November 8, 2019 News by Mary Chapman āSoothie Cushionā Designed to Regulate Body Temperature in Travelers With MS, Other Disabilities Newly launched, theĀ Soothie Cushion is designed to provide seating comfort and help regulate the body temperature of travelers with disabilities, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and myasthenia gravis, says its official retailer, Special Needs Group/Special Needs at Sea (SNG). The product is said to offer enduring comfort…
September 30, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Mollii Suit Can Ease Muscle Stiffness and Improve Movement, Reports State Mollii, an electrostimulation suit, can help reduce muscle stiffness, or spasticity, and its associated pain, as well as improve muscle activation in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy, stroke, and other neurological injuries, according to Inerventions,Ā the Swedish company that developed and markets it. With a few hours…
August 19, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Dark Rimmed Lesions, Sativex in the UK, NHS Care Toolkit for Neurological Diseases, Wahls Diet Dark Rimmed Brain Lesions May Be Signal of Aggressive Disease, NIH Study Says Researchers in this study found that specific brain lesions, notable for their dark rims, may indicate that a patient’s multiple sclerosis is likely to progress quickly. They suggest that early detection of these lesions can help…
August 12, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD NICE and NHS England Oppose Sativex to Treat Spasticity in MS, Urge More Studies of Medical Cannabis A draft guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a U.K. advisory board, and a reviewĀ by Englandās National Health Service (NHS) call for more research into medical cannabis forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ and other conditions. NICE also recommended against prescribingĀ SativexĀ as a treatment for…
August 8, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell My Pain Is Real ā Don’t Deny Me Relief I am quite outspoken. I have no problem voicing my opinion or needs ā or so I thought. An exchange this morning left me speechless. While my head was swimming with semi-intelligible responses, I was rendered mute. Let me just say that I have been on pain medication for…
July 1, 2019 News by Mary Chapman PathMaker Neurosystems Wins Franceās Top Prize for Innovation for Spasticity Treatment The developer of an innovative, first-in-class, noninvasive device for the treatment of spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions has won the 2019 CCI France International Trophy for Innovation. PathMaker Neurosystems was selected from a list of eight finalist companies, which were distinguished among 150 nominees…
June 28, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Less-frequent Dosing with Arbaclofen ER Tablets Decreases Spasticity As Well As Standard Baclofen, MS Trial Data Show Arbaclofen extended-release (ER) tablets taken twice a day can effectively reduce spasticityĀ (muscle stiffness) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with similar potency to that of standard and more-frequently-dosedĀ baclofenĀ (brand name Lioresal), Phase 3 clinical trials show. Latest trial data were presented in two posters during the 33rd Annual Meeting…
June 25, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD FDA Approves Botox to Treat Upper Limb Spasticity in Children Aged 2 to 17 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA), marketed by Allergan, for the treatment of children ages 2 to 17 with upper limb muscle stiffness or spasticity, a common symptom inĀ children with…
June 13, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Move It or Lose It: Movement Is Crucial to Well-being with MS A well-known mantra exists in the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. I first heard it after my diagnosis and have since adopted it as my own. “Move it or lose it.” Movement is essential for everyone’s health and well-being. For those of us with multiple sclerosis, it is imperative. Regular activity…
March 11, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: A Cure for MS?, MS App, Robot for Balance, Botox for Spasticity All of the stories in this week’s column come from the recently held Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) forum, heldĀ Feb. 28 to March 2 inĀ Dallas, Texas. #ACTRIMS2019 ā Forum Leaders Discuss: āWill There Be a Cure for MS?ā A reporter for…
March 5, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein #ACTRIMS2019 – Botox Earns High Marks from Patients, Physicians as Treatment for Spasticity, ASPIRE Follow-up Finds Patients with a range of diseases and disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), report high satisfaction with botulinum toxin ā also known as BotoxĀ (onabotulinumtoxinA) ā as a treatment for spasticity, results from the ASPIRE clinical trial show. The data were presented last week byĀ Daniel S. Bandari,…
February 28, 2019 News by Santiago Gisler Axim Improves Delivery of Cannabinoids in Chewing Gums Axim Biotechnologies announced that it has succeeded in microencapsulating cannabinoids (chemical compounds in cannabis) into the companyās patented chewing gums, which are used to treat several disease symptoms, including pain and spasticity associated withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). Since the active cannabinoids are degradable in the body, the company needed…
February 14, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein FDA Asked to Place Cannabis-based Therapy for Progressive MS on Fast Track, MMJ Holdings Says A request for a potentialĀ cannabis-based treatmentĀ forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ to be givenĀ Fast Track designation, speeding its development as it readies to enter clinical testing, is now before theĀ U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), MMJ International HoldingsĀ announced. MMJ-001, as this lead candidate is known, aims to treat…
February 12, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Direct Nerve Stimulation Using MyoRegulator System Seen to Reduce Spasticity in Mice with Spinal Injury Treatment with PathMaker Neurosystemsā anodal transāspinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS), aĀ non-invasive direct nerve stimulation tool called MyoRegulator, was found to effectively easeĀ spasticity in mice with spinal cord injury, a study reports. A link between the ability to control muscle contraction and the levels of a specific neuronal…
January 22, 2019 News by Alberto Molano, PhD Controlling Spasticity Would Greatly Improve Everyday Quality of Life, Survey Shows An international survey of caregivers and adults with neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), revealed that spasticity is a hidden burden, having a negative effect on the ability to perform everyday tasks, and that relieving its symptoms significantly improves patientsā quality of life. The survey was presented by…
