March 13, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Phase 1 trial of KYV-101 opening in progressive MS without relapses Researchers at Stanford University have partnered with Kyverna Therapeutics to conduct an investigator-initiated clinical trial of the company’s cell-based therapy, KYV-101, in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) without relapses. The open-label Phase 1 trial (NCT06138132) will take place at the Stanford Multiple Sclerosis…
January 17, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Protein levels in CSF may help diagnose primary progressive MS The level of proteins called kappa free light chains in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ā the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord ā may be used as a diagnostic marker to identify the presence of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. Testing for…
December 11, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Blood levels of MIF protein may predict brain atrophy with PPMS Higher blood levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a molecule involved in inflammation, may predict a faster rate of brain shrinkage, or atrophy, in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). That’s according to a new analysis of data from the SPRINT-MS Phase 2 trial (NCT01982942) that…
December 5, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD With younger age at PPMS onset, higher disease activity can be seen People with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) at younger ages are more likely to have higher disease activity, suggesting they may respond better to disease-modifying therapies, according to a review of published studies. “Our findings confirm that younger patients tend to have more inflammatory activity, and so younger…
August 29, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Diagnosing primary progressive MS difficult, despite guidelines DiagnosingĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) can be challenging, with obstacles ranging from ruling out other disorders to differentiating between PPMS and other types of multiple sclerosis (MS). These difficulties were highlighted in the study, “Real-world challenges in the diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis,” published…
July 24, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Primary progressive MS can greatly reduce life quality, ability to work Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) can greatly reduce quality of life for patients and affect their ability to work, according to real-world data collected from a German MS registry. These results āconfirm the steadily deteriorating course of PPMS accompanied by increasingly limited quality of life,ā researchers wrote. The study,…
March 27, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS More, earlier damage seen in primary progressive MS vs SPMS People with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) may experience more severe inflammatory activity and nerve damage early on in the course of their disease as compared with individuals who have secondary progressive MS, a new study indicates. The results also suggest that primary progressive MS patients tend to have…
February 13, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ‘Mini-brain’ models point to poorer oligodendrocyte growth in PPMS Using stem cells derived from people with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers developed cerebral organoids, or “mini-brains,” to better study the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to the neurodegenerative disorder. Initial analysis showed that patient-derived stem cells, especially those from people with primary progressive MS (PPMS), tend to be…
November 11, 2022 Columns by John Connor Someone in My Family Has Medical Problems, and It Aināt Me You get used to ā¦ Hold on there, matey boy. Be honest and write “I.” This column has a reputation for brutal honesty (I’m sure someone has referred to it that way over the past five years), so donāt get all coy now that youāre not the center of medical…
November 10, 2022 Columns by Stephen De Marzo How I Survived My Odyssey With a Urinary Tract Infection Well, I survived! I would’ve never believed something so seemingly insignificant could cause such devastating and lasting effects on my health. Iāve had urinary tract infections (UTIs) before, as they’re a complication of self-catheterization with multiple sclerosis (MS). But this was the mother of all UTIs. It started…
August 11, 2022 Columns by Stephen De Marzo High Temperatures Make My Brain Become Strangled in Static AM radio is infamous for bad reception, resulting in nothing but static. You can search the dial frequency by frequency, and itās all static. Occasionally you will cross a station, but then the car moves, and the reception is lost again. When I’m overwhelmed with the heat, that’s what…
July 28, 2022 Columns by Stephen De Marzo The Heat Is On: Coping With PPMS and High Temperatures Oh, brother, itās hot! How hot? Well, my thermometer hit āare you kidding meā levels. My experience with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) has taught me that an 0.5-degree rise in body temperature is enough to cause a shutdown. Allow me to explain what itās like when my…
July 14, 2022 Columns by Stephen De Marzo I Had to Make Difficult Business Decisions After My PPMS Diagnosis On Feb. 28, 2021, my wife and I visited the MS clinic where I was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). After receiving this life-changing news, I was an emotional wreck. While touring the clinic, I saw a person in a wheelchair go into an exam room.
