December 19, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Ampyra Significantly Improves Walking Ability As Reported by MS Patients, Phase 3 Trial Shows Treatment with Ampyra (dalfampridine) for 24 weeks leads to sustained and clinically meaningful improvements in walking ability as reported by multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with gait difficulties, according to a study analyzing results from a Phase 3 trial. The study, “Assessment of Clinically Meaningful Improvements in Self-Reported…
December 13, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Lipoic Acid Supplements May Help to Delay Decline in Walking Speed in SPMS Patients, Study Says Lipoic acid (LA), an over-the-counter antioxidant supplement, helps to mildly delay a decline in walking speed inĀ secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS)Ā patients, particularly those with lesser disability, analysis of a small, two-year clinical study reports. No improvements were seen in balance among…
November 19, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD MS Therapy Fampyra Again Not Recommended for Use in Scottish National Health System The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) issued a negative recommendation on the use of Fampyra (fampridine; marketed as Ampyra in the U.S.) in the National Health System (NHS), for the…
November 14, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Motor Imagery Set to Musical and Verbal Cues Helps Patients with Walking and Fatigue, Study Says Mentally rehearsing an ease of walking to rhythmic cues ā especially musical and verbal ā improves walking speed and distance, and lessens feelings of fatigue in people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. The study, āEffects and mechanisms of differently…
May 23, 2018 Columns by Mike Knight Out on a Stim: The Pros and Cons of FES Devices (Part 1) First in a series. For a minute or two, I felt like I was in a time machine. It was late March, and I was test driving (perhaps test walking) the WalkAide System, a functional electronic stimulation (FES) device designed, according…
February 8, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #ACTRIMS2018 – Ampyra Also Aids Cognition, Use of Extremities in MS Patients Ampyra (dalfampridine), approved to treat walking difficulties in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, also helps with cognition and movement in the upper and lower extremities, according to a recent scientific presentation. These findings were reported at the 3rd Annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2018Ā in…
February 7, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Adamas Therapy Improves Multiple Sclerosis Patients’ Walking Speed, Trial Shows The walking speed of multiple sclerosis patients taking Adamas Pharmaceuticals’Ā ADS-5102 (amantadine) increased by 16.6 percent more those taking a placebo, a Phase 2 clinical trial reports. Another finding was that more of the treated patients increased theirĀ walking speed by 20 percent or more during the four-week trial. The study,…
February 5, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD MS Society Calls Attention to Recent Research into Gait and Movement Problems Difficulties with walking and balance are common among people with multiple sclerosis and strongly affect their quality of life ā even when disease progression may not be evident on scans or other measures of MS advance, according to research presented at a meeting last fall and recently reviewed by theĀ National…
January 3, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Tailored Approaches May Lead to More Effective MS Treatments, UCLA Study Shows Tailored molecular treatments for specific disabilities may be a breakthrough for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, finds a new study by researchers atĀ University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). The study, āCell-specific and region-specific transcriptomics in the multiple sclerosis model: Focus on astrocytes,ā appeared in the journal Proceedings…
October 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #MSParis2017 – Tysabri Did Improve Walking and Hand Function in Failed SPMS Trial, Researchers Say While Tysabri (natalizumab) failed to slow worsening disability in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) in a Phase 3 trial, researchers now suggest that the treatment did improve walking and arm function in people with advanced disability. Researchers presented new analyses of data from the ASCEND trial (…
October 2, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson Combating Muscle Weakness Associated with MS Sometimes walking, even with an assistance device, can be very challenging because of the extreme muscle weakness that I experience. The slow, off-balanced gait that has been my constant companion for many years prior to my 2010 multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis is definitely on the decline. Accepting the…
August 11, 2017 Columns by John Connor Walk This Way As I write, I’m pain-free. This is important, but not for the obvious reason. I’m pain-free and can walk āĀ or at least stumble ā about as best as I’ve been able to manage of late. It’s not much, but I can be involved in family life and get…
July 11, 2017 News by Stacy Grieve, PhD Long-term Use of Ampyra Lowers Medical Costs, Hospital Visits for MS Patients, Study Finds A recent study has found that continued use of Ampyra (dalfampridine extended-release, sold in the U.S. by Acorda Therapeutics) by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) lowers both inpatient hospital visits and overall healthcare costs. Results from the study, titled āInpatient Admissions and Costs Associated with Persistent…
July 10, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson How to Improve MS-Related Imbalance One of the earliest symptoms that appeared before my multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis was imbalance. I remember turning my head to look at something and feeling slightly off-balance. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but that wobbly sensation gradually increased through the years. Occasionally, I…
July 7, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Ocrevus Findings Show Benefits to Range of MS Patients: Interview with Genentech’s Dr. Hideki Garren Genentech shared new insights into the workings of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and its effectiveness in reducing disease activity and slowing progression in relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) at the recent 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN). The new findings, previously reported here, built on analyses of information gathered during the three Phase 3 clinical trials assessing Ocrevus' safety and efficacy, as well as through monitoring patients in extension studies. The studies showed that nearly 40 percent of Ocrevus-treated relapsing patients and nearly 30 percent of primary progressive patients achieved NEPAD during the Phase 3 trials. In contrast, only 21.5 percent of those treated with Rebif and 9.4 percent receiving placebo achieved NEPAD ā figures that demonstrate Ocrevusā impact on patientsā lives, as well as Ocrevusā ability to slow the decline in walking ability and other types of disabilities are comparable between patients with relapsing and primary progressive disease ā data that demonstrate that the treatment acts on disease mechanisms that drive disability in both disease forms. How these effects play out in the long-term is the subject of ongoing research, as Genentech continues to follow these patients in an extension study. In addition, Ocrevus' prescription label strongly advises against pregnancy while on the treatment. Despite precautions, some women became pregnant during the trials. One of the meeting presentations narrated outcomes of these pregnancies; one healthy baby born at term and two ongoing pregnancies in women exposed to the drug. But while Genentech monitors women who become pregnant while on Ocrevus, the number of reported pregnancies is too small to draw conclusions about the treatmentās safety in pregnancy, and researchers do not know if Ocrevus also depletes B-cells in the fetus or in the baby born to a treated woman.
