September 12, 2018 Columns by Mike Knight Out on a Stim: My FES Journey Comes to an End (Part 3) Third in a series. Read parts one and two. In March 2018, I began a personal research project ā quest if you will ā to assess how functional electrical stimulation (FES) devices might help me deal with the foot drop in my…
September 12, 2018 News by Diogo Pinto NICE Rules Against Bringing Ocrevus into NHS for Primary Progressive Patients in UK The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, better known as NICE, issued a final decision against includingĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) as a treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) in the subsidized public health system for England and Wales. The agency’s “final appraisal,” which mirrors its draft…
September 10, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: B- and T-cells, Tysabri, Sexual Silence How B-cells Work to Promote T-cell Attacks on Myelin That Lead to MS Detailed in Study I keep a close eye on reports about B-cells and T-cells because they’re the targets of Lemtrada, which is my current disease-modifying therapy. (The DMT Ocrevus targets B-cells alone). So, this…
September 4, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Ocrevus Predicted to Be a Billion-dollar Blockbuster Ocrevus, a disease-modifying MS treatment that’s only been on the market a little less than 18 months, appears poised to be a cash cow for its maker, Genentech. The research firm Spherix Global Insights, which analyzes trends in the pharmaceutical industry, predicts that Ocrevus is “poised to…
August 20, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson Deciding if Ocrevus Is Right When You’re Over 55 As a 61-year-old woman diagnosed in 2010 with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), I was overjoyed when theĀ U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the therapy Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in March 2017. Because Ocrevus is the first treatment approved to possibly slow the progression of PPMS, theĀ FDA’s green…
July 30, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Popular DMTs, Data Analysis Predicts MS, Remyelination Study Oral DMTs Still Common 1st Therapy for New MS Patients but Ocrevus Having Impact, Market Report Says Deciding on what therapy to use is a tough decision for people with MS and their doctors. That’s especially true for someone who is newly diagnosed. Do you go with…
July 27, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias A Fall, a Scratch, and an MS Lesson Learned In mid-July, the woman who writes the Multiple ExperienceS blog had a little fall. As Jamie explains, her rollator went forward, but her feet didn’t. The fall left a small cut on her knee. Over the next few days, Jamie’s knee swelled, and a trip to her doctor,…
July 16, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Fasting Study, ‘Bad’ T-cells, Brain Volume, Ocrevus in Scotland Missouri Trial to Examine if Fasting Alters Gut Microbiome and Immune System of RRMS Patients in Helpful Ways The impact of various diets on multiple sclerosis (MS) has been studied, but this new study will look into whether fasting has an impact. The researchers at Washington University…
July 9, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD NICE Agrees to Add Ocrevus to NHS for RRMS Patients in England and Wales, But Scotland Will Not Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients with active disease may now be treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab, developed byĀ Genentech) within the National Health Service (NHS) ā the subsidized public health system that covers England and Wales. But those in Scotland will not. The National Institute for Health and…
July 3, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD NICE Opposes Ocrevus as PPMS Treatment in UK’s Public-funded Health System The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, known as NICE, has decided against recommending thatĀ Ocrevus be part of public-funded treatments for adults withĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). The National Health Service (NHS) is the subsidized, publicly funded healthcare system for England, with similar structures…
June 20, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #EAN2018 ā New Guidelines for MS Treatment in Europe Set by EAN, ECTRIMS New treatment guidelines for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Europe were set in place through an initiative undertaken by the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS). Launched in parallel to the 4th Congress of the European Academy…
June 19, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #EAN2018 ā Ocrevus Lowers Relapse Rates Over Long Term and Better Than Rebif Does, Data Show Long-term treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) Ā ā as well as switching from Rebif (interferon beta-1a) to Ocrevus ā leads to a significant and sustained reduction in disease activity in relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). TheseĀ previouslyĀ reportedĀ findingsĀ are further supported by the latest results drawn from pooled data…
