December 12, 2022 News by Joana Vindeirinho, PhD Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Can Ease Some MS Symptoms: Review Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) may be able to reduce fatigue, spasticity, and pain, and improve quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new meta-analysis reports. The review assessed several NIBS interventions targeting different brain regions. The results suggest that these techniques can have immediate effects…
December 16, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Little Evidence Acthar Gel Better Than Cheaper Substitutes: Review There is minimal evidence that the expensive anti-inflammatory medication Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) is more effective than inexpensive corticosteroids for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases, according to a new review paper. “We found no evidence where it was a conclusive slam dunk that…
January 15, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Sexual Dysfunction Common in Men with MS, Review Finds Sexual dysfunction affects more than 60% of adult men with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. The data add to previous findings showing that more than two-thirds of women with MS also experience these problems, highlighting the importance of detecting and managing sexual dysfunction in…
December 18, 2020 News by Diana Campelo Delgado Primary Headaches Prevalent in MS, Research Reveals The prevalence of primary headaches ā those with no clear cause ā is high among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. Clinical screening of headache among MS patients could help tailor individualized treatments and ease the impact of the disease for these patients. The study, ā…
October 28, 2020 News by Diana Campelo Delgado No Association Between Skin Condition Vitiligo and MS, Study Asserts There is no significant association between multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) and vitiligo, a skin condition in which patches of skin lose their color, a review study has found. The study, āAssociation of multiple sclerosis with vitiligo: a systematic review and meta-analysis,ā was published in the journal…
September 2, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Migraine Present in 30% of MS Patients, Review Study Finds Migraine occurs in one third of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and is more common among American and African patients, according to a review study. The data support previous findings suggesting this debilitating condition is more common in MS patients than in the general population.Ā Further research is…
June 4, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Gut Mucus May Help Ease MS, Other Neurological Diseases, Review Suggests Tweaking the protective properties of the gut mucus, a layer lining the inside of the gut, to boost the proliferation of good bacteria potentially could halt the development of neurological disorders, like multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review of more than 100 studies. The review, ā…
June 4, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS FDA Extends Review of Ofatumumab for Relapsing MS to September The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is extending its review of Novartis‘Ā ofatumumab, a possible self-administered injection therapy for relapsingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), the company announced. Originally expected in June, the FDA decision is now expected in September. “Novartis will continue to work with the FDA to…
January 7, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Probiotics Show Potential to Prevent, Delay Development of MS, Study Finds Probiotics show potential to prevent and delay the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) by changing immune and inflammatory responses, according to a review study. Data further support the link between the gutāsĀ microbial community (microbiota) and the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), and neurodegenerative diseases. However, large-scale clinical…
April 18, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD EMA Reviewing Safety Data for Lemtrada After Reports of Serious Treatment Side Effects The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is reviewing safety data for Sanofi Genzyme‘sĀ LemtradaĀ (alemtuzumab) following new reports of serious treatment side effects. Lemtrada is a humanized monoclonal antibody used to slow disease progression in adult patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). It works by blocking the activity of…
September 12, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Swedish Study Suggests Stem Cell Transplants as Possible Treatment for Aggressive RRMS Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplants for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) are superior to currently approved disease-modifying drugs,Ā according to a Swedish studyĀ published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. In addition, says the review, the procedure’s safety profile has improved in the last decade, and is now just…
July 28, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Cell-Based Therapies in MS Remain Experimental, Expert Group Argues in Review Article A group of experts recently concluded that clinical trials are the best way to explore whether cell-based therapies are viable options for treating multiple sclerosis. In a newly published article, MS researchers reviewed evidence on a range of cell therapies, including stem cell transplants and delivery or stimulation of various cell types. Clinical trials, the panel argued, would be the optimal way to examine which types of cells should be used, how they should be delivered, and the types and disease stages the treatments are suitable for. The article focused on four types of cell-based treatments: autologous stem cell transplants, mesenchymal and related stem cell transplants, use of drugs to manipulate stem cells in the body to boost their ability to repair, and transplants of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to trigger new myelin production. Loss of the myelin that protects neurons is a hallmark of MS. Such treatments hold promise to attain what current disease-modifying therapies in MS have not: halting the disease without lifelong treatment that has potential side effects, and regenerating damaged tissue. In addition to reviewing the evidence surrounding cell-based treatments, the expert group focused on the availability of the treatment options outside of controlled trials. āMedia attention has resulted in some cases of misrepresentation and exaggeration of therapeutic claims for cell-based therapies for multiple sclerosis and other diseases,ā the team wrote. This has caused patients to seek the treatments ā paying out-of-pocket ā at unregulated clinics. The panel noted that several drugs in development, including opicinumab, are aimed at promoting remyelination. In addition, drugs that are already approved for other conditions might have remyelinating properties, and might be repurposed to treat MS. Although studies are ongoing, the panel noted that it is unclear if the drugs do promote remyelination. Despite ongoing research and ā in some cases ā clinical use of cell-based therapies for MS, these treatments should be considered experimental, the expert group concluded. They again underscored the importance of clinical trials in providing a controlled environment for patients wishing to have cell therapy, as well as a source of evidence for the feasibility of these approaches.
July 11, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Europe Restricts Use of MS Therapy Zinbryta After Liver Damage Cases and a Death The European Medicines Agency has restricted the use of Zinbryta (daclizumab) for relapsing multiple sclerosis after reports of patients experiencing severe liver damage and one dying of liver disease. The temporary order restricts Zinbryta to European Union patients with a highly active disease who have failed to respond to…
March 14, 2017 Columns by admin There’s Nothing Ordinary About New Novel Featuring Woman With MS Allison Wheeler is an unconventional heroine of a novel, but she found her way into my heart as I read A Million Ordinary Days by Judy Mollen Walters, a book being published today, March 14. Author Judy is also a BioNews Services columnist. She has Crohnās disease and, writing…