September 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Novartis’s Siponimod Appears to Slow SPMS Progression in Phase 3 Study AĀ presentation at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2016 Congress gave patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) a reason for optimism, as Novartis reported that siponimod (BAF312) reduced the risk of disability progression in a Phase 3 study of patients with secondary progressive (SP) MS.
September 20, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Gilenya Study Shows Long-term Benefits for MS Patients NovartisĀ recently announced positive results from the ACROSS study, which is assessing the clinical effect of Gilenya (fingolimod) in 10-year disability outcomes in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The results were presented at theĀ European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple SclerosisĀ (ECTRIMS) Sept. 14-17 in London. The ACROSS study…
August 29, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Gilenya-like Therapy Shows Benefit in Secondary Progressive MS Patients in Phase 3 Trial Patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) who were treated with BAF312 (siponimod), a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) inhibitor, in a Phase 3 clinical trial showed aĀ Ā significantly reduced risk for disability progression compared to placebo,Ā NovartisĀ recently announced. BAF312 is a selective modulator of specific types of the S1P receptor. This receptor is…
June 13, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Genmab to Begin Phase 3 Trials of Ofatumumab to Treat Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis GenmabĀ announced plans to soon begin a Phase 3Ā clinical trial program assessing the subcutaneous formulation of ofatumumabĀ as a potential treatment forĀ relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). The company, workingĀ in collaboration with its partnerĀ Novartis, will begin enrolling patients in September in trials that willĀ evaluate the efficacy and safety of ofatumumab compared…
June 7, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Fingolimod (Gilenya) Offers Consistent Health Benefits in Relapsing-Remitting MS Patients Researchers at the Swedish Neuroscience InstituteĀ inĀ Washington and Novartis Pharma revealed that Gilenya (fingolimod) induced a consistent and significant reduction in disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The results wereĀ recently presented at the June 1-4Ā Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual…
March 29, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National MS Society Welcomes Novartis as Premier Sponsor, for 5th Year, of Walk MS The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ is welcomingĀ Novartis Pharmaceuticals, for a fifth consecutive year,Ā 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…
February 11, 2016 News by Charles Moore Assess MS: a New Therapy Assessment Tool Developed by Microsoft – Novartis Collaboration When Microsoft rolled out its original Kinect system for playing Xbox video games in November 2010, the technology caught the eye of giant multinational healthcare company Novartis. A longstanding research challenge for Novartis has been to devise and design more consistent methods of quantifying whether multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments…
November 10, 2015 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Novartisā MS Drug Gilenya Prevents Activation of Key Immune Cells in Study In a recent study entitled āMyeloid cells as target of fingolimod action in multiple sclerosis,ā a team of scientists investigated the impact of fingolimod (Gilenya, Novartis), an approved drug for multiple sclerosis (MS), on the reactivity of myeloid cells, a key group that comprises several immune cells that…
October 9, 2015 News by Malika Ammam, PhD Gilenya’s Clinical Trial Results Presented at ECTRIMS Reinforce Long-Term Efficacy Profile in RMS Patients On October 8, 2015, data on two Phase III clinical trials called FREEDOMS and FREEDOMS II on Gilenya (fingolimod), a drug developed byĀ Novartis, were presented at the 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), currently being held in Barcelona, Spain (October 7-10).
October 6, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Icometrix Collaborates with Novartis on MSmetrix Software Application, New Data at Upcoming ECTRIMS 2015 Conference Icometrix, a leader in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers for multiple sclerosis (MS), has recently announced a collaboration agreement with Novartis Pharma AGĀ regardingĀ MSmetrix ā a measurement tool especially designed to assess brain volume and atrophy, as well as existing, new or enlarging brain lesions in MS patients. Monitoring…
August 24, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Novartis Acquires Remaining Rights to Ofatumumab by GSK for Multiple Sclerosis and Other Autoimmune Diseases Pharmaceutical giant Novartis recently announced it has signed an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline for exclusive rights to GSK’s investigational CD20-specific monoclonal antibody,Ā Ofatumumab, indicated forĀ relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and other autoimmune diseases. Novartis had previously acquired rights to the drug for its indications in oncology, effectively marketing it under brand nameĀ ArzerraĀ®.
