Fenebrutinib significantly reduced the occurrence of new brain lesions with active inflammation in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), a Phase 2 clinical trial found. In the open-label extension portion of the FENopta trial (NCT05119569), disease activity “remained very low” for nearly one year, researchers wrote, with 98%…
RRMS
A person’s total number of visits to multiple sclerosis (MS) clinics is not associated with a lower risk of death, suggesting that merely increasing the number of clinical follow-up visits is not enough to improve survival, a new study in Denmark found. Instead, factors such as being female, having…
The rates of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who advance from a relapsing disease course to a secondary progressive one have decreased significantly in the past decades, a 30-year study in Italy shows. While the greater availability and earlier use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have played a role,…
Nearly two-thirds of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who underwent a stem cell transplant showed no signs of confirmed disability progression five years later, according to a study tracking MS patients in the U.K. The results were generally better for people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), but nearly half…
Dear current me, Not that long ago, I wrote a letter to our younger self, newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). That letter was intended to let her know that her diagnosis was not the end-all, be-all and wouldn’t take away from the beautiful and…
More than 90% of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients who received Immunic Therapeutics‘ experimental oral therapy vidofludimus calcium have not experienced confirmed disability worsening after nearly three years. That’s according to new data from the EMPhASIS Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT03846219) and its open-label extension (OLE)…
For years, the date of June 22 marked the anniversary of an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) that gave me back a kind of life I never thought I’d taste again. The date marked a milestone I clung to like a ribbon at the finish line, a sign I’d…
In people with benign relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who have minimal disease activity, there is a loss of overall brain tissue but specific parts of the brain may grow to help compensate for the damage, a new study indicates. The study, “AI-driven MRI analysis reveals brain…
People who develop multiple sclerosis (MS) at a younger age tend to consistently have better physical health but worse mental health than those diagnosed later, a study found. While physical health declined in the long term for all age groups, and mental health increased, the differences between groups were…
Enrollment is now complete in the twin Phase 3 clinical trials testing Immunic Therapeutics‘ oral small molecule vidofludimus calcium in adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). ENSURE-1 (NCT05134441) has enrolled 1,121 patients and ENSURE-2 (NCT05201638) has enrolled 1,100 patients at more than 100…
Among people in New Zealand, the proportion of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) — the disease’s prevalence, or how common it is — has grown by about one-third in recent decades, a new study found. In 2006, 72.4 of every 100,000 people who lived in the country had MS,…
For many years after being diagnosed in 1992 with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), Carolyn Cannistraro didn’t want to think about having MS, let alone tell others about her condition. But now Cannistraro is aiming to complete three races across New York City within 60 days using a handcycle. She…
Cognitive symptoms, mood disorders, and fatigue manifest differently in relapsing-remitting and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. “[O]ur results indicate that the subtype of MS is associated with … specific kinds of cognitive deficits, suggesting the need for subtype-specific therapeutic interventions,” the France-based research team…
Factors including being male, smoking, and having more frequent relapses are linked to significantly increased risk of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a meta-analysis of several published studies. Other variables linked to disease progression included disability score and the use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). “Hence,…
The signaling molecule interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is involved in inflammation, is associated with increasing frailty in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study from researchers in China reported. Elevated levels of IL-6 significantly correlated with higher scores on a frailty index that measures health deficits across multiple domains,…
On May 10, surrounded by my loved ones, I received my Master of Arts in educational psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. As I heard the words of love and encouragement from my family and friends, I realized just how difficult my educational journey has been because of…
The use of high-efficacy disease modifying therapies (DMTs) among relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients may aid their capacity to work on the economy — and put them at a lower risk of needing protected employment programs — than those on moderate-efficacy DMTs, according to a new study from Denmark.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new generic form of glatiramer acetate injection, a treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that was originally approved under the brand name Copaxone. The generic was developed by Zydus Lifesciences in collaboration with Chemi S.p.A.,…
In people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), levels of B-cells can help to predict the risk of progression independent of relapse activity, a new study reports. “Our results unveil a discernible relationship between the degree of B-cell depletion and disease progression in…
A new machine learning tool, a form of artificial intelligence (AI), may accurately detect the transition from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) — and may be able to do so even earlier than clinicians can — a new study showed. According to the…
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has awarded the Cleveland Clinic $6.7 million to identify optimal treatment strategies for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The funds will support the extension study of the multicenter DELIVER-MS (NCT03535298) clinical trial. The study is comparing two MS treatment approaches…
Early treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) may help protect the cerebellum, a region of the brain that plays a key role in motor coordination, cognitive function, and emotional regulation, from damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggested. Data from the clinical studies that supported Ocrevus’ approval…
Before I received my relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis in 2016, I underwent a standard MRI exam, with and without contrast, that scanned my brain, thorax, and cervical spine. I’d never had an MRI before this one. I was vaguely familiar with what the machine looked like, but it’s…
One year of Tysabri (natalizumab) treatment improves working ability among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to new data from TITAN, an observational study by researchers in France that assessed the impact of the infusion therapy. Use of the approved therapy resulted in improvements across several parameters:…
Rituximab, sometimes used off-label as a multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, may be as effective — at a much lower cost to patients — as the approved therapy Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) at managing relapsing forms of the disease, a new study from Egypt suggests. The study’s results showed that the…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who live in rural areas are 17% less likely to receive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) than those in urban regions, a study involving people from the Canadian province of Alberta suggested. The likelihood was lower when considering therapies that are highly effective at controlling…
A single 600 mg dose of Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) — instead of the approved 150 mg initial dose plus a 450 mg dose two weeks later — was well tolerated by adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to new data from the ENHANCE Phase…
From 2019 to 2023, people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in France on treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) adopted more at-home dosing and longer periods between doses, according to a review by researchers of the French national hospital database. An increasing use of the therapy during…
Frexalimab, an experimental antibody-based medication, was well tolerated and maintained disease control over two years in adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to new data from an open-label extension to a Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT04879628) in which frexalimab outperformed a placebo at reducing…
Clinical improvements in vision and cognition linked to the use of treatment candidate CNM-Au8 were correlated with signs of nerve cell repair and remyelination among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to new data. Remyelination is the process by which myelin, the fatty substance surrounding nerve cells…