August 29, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Merckās Mavenclad, an Oral Therapy for Relapsing MS, Approved in European Union The European Commission has approved Merck KGaAās Mavenclad (cladribine tablets)Ā to treatĀ highly active relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).Ā The Aug. 25 decision in Brussels marks the first approval of a highly efficient oral short course therapy for MS in Europe. Mavenclad has been shown to harness disease activity for…
August 10, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Catching the Flu Can Trigger an MS Relapse by Activating Glial Cells, Study Suggests Coming down with the flu can provoke relapses in multiple sclerosis patients by activating glial cells that surround and protect nerve cells. In a study in mice, scientists found that activated glial cells increase the levels of a chemical messenger in the brain that, in turn, triggers an immune reaction and, potentially, autoimmune attacks. The flu is caused by the human influenza virus and, despite being unpleasant, usually resolves itself within days. However, for people with MS and other neurological conditions, the flu can lead to disease relapse. Researchers at the University of Illinois investigated what happens in the brain of MS patients during upper-respiratory viral infections, such as the flu. "We know that when MS patients get upper respiratory infections, they're at risk for relapse, but how that happens is not completely understood," Andrew Steelman, an assistant professor at the university and the study's senior author, said in a press release. "A huge question is what causes relapse, and why immune cells all of a sudden want to go to the brain. Why don't they go to the toe?" The team used a mouse model characterized by autoimmune responses within the brain and spinal cord ā the type of deregulated immune responses seen in MS patients. Researchers infected the animals with a version of human influenza virus adapted to mice, and looked at changes that occurred in the animalās central nervous system. While the virus was never detected in the animals' brains, upon infection some of the mice developed MS-like symptoms. "If you look at a population of MS patients that have symptoms of upper respiratory disease, between 27 and 42 percent will relapse within the first week or two," Steelman said. "That's actually the same incidence and timeframe we saw in our infected mice, although we thought it would be much higher given that most of the immune cells in this mouse strain are capable of attacking the brain." The team then investigated how a peripheral influenza infection could contribute to disease onset. They infected a wild-type (normal) strain of mice with the flu virus and looked at alterations in the brain and spinal cord. Scientists found that infection increased the activation of glial cells in the mice's brains. Moreover, it induced infiltration of several immune cells ā T-cells, monocytes and neutrophils ā into the brain within eight hours of infection. Overall, these findings suggest that the chemokine CXCL5 plays a key role in mediating an autoimmune attack in MS, and might be explored for therapeutic potential.
July 17, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Copaxone Benefits RRMS Patients in the Long Term by Modulating Immune System Responses, Study Shows First-line treatment with Copaxone (glatiramer acetate)Ā benefits relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patientsĀ by boosting the number of anti-inflammatory immune cells and restoring the balance of regulatory immune cells, an Italian study shows. TheĀ study, āBiological activity of glatiramer acetate on Treg and anti-inflammatory monocytes persists for more than 10…
June 27, 2017 News by admin Tysabri Shows Long-term Safety, Efficacy in Japanese RRMS Patients, Study Shows A recentĀ study has found Tysabri (natalizumab) treatment for two years to beĀ efficient and safe in Japanese patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study, āSafety and Efficacy of Natalizumab in Japanese Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Open-Label Extension Study of a Phase 2 Trial,ā appearedĀ in the journal…
June 16, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Air Pollution May Trigger Relapses in MS Patients, French Study Finds Air pollution, particularly tiny inhalable particles aroundĀ 10 micrometers in diameter,Ā is aĀ likelyĀ trigger for relapsesĀ in multiple sclerosis patients,Ā a French study reports. The study, āAir pollution by particulate matter PM10 may trigger multiple sclerosis relapses,ā was published in the journal Environmental Research. A growing number of epidemiological studies suggest…
June 15, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc High Salt Consumption Has No Effect on Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms or Prognosis, Study Finds Eating a diet high in salt won’t worsen or speed up multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, concludes a study of MS patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS).Ā That contradicts earlier studies by researchers from Argentina, Vermont and elsewhere who warned of a possible link between high sodium consumption and MS. The…
June 1, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Mallinckrodt Enrolls First Patient in Acthar Gel Clinical Trial for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Mallinckrodt has enrolled its first relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patient into a Phase 4 clinical trial (NCT03126760) withĀ H.P. Acthar Gel (Repository Corticotropin Injection) to see if the therapyĀ can help treat relapse symptoms in patients who did not respond to high-dose steroids. If successful, the trial might resolve…
