Treatment

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society invested more than $8.7 million over the summer to support 29 new training fellowships, early career research awards, and other initiatives aiming to advance multiple sclerosis (MS) research and care. Awarded research projects align with the society’s Pathways to Cures Roadmap: stopping disease activity and…

  An extended-release formulation of amantadine, ADS-5102 was significantly more effective than a placebo at increasing walking speed in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who had difficulty with this, particularly younger patients with a shorter disease course, the INROADS Phase 3 trial demonstrated. Further clinical work on this investigative…

A new service, Bionews Clinical is seeking to bring more patients into relevant clinical trials by helping all involved — scientists, pharmaceutical companies, people with diseases — regard these studies as part of continuing care. “Today what happens is that the conversation about patients participating in a clinical trial is…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to review ANI Pharmaceuticals’ supplemental new drug application for the approval of Cortrophin Gel to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other chronic inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis. Purified Cortrophin Gel (repository corticotropin injection USP) is a purified…

People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in Sweden have lower rates of worsening disability than those who live in Denmark, likely due to differences in treatment strategies in each country, according to a new study. “This study shows that, for the first time to our knowledge, differences in national…

A real-world study confirmed the effectiveness and safety of interferon beta-1b in treating older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), those over the age of 40. “These findings from a real-world setting are promising and demonstrate the positive benefit-risk ratio for [interferon beta-1b] in this study population of middle-aged and…

Landos Biopharma has entered into a research partnership with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine focused on advancing LABP-66 as a potential oral, once-daily therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other disorders, the company announced. LABP-66 is a lab-made molecule that activates NLRX1, a receptor that is key in…

I’ve had pee problems for as long as I’ve had multiple sclerosis. Many folks with MS have issues, including urinary urgency, frequency, or both, bladders that don’t empty completely, or streams that don’t start when you need to go. There are medications to treat these problems. The…

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) reduces relapse risk and slows disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) but also is associated with higher hospitalization rates in older people with relapsing forms of the disease, a new observational study reports. Hospitalizations — which occurred mainly due to urinary tract infections — were more frequent…

Trial Will Test Ocrevus on Arm, Hand Function in PPMS A lot of the focus in MS treatment and clinical trials is placed on walking ability. It seems to me that only recently has attention been paid to above-the-waist disabilities. I know that many people with MS have problems…

NervGen Pharma announced that its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and pharmacological properties of NVG-291 — its lead therapeutic candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurologic conditions — in healthy volunteers is going according to plan, with early top-line data expected later this year. “The…

Sativex (nabiximols), a cannabis-based oral spray approved in the U.K. to ease spasticity — or muscle stiffness and spasms — in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), remains unavailable to many patients there, according to a report by the MS Society UK. Sativex is the only licensed…

MediciNova is planning to launch a Phase 3 clinical trial that will evaluate its investigational oral candidate ibudilast (MN-166) in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) without relapses. The company is actively engaging with potential partners that could help fund the study. “Over the past quarter, we…

Cytocom has joined forces with La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) to discover and develop new immune-modulating therapies targeting toll-like receptors (TLRs) for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), cancer, and infectious and chronic inflammatory conditions. TLRs are an important family of protein receptors found at the surface…

Probiotic supplements could ease disability, lessen depression, and improve overall health in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis of four randomized clinical trials. Physicians working with these patients might recommend “confirmed probiotic supplements” to help manage “MS concerns,” its scientists wrote, while noting that studies…

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) safely and effectively prevents relapses and disease progression in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients who responded poorly to other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), final two-year data from the CHORDS Phase 3b clinical trial show. Notably, these benefits also were observed among patients who enrolled in the study…

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) does not have a substantial effect on blood pressure or platelet counts, and does not lead to bleeding in the brain of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a small Belgian study. The findings contrast with previous studies showing an increase in blood pressure, stroke, and…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who experienced relapses in the previous year are more likely to have better adherence to their current treatment regimen, a cross-sectional study reports. The research also identified associations between treatment adherence and a lower body mass index (BMI), and between better perceived mental health…

Jazz Pharmaceuticals is planning to open a third Phase 3 clinical trial of Sativex (nabiximols), an oral spray that contains cannabis extracts, as an add-on treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and spasticity, the company announced. Set to start this year, the RELEASE MSS5…

Sonoma Biotherapeutics has raised $265 million in investment funding to support the development and production of novel immune T-cell therapies to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). “We are ushering in a new era of medicine, using immune cells as living therapies that…

Clene’s investigational oral therapy CNM-Au8 improved energy metabolism in the brain of adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to top-line results from the REPAIR-MS trial. This open-label Phase 2 pilot study (NCT03993171), taking place in Texas, is running in parallel with REPAIR-PD, another Phase 2…

Treatment with the diabetes medication metformin was seen to lessen cognitive impairment, improve coordination, and normalize neuronal activity in a rat model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study reporting these findings, “Evaluation of the effects of metformin as adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activator on spatial learning and…

A natural, small molecule called 3-HKA) has shown potent anti-inflammatory activity in lab tests and mouse models of immune-related diseases, a study found. The findings suggest that molecules that mimic 3-HKA (3-hydroxy-L-kynurenamine) may serve as broad-acting therapeutics to protect against inflammation in several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including multiple…

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…

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…