January 14, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Stimulator for Spasticity, Tysabri Dosing Trial, Mobility Devices Contest, Stem Cell Phase 2 Trial WeHealth, PathMaker Collaborating to Develop MyoRegulator as Noninvasive Treatment for Spasticity I’m one of the many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) for whom spasticity is a significant problem. This is a nonmedicinal approach to dealing with it. I hope it doesn’t take too long to make this…
January 11, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc WeHealth, PathMaker Collaborating to Develop MyoRegulator as Noninvasive Treatment for Spasticity WeHealth by Servier and PathMaker Neurosystems have established a new partnership to develop and commercialize the first neuromodulation technology for noninvasive treatment of spasticity, the companies announced. The agreementĀ establishes an exclusive worldwide distribution arrangement, except for the U.S. and Japan, for PathMakerāsĀ MyoRegulator. The MyoRegulator uses two pairs of…
December 20, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Cannabis-based Sublingual Tablet to Enter Trials in Israel as Possible Spasticity Treatment, OWCP Says OWC Pharmaceutical Research is planning new clinical studies to evaluate the activity and safety of its cannabinoid-enriched sublingual soluble tablet.Ā The company announced that an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in Israel approved its request to conduct a safety and tolerability trial there. The company also is asking to amend the…
October 11, 2018 News by BioNews Staff #ECTRIMS2018 ā Data from 2 EU Trials Shows Effectiveness of Cannabidiol Spray in Treating Spasticity Data from two European trials ā a real-life study in Italy, and a long-term Czech trial looking at impact on cognition ā supported the efficacy of a widely approved cannabinoid spray in treating moderate to severe spasticity (muscular stiffness or involuntary spasms) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who…
September 4, 2018 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Spasticity Scales May Not Be Sufficiently Informative of Sativex Benefits in MS Patients, Small Study Suggests Spasticity scales may be insufficient to reflect the actual benefits of Sativex (nabiximols) treatment on spasticity symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small case series study. The results support the need to conduct a more extensive and functional examination to clarify treatment responses and help…
August 23, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Using Medical Marijuana for MS Symptoms May Affect Your Employment Ohio, my home state, is wrestling with the nuances of medical marijuana laws that become effective on Sept. 8, 2018. My husbandās work email had an important notice from the Bureau of Workerās Compensation (BWC) about this pending change, and as I read it, I thought that nothing really…
August 9, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD MedChew RX Shows Stability and Potential for Effectiveness in Early Tests, Company Reports AXIM BiotechĀ announced that tests done on itsĀ cannabinoid-based chewing gum āĀ MedChew RxĀ ā showed both product stability and effective release of medicinal molecules,Ā with a high percentage of itsĀ pharmaceutical ingredients available. These test results may be of importance, as the company is planning to bring MedChew Rx into clinical trials as a…
August 2, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Multiple Sclerosis Patients Identify Symptoms that Worsen Quality of Life Loss of health-related quality of life is caused mostly by balance problems, muscle stiffness, and depression in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS),Ā and for those with progressive MS, the causes are muscle rigidity, paralysis, weakness, and pain, according toĀ a…
June 25, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD Axim Biotech Given Patent for Method of Making Medical Cannabis Compound Axim BiotechĀ announced that its way of extracting and purifying THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) ā an active compound in medical cannabis ā has been approved to receive a patent. The notice of allowance for patient No.Ā 15/146668Ā came in letter from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Axim said in…
June 13, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MMJ Bioscience Files Request with FDA to Open Phase 2 Study of Medical Cannabis in Progressive MS MMJ Bioscience, which specializes in medical cannabis products, has filed a request with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to open Phase 2 clinical trials evaluating the companyās THC/CBD pharmaceutical compounds as possible treatments for symptoms ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). THC refers to the tetrahydrocannabinol compound, part of the…
June 7, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #CMSC2018 ā Pharmacist Discusses Advances, Challenges in Cannabinoids Research to Treat MS Several studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of cannabis and its derivate products to manage the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. But there is still much to be done to enhance their use and accessibility to patients who may benefit from these therapies, according to…
June 4, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD PathMaker Neurosystems, Developing MyoRegulator for Spasticity, Named Startup of Year at French-American Business Gala PathMaker Neurosystems, which specializes in non-invasive devices to treat chronic neuromotor disorders, won theĀ 2018 French-American Business (FAB) AwardĀ in the startup/small company category. PathMaker, based in Boston, is developed and testingĀ MyoRegulator, a potential treatment forĀ muscle spasticity in people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy and other chronic conditions.
May 22, 2018 News by Diogo Pinto Sativex Can Improve Driving Ability of MS Patients, Study Says Sativex, a cannabis-based anti-spasticity medicine commercialized as oromucosal spray by GW Pharmaceuticals, improves the driving ability of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to researchers. The findings were published in the journal Brain and Behavior, in a study titled āThe influence of THC:CBD oromucosal spray…
March 29, 2018 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Stem Cell Therapy, Sx, Synapse, and Other ‘S’ Terms Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her series on the “MS alphabet” with this column referencing terms starting with the letter “S.” Last in a series of five. Symptoms of MS Spasticity This refers to the muscle stiffness and issues with muscular control and abnormal muscle tone that…
March 28, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Flex Pharma’s MS Treatment Candidate FLX-787 Improves Cramps, Stiffness, Phase 2 Trial Shows Topline results of an exploratory Phase 2 clinical trial revealed that Flex Pharma‘s treatment candidate FLX-787 improvesĀ muscle cramps, spasms and muscle stiffness in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The double-blinded trial, conducted in Australia, evaluated an oral dose of 19 mg FLX-787, taken twice daily in liquid…