September 29, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Tiziana seeks sites to conduct Phase 2a trial of nasal foralumab Tiziana Life Sciences has started to recruit clinical sites for a Phase 2a clinical trial that will investigate its foralumab nasal spray in people with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The announcement follows a meeting with the principal investigators of the trial at Brigham and Womenās…
November 11, 2022 Columns by John Connor Someone in My Family Has Medical Problems, and It Aināt Me You get used to ā¦ Hold on there, matey boy. Be honest and write “I.” This column has a reputation for brutal honesty (I’m sure someone has referred to it that way over the past five years), so donāt get all coy now that youāre not the center of medical…
November 11, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Tiziana Planning 2023 Launch of Phase 2 Foralumab Trial in SPMS Tiziana Life Sciences plans to request a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this year to discuss the upcoming Phase 2 clinical trial of foralumab nasal spray in people with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). FDA feedback on the design of the…
November 2, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD #ECTRIMS2022 ā DMTs Ease SPMS Disability Early but Not Over Time Early use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) among people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) may lead to overall lower levels of disability, according to a new analysis. But staying on treatment does not appear to significantly slow disability progression over time. People with SPMS who used DMTs early…
June 13, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Evusheld, Immunotherapy, Blood Test, Aubagio Evusheld Boosts Antibodies Against COVID-19 in Vaccinated Patients Research has shown that the COVID-19 vaccines have been effective for people being treated with disease-modifying therapies, except for those that target B-cells, such as Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), Kesimpta (ofatumumab), and Rituxan (rituximab). If this very small study of 18 people proves…
March 21, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: SPMS Transition, NVG-291, PIPE-307, Foralumab MS Doctors, Nurses in UK Struggle With Marking Transition to SPMS The issue highlighted in this story isn’t just a problem in the U.K.; it’s a universal MS problem. People with MS often ask how they will know when their illness has transitioned from relapsing to progressive. I respond…
September 14, 2018 News by Diogo Pinto Phase 3 Trial in UK Soon to Test Statin, Simvastatin, in Slowing SPMS Progression A large Phase 3 trial getting underway at sites across the U.K. willĀ test the effectiveness of simvastatin, a widely used oral statin, in possibly treating secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), the study’s sponsor,Ā University College of London Hospitals (UCLH), announced. The study, the largest ever undertaken for SPMS…
March 1, 2018 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Solu-Medrol, Side Effects, Scanning Speech, and Other āSā Terms (Part 2 of 5) Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the “MS alphabet” with this column referencing terms starting with the letter “S.” Second in a series of five. Symptoms of MS Speech problems Itās estimated that nearly half of all people with MS struggle with speech…
April 28, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Siponimod Slows Progression of MS Disability, Phase 3 Clinical Trial Shows SiponimodĀ slows the progression of multiple sclerosis patients’ disability, a Phase 3 clinical trial indicates. The therapy reduced the risk of disability progression in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) by 21 percent over three months, researchers said. At six months, the reduction was 26 percent, they said. Researchers…
March 6, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Innate to Complete Phase 2b Trial for MIS416 Therapy in Secondary Progressive MS Patients Australia’sĀ Innate Immunotherapeutics confirmed that its Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating the drug MIS416 in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) will wrap up by April 30, as scheduled, and data is expected to be release in the fall. MIS416 is a biologically derived new immune modulator that can…
March 24, 2016 News by admin MS Animal Study Suggests That Placental Cells Might Serve as Future Stem Cell Therapy Research on a specific type ofĀ stem cell found in the placenta, known asĀ decidua-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DMSC), suggests these cells might be the source of futureĀ treatments for multiple sclerosis. The report,Ā “Restrained Th17 response and myeloid cell infiltration into the central nervous system by human decidua-derived mesenchymal stem…
September 3, 2015 News by admin Biomarkers of Early MS and Overactive Bladder Identified in New Study Researchers at theĀ University of Athens Medical School in GreeceĀ have found that people with early stage multiple sclerosis (MS) and overactive bladderĀ (OAB) have reductions in brain serotoninĀ and a stress-related hormone, cortisol. Serotonin is a chemical that helps nerve cells to communicate. The study, titled “Neurochemical and…
August 10, 2015 News by admin Benefits of Exercise For Kids With MS Touted in New Study A recent research study focused on whether regular exercise can benefit children with multiple sclerosis (MS). The article appeared in the August 12, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. MS is characterized by inflammation, which manifests asĀ an…
August 6, 2015 News by admin Could Salt Intake be an MS Risk Factor? Most people know that eating too much salt is bad for your health, but a new study suggests that it could also increase the risk for multiple sclerosis (MS). The workĀ appearedĀ in the August 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal,Ā the journal of the FederationĀ of…
July 22, 2015 News by admin New Study Evaluates The Role of MRI in Monitoring MS Progression Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a devastating, progressive disease of the nervous system. It is caused by loss of myelin, aĀ fatty substance that wraps around nerve cells and allows them to conduct impulses and communicate. When myelin is lost, areas of damage called “lesions” result, which appear in the brain and…
