April 21, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Decisions to Stop Taking Tysabri for MS Are Often Subjective, Study Concludes Many decisions to stop taking the multiple sclerosis treatmentĀ Tysabri (natalizumab)Ā appear to be based largely on subjective factors such as patients’ or physicians’ view of the risk, rather thanĀ objective assessments of the risk, a study indicates. TysabriĀ is an approved immunotherapy for active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Despite its benefits, there…
April 20, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Early Use of Tecfidera and Tysabri Improves MS Patients’ Outcomes, Studies Suggest The latest results on Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and TysabriĀ (natalizumab) use in a clinical practice setting suggest that early treatment can improve outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This and other recent dataĀ on Tecfidera and Tysabri for the treatment of MS will be presented by BiogenĀ at the…
January 16, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Early Detection of PML May Lessen Damage Done to MS Patients Using Tysabri Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Tysabri (natalizumab) is linked to better outcomes if the condition does not give rise to actual symptoms and is diagnosed early. Limited brain lesions and moreĀ protective immune responses were also seen in patients who fared better, but researchers…
October 6, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Tysabri May Be More Effective Than Gilenya at Reducing Disease Activity in MS Patients, Study Says An indirect comparison of results from randomized clinical trials in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients suggests that Tysabri (natalizumab) is more effective than Gilenya (fingolimod) at reducing disease activity. The study, āThe Efficacy of Natalizumab versus Fingolimod for Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review, Indirect…
September 1, 2016 News by Malika Ammam, PhD MS Treatments May Lower Levels of Immune White Blood Cells Multiple sclerosis patients are at risk ofĀ developing lymphopenia, or abnormally low levels of immune defense white blood cells, called lymphocytes, according to a study that investigatedĀ lymphocyte counts in people with relapsing MS both before and after the start of treatment. The study, āLymphopenia in treatment-naive relapsing multiple…
August 9, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Tysabri’s Success in Impairing the Immune System in RRMS May Be Source of Its Problems Although Tysabri (natalizumab) is a highly effective in treatingĀ patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), some may developĀ progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). According to a new study,Ā this occurs because TysabriĀ impairs immune surveillance in the central nervous system and reactivates the latentĀ John Cunningham polyomavirus (JCV). The study, “Natalizumab Affects…
July 12, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Cognitive Skills Maintained in RRMS Patients Treated with Gilenya or Tysabri in Yearlong Study Disease-modifying therapies, a groupĀ of treatments for peopleĀ withĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), work to stabilize patients’ cognitive functionsĀ just as they do their physical symptoms. Research, conducted over the course of a year, also reportedĀ no differences between two types of DMTs,Ā Gilenya (fingolimod) andĀ Tysabri (natalizumab). The study, ā…
June 24, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patients Need a Drug Therapy Without Awful Side Effects Never having been offered, let alone received any disease modifying therapy, I can address the subject of disease modifying therapies, and their side effects, with complete impartiality. Of course, the reason for the lack of any medication is because none has yet been approved for use with MS patients who…
June 6, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #CMSC16 – STRIVE Study Confirms Tysabri (Natalizumab) Safety in Early Relapsing-Remitting MS Results from the STRIVE study support the safety of natalizumabĀ (Tysabri) as a therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The study, “Natalizumab in Anti-JC Virus Seronegative Patients with Early Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Interim Results from the STRIVE Study,”Ā was recentlyĀ presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis…
June 2, 2016 News by Ćzge Ćzkaya, PhD MS Drug Tysabri (Natalizumab) Gets Positive Opinion from European Medicines Agency Biogen, announced that TYSABRI, a drug developed to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has received a positive opinion from the European Medicine Agency (EMA) recommending its approval to be used in people with elapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
April 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Lymphoma Drug, Rituximab, Highly Effective in Treating Relapsing MS, Study from Sweden Reports Mabthera (rituximab), a widely approved drug for treating lymphoma and/or rheumatoid arthritis, is highly effective in treating multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers reported in an observational study in Sweden, where Mabthera is increasingly being used outside of its approved indications to treat relapsing-remitting MS patients. The study, published in the journal…
April 14, 2016 News by admin Array of Multiple Sclerosis Trial Data to Be Presented by Biogen at 2016 AAN Meeting A rangeĀ of new multiple sclerosis (MS) data from Biogen will be revealedĀ atĀ the 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Vancouver, Canada, on April 15ā21. Presentations will include studies on TecfideraĀ (dimethyl fumarate),Ā one of the most frequently usedĀ oral MS treatments worldwide, as well as several other…
April 11, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Natalizumab (Tysabri) Targets Molecule Crucial for Type of B-Cell to Accumulate in the Brain Mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), were found to have milder symptoms if the target of natalizumab (Tysabri) ā VLA4 ā was absent on B-cells, preventing regulatory cells that might control immune processes from entering the brain. B-cells are increasingly thought to play…
March 29, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Relapses During Natalizumab Therapy Traced to Drug’s Greater Impact on Regulatory T-cells Natalizumab (Tysabri) harnesses multiple sclerosis (MS) activity by targeting CD49, a molecule on the surface of immune cells. Now, researchers foundĀ that the drug reduces the factor on regulatory T-cells to a greater extent than on inflammatory T-cells ā a mechanism that might explain disease exacerbation during treatment. The molecule under…
March 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD CONy16: Debate Weighs MS Therapy Risks of Infections Like PML in Terms of Benefits Offered Certain therapies used toĀ treat multiple sclerosis (MS) have been associated with opportunistic infections of the central nervous system, including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare but often fatal brain disorder caused by the John Cunningham (JC) virus. The question of whether the risk for opportunistic infections to MS patients outweighs…