May 30, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #CMSC17 – Ocrevus Lowers MS Relapse Rates Even Further in Extension Study Multiple sclerosis patients who benefited fromĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā in two Phase 3 clinical trials continued to benefit when they extended their treatment, researchers reported. In fact, their annual relapse rates have fallen even further during the extension study than during the trials. The study, āPreliminary Results of the OPERA I and…
May 30, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #CMSC17 – Celgene’s Investigational Therapy Ozanimod Safe, Effective in Treating Relapsing MS, Clinical Trial Finds Long-term treatment for up to 12o weeks, with theĀ investigational drug Ozanimod (RPC-1063), found to be effective and safe in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) who participated in the RADIANCE clinical trial. Celgene, Ozanimod’s developer, presented the study, āEfficacy and Safety of Ozanimod in the Blinded Extension (120…
May 30, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC17 – Review Suggests Certain MS Patient Groups May Discontinue Disease-Modifying Treatments Older patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) as well as older relapsing patients whose MS has been inactive after five years may safely discontinue their treatments, Canadian researchers at Vancouver’sĀ University of British ColumbiaĀ argue. TheirĀ Sanofi Genzyme-sponsoredĀ study, āWhen Should Disease-Modifying Treatments Be Discontinued in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: An…
May 30, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD #CMSC17 – Cladribine Reduced Annual MS Relapse Rate by 55% to 57%, Trials Show Cladribine tablets reduced relapsing multiple sclerosis patients’ annual relapse rate by 55 to 57 percent, depending on the dose, according to clinical trials. EMD Serono, a unit of Cladribine’s developer, Merck,Ā presented the trial results at the 31st annual meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis CentersĀ in New Orleans,…
May 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC17 – Relapse After First Lemtrada Course No Indication of Poor Long-Term Outcome, Study Finds Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who experienced a relapse between their first and second rounds of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) had good treatment outcomes over the long run, according to a Phase 3 clinical trial. Those who relapsed after their first round ended up with annual relapse rates similar to those who didn’t…
May 23, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Results of Phase 3 Trial for Celgene’s Ozanimod Suggest Therapeutic Benefit in RMS Patients Relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) patients taking the investigational drug ozanimod, also known as RPC-1063, had lowerĀ relapse rate than those on weekly Avonex (interferon Ī²-1a) therapy, according toĀ CelgeneĀ in an announcement updating results of its Phase 3 RADIANCE trial. Ozanimod is a new orally administrated drug that selectively inhibits the…
May 22, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Real-world Spanish Study Confirms Gilenya’s Ability to Reduce Multiple Sclerosis Relapses A real-world medical-facilities setting has confirmed clinical trial findings thatĀ GilenyaĀ (fingolimod) can reduce multiple sclerosis relapses, according to a Spanish study published inĀ Plos One. Gilenya, developed byĀ Novartis Pharmaceuticals,Ā was the first oral disease-modifying therapy to obtain U.S. and European approval. TheĀ Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency authorized…
May 5, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Burden of Multiple Sclerosis Relapses Is Underappreciated, Study Says The burden of moderate-to-severe relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is underappreciated, according to a study sponsored by the pharmaceutical companyĀ Mallinckrodt. Researchers discussed the findings at the American Academy of Neurology’s 69th annual meeting in Boston, April 22-28. The title of the presentation was āThe Economic Burden Of…
May 4, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Cladribine Tablets Reduce Risk of MS Progression and Relapse, Clinical Trial Shows Cladribine tablets reduce the risk of disability progression and relapse in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), the CLARITY clinical trial indicates. The treatment was also well-tolerated and had a good safety profile, according to a presentationĀ at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN)Ā in Boston,…
April 27, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Genentech Highlights Rapid Actions of MS Therapy Ocrevus at AAN Meeting Within the first two months of treatment, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) reduced relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients by more than half compared to those on Rebif, and almost completely prevented new brain lesions, according to data underscoring the drug’s rapid effects. Researchers from San Francisco-basedĀ Genentech and its Swiss parent…
