August 2, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Multiple Sclerosis Patients Identify Symptoms that Worsen Quality of Life Loss of health-related quality of life is caused mostly by balance problems, muscle stiffness, and depression in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS),Ā and for those with progressive MS, the causes are muscle rigidity, paralysis, weakness, and pain, according toĀ a…
June 21, 2018 News by Kara Elam Webinar Focuses on Importance of Maintaining Independence for Progressive MS Patients When a progressively debilitating disease like multiple sclerosis (MS) causes a patient to feel physically āwiped outā after a simple daily activity, such as a shower, it is of utmost importance for these individuals and the people in their support system to understand how they can maintain independence for…
May 18, 2018 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Rituximab Seen as Effective and Generally Safe RRMS and PMS Treatment in Study Rituximab is generally safe and effective in treating multiple sclerosis ā with comparable effectiveness to Tysabri (natalizumab) in people with relapsing-remitting forms of the disease, a Swiss study reports. But patients using this therapy can develop recurrent infections, its researchers noted, and doctors should be vigilant. The observational study, ā…
April 19, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #AAN2018 ā Investigational Therapy Ibudilast Slows Brain Atrophy in Phase 2 Trial for Progressive MS Investigational therapyĀ ibudilastĀ leads to a significant reduction of brain atrophy, supporting its potential to effectively treat progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), new data from a Phase 2 clinical trial show. These results will be shared at the upcoming 2018 Annual MeetingĀ of theĀ American…
February 28, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Inhibiting Oxidative Stress Enzyme Reduces Nerve Cell Damage in Mice with MS, Study Shows Inhibiting an oxidative stress enzyme reduced nerve cell damage and promoted the formation of new nerve cells,Ā a multiple sclerosis study in mice showed. It also helped regenerate cells that produce the nerve cell-protecting myelin sheath, researchers said. The team used a mouse model of the progressive form of MS in…
February 2, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ACTRIMS2018 ā MediciNova Presents Positive Results from SPRINT-MS Trial Evaluating Ibudilast in Progressive MS Top-line results from a clinical trial evaluating the investigational oral therapy ibudilast for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) show that the therapy led to a significant reduction of brain atrophy in patients when compared to controls. Robert Naismith, MD, one of the study’s principal researchers fromĀ Washington University in St. Louis,…
January 8, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Trial of AB Science’s Progressive MS Therapy to Continue Without Additional Patient Requirement A Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating AB Science’sĀ masitinib as a treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis can continue without having to add patients, an independent review board has decided. The decision indicates that the therapy has been effective enough that its population base does not need to be expanded, the…
December 29, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Clomipramine, an Antidepressant, Shows Potential in Treating Progressive MS in Early Study Clomipramine, an approved antidepressant, shows potential in treating people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) Ā ā a disease form with few treatments ā by protecting nerves from various processes thought to underly progressive MS, early research shows. The lab and animal study, which focused on already-approved treatments, was titled āSystematic…
December 15, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Cambridge Researcher Wins 2017 Barancik Prize for Pioneering Work on Myelin Repair A University of Cambridge researcher, Robin Franklin, has been awarded the 2017 Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research for his work on myelin repair and as a potential way of treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). Franklin is a senior scientist at the Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell…
November 14, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MMJ Hires Lead Investigator for Phase 2 Trials of Medicinal Cannabis to Treat Progressive MS MMJ BioScience, an affiliate of medical cannabis research company MMJ International Holdings, has hired a principal investigator to lead clinical trials exploring potential therapeutic applications of cannabinoids inĀ progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Dr. Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, a neurology professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo,Ā is executive director…
November 9, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Longevity Receives $316,000 Grant to See if Its Nerve-cell-protecting Therapy Will Work in MS Longevity BiotechĀ has received a $316,384 grant from theĀ National MS SocietyĀ to see ifĀ LBT-3627,Ā theĀ nerve cell-protecting therapy it has tested in Parkinson’s, can work in multiple sclerosis as well. The company designed the therapy to protect and repair damaged nerve cells and restore balance to the out-of-whack immune response associated…
