treatment

Tysabri (natalizumab) given every six weeks was as safe and effective over nearly 1.5 years of use as its approved four-week dosing in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to top-line data from the Phase 3b NOVA study. Tysabri is typically administered every four weeks, or about…

FDA Greenlights Stem Cells Trial Aiming to Improve Quality of Life I’m pleased every time I see stem cell research being approved. Hopefully, this will move us closer to approval in the U.S. for the use of stem cells as a treatment for MS. In this research, patients are…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the label for Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) in adults for the treatment of upper limb spasticity — a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) — to include eight more muscles. The new approval will allow Botox to be used to treat…

Is orelabrutinib one of the next big MS therapies? Biogen is betting at least $125 million that it is. Orelabrutinib is an experimental oral BTK inhibitor (BTKi). BTKi’s are designed to selectively block an enzyme that’s important for the activation of B-cells and microglia. Some of those immune cells…

Chong Kun Dang (CKD) Pharmaceutical’s experimental oral therapy CKD-506 suppressed inflammation, myelin loss (demyelination), and lessened symptoms in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. Notably, the therapy resulted in benefits generally comparable to those of Gilenya (fingolimod) in these mice. But it also…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to a Phase 2 clinical trial that will assess the efficacy of using adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat the symptoms of mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS). The non-profit Hope Biosciences Stem Cell Research Foundation (HBSCRF),…

Tysabri (natalizumab) infusions given in the home to people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) save money and are more convenient, while apparently as safe and effective as those given in clinical settings, a pilot study comparing the two delivery methods reported. Nonetheless, its researchers recommended larger trials be…

People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have switched to treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) at an earlier stage in their disease in recent years, compared to individuals who switched to the treatment around the time it became available, a new study indicates. The findings suggest “an increased experience in…

Skin reactions are common among relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients being treated with oral Mavenclad (cladribine), affecting about one-third of the people evaluated in a real-world study in Germany. These findings suggest the need for careful clinical surveillance to rapidly diagnose and possibly treat skin problems stemming from Mavenclad’s use,…

Low doses selected and underlying inflammatory disease may have confounded the ability of temelimab to significantly affect neuroinflammation in a Phase 2 trial in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. GeNeuro‘s investigational MS therapy did, however, show other evidence of clinical benefit that supports its continued development, researchers…

The first World Brain Day, created by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), occurred seven years ago, and since then has been devoted to raising awareness about disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and epilepsy. This year, WFN, which represents 122 national neurological societies, is turning its…

People with MS who are using cannabis take heed: A research letter published in May in JAMA Network Open reports that calls to poison control centers about people intentionally or inadvertently using plant-based or processed cannabis products have been increasing over the past several years. Public health officials are…

OM1, a technology company focused on chronic conditions, announced that it has launched a multiple sclerosis (MS) registry to generate data that may ultimately be used to improve care and develop treatments for the disease. The OM1 registry is being touted as the largest, most representative MS data…

Treatment with anti-CD20 antibodies reduced the loss of myelin and improved the survival of neurons in a rat model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. The findings imply that B-cells — the immune cells that are killed by anti-CD20 antibodies — play a central role in the…

Adults in Scotland with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) will now have access at low or no cost to Kesimpta (ofatumumab), the first self-administered, at-home B-cell-targeting therapy for people with the neurodegenerative disease. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) recommended that the Novartis therapy be available through the…

Biogen has signed a deal with InnoCare Pharma to acquire global commercialization and licensing rights to orelabrutinib, an experimental oral BTK inhibitor (BTKi) now being tested in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in a Phase 2 clinical trial. Under the terms of the agreement, Biogen will have…

Tecfidera has a lower risk of discontinuation due to treatment failure than Aubagio in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new observational study in Norway suggests. In the study, people receiving Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) were 38% less likely to experience treatment failure and stop use than those receiving…

Sativex Eased MS Spasticity as an Add-on Therapy A reader in Belgium told me he has used Sativex for a couple months. He reported no dramatic improvements in his symptoms, but he said the spasticity in his right leg decreased, and he was in a much better mood to…

A potential anti-inflammatory treatment, xB3-IL-1RA was able to reach the central nervous system of a rodent model of multiple sclerosis (MS), and with repeat doses delay disease onset and ease clinical symptoms, according to the investigational therapy’s developer Bioasis Technologies. These findings support the utility of Bioasis’ xB3 peptide…

MediciNova announced that it will be given a U.S. patent covering the use of ibudilast (MN-166) in treating eye disease. This oral medication aims to lessen inflammation, including that of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Specifically, it will cover ibudilast’s use in  treating injury or damage to the macula —…

Sativex (nabiximols), an oral spray that contains cannabis extracts, was found effective as an add-on therapy for easing spasticity in adult multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who failed to respond to other anti-spastic treatments, a real-world study from Belgium reports. Overall, about 74% patients reported easing of spasticity — muscle stiffness or…

High-potency therapies are more effective at reducing the frequency of symptom relapses in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) than low-potency medications, a 10-year study showed. Notably, there was no difference in the effectiveness of either high- or low-potency medicines to limit the progression of disability. “When the…

Using high-efficacy therapies as a first treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients significantly increases the likelihood of having no evidence of disease activity after one and two years, compared to using moderately effective therapies, according to a real-world study of Norwegian patients. However, with each additional attempted treatment, the…

Could a cannabis spray be just what the doctor ordered to treat our MS symptoms? I’m talking about Sativex (nabiximols), which has been developed as a treatment for moderate and severe MS spasticity. Sativex combines THC, the chef intoxicant in marijuana, with CBD, marijuana’s nonpsychoactive component. It’s sprayed…

Alan Thompson, dean of the Faculty of Brain Sciences at University College London (UCL), has won the 2021 Charcot Award, a prize given once every two years for a lifetime of achievement in research into the understanding and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). “The Charcot Award is viewed by…

Vesicles containing the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin can be used to destroy the aberrant, myelin-damaging immune cells that contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS), suppressing the progression of the neurodegenerative disorder, according to recent research findings using a mouse model. If further validated, this technique could provide physicians with a new…

In clinical trials, the investigational anti-CD20 therapy ublituximab was the first to push the annualized relapse rate (ARR) below the 0.1 threshold among patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), while improving disability outcomes in a significant proportion of patients. “The [relapse] rate was below a tenth…

Abata Therapeutics has opened with $95 million in financing, and plans to use regulatory T-cells to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, starting with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Money raised will be used to support work for three clinical trials it plans to initiate in 2025, including…

Long-term disability outcomes tend to be better in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who are treated early on with highly effective therapies, a study based on patient registry data indicates. The study, “Long-term disability trajectories in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients treated with early intensive or…

Treatment with Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), an approved therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), while breastfeeding does not appear to be harmful to infants in their first years, a study has found. Investigators observed no differences between infants whose mothers were taking Copaxone and those whose mothers weren’t…