treatment

Therapies to remove harmful immune B-cells that drive inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) may also work by mobilizing protective, gut-derived B-cells into the bloodstream and nervous system, a new study shows. Researchers also found that higher levels of molecules thought to drive such protective functions in B-cells were linked…

Australian researchers are using lab-grown “mini brains” to investigate new ways to repair myelin, the protective coating surrounding nerve cells that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS). The 3D lab models, grown from human stem cells, will allow researchers to study how myelin forms naturally in the human…

Childhood trauma may make it harder for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to consistently adhere to their treatment plans and establish a strong relationship with their physician, according to a study in Italy. Researchers also found that much of the association between adverse experiences in early life and lower…

A noninvasive brain stimulation technique may help adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) walk farther and improve their balance, a review study found. The therapy, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), was especially effective when used at higher intensities for 20 minutes. Evidence of its benefits for fine hand movements…

A rehabilitation program using virtual reality (VR) may help improve some cognitive skills — especially those related to processing speed and memory — in people with multiple sclerosis (MS),  according to a new review covering more than a dozen studies. The researchers found that incorporating this type of new…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Pheno Therapeutics the green light to begin clinical testing of PTD802, the company’s oral lead treatment candidate for boosting myelin repair in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases. The experimental remyelination therapy aims to potentially…

Despite being converted into the same active ingredient, the newer multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Vumerity (diroximel fumarate) is associated with significantly lower relapse rates than the older medication Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), or its generics, in people with relapsing forms of MS. Those are the findings of a…

Kesimpta (ofatumumab) was more effective than Aubagio (teriflunomide) at suppressing disease activity in people with highly active, relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new analyses from the Phase 3 ASCLEPIOS trials. After two years, those on Kesimpta were nearly 20 times more likely to achieve…

Two commonly used disease-modifying treatments seem to be equally effective for most people with late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS), according to a real-world analysis. Anti-CD20 therapies, designed to reduce immune cells that produce disease-driving antibodies, and S1P receptor modulators, which work by preventing pro-inflammatory immune cells from reaching the brain,…

People in the U.S. with commercial insurance wait nearly 50 days on average for a first visit to neurologist, and average wait times are significantly longer, by about four days, for those with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. The number of neurologists in a given area didn’t influence…

Regulators in the European Union are recommendeding that tolebrutinib be approved as a treatment for people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) who have not experienced a relapse in the last two years. That new positive opinion was issued by the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products…

Using disease-modifying treatments shortly prior to or during pregnancy does not seem to increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in exposed children, according to a real-world study of mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS). Still, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators, which include therapies such as Gilenya (fingolimod), Mayzent…

While doctors and specialists view “high-quality” multiple sclerosis (MS) care through the lens of effective treatments and faster diagnosis, patients have a different priority: being heard, according to a recent study. Researchers interviewed a range of specialists and patients to bridge the gap in how these groups define excellence…

Innocare Pharma has dosed the first healthy volunteer in a clinical trial in China testing ICP-538, its oral treatment candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. The novel experimental therapy works by promoting the degradation of the VAV1 protein, essential for the function of T-cells and…

For people with multiple sclerosis (MS) on Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) whose disease is well controlled after at least a year of treatment, discontinuing the infusion therapy does not appear to increase the risk of new disease activity or disability progression for about two years. That’s according to a new retrospective…

AB Science has received a patent in Japan covering the use of its investigational oral therapy masitinib for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The new patent — JP 7788154 — grants the France-based pharmaceutical company protection in the Asian nation through February 2041 on the use of masitinib…

Inflammatory gut bacteria that carry proteins structurally similar to myelin, a protective layer surrounding nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), may trigger the development and progression of the disease, according to a new study done in mouse models. The findings may pave the way toward new…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough therapy designation to privosegtor, an experimental treatment from Oculis that aims to protect the vision of people experiencing acute optic neuritis. This condition, which involves inflammation of the optic nerve, is a common and often debilitating symptom of…

The balance between two immune signaling molecules — CXCL13 and BAFF — may help identify the hard-to-treat inflammation in the brain and spinal cord that’s thought to be a major driver of disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. The findings may help identify which patients are…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Scinopharm Taiwan’s glatiramer acetate injection, a generic of Copaxone, to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). Scinopharm is the first pharmaceutical company in Taiwan to win U.S. approval for glatiramer acetate, marking a significant milestone…

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England is recommending natalizumab — sold as Tysabri and Tyruko — as an option for certain people with hard-to-control multiple sclerosis (MS). NICE is responsible for deciding which medicines will be covered by the National Health Service…

Tiziana Life Sciences‘ intranasal spray foralumab continues to be safe and well-tolerated, with no drug-related serious side effects reported after long-term use, according to an annual report filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company is developing foralumab for neuroinflammatory diseases such as multiple…

Quantum Biopharma has completed dosing in two toxicology studies requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that aim to support the launch of clinical studies of Lucid-MS, an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) that’s designed to slow myelin loss. The 180-day toxicity and toxicokinetic…

After months of delay, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected Sanofi‘s application seeking approval of tolebrutinib for the treatment of adults with nonrelapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). While Sanofi announced earlier this month that the decision was likely to be delayed again…

Immutep’s experimental immunotherapy, IMP761, continues to demonstrate a favorable safety profile, along with sustained suppression of T-cell activity, immune cells that are overly active in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. These findings are based on data from healthy people enrolled in an ongoing first-in-human Phase 1…

In people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), treatment with the antioxidant lipoic acid did not improve walking or lessen other symptoms, such as fatigue, but it did show signs of slowing brain atrophy, or the loss of brain tissue. According to the researchers, this suggests possible positive biological…

An enzyme called CEMIP could be a target for small-molecule inhibitors that aim to promote myelin repair in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions marked by myelin loss, a study found. Researchers discovered that CEMIP, which is elevated in areas of inflammatory nerve damage in people with…

A clinical trial testing whether music therapy can make botulinum toxin injections for spasticity more tolerable for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions is enrolling participants at Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital in France.  The study’s protocol was published in PLOS One, in a paper titled, “…

I wrote in the summer about changing the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for my multiple sclerosis (MS). I’ve familiarized myself with the available DMTs, and I plan to ask my neurologist for her recommendation next week and then make a decision. As I’ve researched my options, I’ve become interested…

Specific disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) significantly slow the rate of brain volume loss in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), a benefit that is directly linked to reduced long-term disability, according to a new review. A network meta-analysis of more than 26,000 patients confirms that therapies most effective at preserving…