Tecfidera

Since its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013, Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) has emerged as a first-line treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the most common form of multiple sclerosis (MS). While two separate clinical trials demonstrated Tecfidera’s ability to significantly reduce both the rate of relapse…

A commonly prescribed multiple sclerosis (MS) medication may act to modulate the immune system. The finding is described in the article “Dimethyl fumarate treatment induces adaptive and innate immune modulation independent of Nrf2,“ published in  the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. MS develops due to an…

Biogen reported new data describing the effectiveness of Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) in newly diagnosed relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients in a recent presentation at the 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The conference, taking place in Vancouver, Canada, runs through April 21. Tecfidera is an…

A range of new multiple sclerosis (MS) data from Biogen will be revealed at the 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Vancouver, Canada, on April 15–21. Presentations will include studies on Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), one of the most frequently used oral MS treatments worldwide, as well as several other…

A case report of a woman with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who developed shingles while being treated with dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) has raised questions of whether the drug reactivates the varicella-zoster virus. The study, “Disseminated zoster with paresis in a multiple sclerosis patient treated with dimethyl fumarate,“ was published in…

Editor’s note: The term B-cells is, in fact, a collective term for a group of cells having rather different properties. Some B-cells cells play a role in fighting invading pathogens or flawed cells, and can be wrongfully activated to target normal cells in autoimmune diseases. Regulatory B-cells (Bregs), instead act…

Millions of television viewers who watched the popular HBO mob drama series “The Sopranos” saw actress Jamie Lynn Sigler grow from a teen into a young woman as Meadow Soprano, the independent-minded daughter of mafia boss Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini. This week, Sigler revealed she has been battling multiple…

Delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) was recently approved for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), although the mechanisms by which the drug exerts its action were not fully understood. A new study from the University Hospital Münster, Germany, shows that dimethyl fumarate alters the balance between subpopulations of T-cells to promote…

Multiple Sclerosis News Today has reported the latest therapies, clinical trial developments, and events in multiple sclerosis (MS) on a daily basis throughout the past year. As 2015 comes to an end, here are the year’s 10 articles most widely read by  Multiple Sclerosis News Today readers, each with a brief summary of the developments…

Alkermes plc, a biopharmaceutical company focused on therapies for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, announced that it has successfully met its 2015 goals for their product and late-stage pipeline drug portfolio, including ALKS 8700, a monomethyl fumarate (MMF) drug candidate for the treatment of multiple sclerosis…

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand (MSNZ) announced that PHARMAC has agreed with its request to finance two novel first-in-line therapies for relapsing-remitting forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), making them accessible to patients there. PHARMAC recently agreed to fund the two treatments, teriflunomide (Aubagio), supplied by Sanofi-Aventis NZ, and dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera),…

Alkermes plc, a fully integrated global biopharmaceutical company, recently provided a regulatory update and positive clinical trial data for ALKS 8700, an oral, innovative and proprietary monomethyl fumarate (MMF) compound that is being developed to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). ALKS 8700 is being developed to quickly and efficiently convert…

Advancing key medicinal treatments like TECFIDERA (dimethyl fumarate), the most prescribed oral treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), is a key focus of a company-wide restructuring recently announced by Biogen, Inc. TECFIDERA has been shown to reduce relapse rates, slow disability progression and the number of brain lesions in patients with relapsing forms…

A top MS researcher for Biogen Idec answered questions in an exclusive interview with Multiple Sclerosis News Today correspondent Dr. Ana de Barros at a Satellite Symposia entitled “MS developments: transitioning evidence into clinical practice” presented by the company this morning at the 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and…

Biogen is scheduled to present the latest efficacy and safety profile updates on TECFIDERA (dimethyl fumarate), its lead treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), during the 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) happening now in Barcelona, Spain until October 10, 2015. The…

Biogen, a biotechnology company focused on innovative therapies for autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and hematological conditions, recently announced that it will present new data on its multiple sclerosis (MS) portfolio of therapeutic agents at the upcoming 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis…

A survey of 97 neurologists conducted in June 2015 revealed specialists within the field of neurology are increasingly avoiding prescribing injectables to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, as orally-available disease modifying-agents (DMAs) continue to gain in popularity. The survey was conducted and reported by Spherix Global Insights, a newly established business…

Cambridge, Massachusetts based Biogen Inc. has reported its second quarter 2015 results, posting a year-over-year seven percent revenue increase to $2.6 Billion in the quarter. “Biogen remains focused on improving the lives of people living with complex diseases,” says Chief Executive Officer George A. Scangos, Ph.D. “Tecfidera, which is now…

Biogen has recently announced novel results to support the effectiveness of TECFIDERA (dimethyl fumarate) in the treatment of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The results revealed that TECFIDERA significantly reduced disability progression and relapses in RRMS patients who received their diagnosis for the first time and had a highly active form of the disease. TECFIDERA…

Now more than ever, groundbreaking, new therapies for chronic diseases and infections come with high price tags. Earlier in the year, Gilead Sciences’ drug Sovaldi for Hepatitis C, as well as Vertex’s Kalydeco for Cystic Fibrosis, both raised eyebrows over their cost. Now, a new MS therapy is doing the…

Biogen Idec presented the five-year results from its ENDORSE phase 3 extension study of Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), which revealed that the treatment is able to provide strong and sustained efficacy to patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), at last week’s ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS summit. Not only did…

The European Commission granted marketing authorization for the use of Plegridy, a drug developed by Biogen Idec as a treatment for adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the most common form of multiple sclerosis (MS). The approval comes at a time when…

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) gave a positive final appraisal determination to the use of the Biogen Idec‘s drug Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) in adults for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), having turned back on their preliminary negative recommendation. The oral…