August 17, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Oral Disease Modifying Agents for Multiple Sclerosis Are Now More Preferred by Neurologists A survey of 97 neurologists conducted in June 2015 revealed specialists within the field of neurologyĀ are increasingly avoiding prescribing injectables to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, as orally-available disease modifying-agents (DMAs) continue to gain in popularity. The survey was conducted and reported by Spherix Global Insights, a newly established business…
August 5, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Cases of Brain Infection Reported in MS Patients Taking Gilenya Multiple sclerosis patients prescribed Gilenya (fingolimod) are now being informed about a handful of documented cases where the therapy was found to have led to a rareĀ brain infection, according toĀ the US Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has released a public warning indicating thatĀ cases ofĀ progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) have been…
July 20, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Study Evaluates Gilenya’s Impact on Central Autonomic Dysfunction In MS With Delayed Heart Rate Fingolimod, also known by its brand name Gilenya, is an oral immunotherapy approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). In a recent study published in the Journal PLOS One, a team of researchers found that the autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction in MS patients with delayed heart ratere-acceleration…
June 4, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Health Care Excellence Awards Launched in UK UK-basedĀ MS Trust has announced the launch of newĀ awards designedĀ to distinguish healthcare professionals that are committed to treatingĀ and changing the lives of patients who suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS). The QuDos Awards are currently open for nominations and will featureĀ ten different categories. TheĀ QuDoS in MS Awards ā…
June 1, 2015 News by Charles Moore Novartis Pharma Program Helping Young People with MS Get And Keep Jobs Most employers these days talk about having workforce diversity oriented policies that support hiring people living with disabilities and chronic diseases, but what distinguishes rhetoric from reality? What in positive, practical terms can companies do in support of helping people living with visible or invisible challenges find and keep gainful…
April 14, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Novartis Analyses On Gilenya For Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis To Be Presented at Upcoming Conference NovartisĀ will present novelĀ GilenyaĀ data, demonstratingĀ the company’s methods for assessing the impact of relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) in bothĀ patients and physicians, during the 67th Annual Meeting of American Academy of Neurology (AAN) that will take place in Washington, DC between the 18th and the 25th of April, 2015. The data will…
December 8, 2014 News by Isaura Santos Disappointing Results for Fingolimod Phase III Trial In Primary Progressive MS Novartis International recentlyĀ provided an update on itsĀ fingolimod Phase III trial evaluating the use of the drug inĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (PPMS), reporting that the study did not reveal any significant benefits of prescribing fingolimod over a placebo.Ā However, results regarding…
October 21, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD David Osmond Sings for Novartis MS Awareness Campaign A member of the musical Osmond family, David Osmond, recently released a music video for his inspirational song “I Can Do This.” He has dedicated it to men and women all over the world who are faced with challenges that make them doubt their abilities and self-worth, but the real…
October 16, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD U.S. Supreme Court Gives Teva Mixed Reception on Copaxone Patent Case The U.S. Supreme Court deliberated on a request from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to preserve the patent of its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone from generic competitors until September 2015. Recent reports indicate that the court gave the company a mixed opinion. The hearing occurred this…
September 12, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Novartis Presents Impressive Gilenya Updates at MSBoston 2014 This past Wednesday, September 10th, the largest, most anticipated multiple sclerosis (MS) convention — the 6th Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Triennial Meeting, MSBoston 2014 — kicked off with a whopping 8,000 registered attendees, all eager to learn more about the latest developments in MS. One of the highlights of the event…
September 8, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Novartis to Present New Gilenya Data at ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting Those attending this week’sĀ ACTRIMS-ECTRIMSĀ conventionĀ set to take place on the 10th of September until the 13th in Boston, can expect Swiss pharmaceutical companyĀ NovartisĀ to present promising findings on Gilenya (fingolimod)Ā — the company’s leading oral formulation for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). In previously completed studies and clinical trials,…
September 3, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Importance of Brain Shrinkage for MS Treatment Measure Focus of Novartis Presentation Novartis has announced that it will present new analyses and redefinedĀ treatment goals for multiple sclerosis (MS) at theĀ 2014 Joint Americas and European Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Meeting (ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS), which is taking place in Boston, between September 10 and 13. Novartis claims to have…
August 25, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Biogen’s Tysabri, Novartis’ Gilenya Being Considered For Funding In New Zealand Health System The Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC) is consideringĀ a funding proposal that includes five treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), namely two key MS drugs, Ā Biogen‘s TysabriĀ andĀ Novartis‘ Gilenya, thatĀ are not currently funded. PHARMACĀ is the New Zealand Crown agency that decides, on behalf of District…
July 9, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Antihistamine Repurposed for Remyelination in Phase 2 Trial from UCSF The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) initiated a clinical trial to evaluate the antihistamine clemastine fumarate, manufactured by Novartis as Tavist, for its efficacy in treating multiple sclerosis patients. The laboratory of Dr. Jonah Chan, a professor of neurology at UCSF, used a high-throughput method to identify Tavist…
June 24, 2014 News by admin Multiple Sclerosis Drug Gilenya May Also Stop Chemotherapy Pain, According To Research A team of researchers from the University of Saint Louis has found a molecular pathway involved in a painful chemotherapy side effects, and a drug that might be able to stop it. Paclitaxel (also known as Taxol) is a chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat different forms of cancer…
May 29, 2014 News by admin Novartis And Tictrac Raise Awareness For MS With Health Tracking Challenge Pharmaceutical company Novartis and health tracking and analytics platform TictracĀ recently partnered up to supportĀ World Multiple Sclerosis Day and raise awareness for this disease by launching the campaign The 7-Day Challenge to Live Like You. The challenge, one of the first integrations of emerging technological trends by a pharmaceutical…