SPMS

Mouse studies of siponimod — a potential progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment that’s up for approval in the U.S. and EU — were among presentations given by Novartis at the 34th European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), held Oct. 10-12 in Berlin. Animal work might seem…

A higher frequency of early relapses, as well as a larger volume of lesions and older age at disease onset, increase the risk of transitioning from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to secondary progressive MS (SPMS), according to a study. The study, “Early cortical pathology and…

Treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) may benefit patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) who are actively experiencing relapses, as they can slow the disability’s worsening, a new analysis of an MS patient registry shows. Patients…

Novartis is seeking U.S. and European approval of its investigational oral agent siponimod to treat adults with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the company’s New Drug Application, while the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted for review…

Phase 3 Trial in the UK Soon to Test Statin, Simvastatin, in Slowing SPMS Progression I’ve taken a statin medication for years to keep my cholesterol in check. Now, a study is getting underway to see if one statin pill can also be used to treat MS. It’s particularly…

Lemtrada Can Lower Number of B-cells Infiltrating Nervous System and Forming Clumps, Animal Study Shows I usually stay away from recommending articles about mice studies, but this article does a nice job of explaining how Lemtrada works and the role of B-cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). As…

An MRI technique known as magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) correlated closely with the progression of slowly evolving lesions (SELs) — a specific type of multiple sclerosis lesion — in patients with secondary progressive MS (SPMS). According to the researchers, monitoring changes in SELs — which indicate demyelination and loss of nerve fibers —…

Atrophy seen in areas of the spinal cord is a better predictor of physical disability in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients than loss of brain volume, a new study reports. The research was presented at the 4th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), recently held in Lisbon,…

Genentech‘s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), approved in March 2017, has fueled a sea change in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.S., leading to an increased interest in disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for progressive forms of MS. Now, other potential treatment choices for progressive MS forms will likely…

Young adults at age 20 who are obese and smoke are not only at a higher risk of developing relapsing multiple sclerosis — those who become MS patients after age 20 are also more likely to advance to secondary progressive MS more quickly, researchers in Sweden report. But the link…

Chemical that Stimulates Estrogen Receptors Seen to Promote Myelin Repair Through ‘Good’ Inflammation in Mouse MS Model Caution: This is only a mouse study. However, anything that might repair the damaged myelin of people with MS catches my eye. In this case, researchers are building on earlier…

Age at disease onset, number of early relapses, and the extent of brain damage at baseline can help identify those who are at high risk of progression from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis into the secondary progressive phase of the disease, a new study shows. The study with that finding, “…

Fat-derived stem cells are a safe and feasible treatment strategy for patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, results from a Phase 1/2 clinical trial show. Findings were published in the study, “Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSC) for the treatment of secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis: A triple blinded,…

Novartis’ investigational oral treatment siponimod (BAF312) reduces the risk of disability progression in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a new analysis of Phase 3 trial results show. Using what the company describes as more accurate methods to assess siponimod effect’s on progression risk, necessary because the…

5 MS Patients Across US Talk About How Ocrevus Has Changed Their Lives There’s high interest in Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), one of two disease-modifying therapies that have shown promise for reversing some multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. (The other is Lemtrada.) So, I’m including this article. Keep in mind,…

Novartis‘ siponimod (BAF312) can reduce blood levels of a biomarker of nerve cell damage in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a Phase 3 clinical trial shows. Researchers will present the latest results of the ongoing trial at the 2018 annual meeting of the American Academy…

People with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) have more cognitive decline than those with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), according to a Greek study. The finding confirmed a long-held assumption that the more progressive form of the disease — SPMS — also involves more cognition problems. Some previous research has confirmed that…

Siponimod (BAF312) reduces the risk of disability progression in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a Phase 3 clinical trial shows. An article about the Novartis therapy’s trial results appeared in the journal The Lancet. The title is “Siponimod versus placebo in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis…