April 17, 2017 News by Kara Elam MS Patients Using RebiSmart Injection Device Stick to Treatment Schedules, Study Shows Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who used theĀ RebiSmart (Merck Serono) device to inject themselves with interferon beta-1a (INF Ī²-1a) did an excellent job of sticking to their treatment timetable without skipping treatments, according to a study. They also had a lower annual disease relapse rate and more relapse-free periods,…
March 28, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ocrevus’ Journey from Defiant Idea to Game-Changing Treatment Twenty years ago, the idea that B-cell depletion could treat multiple sclerosisĀ would have been greeted with a hearty laughĀ byĀ any well-respected neurologist or MS researcher ā or perhapsĀ a scoff. But times change and research advances. Today, a medicine that gets rid of certain B-cells may beĀ the most powerful drug yetĀ developed against…
March 13, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson An MS Exacerbation ā Did I Just Blow a Fuse? When describing a multiple sclerosis exacerbation (also called a relapse, attack, or flare-up), comparing it to a home’s circuit panel is a good analogy to use. When a fuse blows on the circuit board the power is interrupted. During an MS attack, the myelin sheath that covers nerve axons…
February 23, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ACTRIMS2017 – Lemtrada Maintains Durable Positive Effects in MS Without Additional Treatment Two Phase 3 clinical trials investigating the long-term effects of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed the drug maintained improved outcomes, even in the absence of further treatment. Both studies were presented at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum, held…
February 14, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Cladribine Tablets Reduce Brain Atrophy in MS Patients, Merck Study Finds EMD SorenoĀ has recently published Phase 3 clinical data showing that CladribineĀ tablets reduced the annualized rate of brain volume loss (BVL, brain atrophy) compared toĀ placebo in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study, āReduced brain atrophy rates are associated with lower risk of disability progression…
February 6, 2017 News by Ćzge Ćzkaya, PhD Switching From Gilenya to Lemtrada Seen to Trigger Disease Activity in Some MS Patients Switching from Gilenya (fingolimod) to Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) triggers significant and unexpected disease activity in some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the scientific journal Neurology Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation.
February 2, 2017 News by admin Long-term Treatment with Gilenya Found to Limit Lesions, Relapses in Japanese MS Patients Continuous treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod)Ā helps limit relapses and detectable lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a three-year, follow-upĀ studyĀ in Japan. The results confirmĀ the findings of trials conducted in predominantly Caucasian populations. The findings were reported in the study, āLong-term efficacy and safety of fingolimod in…
January 30, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Generic Form of Copaxone, GTR, Safe and Effective, Study Confirms An extension trial assessing generic glatiramer acetate (GTR) treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients found that the formulation is as safe and effective as Copaxone (branded glatiramer acetate), and that switching to GTR is well-tolerated. The findingsĀ were in theĀ study, āSwitching from branded to generic glatiramer acetate:…
October 28, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Relapses in MS Patients Using Gilenya May Be Result of Changes Within T-Cells, Study Reports Changes in the composition of certain immune system cells may be associated with relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients being treated with Gilenya (fingolimod), according toĀ a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The study, āAltered T Cell Phenotypes Associated With Clinical Relapse Of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Receiving…
October 6, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Tysabri May Be More Effective Than Gilenya at Reducing Disease Activity in MS Patients, Study Says An indirect comparison of results from randomized clinical trials in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients suggests that Tysabri (natalizumab) is more effective than Gilenya (fingolimod) at reducing disease activity. The study, āThe Efficacy of Natalizumab versus Fingolimod for Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review, Indirect…
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 – Lemtrada and Tysabri Seen as Most Effective Therapies for MS in 5-Year Study A five-year study comparing theĀ efficacy of different treatments for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) foundĀ that, in general, Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Tysabri (natalizumab) are more effective asĀ therapies than Gilenya (fingolimod) and interferon Ī². StudyĀ results were presentedĀ in an oral presentation, āComparison of 5-year treatment outcomes between alemtuzumab versus natalizumab, fingolimod and interferon Ī²-1a,ā…
August 31, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Lifestyle May Impact MS Disability, Study Suggests Previous studies have pointed toward certain lifestyle factors such as nutrition, sedentary behavior, and stress as possible key determinants in multiple sclerosis (MS) progression but few studies have been dedicated to learning more about theĀ impact of lifestyle risk factors on patient disability and disease progression. AĀ recent study supports the…