June 18, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD First Clinical Trial to Focus on Improving Hand Function in PPMS Patients Announced A new clinical trial will be the first in the world to recognize the importance of retaining hand function for wheelchair-bound patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS), according to a press release from Queen Mary University of London. The international trial, which will be conducted by a…
May 9, 2018 Columns by Cathy Chester The Agony of Decision-making when It’s Time to Switch MS Medications Iām agonizing over an important decision and it’s driving me crazy. Iām usually a quick decision-maker, but this one is tough. I have my analytical hat on, trying to look at my choices from a scientific standpoint. Unfortunately, my anxiety kicks in, and my hat…
May 3, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Ocrevus Shows Promise for Cognitive Function in Relapsing MS One thing weāve all hoped for with our disease-modifying therapies (DMT) is a treatment that will improve our multiple sclerosis (MS) and not just keep it from worsening. The latest studies presented on Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) hold promise that this treatment may have finally arrived. According to recent reports,…
April 23, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus Experiences, Early MS Treatment Study, Cognitive Decline 5 MS Patients Across US Talk About How Ocrevus Has Changed Their Lives There’s high interest in Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), one of two disease-modifying therapies that have shown promise for reversing some multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. (The other is Lemtrada.) So, I’m including this article. Keep in mind,…
April 20, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #AAN2018 – Ocrevus Data Support Sustained Efficacy, Ability to Aid Cognition in RMS Patients Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) shows sustained efficacy and an ability to improve cognition in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data being presented byĀ Genentech, the drug’s developer. The company will detail these findings in a series of oral and poster sessions at the 2018 American Academy…
April 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #AAN2018 – Switching from Rebif to Ocrevus Improves MS, Extension Study Shows Continuous treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) or switching from Rebif (interferon beta-1a)Ā to Ocrevus leads to aĀ significant long-term reduction in relapsing multiple sclerosis activity, a two-year extension study shows. Ocrevus’s maker, Genentech,Ā drew the results from anĀ open-label extension of the Phase 3 OPERA trials. Researchers will present the findings at…
April 17, 2018 News by Larry Luxner 5 MS Patients Across US Talk About How Ocrevus Has Changed Their Lives Itās been a little over a year since U.S. regulators approved GenentechāsĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā as the first treatment for both relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) ā a disabling neurological diseaseĀ now believed to affect nearly one million Americans. While the juryās still outĀ regarding the therapyās…
April 12, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski An Ocrevus Update Has Me Cautiously Optimistic After a delay in treatment in late December thanks to a nasty head cold, and the after-effects of contracting the flu in February necessitating another delay, I finally received my second six-month dose of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā in mid-March. Much like the first time, the infusion was uneventful. I had no…
March 29, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Ocrevus Outperforms Rebif in Preventing Relapsing MS Activity, Analysis Shows Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) was more effective thanĀ RebifĀ (interferon beta-1a) at preventing relapsing multiple sclerosis activity, according to an analysis that covered two Phase 3 clinical trials. The comparison dealt with the therapies’ ability to generate and maintain a condition known as no evidence of disease activity,…
March 28, 2018 News by Larry Luxner Ocrevus a Year After Approval: Views of Some MS Experts A year after U.S. regulators approved Genentech’sĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā as the first treatment for both the relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, a prominent neurologist involved in the Phase 3 clinical trials that led to its authorization says it has been beneficial for some MS patients. But itās simply…
March 26, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson My Unique Primary Progressive MS Diagnosis I have lived with the diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS)Ā for almost eight years. For many years prior to that diagnosis, I was confused by what could be causing my abnormal gait, extreme fatigue, blurred vision,Ā and trouble concentrating. During that time, I completed many diagnostic tests, dealt…
February 27, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias What’s Hot and What’s Not Among MS Therapies? The newest kids on the MS block, disease-modifying therapies (DMT) such as Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Sanofi Genzyme’s Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), are attracting a lot of interest these days. But, some DMTs that have been around for more than two decades are still being prescribed by a lot of neurologists.