October 31, 2017 News by BioNews Staff #MSParis2017 ā Advances in Progressive and Pediatric MS Top ECTRIMS Highlights, NMSS Says A giant leap in research and interest in progressive multiple sclerosis ā from a few people pushing for such work to 2,000 listening to updates on it ā a successful first trial in children, and a growing body of potentially safer treatments for relapsing MS were among the highlights of…
October 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #MSParis2017 ā MedDayās High-Dose Biotin, MD1003, Improves Disability in Progressive MS Patients MD1003, a high-dose biotinĀ developed by MedDay, slowed or prevented further disease progression among progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in a Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers announced at the Oct. 25ā28 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting in Paris, France. The effects of the treatment were seen to be upheld over…
October 18, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #MSParis2017 – Progressive MS Research Among ECTRIMS Highlights, National MS Society Says The 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting, taking place in Paris this month, is one of the largest scientific conferences focused solely on multiple sclerosis (MS), and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will be among the many interested parties attending. To get a feeling for meeting highlights and presentations the…
September 22, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Study Links MIF, D-DT Molecules to Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Development Two molecules known to regulate cellular signaling contribute to the underlying mechanism of progressive multiple sclerosis, found a recent study conducted by investigators at Oregon Health & Science University and Yale University School of Medicine. These two proteins are related to each other, as they participate in the same cellular signaling process that regulate the immune system's response. Previous studies have blamed them for the worsening of several autoimmune and inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. The research team found that patients with progressive MS had higher levels of MIF and D-DT proteins than those with the relapsing-remitting form of the disease. In addition, these proteins inflamed the central nervous system, making patients sicker. An analysis of the genes that encode the proteins revealed that higher levels of MIF were linked to the presence of two genetic variants that are more frequent in patients ā particularly males ā with progressive disease. Researchers confirmed their findings with animal models of MS-like disease that were genetically engineered to lack MIF and D-DT proteins. Taken together, this finding suggests that a simple genetic test could identify patients carrying the MIF genetic susceptibility ā and therefore more likely to develop a severe form of MS. This study was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Rocky Mountain MS Center Tissue Bank and the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs.
September 1, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #MSParis2017 – MediciNova to Share Results of Ibudilast Trial in Progressive MS at October Summit MediciNova will present data from its clinical trial of ibudilast (MN-166) in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) at the upcoming 7th Joint ECTRIMS – ACTRIMS Meeting in Paris. The European and American Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS and ACTRIMS) selected the presentation “…
May 9, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MedDay’s New Phase 3 Trial and Belief in Biotin’s Potential to Treat Progressive MS: An Interview with Dr. FrĆ©dĆ©ric Sedel A global Phase 3 clinical trial assessingĀ MD1003 ā also known as high-dose biotin ā for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) might lead to the approval of one of the first treatmentsĀ helping selectĀ progressive patients to improve. The trial aims to prove that high-dose biotin can reverse disability in non-active progressive MS.
March 13, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD UMass Amherst Receives $833,000 Pentagon Grant to Create Improved MS Diagnostic Test Kinesiology professor Richard van Emmerik and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts AmherstĀ recently received a two-year $833,000 grant from the U.S.Ā Department of Defense to create an improved diagnostic test for multiple sclerosis (MS). The scientists expects their research toĀ help an estimated 2.3 million people worldwideĀ who live with…
February 24, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ACTRIMS2017 – Sun Exposure May Lower Fatigue, Slow Disability Progression in MS Spending more time in the sunshineĀ could make people with multiple sclerosis (MS) feel more energetic, though dietary vitamin D intake’s effect is mixed, depending on what type of MS a particular patient has. That’s the conclusion of a study āĀ “Dietary intakes of vitamin D, sunshine exposure, EDSS and fatigue…
December 19, 2016 Columns by Debi Wilson High dose biotin protocol – my nine month update! Nine months ago I started the high dose biotin protocol. I did so in an effort to slow the progression of my primary progressive multiple sclerosis. This is the link for my first article in August detailing the high dose biotin protocol and my results at that time.
