April 4, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD KYV-101 helps 2 hard-to-treat progressive MS patients: Case study Kyverna Therapeutics‘ cell-based therapy KYV-101 had an acceptable safety profile and promising treatment effects when given to two people with hard-to-treat progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a case study. “We are very pleased about offering this potentially paradigm-shifting treatment opportunity to patients that have exhausted other medical…
March 20, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Vitamin D seen as most helpful for males in progressive MS rat model Vitamin D supplements were associated with less severe disease in a rat model of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), but male rats tended to experience greater benefits than did females, a study into disease-related sex differences reports. This higher overall benefit may be due to nerve cells in males being…
March 5, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2024: Progressive MS patients show gains in NG-01 OLE Repeated treatment with the mesenchymal stem cell therapy NG-01 led to gains in mobility and cognition, along with patient-reported quality of life, for most people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in an extension study. Markers of nerve damage were also reduced, indicating significant nerve-protecting effects. Dimitrios Karussis, MD,…
March 4, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2024: Vidofludimus calcium lowers NfL levels in progressive MS Treatment with Immunic Therapeutics‘ experimental oral therapy vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) lowered the levels of a nerve damage marker in people with all subtypes of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), including those without recent inflammatory activity. That’s according to an interim analysis of data from a Phase 2 study,…
February 21, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Treatment of progressive MS hits milestones in recent years: Review Treatment options for progressive types of multiple sclerosis (MS) have expanded dramatically over the past decade, and several promising experimental therapies are in late stages of clinical development, a new review paper highlights. The study, “Clinical trials for progressive multiple sclerosis: progress, new lessons learned, and…
January 5, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD FDA OKs Phase 2 clinical trial of KYV-101 for progressive MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a Phase 2 clinical trial to test Kyverna Therapeutics‘ cell-based therapy candidate KYV-101 in people with treatment-resistant progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Called KYSA-7 (NCT06138132), the open-label trial will enroll an estimated 12 patients with either primary progressive…
December 18, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Ibudilast plus interferon-beta to get European patent for progressive MS MediciNova announced the approval of a European patent covering the use of ibudilast (MN-166) in combination with interferon-beta medications to treat progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) ā primary progressive MS (PPMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) ā in patients previously using an interferon-beta.
December 5, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Trial testing metformin, alpha-lipoic acid in progressive MS set to start A new clinical trial in Australia, called PLATYPUS, will simultaneously test two medications that have already been approved for other conditions in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, expected to launch in January, will use an adaptive design, meaning data will be analyzed as…
November 13, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD ChariotMS trial of Mavenclad in UK enrolls 100 progressive MS patients ChariotMS, the world’s first clinical trial to test whether Mavenclad (cladribine) can slow the worsening of upper limb function in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), has now enrolled 100 participants. The announcement means the Phase 2 trial (NCT04695080) has reached 50% of its target recruitment goal.
November 6, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD US patent likely for vidofludimus calcium at relapsing MS trial dose Immunic Therapeutics has been notified of the intent to grant a U.S. patent covering the use vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) in treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā at a daily dose of about 10 to 45 mg. That range covers the two IMU-838 doses shown to be…
October 12, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Vidofludimus calcium reduced NfL levels in progressive MS patients Vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838), an investigational oral therapy being developed byĀ Immunic Therapeutics for all types of multiple sclerosis (MS), has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in people with progressive forms of the disease, interim clinical trial data show. The experimental therapy was associated with reductions in neurofilament light chain (NfL)…
September 21, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Rehabilitation in progressive MS found to help cognitive function Two non-pharmacological rehabilitation approaches ā one using a computer program designed to improve working memory and the other involving standardized cognitive-behavioral group sessions ā both improved the cognitive function of people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reported. While varying medications often are used as…
August 4, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Vitamin D supplement reduces progressive MS disease in rats Vitamin D reduced the signs of inflammation and nerve damage in a rat model of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. Low levels of the vitamin have been extensively linked with a higher risk of developing relapsing forms of the disease, but studies of vitamin D supplementation in…
June 20, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Fatty acid-derived molecules tied to inflammation, disability in study Altered blood levels of certain fat molecules implicated in inflammatory responses seem to correlate with disability status and markers of nerve damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly in those with progressive forms of the disorder, a study reported. Findings highlight the potential role of these fat, or…