February 2, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD MS Patients Under Natalizumab Treatment May Be at Risk of Rare Brain Infection Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with natalizumab have an increased risk of developing high levels of antibodies associated withĀ a virus causing aĀ rare, but often fatal, brain infection known asĀ progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), researchers reported. TheirĀ study, āTherapy with natalizumab is associated with high JCV seroconversion and rising JCV index values,ā…
February 1, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Protein Seen to Impede Remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Researchers from Karolinska Institute, Sweden, reported that the immune-associated protein lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is increased in multiple sclerosis, particularly inĀ patients with progressive MS. The researchers, however, concluded that the factor cannotĀ be used as a biomarker for the disease. The study, “Lipocalin-2 is increased in progressive multiple sclerosis…
December 14, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 2 New Treatments for Relapsing-Remitting MS Now Available in New Zealand The Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand (MSNZ)Ā announced thatĀ PHARMAC has agreed with its requestĀ toĀ finance two novel first-in-line therapies for relapsing-remitting forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), making them accessible to patients there. PHARMAC recently agreed to fund theĀ two treatments, teriflunomide (Aubagio), supplied by Sanofi-Aventis NZ, and dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera),…
October 22, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Biogen’s TYSABRI for Secondary Progressive MS Fails to Meet Phase 3 Trial Endpoints Biogen Inc. recently reported that the Phase 3 ASCEND clinical trial study testing TYSABRI efficacy in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) did not achieve its primary and secondary goals. According to the company, the comprehensive results of the study will be revealed at a future medical conference.
September 30, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Natalizumab Reported To Be a Safe and Effective Therapy for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis A new study recently published in the journal BMC Neurology revealed that natalizumab (TYSABRI) is a safe and effective medication for pediatric cases of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study is entitled āNatalizumab in the pediatric MS population: results of the Italian registryā and was…
September 25, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Possible JC Virus Vaccination Offers Important Implications for MS Treatment Two studies recently published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, revealed a possible new vaccine treatment for JC virus with important implications for multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. The studies are entitled āJC polyomavirus mutants escape antibody-mediated neutralizationā and āBroadly neutralizing human…
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…
September 16, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Natalizumab Improves the Neurological Condition of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Results from a recent Brazilian study, published in the journal Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, revealed that natalizumab is an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The study is entitled “Natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis: the experience from two Brazilian MS centers“. MS is…
July 13, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New MS Study Shows TYSABRI Improves Cognitive Impairment Researchers at Spedali Civili of Brescia in Italy recently published findings in the journal PLoS OneĀ that Biogen’s Tysabri (natalizumab) can improve cognitive impairment in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) over the course ofĀ at least three years. The study is entitled āNatalizumab Significantly…
June 17, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Researchers Suggest Short Transition Period Between Natalizumab and Fingolimod Therapies to Control RRMS Disease Activity An international team led by researchers at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland revealed that a short period of 8 to 12 weeks is the optimal timing to be considered when patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) are switched from natalizumab to fingolimod therapy. The study was recently published…
April 27, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Study Tests Safety & Efficacy of New Treatment Intervals For MS Therapy Natalizumab A new study presented last week during the American Academy of Neurologyās 67th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC provides new treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis (MS) using a monoclonal antibody already used in some MS patients. MS is a disease characterized by the destruction of insulating covers on nerve cells…
October 13, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD PHARMAC Approves Funding New RRMS Treatments in New Zealand New Zealand-basedĀ Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC) has approved the funding of new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), which are expected not only to reach more patients, but also be more effective in curtailing the disease’s progressive symptoms. The therapies currently funded are meant for the treatment ofĀ …
August 21, 2014 News by admin Researchers Find MS Drug Fingolimod Decreases Gd-enhancing Lesions Fingolimod is a disease modifying therapy (DMT) used to treat relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients as well as patients who continue to present with relapses despite treatment with beta interferon drugs, and is the first oral medication to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug…
August 10, 2014 News by BioNews Staff JCV Virus May Be Missed in Patients Who Take Popular MS Drug, According To Study Multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients who are prescribedĀ TysabriĀ have an increased risk to develop the rare, often fatal infection of the brain called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), according to a recent study. PML is caused by a common virus that infects blood cells and can be mobilized by popular RRMS drug Natalizumab,…
July 14, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Tysabri Protects Against Relapse in Multiple Sclerosis, According To Study According to a study published in JAMA Neurology, multiple sclerosis patients are greatly benefited by Biogen Idec’s Tysabri (natalizumab) and tend to relapse if they discontinue treatment. Natalizumab had a protective effect on patients who were continuously treated with Tysabri beyond a 24-dose timepoint within the study,…