July 16, 2015 News by admin Study Shows Skin Problems Can Be Caused by Interferon-Ī² MS Therapy Skin problems may be caused by interferon-Ī², a common treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study published by a German research group at the Klinik und Poliklinik fĆ¼r Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie, in WĆ¼rzburg, Germany. The work, entitled “Cutaneous Adverse Events Associated with Interferon-Ī²…
May 11, 2015 News by admin Problem Drinking in MS Associated with Anxiety and Family History Multiple sclerosis (MS) presents many life-altering challenges, but mostĀ patients naturallyĀ focus most often on the physical challenges associated with the condition: problems with movement, sensation and vision that occur as part of disease progression. Unfortunately, depression and suicidal thoughts are common as well. New research suggests that thereĀ could be a relationship…
May 7, 2015 News by admin Myelin Repair Foundation and NIH to Study Guanabenz for MS The Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) and National Institutes of HealthĀ (NIH)Ā will initiateĀ a clinical trial of guanabenz in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Guanabenz is FDA-approved for high blood pressure, but it may also prevent myelin loss. The drug could be the first for MS to protect myelin from…
April 29, 2015 News by admin Can Suppressing a Protein Associated With Good Health Help Treat MS? Gladstone Institutes scientists have discoveredĀ a successful new treatment that could potentially be used in multiple sclerosis (MS). The treatment involves suppressing a protein that traditionally is associated with overall good health. The study,Ā SIRT1 Deacetylates RORĪ³t and Enhances Th17 Cell Generation, appeared April 27, 2015 in theĀ Journal…
April 16, 2015 News by admin Co-existing MS and FM Influences Pain Threshold, According to New Study People with multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly experience a low pain threshold and sensitivity to heat and cold. If a person has multiple sclerosis along with fibromyalgia (FM), that could make this sensitivity even more intense. Until now, no group has studied this phenomenon. In a study titled “…
April 13, 2015 News by admin Biogen to Focus on RRMS Disease Management, Treatment at Upcoming Conference Biogen plans toĀ present new clinical data at the 67th American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., April 18 ā 25, 2015, including numerous presentations focusing on multiple sclerosis. Ā In a company press release, Biogen statedĀ āAt AAN, we will feature new scientific data, including research highlighting the…
February 16, 2015 News by Maureen Newman Stem Cells Used to Treat Secondary Progressive Patients in Clinical Trial What may work better than existing drugs to treat severe multiple sclerosis? Stem cells. A phase 2 clinical study from an international group of research centers compared head-to-head autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and mitoxantrone in treating patients with secondary progressive or relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The findings showed that…
November 24, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Experimental Drug for RRMS, SPMS Enters Phase 2 Trial Lexington, MA-based biopharmaceutical companyĀ Xenetic Biosciences, Inc.Ā has just announced its new license partnerĀ Pharmsynthez has completed dosing in its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial with pipeline product MyeloXenā¢ forĀ relapsing remitting and secondary progressive (SPMS) multiple sclerosis. The MyeloXen trial is currently underway in Russia with…
September 4, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Walking Speed in MS Patients May Indicate Worsening of Disease A dynamic research team composed of doctors and scientists recently completed and published a study that sought to gain a better understanding of walking impairment, as it is manifested in patients living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disease wherein the impulse-conducting myelin sheath is attacked by the body’s own…
September 1, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Multiple Sclerosis Drug May Repair Nerve Demyelination As researchers continue to develop a clearer understanding of the underlying causes ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), it is becoming increasingly apparent that the future of treating the disease is likely to center on neural protection and a reversal of the demyelination process that strips away the critical insulation…
August 19, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 90 Secondary Progressive MS Patients To Be Recruited To Test Novel Experimental Therapy New Zealand and Ā Australian-based biotechnology company Innate ImmunotherapeuticsĀ recently announced that it has begun to recruit patients with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS)Ā for its phase 2B trial of its experimental therapy MIS416. The study, which will be administered by theĀ Western Australian…
July 31, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD After Delay, Innate Immunotherapeutics’ MIS416 Trial For Secondary Progressive MS Therapy To Begin Enrolling in August In spite of an eight week delay, New Zealand-basedĀ Innate ImmunotherapeuticsĀ is still planning to enroll patients for its phase 2b clinical trial that will study theĀ experimental drugĀ MIS416Ā for secondary progressive MS. The clinical research organization (CRO) involved in the management of the trial informed the company about the…
June 23, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Compassionate Use Trial of Innate Immunotherapeutics’ Multiple Sclerosis Drug Shows Positive Results Australian biotechnology companyĀ Innate Immunotherapeutics’ trial for a drug designed to treat secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) has produced positive results. Innate’s experimental MIS416 has revealed benefits to the majority of SPMS patients who were prescribed it as a “compassionate use drug,” given the total lack of…