEX) is not effective for treating progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a dangerous brain infection that has been associated with using the multiple sclerosis (MS) medicine Tysabri (natalizumab), a real-world study contends. The findings highlight the importance of Ā closely monitoring Tysabri users to detect…
September 5, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Sandoz Enters Agreement with Polpharma Biologics to Develop and Commercialize Tysabri Biosimilar Sandoz, a division of Novartis dedicated to the development of biosimilars, has entered an agreement with Polpharma Biologics, a biopharmaceutical company also dedicated to the manufacture of biosimilars, to develop and market a biosimilar to Biogen‘sĀ Tysabri (natalizumab). Tysabri is a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) that wasĀ …
June 18, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Some Neuros Make DMT Choice Harder than It Should Be More than 15 disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are available in most high-income countries to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). DMTs come in the form of injectables, infusions, and pills. Some are new, others have been around for more than 20 years. Some have a greater possibility of serious side effects than others. Some DMTs are highly effective at slowing or stopping disease progression; others, not so much. It's a difficult choice to make. So, why are some neurologists making it harder? These doctors are handing their patients a medication "shopping list" and telling them to pick one. I see this topic discussed regularly in social media MS groups. Recently, a woman who needs to switch DMTs wrote that her neuro gave her a "handful of (medication) brochures" and told her to go home and decide which medication she wanted. Really? DMT selection shouldn't be do-it-yourself I've been using DMTs for more than 20 years. I've been on Avonex (interferon beta-1a), Tysabri (natalizumab), Aubagio (teriflunomide), and Lemtrada (alemtuzumab). I always had the final say on which med I wanted to use, but I never had to make that decision alone without guidance from my neuro. That's the way a doctor-patient relationship should work. While the final DMT decision should always rest with the patient, your neurologist has the responsibility to use his or her knowledge of the meds and of you to guide you in your choice. Some factors that you both need to consider are: Is the disease progressing quickly or slowly? Your lifestyle: Do you work full time? Do you have a good support system and reliable transportation? If an injectable DMT is in the mix, can you handle injecting yourself monthly, three times a week, or every day? How much possible risk are you willing to accept in exchange for the potential of a better result? An additional and criticial consideration is whether you can afford the treatment. My impression is that cost is rarely thought of or talked about before most physicians prescribe a medication. I see nothing wrong with asking your doctor how much you can expect to pay out-of-pocket. (Or, for the doctor's office to ask this of your insurance company). If you feel your neurologist doesn't know all of these things about you I suggest that you be proactive and fill in any blanks. The final choice is yours With all of that knowledge, you can probably narrow down the most appropriate DMT candidates for you to three or four. Then it's time for your neuro to clearly explain why those are the best choices and to review the pros and cons of each. Then, and only then, it's time for you to make the final choice. And your decision might be not to use any medication. That wouldn't be my choice, but it might be yours. After all, you're the one who'll be living with whatever choice you make. What has been your experience? Was your neurologist helpful when selecting a DMT or were you given "a handful of brochures" and told to do-it-yourself? How did you choose? You're invited to visit my personal blog at www.themswire.com.
June 18, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Immune System Activation Induced by Filgrastim Likely Beneficial for Patients with Tysabri-associated PML, Study Says Immune system activation induced by filgrastim may be beneficial for patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy associated with the use of Tysabri (natalizumab), without worsening multiple sclerosis (MS) progression, a study says. The study with that finding, “Treatment of natalizumabāassociated PML with filgrastim,” was published in…
May 14, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #AANAM ā Use of Highly Effective Treatments for RRMS Increasing but Still Limited, Study Says Although the use of highly effective disease-modifying treatments (HETs) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) has increased, they still represent a minority among the treatment strategies used, according to a study. The study, āTrends in the use of Highly Effective Disease Modifying Treatments in Multiple Sclerosis…
May 8, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Research Suggests Extended Interval Dosing of Tysabri Can Decrease Risk of PML New data suggests that treatment withĀ TysabriĀ (natalizumab) in an extended interval dosing regimen is associated with a significantly lower risk ofĀ progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathyĀ (PML) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), compared with the standard interval dosing. The data was presented byĀ Lana Zhovtis Ryerson, MD, on May 7 at the 2019Ā …
March 19, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias DMT Choice for Your MS Is Your Decision About 15 disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are available to treat MS these days. So, choosing which to use can be daunting. I’ve been treated with four DMTs since I was first prescribed Avonex (interferon beta-1a) back in 1996. Each time I’ve switched treatments, my neurologist has suggested a number of…
March 18, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Non-contrast MRIs, Stem Cell Study Seeks Subjects, Postpartum Relapses, Which DMT? Non-contrast MRI Effective in Monitoring Progression of MS, Study Shows There’s been increased interest in the risks versus the benefits of using gadolinium to make lesions more visible on an MRI. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory last year raising the level of…
March 5, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Two Different Approaches to Providing Online MS Help I received an email recently from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in the U.S. promoting a searchable database of “credible doctors and resources.” A few days later, I happened to run across another online multiple sclerosis (MS) information service hosted by the HealthCare Journey website. They call it…
February 20, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Early Use of High-efficacy DMTs of Long-term Benefit to MS Patients, Real-world Study Reports Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients given intensive disease-modifying therapies early in their disease course have more favorable long-term outcomes than those treated with an escalating regimen, real-world data shows. The study, āClinical Outcomes of Escalation vs Early Intensive Disease-Modifying Therapy in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis,ā was published in the journalĀ …
February 8, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias DMT Approvals for Medicare Users Decline While Costs Rise, Study Shows This probably won’t come as a surprise to you if you’re on Medicare: It’s getting harder to obtain approval for many of the disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) prescribed for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). I see complaints about this all the time on social media. Now, research reported in…
February 5, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Have You Joined Our MS Forums Yet? It’s been about nine months since we created the MS Forums section on the Multiple Sclerosis News Today website. It’s a placeĀ designed to host conversations about our MS experiences and to find some answers from reliable sources when you have a question. You can even begin your own…
January 29, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias New Study Supports Hitting MS Fast and Hard The question of how quickly to start a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) after a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis is one that I frequently see when I browse online. It goes hand in hand with questions about which DMT is best to start with. There are many things to consider when…