Trial recruitment

An innovation in multiple sclerosis (MS) research has been launched by the iConquerMS initiative — a longitudinal, prospective study called “REAL MS,” an acronym for “Research Engagement About Life with Multiple Sclerosis,” with a goal of accelerating research into personalized treatments for MS patients. This type of study collects repeat…

There are several key questions that a participant will want answered before enrolling in a clinical trial. Many are listed here, but patients should feel free to ask study coordinators any additional questions they may have so their concerns are well addressed before the trial starts. It is important for a study participant to learn as…

  You want to help find answers about multiple sclerosis but don’t know how, and I hear your frustration about being unable to contribute in meaningful ways. Let me share with you the news that REAL MS (Research Engagement About Life with MS) was launched this summer, and I…

In addition to a new study sponsored by Genentech to test the experimental MS therapy Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in RMS patients who have had a sub-optimal response to previous disease modifying therapies, the company is also currently recruiting patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis to understand the therapy’s mechanism of action and B-cell biology…

A Phase 3 clinical trial exploring Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is now recruiting participants. The trial, sponsored by Genentech (NCT02637856), is seeking patients who have previously taken a disease-modifying treatment that did not adequately control their disease activity. Participants must be between 18 and 55…

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…

This chewing gum handout in the exhibit area of the recent Drug Information Association (DIA) 2016 meeting says it all from the pharmaceutical company perspective – recruiting patients for their studies is often a distasteful and difficult process. While I appreciated the gum in this package, this image left a…

Genmab announced plans to soon begin a Phase 3 clinical trial program assessing the subcutaneous formulation of ofatumumab as a potential treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). The company, working in collaboration with its partner Novartis, will begin enrolling patients in September in trials that will evaluate the efficacy and safety of ofatumumab compared…

How would you feel about following a calorie-restricted diet, if it might reverse the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and help repair the damage caused by the disease? Scientists are so excited about the findings achieved so far that they are moving to large-scale human trials, and have already taken the unusual…

TG Therapeutics recently announced the opening of a new clinical trial evaluating TG-1101, its glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The Phase 2 clinical trial, titled “A Placebo-Controlled Multi-Center Phase 2 Dose Finding Study of Ublituximab, a Third-Generation Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody, in Patients…

The Multiple Sclerosis Outcome Assessments Consortium (MSOAC) is making available to qualified researchers a new database containing almost 2,500 records of patients who were part of the placebo groups of nine multiple sclerosis (MS) studies. The MSOAC is a large-scale partnership, launched by the National MS Society and Critical…

Innate Immunotherapeutics, Ltd., announced that it has completed patient enrollment in its ongoing Phase 2B, placebo-controlled clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of the drug MIS416 as a once-weekly treatment for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). MIS416 is a biologically derived immune modulator that targets myeloid cells, a subset of innate immune cells that can…

PathMaker Neurosystems, Inc., recently announced the launch of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved clinical trial, in partnership with Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ Health System) and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MyoRegulator for the treatment of spasticity, one of the most common symptoms in multiple sclerosis…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is funding a new survey to understand how people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) weigh risks against benefits when choosing MS therapies. The survey was developed by Dr. Robert Fox, a neurologist, working with colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic and the MS patient…

The United Spinal Association, a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), a group of conditions that include multiple sclerosis (MS), is collaborating with MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital and Children’s National Medical Center to study the potential benefits of the bacteria…

Ekaterina Dobryakova, PhD, was recently awarded a three-year grant worth $408,000 by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to study fatigue-influencing factors among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Dr. Dobryakova is a researcher in Traumatic Brain Injury Research at the Kessler Foundation, where she focuses on cognitive issues in…

A new  multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trial being led by Case Western Reserve University investigators is now recruiting 215 individuals, across 10 U.S. states to assess whether the fatigue management and physical activity interventions often provided by rehabilitation centers can effectively be offered by telehealth, through a series of teleconferences and phone interviews. An National MS…

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF) are asking African-Americans with multiple sclerosis, as well as family members, to participate in new studies into the genetic origins of the disease. The studies will investigate both people of African ancestry with MS, who are known to have low susceptibility for the disease, and those of Northern European descent,…

A new randomized and controlled trial is recruiting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to investigate the effect of a mindfulness-based telemedicine intervention program on patients and their caregivers. The clinical study’s protocol was recently published in the journal Trials, titled “A telemedicine meditation intervention for people with multiple sclerosis…

Results from a small pilot study indicated that high-dose vitamin D supplementation is safe and tolerable in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and that it can reduce the presence of autoimmunity-causing immune T cells. Patients are now being recruited for a larger clinical trial. The study, entitled “Safety and immunologic…

Dr. Bradley Bowser, a South Dakota State University (SDSU) researcher and assistant professor, is investigating whether the practice of exercise, either by itself or together with cognitive behavioral therapy, can effectively improve mobility and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a neurodegenerative condition that often induces…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently announced that a research team is recruiting 132 patients with a diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) for a Phase 3 clinical study comparing an experimental medicine with an inactive placebo. NMOSD is a rare disorder caused by immune system cells attacking…

Among the different therapeutic approaches being explored for treating MS, adult stem cell therapy continues to be one of the most discussed and anticipated in the MS community. “Stem cells” — the common term for undifferentiated, self-renewing proliferating cells — are currently being investigated for their ability to treat patients in a wide range of disease…

A study led by researchers from the University of Buffalo recently reported the development of a new method to study brain cell interaction more precisely. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications and entitled “Spatial mapping of juxtacrine axo-glial interactions identifies novel molecules in peripheral…

Apitope, a biocompany devoted to drug discovery and development for autoimmune diseases, announced that its partner Merck Serono has concluded the recruitment of participants for its Phase IIa Trial on relapsing multiple sclerosis, (known as a Phase IIa study of ATX-MS-1467 or also M2736) The drug, ATX-MS-1467, is an…

Clinical investigators worldwide are beginning to recruit 1,200 patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis for a study assessing the effectiveness of two different doses of RPC1063 (Receptos, Inc.), an experimental oral therapy, and Avonex® (interferon beta-1a, Biogen Inc.) in order to reduce relapse rate in patients. This study, called the Sunbeam Study, is being funded by…

MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring and developing novel, small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of diseases with unmet medical needs, recently announced that the ongoing clinical trial of MN-166 (ibudilast) in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (progressive MS) has finished the randomization of 255 patients, exceeding the…

RedHill Biopharma Ltd. enrolled the final patient for its Phase IIa, proof-of-concept study testing RHB-104 in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who test positive for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). RedHill is evaluating RHB-104 as an add-on therapy to interferon beta-1a for a treatment…

A major trial to investigate different ways to deal with attention and memory problems in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients will take place at Nottingham in the United Kingdom. The Cognitive Rehabilitation for Attention and Memory in people with Multiple Sclerosis (CRAMMS) study will focus on these MS related symptoms…

Nonprofit organization, Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis, is launching a national campaign called iConquerMS, which was designed by and for multiple sclerosis patients to raise awareness of the importance of health data and supporting research. On the iConquerMS portal, patients can…