treatment

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Best First-Line Treatment for Aggressive MS May Be Equally Aggressive Immunotherapies Sounds like “Fight fire with fire” to me; could be just what is needed. Patients with aggressive onset multiple sclerosis, characterized…

Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a method for stem cell transplants that may do away with the need for prior systematic treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. If successful, stem cell transplants could be an option for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), an option now limited by the…

A long-term study underscores the potential benefits, especially in terms of relapses, of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients beginning treatment as soon as possible after symptoms appear — even before the disease is definitely diagnosed. “The 11-year long-term follow-up study from the randomized BENEFIT CIS trial” was published in the journal Neurology. Researchers in…

Researchers found the molecular target of the multiple sclerosis (MS)-approved drug Tecfidera, (dimethyl fumarate or DMF), unveiling the mechanism associated with the drug’s anti-inflammatory action. The study, “Dimethyl fumarate blocks pro-inflammatory cytokine production via inhibition of TLR induced M1 and K63 ubiquitin chain formation,” was…

There are no specific therapies that can effectively cure patients with multiple sclerosis. However, there are a number of multiple sclerosis treatment options, particularly for the relapsing-remitting form of the disease. 1.Immunomodulation therapies which can control the inflammation of myelin sheaths and help restore the central nervous system.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) recently awarded a sum of $5.5 million to two researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Bardia Nourbakhsh, MD. (Credit: UCSF) Bardia Nourbakhsh, MD, a clinical fellow in Neurology, received a $2 million grant to conduct a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to…

Here is my Pick of the Week’s News, from articles published on Multiple Sclerosis News Today.  Antioxidant Therapies Seen as Promising Approach in Treating MS and Like Diseases Maybe antioxidant research could provide another avenue of MS therapy. A review article published in the British…

The Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) recently announced that its second annual ACTRIMS Forum will be at the Omni ChampionsGate Feb. 23-25, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. ACTRIMS Forum 2017 promises to be of value to physicians, scientists, researchers, analysts, faculty, and allied health…

Patients with aggressive onset multiple sclerosis, characterized by a rapidly progressing disease course and accumulation of disability, may benefit from early aggressive therapies instead of the escalation approach commonly given multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to researchers at Weill-Cornell Medical College. Their article, titled “A study of patients with…

Gut microbiota (the ecological community of microorganisms that live in the gut) may be an important environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). This suggests that strategies to correct the imbalance in the normal intestinal flora, also known as microbial dysbiosis may help treat or event prevent MS.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) might be an option to treat spasticity, one of the more common symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a literature review conducted by researchers from Universidad de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo and Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos de Toledo, in Spain.

A review article published in the British Journal of Pharmacology assesses antioxidant approaches for treating neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The review, “Microglia antioxidant systems and redox signalling,” notes that certain compounds associated with oxidative stress appear to be promising…

RedHill Biopharma announced that the final patient has completed the last step of its Phase 2 clinical study (CEASE-MS) of RHB-104 as a potential treatment for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). RHB-104 is an antibiotic oral medication that blocks inflammation in addition to killing bacteria. RHB-104 was originally developed as a treatment for…

Understanding lipid signaling in multiple sclerosis (MS) may be the key to developing more effective therapies for the disease. New work by researchers at Cornell University could bring us closer to unraveling the role of lipids in MS development. Lipids are fat molecules that compose the cellular membranes and surround each organelle inside…

A study analyzing results from three Phase 3 clinical trials shows that Gilenya (fingolimod) effectively prevents relapses in different types of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, with the therapy being most efficient in younger patients and those without previous treatment. The findings highlight the importance of starting treatment early, and not…

Do you take your drugs as they are prescribed?  It turns out a lot of us don’t and that is a concern to the people in charge of our healthcare dollars. The California Association of  Health Plans estimates that costs for prescription for chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid…

  We may have international cooperation and worldwide this and that, but the fact remains that countries vary drastically from one another in all sorts of ways. Take healthcare as an example, and the costs of treatment. Yes, we have the World Health Organization and there are various health-related initiatives…

Remyelination at the moment is the buzzword to beat all buzzwords in the world of research into, and treatment for, the vicious disease that is multiple sclerosis. Now, as you are reading this, you must have some knowledge of MS and are sure to know about the link between the…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society reported that the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has granted nearly $20 million in funding to four research projects assessing various multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies for their clinical effectiveness. Two of the grants will cover studies comparing disease-modifying treatments, looking to identify differences…

An entry in the comments section of Multiple Sclerosis News Today caught my attention a couple of weeks ago, and peaked my interest. It was a personal tale of one woman’s journey from being paralyzed and told that her condition was “between you and God” to being able to walk again, thanks to HSCT.

Can we all agree that research studies are important and they are necessary to prove whether a concept works or it doesn’t? Even from the biggest failures, we can learn more. We can also all agree that research has to be done via properly conducted studies to be accepted as…

Editor’s Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is pleased to welcome Ed Tobias to our team of Patient Specialists and Columnists. Ed brings a wealth of journalistic experience to his new column, “The MS Wire,” which explores the latest science and research news for multiple sclerosis from a patient’s perspective. Follow “The…

Sanofi Genzyme announced that the Government of Ontario has added Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) to the province’s Exceptional Access Program (EAP), opening coverage to the treatment for eligible patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The program facilitates patient access to drugs not funded on the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Formulary, or those…

Building on work began in stroke studies and applying it to multiple sclerosis, researchers in France report that an antibody they developed kept the blood-brain barrier intact in cellular and mice MS models despite the presence of inflammation, preventing immune cells from entering the brain. The key to understanding the study…

Low-quality unauthorized generic versions of approved multiple sclerosis (MS) drugs can expose patients to danger, both through their toxic properties and a lack of efficacy that allows the disease to progress, researchers reported in the study, “Clinical implications for substandard, nonproprietary medicines in multiple sclerosis: focus on fingolimod,” published…

Patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) are being recruited for a clinical trial evaluating an experimental monoclonal antibody called ublituximab, the National MS Society announced in a recent news release. The study, being conducted at seven U.S. sites, will enroll at least 24 patients, but this number can go up to 100. MS is considered to be…

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany recently announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted for review the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) of the company’s investigational product Cladribine Tablets as a therapy for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) in Europe. Cladribine is a synthetic antineoplastic agent able to suppress the immune system, causing relatively few…

MediciNova recently reported that half of the 255 patients enrolled in a Phase 2b clinical trial (SPRINT-MS) exploring MN-166 (ibudilast) in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) had completed the 96-week-long treatment. Interim data will be analyzed by the trial’s external Data Safety Monitoring Board later this year, with results…

MediciNova recently reported that half of the 255 patients enrolled in a Phase 2b clinical trial (SPRINT-MS) exploring MN-166 (ibudilast) in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) had completed the 96-week-long treatment. Interim data will be analyzed by the trial’s external Data Safety Monitoring Board later this year, with results…

Quite a mixed bag in the pick of the week’s news: A drug in development, microbiota in the gut, statins and MS, DMTs and cognitive skills, and images of depression. Endece Granted New U.S. Patent for NDC-1308, Therapy to Induce Remyelination in MS This is a bit of an…