treatment

Kesimpta (ofatumumab) is a safe and effective treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), with an ease of delivery that makes it more convenient than comparable therapies, experts say. Developed and marketed by Novartis, Kesimpta was recently approved by the…

SomaCeuticals, a subsidiary of AngioSoma, has acquired exclusive global rights to a patented formula that aims to ease and possibly eliminate signs of neurodegeneration in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). By entering a licensing agreement with 7 to Stand, a Delaware corporation, SomaCeuticals gained access…

MMJ International Holdings, in collaboration with a a specialty pharmaceutical solutions company, has begun manufacturing gelatin capsule medicines based on compounds found in cannabis, The company will investigate these in clinical trials as potential treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and Huntington’s disease. “As MMJ…

Certain MRI measures of the brain and spinal cord directly associate with functional improvements in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. According to BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, these data will help in determining the benefits of NurOwn, the company’s stem cell-based…

Chemical modification of the protein eukaryotic elongation factor 1A1 (eEF1A1) regulates remyelination, a new study suggests, indicating that the processes regulating this protein may provide useful therapeutic targets for multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “EEF1A1 deacetylation enables transcriptional activation of remyelination,” was published in Nature Communications.

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), a second-generation anti-CD20 antibody, may be associated with a greater risk of infections. But it carries a lower risk of cancer and immune reactions than first-generation rituximab in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a real-life study. The higher incidence of infections linked with Ocrevus’…

Mavenclad (cladribine) appears to be better at lowering relapse rates during the first two years of disease in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients than other MS therapies, including interferon, Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) and Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), a head-to-head observational study found. Mavenclad, however, was less effective at…

FDA Approves Kesimpta, B-cell Targeting Therapy for Relapsing MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Kesimpta (ofatumumab) this month is a pretty big deal. Kesimpta is a once-a-month injectable disease-modifying therapy. There’s nothing else like it, because Kesimpta targets B-cells in the immune system. Until now, only…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Novartis‘ Kesimpta (ofatumumab) as a self-administered treatment for adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), meaning those with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and active secondary progressive MS (SPMS). According to Novartis,…

Anacardic acid, a compound found in cashew nuts, promoted myelin regeneration and eased neuronal damage and disability in two mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS). These protective effects were associated with maturation of myelin-producing cells and production of IL-33, an immune-related molecule with a neuroreparative role in the central…

Mylan announced the launch of a first generic version of Tecfidera, a treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The generic, now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is the first generic of any MS treatment available in an oral solid —…

In a $3.68 billion transaction, Sanofi is preparing to acquire Principia Biopharma, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies for disorders caused by dysregulation of the immune system, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision was unanimously approved by the board of directors of…

“What was the date of your last relapse?” the neurologist asked while peering over her glasses at me.  I stared back blankly and then shrugged with a sheepish smile. I knew the year but couldn’t remember the exact date because it was seven years ago!…

A protein known as Gsta4 is critical in the growth and activity of oligodendrocytes, a special type of brain cell that generates the myelin sheath that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. The overproduction of Gsta4 in…

Ofatumumab Seen as Superior to Aubagio at Lowering Relapse Rates in Phase 3 Trials Ofatumumab is a cancer medication that’s awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency to treat MS patients. It’s delivered by injection once a month and aims to reduce…

Lowering levels of a protein called reelin — which regulates how permeable blood vessels are to immune cells — reduced infiltration of these cells into the central nervous system (CNS), preventing neuroinflammation and disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). These data, which also showed that Reelin…

The idea doesn’t seem very appealing to me, but a company is seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a product that might help people with MS walk better by mildly stimulating the tongue. The portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) is a flat…

Almost two-thirds of people newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States, identified through a national database, were not prescribed disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) over an average of more than two years of follow-up, a real-world study of nearly 5,700 patients found. Current guidelines “recommend early treatment with…

The corticosteroid methylprednisolone is detected at low, safe levels in the breast milk of women with multiple sclerosis (MS) during and after intravenous (into-the-vein) treatment for a postpartum relapse, according to a small study in Turkey. While these findings suggest that women can safely breastfeed their child during and shortly after…

Inflammation drives the loss of brain volume and thinning of the eye’s retina in the first five years of a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, an imaging study demonstrates.  The findings support a therapeutic strategy of halting inflammatory activity during this initial period. …

Rituximab is more effective and leads to fewer treatment discontinuations in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than Gilenya (fingolimod) and Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), according to real-world data based on two years of therapy. Rituximab’s effectiveness appeared to be comparable to that of Tysabri (natalizumab), but with fewer…

Helius Medical Technologies has filed an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking for de novo classification and clearance of its portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device for the treatment of walking deficits in multiple…

For the first time, scientists have shown that a protein known as CD36 on the surface of some immune cells is crucial for clearing myelin debris and suppressing nerve cell inflammation in disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new…

About 20%, or 1 in 5, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients fail to adhere to oral disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) taken each day, and about 1 in 4 stop using a prescribed daily oral treatment within one year, a study based on reported real-world use found. The study “Real-world adherence to,…

Novartis‘ ofatumumab outperformed Aubagio (teriflunomide) at lowering the frequency of relapses and preventing disability progression among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study based on clinical trial data reports. The study, “Ofatumumab versus Teriflunomide in Multiple Sclerosis,” was published in…

Donepezil — an approved treatment for Alzheimer’s disease — eased cognitive impairment, depression, and improved other quality-of-life measures in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with mild to moderate disability, according to results of a single-site clinical trial. The study, “Effect of Donepezil on Cognitive Impairment, Quality of Life, and Depression…

Immunic Therapeutics‘s IMU-838, a selective immune system modulator, can safely lower the number of brain lesions in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), top-line Phase 2 clinical trial data suggest. Findings show the trial met its primary goal with statistical significance — a reduction in active lesions (gadolinium…

Immigrants with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Ontario use public health services as much as long-term residents, but are more likely to be hospitalized during the year in which they are diagnosed, according to a recent study. While reasons for that year’s higher hospitalization rates are not clear, evidence supports…

Like others these days, I’m worried about COVID-19. In fact, I’m probably more worried than some. I’m old, I have MS, and I’ve been treated with the disease-modifying therapy Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) — a trifecta of potential trouble. Lemtrada suppresses part of the immune system. It’s one of the…

The Canadian MS Working Group (CMSWG) — made up of neurologists with the Canadian Network of MS Clinics — has updated its recommendations concerning diagnosis and the use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a press release from the MS Society of Canada.