July 14, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS EMBOLD Study of ATA188 in Progressive MS Is Given Go-ahead An independent committee of experts has recommended that the Phase 2 portion of the EMBOLD clinical trial continue as planned without a sample size adjustment, following an analysis of safety and effectiveness data. The trial is testing Atara Biotherapeutics‘ experimental medication ATA188 in progressive forms of multiple…
June 30, 2022 Columns by Stephen De Marzo Fatigue Was One of the First ‘Tells’ of My Primary Progressive MS In poker, a tell refers to a change in an opponent’s behavior or demeanor that may offer clues about the cards they’re holding. This could be a facial movement, an unusual breathing rhythm, an unconscious shift in body position, or a strange monetary bet. Recognizing a player’s tells may help…
June 23, 2022 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Comparing Cases of Multiple Sclerosis Leads to a Logical Fallacy If you werenāt aware (I wasnāt), last Friday, June 17, was National Eat Your Vegetables Day. The day wasnāt created to tout any special diet per se, but to increase awareness of the benefits of vegetables in a healthy diet. If you were already aware of those benefits, then…
June 16, 2022 Columns by Stephen De Marzo The Journey Toward My Primary Progressive MS Diagnosis When I turned 50 in 2013, I blew out the candles, and bam! I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I started seeing an endocrinologist and a neurologist, taking daily diabetic medications, and testing my blood sugar every day. At that point, I was not physically disabled in any…
March 4, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Masitinib Slows Disability Progression in PPMS, Non-active SPMS Masitinib, AB Scienceās experimental oral therapy, significantly slows disability progression in adults with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and non-active secondary progressive MS (SPMS), according to final data from the AB07002 Phase 2b/3 clinical trial. These findings, indicating that the trial met its main goal, support…
January 5, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD AB Science OK’d to Start Masitinib Phase 3 Trial for Progressive MS The French Health Authority has approved AB Scienceās request to launch a Phase 3 clinical trial to confirm the safety and effectiveness of its lead candidate masitinib in adults with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and nonactive secondary progressive MS (SPMS). āWe are very excited to initiate…
November 9, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ocrevus Still Top Therapy for Progressive MS Forms, Report Finds Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) continues to be the most commonly prescribed therapy for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), including primary progressive MS (PPMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS), according to an analysis from the market intelligence firm Spherix Global Insights. However, other therapies are “gaining traction” among…
August 18, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Trial Will Test Ocrevus on Arm, Hand Function in PPMS A Phase 3 clinical trial testing the effect of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) on upper limb disability progression in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) is recruiting participants. The trial, called O’HAND (NCT04035005), expects to enroll approximately 1,000 adults with PPMS, ages 18 to 65, at more than…
June 29, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Abata Opens With Plans to Develop T-cell Therapies for Progressive MS Abata Therapeutics has opened with $95 million in financing, and plans to use regulatory T-cells to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, starting with progressive forms ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). Money raised will be used to support work for three clinical trials it plans to initiate in 2025, including…
January 30, 2019 Columns by Mike Knight Ā My Progressive MS Moment of Truth āIf I were you two, I think Iād plan for the worst,ā Amy, my physiatrist, said to my wife and me as we sat in the examination room. It was just after 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 18. January has become one of two pivotal months in terms of…
January 3, 2018 Columns by Mike Knight Turning Corners with MS: Ocrevus, Biotin, and 2018 Like a lot of people with MS, I took part in the āGreat Ocrevus Rush of 2017,ā with the fanfare surrounding the release of the first therapy in the United States known to have some ability to stem the advancement of primary and secondary progressive MS.
January 4, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski FDA’s Delay in Approving Ocrevus is Normal Part of the Process Long-awaited approval of the multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) has been delayed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. What had been publicized widely as a late December 2016 FDA approval hearing has now been pushed to late March 2017. The drugās manufacturer, Genentech, issued a very…
September 23, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Primary Progressive MS Patients May Soon Have Ocrevus as Treatment Results from the ORATORIO trial, exploring Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for the treatment of primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), showed that the drug stopped disease progression for more than two years in more patients than a placebo. The findings, a highlight at the European Committee for Treatment and Research…