October 12, 2016 News by Alexandra Andersson, PhD Potential Therapy, Laquinimod, Shows Promise as Progressive MS Treatment in Mouse Study The experimental therapyĀ laquinimodĀ was seen to prevent the start of harmful immune responses and to disrupt the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse model of the disease. This finding may be especially promising, as the treatment is being developed for people with both relapsing MS and its rarer progressive…
September 23, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Progressive MS Alliance Awards $18M to 3 Research Projects into Disease Treatments, Expanded Testing The International Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Alliance, a worldwide group of MS organizations that supportĀ research efforts, has awarded three, four-year grants ā called Collaborative Network Awards, and worth $6 million each ā to speed work intoĀ potential treatments for progressive MS. Found in about 15 percent of all initially diagnosed…
September 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Treatment of Progressive MS May Have Delayed Result There might be years-long lags in response to disease-modifying drugs in patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study that analyzed data from two large clinical trials of progressive MS patients. The study fuels the idea that clinical trials of disease-modifying drugs for progressive MS need…
June 6, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Novel Model of Home Care for Patients with Progressive MS Proven Beneficial, Increased Patients’ Satisfaction A new model of care implemented to address the needs of patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and their caregivers has provenĀ beneficial by reducing hospital stays, avoiding major care expenses, and improving patients’ satisfaction. The model has been tested in MS patients with high disability scores, and preliminary results of…
May 31, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MedDay Presents Phase 3 Extension Data on Potential Drug to Treat Progressive MS Data from an extension phase of aĀ Phase 3 clinical trial, given in an oral presentation by MedDay, reportedĀ that the biotinĀ Ā MD1003 showedĀ effectiveness over time as a possibleĀ treatment of non-active, progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The dataĀ were presented atĀ the recentĀ 2nd Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) in DenmarkĀ byĀ ProfessorĀ Ayman Tourbah,…
May 3, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Opexa’s CEO Gives Update on T-Cell Therapy at Vatican Conference Opexa Therapeutics, Inc., announced that itsĀ president and chief executive officer, Neil K. Warma, recently gave a presentation on immunotherapy and itsĀ potential forĀ treating autoimmune disorders, includingĀ multiple sclerosis, at the recentĀ Cellular Horizons:Ā The Third International Conference on the Progress of Regenerative Medicine and its Cultural ImpactĀ held at the Vatican. Neil…
April 12, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MedDay Raises $38.5M to Finance Phase 3 Trial Targeting Progressive MS MedDay SASĀ recently announced that it has raised ā¬34 million, about $38.5 million, in a Series B financing round. The moneyĀ will enable the company to lead a confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial, called SPI2, in the United StatesĀ toĀ assess itsĀ lead candidate, MD1003, as a treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). MedDayĀ concluded…
March 23, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Potential Progressive MS Treatment, Ibudilast, Approved for Fast Track Development by FDA MediciNova, Inc.,Ā announced that MN-166 (ibudilast) has been approved for “fast track” development byĀ the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Ā as a potentialĀ treatment forĀ progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).Ā Progressive MS includesĀ both the primary progressive (PPMS) and secondary progressive (SPMS) forms of the disease. MediciNovaās MN-166 was licensed from Kyorin Pharmaceuticals for its potential…
March 14, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Kinase Inhibitor, Masitinib, Spotted for Potential to Treat Neurological Disorders Like PPMS AB ScienceĀ recently reported the publication of four peer-reviewed and independent research papers that add to the growing recognition of masitinib, the companyās lead compound, as a promising treatment for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, including progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimerās disease (AD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)…
March 7, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Progressive MS Clinical Trial of Rituximab Stopped After Drug Fails to Show Effectiveness Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)Ā announced that a small clinical trial of a progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment was stopped early due to poor results. The trial was evaluating the drug rituximab for its efficacy in depleting harmful immune cells and decreasing nerve damage in these MS…