treatment

Below is a transcript of the Multiple Sclerosis News Today interview with Dr. Peter Chin — principal medical director at Genentech — about the importance of the pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a Biologics Licensing Application (BLA) for Ocrevus (ocrelizumab). An an indepth article on this interview, looking Ocrevus…

Music therapy has long been known for its healing powers — its use dates back to WWI, where it was used to help with the physical and emotional healing of the wounded. Music can also be of help to those of us with multiple sclerosis. An article from the…

Editor’s note: Columnist Laura Kolaczkowski writes from the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum in Orlando, Fla., (Feb. 23-25). Two MS disease-modifying therapies, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Rituxan (rituximab) were featured in this year’s Kenneth P. Johnson, MD, Memorial Lecture…

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), an investigational monoclonal antibody, significantly decreases disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and is associated with a higher proportion of patients reaching no evidence of disease activity (NEDA), according to a new analysis. The study, “NEDA analysis by epoch in patients with relapsing multiple…

Ten years after completing treatment with Novantrone (mitoxantrone), a chemotherapy drug, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed evidence of markedly lower annualized relapse rates, but the therapy’s effects began to wane after five years, a study presented at ACTRIMS 2017 Forum reported. The study also assessed how Novantrone affects disease progression in primary and secondary progressive…

The absence of epigenetic factors in myelin-producing oligodendrocyte cells make sure that myelin production is switched off in the adult brain. Targeting these factors may be a way of triggering myelin regeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS), and a step toward personalized medicine for this disease, Dr. Patrizia Casaccia said in a talk…

A detailed analysis of relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the three Phase 3 trials of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) showed that the treatment did not significantly increase their risk of infections — serious or otherwise. Certain infections, including common colds and influenza, were numerically more common among Ocrevus-treated patients,…

Short-chain dietary fatty acids, such as propionate, drive the production of regulatory immune T-cells in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), while long-chain acids promote T-cells that are involved in inflammatory processes. Since the beneficial fatty acids are safe and can be obtained as over-the-counter dietary supplements, researchers suggest they could…

Two Phase 3 clinical trials investigating the long-term effects of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed the drug maintained improved outcomes, even in the absence of further treatment. Both studies were presented at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum, held…

Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) increased the proportion of patients with no evidence of progression (NEP) in the recently concluded ORATORIO Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). The evaluation of NEP — a combined measure of three disability assessments — was a secondary exploratory endpoint of…

Editor’s note: Columnist Laura Kolaczkowski reports from ACTRIMS in Orlando, Fla. The second Annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) got under way in Orlando, Fla., today and runs through Saturday. I have the honor of being on site to hear  presentations…

The Brazilian government has authorized HempMeds Brasil, a unit of California-based Medical Marijuana, to import the parent company’s hemp cannabidiol (CBD) oil flagship product — known as Real Scientific Hemp Oil (RSHO) — for the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. This is the first time Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency…

Treatment with Apitope’s lead agent, ATX-MS-1467, decreased brain lesions in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in a now-completed Phase 2a clinical trial. ATX-MS-1467 is a potential disease-modifying agent with an immune-tolerating action. It consists of four short peptides derived from the myelin basic protein, and is designed to reduce…

Treatment with a compound called BIIB074 shows promise in reducing pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia — a  condition that occasionally affects multiple sclerosis (MS) patients — with few side effects, a new clinical trial finds. The Swiss study, “Safety and efficacy of a Nav1.7 selective sodium channel blocker in Titrigeminal neuralgia:…

Results from a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study of ADS-5102 (amantadine HCl), showing that multiple sclerosis patients given the extended-release oral treatment improved their walking speed, will be presented at ACTRIMS 2017 this week. Findings in the poster, “A Phase 2 Study of ADS-5102 (amantadine hydrochloride) Extended Release Capsules in Multiple Sclerosis Patients with Walking Impairment,”…

