Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Is CD40L a better way to control MS inflammation? CD40L is a protein that’s involved with activation of…
research
Since the early days of the COVID-19 vaccination program, disinformation claiming that the vaccines can induce multiple sclerosis (MS) has swirled around social media. Recently, there’s been a resurgence of this type of post, sparked by a report published on the World Health Organization (WHO) website titled “…
Long-term treatment with vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) has been tolerated well overall among people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), new data from an extension study show. Findings were presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, in a poster titled “Assessment of Long-Term Safety…
Being exposed to stress as children or adults makes it more likely that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will experience more disability and/or a heavier burden from relapses, according to a new survey study of more than 700 people in the U.S. “MS is the leading cause of non-traumatic…
Frexalimab, an experimental anti-CD40L antibody therapy from Sanofi, significantly reduced the number of new brain lesions with active inflammation in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new Phase 2 clinical trial data. Sanofi believes its second-generation CD40L blocker will effectively control immune activity in…
A detailed examination of nerve tissue isolated from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed changes to the myelin sheath before the appearance of substantial inflammatory activity and lesions, a study reported. In MS patients, normal-appearing brain regions showed a less compact, detached, and disorganized myelin composition that may make…
Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: A closer look at the EBV-MS link Much has been written over the past few years about the…
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,…
The average rate of relapses for multiple sclerosis (MS) in the modern era is lower than it has been in decades past, according to a new analysis from the U.K. Scientists speculate the availability of new, more effective disease-modifying therapies may help explain why relapses appear to…
While fertility rates in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been increasing over time, they remain about two times lower than in the general population, a study in Italy has found. “There is a large gap in fertility between women with MS and the general population that needs to…
Monte Rosa Therapeutics has selected MRT-6160, its second candidate for development, for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and several other autoimmune diseases. The therapy is now in early studies that would support an investigational new drug (IND) application, a formal request to U.S. regulatory authorities to start testing a…
Long-term treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) doesn’t change the diversity of T-cells — those needed to mount effective immune responses against foreign pathogens — in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a small study shows. Consistent with its mechanism of B-cell depletion, however, Ocrevus did reduce the molecular…
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…
LAPIX Therapeutics has secured a new U.S. patent covering the use of its experimental oral therapy LPX-TI641 as a means to restore immune tolerance in people with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with the number 11,648,225, the patent…
Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Early stem cell transplants I’ve read the headline “Stem cell therapy may do most good when given…
A non-invasive treatment called acute intermittent hypoxia, or AIH, involving periods of oxygen deprivation, was found to ease signs and symptoms of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse model of the disease. Given during the peak of disease activity, AIH treatment — basically, periods of reduced oxygen exposure…
Stem cell therapy is better than Gilenya (fingolimod) or Tysabri (natalizumab) at reducing relapse rates and easing disability for people with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new analysis suggests. In contrast, findings suggest that the efficacy of stem cell therapy is not significantly different…
An updated snapshot of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. — provided by new population estimates from a study of insurance data — shows a greater prevalence of MS among white and Black people compared with other racial and ethnic groups. But overall, the neurodegenerative disorder has become more…
When the immune system launches an attack to fight off infection with the Epstein-Barr virus, immune cells can accidentally end up targeting a protein called CRYAB that’s normally expressed by healthy myelin-making cells in the brain, a study found. The findings provide further evidence that molecular similarities between distinct…
Vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838), an investigational multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy with promising results in clinical trials, may exert neuroprotective effects by activating a protein called Nurr1, according to newly published preclinical data. The observed actions on Nurr1 are in addition to the therapy’s known role as an inhibitor of…
Genentech‘s investigational BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib significantly reduced the number of new brain lesions and showed no new safety concerns in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to new data from the company’s Phase 2 FENopta clinical trial (NCT05119569), which is evaluating fenebrutinib’s…
A more pro-inflammatory diet is associated with a higher risk of relapses and more inflammatory brain lesions for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the years following their first disease attack, according to a recent study. However, dietary intake did not impact disability progression or the volume of lesions with…
Guest columnist Lori Lebson completed her PhD in neuroimmunology at the University of South Florida. After completing her doctorate, she continued her education as a National Multiple Sclerosis Society Neuroimmunology Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins. Lebson has more than 10 years of pharmaceutical experience and serves as the head of…
Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) reduces brain volume loss in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to levels similar to those seen in healthy aging, a small study reports. “These findings are consistent with an important role of inflammation on overall tissue loss and the role of ocrelizumab in…
Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Surgical treatment of facial pain I’ve never heard of surgery being used as an MS treatment, but…
Increased activation of microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain that contribute to chronic inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS), is significantly associated with higher levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein, indicating more nerve damage, a study found. Researchers particularly identified strong links between…
A recent post on the MS-Selfie blog asks and answers this question: What is the “greatest unmet need” concerning multiple sclerosis (MS)? Professor Gavin Giovannoni, the London-based neurologist who writes that blog, lists five unmet needs, many of which I agree with. But those needs are from the viewpoint…
The rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnoses have remained relatively constant for almost 20 years in the U.K., according to a population-based study involving more than 22 million people. Most MS diagnoses occurred during middle age, with women being more likely than men to receive a…
People with multiple sclerosis and a history of chronic opioid use are nearly 200 times more likely to use prescription opioids persistently, according to a study involving nearly 15,000 U.S. military veterans living with the neurodegenerative condition. A history of pain, paralysis, post-traumatic stress disorder, or living in a…
Modified nanocapsules containing retinoic acid can suppress inflammation and prompt the growth of cells that produce nerve fibers’ myelin coating, which is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS), a cell-based study shows. The results demonstrated how lipid (fat) nanocapsules that contain medicines can access the brain and treat the two…