June 13, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS 30 years after MS was first treatable, challenges remain amid triumphs It’s been three decades since the first treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) was approved. In that time, the field has made substantial advances ā including the approval of over two dozen medications ā but there’s still a long way to go to improve care for progressive forms of…
May 30, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Clene wins grant to develop CNM-Au8 for progressive MS The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has awarded Clene Nanomedicine a grant to advance its treatment candidate CNM-Au8 for people with nonactive, progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The funding comes from the MS Society’s Fast Forward Program, which supports commercial organizations developing promising new MS therapies,…
May 24, 2023 News by Mary Chapman Alliance launches research grant program to mark World MS Day To mark World MS Day, which takes place annually on May 30, the International Progressive MS Alliance is introducing a research program to help drive early innovations in care programs for those with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Specifically, the program seeks to identify solutions to…
April 26, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: TUDCA supplements lower inflammatory cell counts in progressive MS trial Supplements with tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) were generally well tolerated among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to findings from a small clinical trial. Results also showed that patients given TUDCA supplements had lower levels of certain inflammatory immune cells than those given a placebo, but no…
April 25, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: MSC-NP aids walking in advanced progressive MS patients Use of the cell therapy MSC-NP failed to show a significant effect on overall disability scores among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a Phase 2 clinical trial. Results, however, indicated that MSC-NP improved walking ability for people with more advanced disease ā…
April 6, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Octopus mega-trial opens to progressive MS patients in the UK The worldās first mega-trial is recruiting people in the U.K. with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to investigate the effectiveness of several approved therapies ā at the same time. Named Octopus for its various arms, the study, which is expected to enroll at least 1,200 participants over…
March 3, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Ibudilast did not lift life quality in progressive MS trial Treatment with the experimental oral therapy ibudilast (MN-166) does not significantly improve quality-of-life measures compared with a placebo among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from a Phase 2 clinical trial. Analyses from the trial suggest that a marker of nerve damage…
February 23, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Mitochondria changes found early on in progressive MS: Mouse study Changes in mitochondria ā cells’ energy production centers ā are evident in early disease stages in a mouse model of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), but were not found in a model of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), according to researchers. These changes, seen before symptoms of the disease started, were…
January 26, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister MS Makes Me Feel Like a Child Again, and Not in a Good Way The other day, my middle child opened the door while I was in the bathroom. If you have children, a surprise visit in what should be a sanctuary isn’t unusual, but in this case, what he said was. He observed me aboard my toilet and shower chair, which progressive…
December 15, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS 1st Abata Candidate Will Be T-cell Therapy ABA-101 for Progressive MS Abata Therapeutics has chosen its first treatment candidate for development: the T-cell therapy ABA-101 for certain forms of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The therapy is now in early studies that aim to support an investigational new drug application or IND ā a formal request to U.S. regulatory authorities…
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…
October 31, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD #ECTRIMS2022 ā ATA188 Still Easing Disability in Progressive MS Patients The investigational immunotherapy ATA188 continues to ease disability and prevent brain tissue shrinkage in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, according to the data, now reachingĀ up to four years, on patients in an ongoing clinical trial. People who achieved confirmed disability improvement also showedĀ potentialĀ signs of remyelination, or…
September 28, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AI Tool Aims to Make Progressive MS Trials More Effective for Patients A new machine learning tool could help make clinical trials for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) more efficient and effective, a study suggests. Its scientists propose that the tool, when used in initial patient studies, works to more rapidly move a potential progressive MS treatment into pivotal Phase…
September 16, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS NurOwn Found Safe, Shows Promise in Phase 2 Trial for Progressive MS NurOwn, a stem cell therapy being developed by BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, showed a good safety profile among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in an open-label Phase 2 clinical trial, according to new data. The data show the experimental therapy also was associated with promising effects on…
September 7, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Off-label DMT Use for Progressive MS May Be as Effective as On-label Off-label use of high-efficacyĀ disease modifying therapies (DMTs) for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) appear to be as effective as on-label, or approved, DMTs for this MS patient group, a review study from Brazil suggests. The meta-analysis, which included data from controlled clinical trials, found that…
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…