Two studies that recently appeared in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal shed light on how contraceptive use may affect women with MS, as well as how the disease might affect the safety and effectiveness of birth-control medications. Relapsing MS patients treated with older drugs such as interferons and Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) have a…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is pumping $17 million into 43 research projects that represent almost half of its $40-million research funding commitment in 2017. Among the projects are trials evaluating intermittent fasting as a way to harness inflammation and stem cell research. A growing number of studies indicate that stem cells can slow…

More than 2,000 bicyclists are expected to join in the 30th Annual Running of the Bike MS: Sam’s Club Round-Up Ride, set for May 6-7 in Fort Worth, Texas. The two-day, 163-mile trek’s objective is to raise $1.8 million in funding for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Last year, participants pedaled 279,000 miles…

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), now approved for both relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), is expected to become available in the coming week. While patients and neurologists are waiting, Multiple Sclerosis News Today spoke to Genentech about the treatment’s approval, future research plans, and what patients can expect in terms…

The historic approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the first-ever treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), set off ripples in the relatively calm waters of MS news reporting. The drug, which was also approved Tuesday as an unusually effective and safe treatment for relapsing MS, is viewed as a game-changer…

Carol Hardaway was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1990. After years of enduring relapses that brought episodes of complete blindness, numbness, tingling, debilitating fatigue, and short-term memory loss, the longtime resident of Texas — a state which offers Medicaid only to specific categories like low-income families, pregnant women, and…

Four newly published articles, the focused work of a group of researchers, evaluate the validity of four outcome measures commonly used in clinical trials of multiple sclerosis (MS) to set standards for such measures, the National MS Society recently reported. The effort by the Society-sponsored MS Outcome Assessments Consortium…

This year’s annual Walk MS event will bring cumulative fundraising for multiple sclerosis (MS) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) since 1988 to more than $1 billion, say organizers. “Walk MS is a joyous gathering with a wonderful ‘we’re in this together’ feeling,” NMSS President and CEO Cyndi Zagieboylo said…

President Obama’s signing of the 21st Century Cures Act on Dec. 13 is expected to bring real change to those living with multiple sclerosis (MS). The legislation will lead to better research and clinical trials. It also puts increased weight on the role patients play in developing treatments for their…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has launched an initiative, called Make MS Medications Accessible, calling for change in the pricing of multiple sclerosis (MS) medications in the U.S., which the group said need to be more affordable, and ways of acquiring them more simple and transparent. The initiative asks leaders of all…

A study exploring the difficulties parents experience when their child develops multiple sclerosis (MS) found that more support and education — from healthcare and school staff, as well as by parents themselves — is key to easing the burden of a child or teenager with this disease. The study, “Parents’…

A new video series for multiple sclerosis patients in the U.S. looks to help them better understand the complex legal and planning issues they face. The series, put together by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and Stetson University College of Law, in consultation with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, is…

The president of Colorado State University (CSU), Tony Frank, will be accepting the Norman Cohn Hope Award on behalf of his university, recognizing its work in advancing research into multiple sclerosis and helping people with the disease. The ceremony will take place at the Annual MS Society Dinner of Champions, set for Sept.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced that it has received the largest gift ever given the organization by an individual — a $3 million, multiyear donation to establish and fund the Edward M. Dowd Personal Advocate Program, which aims to improve and expand personalized case management and care for people with…

LyondellBasell, an established name in the plastics, chemical and refining industry, has been honored with the Circle of Distinction Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for raising $1.4 million to benefit the society and the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. Since 1998, the company has participated in the MS Society’s annual fundraiser in…

The Multiple Sclerosis Outcome Assessments Consortium (MSOAC) is making available to qualified researchers a new database containing almost 2,500 records of patients who were part of the placebo groups of nine multiple sclerosis (MS) studies. The MSOAC is a large-scale partnership, launched by the National MS Society and Critical…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Event360 announced the opening of the 2016 season of MuckFest MS, a 5K “mud run” and fundraiser with over 20 obstacles along its course to challenge and entertain people of all athletic levels. This year’s run will take place in 11 cities across the U.S., including a…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced that it has invested $25.3 million to support nearly 60 new research projects aiming to better understand and treat multiple sclerosis (MS), and seven clinical training awards as part of its strategic approach to eventually curing MS. This investment is part of the Society’s plan to commit a…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is welcoming Novartis Pharmaceuticals, for a fifth consecutive year, as a leading national sponsor of Walk MS, its annual fundraising and awareness-raising event. This year’s walks will also again feature the musician and multiple sclerosis (MS) ambassador David Osmond leading the society’s as part…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society launched a new awareness campaign for Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week, which runs through March 13, featuring the stories of people impacted by MS and a website with tips for overcoming daily disease challenges. The campaign, “Together We Are Stronger,” also recognizes the progress made in MS research…

Children’s Health of North Texas has been designated  a Center for Comprehensive MS Care by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, making it the only pediatric healthcare system in the northern part of the state with such a recognition. The Comprehensive MS Care designation acknowledges an institution that delivers quality, full patient care in a…

Ekaterina Dobryakova, PhD, was recently awarded a three-year grant worth $408,000 by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to study fatigue-influencing factors among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Dr. Dobryakova is a researcher in Traumatic Brain Injury Research at the Kessler Foundation, where she focuses on cognitive issues in…

In an innovative research project funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Dr. Anne Astier from the University of Edinburgh, U.K., and her team will use zebrafish to track the CD46 protein and determine where and how it affects the movement of immune cells into the brain, a process believed to influence…

A new  multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trial being led by Case Western Reserve University investigators is now recruiting 215 individuals, across 10 U.S. states to assess whether the fatigue management and physical activity interventions often provided by rehabilitation centers can effectively be offered by telehealth, through a series of teleconferences and phone interviews. An National MS…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society in the U.S. has awarded a new grant to a University College London (UCL)  research team to continue work into compounds with the potential to act as neuroprotective therapies for degenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). The financial support comes through the Society’s business-oriented subsidiary, the Fast Forward venture.

A collective team of physician-researchers comprising Dr. Peter Calabresi from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Dr. Laura Balcer from NYU Langone Medical Center, and Dr. Elliot Frohman from University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine are the winners of the 2015 Barancik Prize for Innovation…

Every year, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society hosts MuckFest MS, a fun mud and obstacle 5K event that raises funds for the society’s mission to support the ongoing search for better treatments and solutions for multiple sclerosis. Earlier this week, the Society gave recognition to the event’s 100,000 “mucker” or…

Alexander Gow, Ph.D., a professor at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, has just been awarded a research grant by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to fund his exploration of a novel model of MS pathology. Gow is a holder of the Charles H. Gershenson Distinguished Fellow Professor…