treatment

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) may be more effective in preventing relapses in multiple sclerosis patients than the newly approved Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), according to a study presented April 28 at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2017 Annual Meeting in Boston. The study, supported by Sanofi Genzyme and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, compared…

I knew it was only a matter of time before my MS neurologist would have MS PATHS available to collect clinical data from people who have agreed to participate. MS PATHS is an information- and biological sample-gathering clinical study from Biogen, the leading manufacturer of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying…

Many life-affecting decisions are made at the time of an MS diagnosis. Top of the list? The moment you decide your course of treatment. In my case, the decision was entirely up to me. This isn’t typical, I’ve discovered. Many people with MS aren’t…

Within the first two months of treatment, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) reduced relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients by more than half compared to those on Rebif, and almost completely prevented new brain lesions, according to data underscoring the drug’s rapid effects. Researchers from San Francisco-based Genentech and its Swiss parent…

Sanofi Genzyme will present new results on follow-up studies of its products Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Aubagio (teriflunomide), both of which have been approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The new data will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting taking…

Greek researchers have developed a new bioinformatics tool to identify potential therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases. Using this approach, they identified and confirmed the therapeutic potential of two small molecules to target a protein called TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) that is active in  multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. Their…

Real-world data of treatment with Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Tysabri (natalizumab) in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suggest that treatment at early disease stages improves outcomes and prevents disability development. The studies, presented by Biogen at the American Academy of Neurology 2017 Annual Meeting in Boston, might challenge the…

A real-world study of Gilenya (fingolimod) in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) confirms benefits of the treatment seen in clinical trials. The Novartis-sponsored study also demonstrated that measures of brain shrinkage can be used in a clinical setting to evaluate disease progression. The data, presented at the American Academy of…

An investigational treatment called ATA188 that wipes out B-cells targeting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has shown promise as a multiple sclerosis treatment, a Phase 1 clinical trial involving a small patient group indicates. The trial, conducted in Australia, covered six people with primary or secondary progressive MS. B-cells are a…

Many decisions to stop taking the multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri (natalizumab) appear to be based largely on subjective factors such as patients’ or physicians’ view of the risk, rather than objective assessments of the risk, a study indicates. Tysabri is an approved immunotherapy for active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Despite its benefits, there…

The American Academy of Neurology‘s (AAN) 2017 annual meeting will bring together physicians who practice in all areas of neurology, including our own multiple sclerosis (MS) specialists. In a recent interview with Anthony Traboulsee, MD, associate professor and research chair of the MS Society of…

The latest results on Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Tysabri (natalizumab) use in a clinical practice setting suggest that early treatment can improve outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This and other recent data on Tecfidera and Tysabri for the treatment of MS will be presented by Biogen at the…

(Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this third of three parts on terms starting with the letter “C.”) When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering an understanding of the disease means you need to mind your Ps and Qs, dot your…

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will discuss two of its multiple sclerosis therapies, one that reduces relapses and one that appears to protect nerve structure, at a premier neurology conference in Boston this month. It will also give presentations at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology on therapies…

New data on the recently approved multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) will be presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting 2017, which will take place April 22-28 in Boston. The meeting is the first scientific conference focusing on neurology since the U.S.

It was my 2015 annual check-in, and my neurologist and I were in the exam room. I was sitting on one of those little stools with wheels, he was leaning across the exam table. We had just finished discussing my steadily worsening symptoms and treatment plan, which consisted…

While many multiple sclerosis patients celebrated the recent approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), others argued that the drug is largely a rebranded version of rituximab. Rituximab — sold as Rituxan for indications like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and rheumatoid arthritis — is used off-label to treat relapsing MS. In online forums and social media,…

Sanofi Genzyme will discuss three of its multiple sclerosis therapies at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Boston, April 22-28. The presentations will cover two approved treatments for relapsing MS – Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Aubagio (teriflunomide) – and one that has been in a Phase 1 clinical…

The Blair Chiropractic Technique may ease multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, studies indicate. The technique involves adjusting the spinal column’s upper cervical vertebrae. These bones can misalign, interfering with the neck-area connection between the brainstem and neural canal. Manipulating this area can alleviate MS symptoms in many patients, chiropractic studies have…

It’s been less than a month since Ocrevus was approved by the FDA, and the buzz hasn’t died down. Though there is some trepidation, the MS community is incredibly excited about what the new “game-changing” medication can do for patients all across the country. Here are just a few…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who used the RebiSmart (Merck Serono) device to inject themselves with interferon beta-1a (INF β-1a) did an excellent job of sticking to their treatment timetable without skipping treatments, according to a study. They also had a lower annual disease relapse rate and more relapse-free periods,…

(Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this second of three parts on terms starting with the letter “C.”) When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering an understanding of the disease means you need to mind your Ps and Qs, dot your Is, cross your Ts,…

A lot has changed in multiple sclerosis research and treatment since I was diagnosed 30 years ago. Here are a few things I was told originally that are no longer true: There’s less than a 1% chance for a child to inherit their mother’s…

  The United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) last month recommended Zinbryta (daclizumab) to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in England and Wales. On April 10, Scotland received Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) approval for the National Health Service (NHS) to prescribe Zinbryta as a treatment for RRMS. Zinbryta is…

Pamela Arterbridge is one of 70 people at Ohio State University’s Multiple Sclerosis Center taking part in the open-label part of a clinical trial for ocrelizumab, now best known as Ocrevus.  She is a patient of Dr. Michael Racke, who is a pioneer in the field of B-cell treatments for MS,…

A ruling by the  U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware invalidated four of five patents held by Acorda Therapeutics that pertained to Ampyra (dalfampridine), a treatment for walking difficulties in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, raising the possibility of generic forms of the drug coming onto the market in a…

Texas firefighter Wayne Donovan is among the estimated 250,000 to 350,000 Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS). He enrolled in a clinical trial testing Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), which the  U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved as the first therapy for both relapsing and primary progressive forms of MS. Donovan was diagnosed in 2011 at…

With last month’s approval of the multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus, I’ve again heard the plea “But how can I afford it?” Ocrevus carries a price tag of about $65,000 a year. That’s not high compared to some other MS drugs, but it still can mean a higher…

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Canada, World’s Multiple Sclerosis Capital, Launches 3-Way Collaboration to Research MS Progression Why some people develop primary progressive MS and others have the relapsing type, and why a many relapsing patients develop secondary…

Ampyra (dalfampridine) shows long-term efficacy in improving walking ability in people with multiple sclerosis, according to a study evaluating the treatment’s use in progressive and relapsing MS patients over two years. The study, “Monitoring long-term efficacy of fampridine in gait-impaired patients with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the…