Stem cell transplants are most effective if done in young multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in early disease stages, who have not gone through several rounds of other treatments, according to a large study that followed transplant patients for more than five years. Study results also found that people with relapsing MS are much…

A Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of ozanimod (RPC-1063) in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) shows treatment reduced the disease’s annualized relapse rate (ARR), researchers reported. The Phase 3 SUNBEAM trial (NCT02294058) tested ozanimod, an oral, selective sphingosine 1-phosphate 1 (S1PR1) and 5 (S1PR5) receptor modulator designed to…

The second annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS), a forum for clinicians, researchers and other MS specialists to network and discuss the  latest advances in MS research and treatment is set for Feb. 23–25. This year’s meeting takes place at the Omni ChampionsGate resort hotel in Orlando, Florida. Multiple Sclerosis News…

The French economic promotion agency Bpifrance has awarded Boston-based PathMaker Neurosystems a grant to finance the development of its MyoRegulator, a noninvasive neurotherapy technology to treat conditions linked to neural pathway disruption, including neuromotor spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Through the Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir (PIA-1), an investment program offered by Bpifrance, the  grant — whose…

Canadian researchers are testing mice to see if cannabinoid oil products — a common medical marijuana treatment — could help alleviate the neuropathic pain that often afflicts patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The preclinical study, “Identifying the molecular mechanisms involved in supressing multiple sclerosis induced neuropathic pain following cannabinoid treatment in…

Gilenya (fingolimod) a multiple sclerosis (MS) drug developed to target the immune system and control inflammation, can also reduce the negative action of astrocytes, further controlling inflammation, says a new study. The article, “Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptor Modulation Suppresses Pathogenic Astrocyte Activation and Chronic Progressive CNS Inflammation,” appeared in the…

There is some good news about stem cell therapy. A just-published study concludes that one form of human stem cell therapy is more effective at treating multiple sclerosis than the best of the MS medications being used currently. The not-so-good news is that approval of this…

Researchers have tested a new compound called ST266 in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) and found that its anti-inflammatory properties prevent the loss of cells related to optic neuritis — a condition that leads to vision loss. The study, “Intranasal Delivery of a Novel Amnion Cell Secretome Prevents…

EMD Soreno has recently published Phase 3 clinical data showing that Cladribine tablets reduced the annualized rate of brain volume loss (BVL, brain atrophy) compared to placebo in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study, “Reduced brain atrophy rates are associated with lower risk of disability progression…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients given gentle electrical stimulation to their tongues during physical and cognitive rehabilitation training benefited more than those who did not have the stimulation, a small pilot study demonstrated. Those who received the weak stimulation had significant improvements in balance and better scores than controls in cognition and other…

Regular massage therapy given people with multiple sclerosis (MS) significantly reduced their pain and fatigue, and helped to ease spasticity, a small pilot study reports. The results further support previous findings as to the benefits of massage in treating MS symptoms and improving patients’ quality of life. The study, “Impact of Massage Therapy on Fatigue,…

Paeoniflorin (PF), a herb component used in Chinese medicine, improved symptoms and reduced inflammation in a mouse model that recapitulates the human features of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “Paeoniflorin Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis via Inhibition of Dendritic Cell Function and Th17 Cell Differentiation”, appeared in the journal…

Interferons (Beta and Alpha) are the oldest of the disease-modifying treatments, or DMTs, for people with MS. Interferons include Avonex, Betaseron, Rebif, and Plegridy. This column won’t get into the pros and cons of each of these treatments. Instead, I’d like to focus on one of the more…

Ninety-five percent of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients believe medical marijuana should be a treatment option, according to a GeneFo online survey. The survey also showed that almost 73 percent had tried it, even though about half said they hadn’t received information from a doctor about its benefits and risks. A National…

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Clinical Trial Supports Stem Cell Transplants to Treat RMS Patients with High Disease Activity It’s no secret to readers of this column and, indeed, to the wider MS community, that I am convinced…