November 11, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD North American MS Societies Targeting Earliest MS Predictors The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (MSSC) has partnered with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) to support a Canadian-led study investigating the earliest predictors of multiple sclerosis (MS) during the so-called prodromal period across diverse groups. A prodrome is a set of signs or symptoms that…
September 1, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Early High-efficacy DMTs Linked to Better RRMS Outcomes in Sweden People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in Sweden have lower rates of worsening disability than those who live in Denmark, likely due to differences in treatment strategies in each country, according to a new study. “This study shows that, for the first time to our knowledge, differences in national…
April 7, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Pediatric-onset MS Tied to Fewer School Years, Lower Income in Adulthood People who develop multiple sclerosis (MS) as children are more likely to attain lower education levels, earn less in the workplace, and be more reliant on disability benefits later in life, new research shows. These findings were published inĀ JAMA Neurology, in the study, “Long-term Socioeconomic…
February 19, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Drop in PML With Tysabri Use in Sweden Likely Due to Risk Management Plan The number of cases of Tysabri (natalizumab) that are associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) ā a serious brain infection ā in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients living in Sweden fell between 2006 and 2018, a study shows. Notably, the data highlighted that this drop was likely due to…
August 6, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD MS Patients Show Greater Risk of Infections Before and After Diagnosis, Study Finds Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have a greater risk of infections, particularly urinary and kidney infections, around the time of their diagnosis, compared with individuals without MS, a large Swedish population-based study found. Rates of serious and non-serious infections, as well as infections caused by bacteria, virus, and fungus, also…
July 28, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD MS Patients More Likely to Need Work Leaves Than General Public, Study Finds People with multiple sclerosis (MS) spend a significantly greater number of work days each year on sick leave or disability pay than do the general population ā including in the years before they are formally diagnosed, a Swedish study found. Though the number of missed work days rises in…
January 8, 2020 News by Catarina Silva Using Interferon-beta While Pregnant Does Not Influence Child Size at Birth, MS Study Finds Treatment with interferon-beta therapy during pregnancy in women withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) does not influence childrenās gestational age, birth weight, length, or head size, researchers report. The study with those findings, āThe association between exposure to interferon-beta during pregnancy and birth measurements in offspring of women with…
September 13, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Younger MS Patients at Higher Risk for Cardiovascular Diseases, Large Swedish Study Finds People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases than the general population, according to a large Swedish nationwide study. This risk is higher for patients diagnosed before age 40, the study found. Fredrik Piehl, MD, PhD, from Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden, presented the…
April 11, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Higher Vitamin D Levels in Rituximab-treated MS Patients Linked to Lower Inflammatory Activity, Study Suggests Rituximab-treated multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who takeĀ vitamin D supplements have less inflammatory activity, a study reports. Increased levels of vitamin D were associated with beneficial treatment outcomes, such as better self-perceived health and reduced levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein…
October 11, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2018 – Rituximab for MS Does Not Increase Cancer Risk Compared to Gilenya and Tysabri, Swedish Study Finds Treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with rituximab does not increase breast cancer risk in women, and is not associated with a higher risk for malignant cancer of any type in men or women, when compared to Gilenya (fingolimod) orĀ Tysabri (natalizumab), according to a nationwide study in…
October 11, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2018 – Lower Mortality Rate in US, Sweden for MS Patients Treated With Rituximab, Study Reports Treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with rituximab leads to lower-than-reported mortality rates, according to a large real-world study in the U.S. and Sweden. The findings also revealed no deaths due to infusion reactions or to systemic inflammation. The study, āMortality rates in large US and…
January 11, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Newly Diagnosed MS Patients Stay Longer on Rituxan Than Other Therapies, Study Finds Multiple sclerosis patients whose first treatment is Genentech'sĀ Rituxan (rituximab) stay on it longer than other disease-modifying drugs that patients start with, a Swedish study reports. When they stop taking Rituxan, Ā it usually isn't for lack of effectiveness or side effects...
September 14, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Cognitive Problems in MS Patients Linked to Lower Income, Study Reports In a recent talk, titled āIncome and cognitive impairment among multiple sclerosis patients,ā scientists investigated how cognitive impairmentĀ impacts the life of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and reported significant differences in incomeĀ that correlated with levels of MS-cognitive deficit. These findingsĀ were recently presented at the 32nd Congress of theĀ European Committee for…
April 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Lymphoma Drug, Rituximab, Highly Effective in Treating Relapsing MS, Study from Sweden Reports Mabthera (rituximab), a widely approved drug for treating lymphoma and/or rheumatoid arthritis, is highly effective in treating multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers reported in an observational study in Sweden, where Mabthera is increasingly being used outside of its approved indications to treat relapsing-remitting MS patients. The study, published in the journal…