Since Genentech‘s Ocrevus was approved a year ago, the treatment rate of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) has increased significantly. However, a closer look at the data shows that other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are equally responsible for this increase. The findings were reported by Spherix Global Insights in their new study…

Editor’s 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 It’s estimated that nearly half of all people with MS struggle with speech…

A stem cell treatment improved the neurological symptoms of three-fourths of the multiple sclerosis patients in a Phase 1 clinical trial, New York researchers reported. The results prompted the team at the Tisch MS Research Center of New York to start a Phase 2 trial to further assess the therapy’s…

Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this column referencing terms starting with the letter P. This post comes fourth in a series of seven. Symptoms of MS Postural tremor Tremors (specifically, cerebellar tremors) are a common symptom of MS. A…

A Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating AB Science’s masitinib as a treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis can continue without having to add patients, an independent review board has decided. The decision indicates that the therapy has been effective enough that its population base does not need to be expanded, the…

Older patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) have reduced risk of experiencing disease relapse, according to a study presented at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting, being held Oct. 25-28, in Paris, France. The study, “Relapses in patients with secondary progressive MS: a matter of disease duration…

While Tysabri (natalizumab) failed to slow worsening disability in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) in a Phase 3 trial, researchers now suggest that the treatment did improve walking and arm function in people with advanced disability. Researchers presented new analyses of data from the ASCEND trial (…

Novartis’ Siponimod led to a dramatic drop in the number of inflammation patches in the brains and spinal cords of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients, according to a Phase 3 clinical trial. Robert Fox of the Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis presented the findings…

Sanofi Genzyme‘s Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Biogen’s Tysabri (natalizumab) are more effective in preventing conversion to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) compared to older injectable drugs, researchers from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. reported at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting Oct. 25-28 in Paris. The…

The types of brain and spinal cord inflammation patches that occur in a precursor condition to multiple sclerosis help determine whether a person develops MS in the next 15 years, a British neurologist reported today. Wallace J. Brownlee of the University College London Institute of Neurology made the observation in…

Five clinics in the Washington area that specialize in administering intravenous and injected treatments to people with chronic diseases are now offering the new multiple sclerosis therapy Ocrevus (ocrelizumab). Arise Infusion Therapy Services said its staff is helping patients manage the authorization process that many insurers require before agreeing to cover…

A new analysis of Phase 2 clinical data on Innate Immunotherapeutics’ investigational drug MIS416 to treat secondary progressive multiple sclerosis has confirmed that the drug failed to improve neuromuscular function or patient reported outcomes. The initial evaluation of data obtained from the one-year trial, announced in June, showed disappointing results. These results, gleaned from 70 patients who were randomly designated to receive either weekly injections of MIS416 or a placebo control, failed to demonstrate significant differences or clinically meaningful improvements in patients treated with MIS416 compared to those in the control group. After this initial setback, the Australian company sponsored an additional analysis of the trial results to identify any potential subgroup of clinical responders that could benefit from MIS416 and who might have been masked in the first population-based analysis. However, this post-hoc analysis also failed to show any positive effects of MIS416. Although the detailed report of this second analysis has not yet been released, the Sydney-based company conceded that the final outcome will not change. "All previous reports of MIS416 making a meaningful difference in the lives of many patients must either be dismissed as a very robust placebo effect or the trial failure is attributable to some other reason. It is my view that there may be other reasons," Innate CEO Simon Wilkinson said in a press release. "Patients with SPMS have a complex mix of symptoms and their disease can't be monitored by a simple blood test or MRI scan," he added. "We used the best assessment tools available as recommended by expert practitioners in MS, but we suspect they weren't sensitive enough to pick up the small but potentially significant changes that can lead to a substantial impact on patients' activities of daily living and quality of life." The lack of efficacy of MIS416 shown by the trial results is inconsistent with previous clinical experience, and the benefits reported by those receiving MIS416 for the past eight years.