February 26, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mediterranean Diet, Medical Marijuana, Ocrevus, Myelin Repair Pilot Study Is Testing Whether Mediterranean Diet Can Help MS Patients There’s been a good deal of news recently about the possibility that bacteria in our stomachs have an impact on our MS. There’s also been talk, for a long time, about whether certain diets can improve…
February 19, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD New Ocrevus Data, Post-FDA Approval, Supports Range of Benefits, Genentech’s Hideki Garren Says OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab), GenentechāsĀ humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, continues to show clear evidence that it helps to slow disease progression and enable better function ā including in the hands and limbs ā ofĀ relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), latest data reveals. TheĀ first FDA-approved therapy ā in March…
February 16, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Health Canada Approves Ocrevus to Treat Early Stage PPMS Patients with Active Disease Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) patients in Canada in the earlier stages of this disease can now be treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), followingĀ Health Canada‘s decision to approve its use with restrictions. Roche/Genentechās Ocrevus can be prescribed to adults with early-stage PPMS and characteristic signs of…
February 8, 2018 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Plaquenil, PML, Prevalence, and Other ‘P’ Words (Part 6 of 7) Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the “MS alphabet” with this column referencing terms starting with the letter “P.” This post comes sixth in a series of seven. Symptoms of MS Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) Though progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) isnāt an actual symptom of MS,…
February 2, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ACTRIMS2018 – Relapsing MS Patients With Impaired Vision Improved on Ocrevus, Updated Trial Data Show Ocrevus improved vision among relapsing multiple sclerosis patients who participated in the Phase 3 clinical trials of the treatment, according to updated analyses recently presented at the ACTRIMSĀ Forum 2018. While Ocrevus-treated patients improved their ability to read low-contrast letters over the course of the two trials, people who received Rebif (interferon beta-1a) did not. Laura J. Balcer, a neurologist at New York University Langone Medical Center, shared the data in a presentation titled, āEffect of Ocrelizumab on Visual Outcomes in Patients with Baseline Visual Impairment in the OPERA Studies in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis.ā Balcer had earlier shared data on the visual outcomes of relapsing patients in the OPERA I and OPERA II Phase 3 clinical trials of Ocrevus at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting in Paris, last year. The two studies āĀ sponsored by Ocrevus developer Genentech, a member of the Roche group ā Ā compared Ocrevus and Rebif in patients with relapsing MS. This time, her presentation focused only on patients who had visual impairment when they enrolled in the trials. Among a total of 1,656 participants, 375 of those treated with Ocrevus and 373 in the Rebif group had visual impairment. Researchers tested vision using a low-contrast letter acuity test. The test is similar to an ordinary vision test, with letters of different sizes on a chart. But the low-contrast test uses gray lettersĀ ā instead of black ā on a white background. Researchers included charts with two shades of gray to test different contrast levels. These tests can detect reduced visual function. At the beginning of the trials, both groups performed in a similar manner āĀ correctly identifying about 35 letters on a chart with somewhat higher contrast. After 96 weeks, those receiving Ocrevus identified on average 3.4 more letters, while Rebif-treated patients worsened by 0.5 letters ā a significant difference, Balcer said. Researchers tested vision every 12 weeks. At the end of the trials, they found that 39 percent more patients in the Ocrevus groups had a cumulative improvement of at least 10 letters, compared to those treated with Rebif. At this time, 26.4 percent of Ocrevus-treated patients improved 10 letters or more, compared to 19.8 percent in the Rebif group. The difference between the groups for at least seven letters was 54 percent, with Ocrevus-treated patients performing better. Researchers believe that a seven-letter change is the minimal clinically important difference for the test. Based on the results, researchers believe that the findings demonstrate Ocrevusā ability to reverse visual impairment in relapsing MS. The ACTRIMS Forum 2018 isĀ being held in San Diego, California, Feb. 1ā3.
February 2, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc MS Trust Seeking PPMS Patients’ Views on Ocrevus as It Tries to Obtain British Coverage Britain’sĀ Multiple Sclerosis TrustĀ is asking patients to help them getĀ the National Health ServiceĀ to cover Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) as a treatment forĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosis, or PPMS. The key step is trying to persuade the National Institute for Health and Care ExcellenceĀ to recommend that the health service…