July 6, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc Lipoic Acid, an Over-the-counter Antioxidant, Seen to Slow Brain Atrophy in SPMS Patients The over-the-counter antioxidant lipoic acid slowed brain deterioration in patients withĀ secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), according to a pilot study. AnĀ Oregon Health & Science UniversityĀ research team conducted the study,Ā “Lipoic acid in secondary progressive MS.” It wasĀ published in the journal Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation. A hallmark…
June 27, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias If My MRI Is Stable, Why Is My Walking Getting Worse? During a routine exam with my neurologist recently, I asked her a question I’d never thought to ask before: “Why do you order regular MRIs of my brain, but not of my spine?” Interestingly, within a few days of my exam, a Harvard Med School study was…
June 13, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Life Lessons from Children: Fall Down, Get Up and Don’t Stop Trying I have had the privilege of watching several children grow into adulthood, and witnessing their transformation has been priceless. I haveĀ experienced extreme joy, sorrow, pride, and disappointment; all of the many emotions associated with life itself. However, what I find truly amazing is the innocence and determination of…
May 25, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Fampyra Granted Standard Approval in Europe as Trial Results Support Effectiveness Fampyra (prolonged-release fampridine tablets) ā sold in the U.S. as Ampyra (dalfampridine) ā has now been granted standard marketing authorization in Europe. The approval was based on the results of a Biogen-sponsored Phase 3 clinical trial confirming the drugās safety and efficacy in improving walking in patients with multiple…
May 22, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson A Walk in the Park Reminds Me That I Am Not Alone My walk in the park usually consists of watching every one of my steps, while conserving my energy so I can finish the trek. In the midst of my walk, I remain acutely aware of how weak my legs are, and hope they don’t give out on me. For…
April 10, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Ampyra Aided Walking in PPMS and RMS Patients Over Long Term, Neurologist Says in Interview AmpyraĀ (dalfampridine) shows long-term efficacy in improving walking ability in peopleĀ with multiple sclerosis, according to a study evaluating the treatment’s use in progressive and relapsing MS patients over two years. The study, āMonitoring long-term efficacy of fampridine in gait-impaired patients with multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the…
April 10, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Transcript of Interview on Ampyra Research, MS Walking Ability and Long-Term Use Multiple Sclerosis News Today interviewedĀ Dr. Linard Filli,āØ an MS researcher at the University Hospital ZurichĀ involved in clinical studies of prolonged release Ampyra (dalfampridine), on walking ability in MS patients,Ā and Dr. Andrew Blight, chief scientific officer at Acorda Therapeutics, the treatment’s developer. Here is a full transcript of that interview.Ā An…
March 24, 2017 Columns by John Connor History Conjures Up Electricity-Aided Walking, but a Too-Daring Pilot It seems I’ve made it to my second weekly column. I was going to write about a non-MS physical impairment that had kept me down for a month. It’s easing now and hopefully will make a future story with a happy ending. Instead I’m going to do a bang-up-to-the-moment piece…
March 15, 2017 Columns by Patricia Silva, PhD Walk In, Roll Out: The Conundrum of Cardio Exercise with MS In pursuit of an answer for breathing difficulty The MRI of my cervical and thoracic spine showed no active lesions last week. That was good news. Other…
September 20, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – MS Patients Achieve Sustained Improvements in Mobility with Ampyra A recent study showed that the clinical benefits offered by Ampyra (fampridine) in improving mobility among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients hasĀ clinical significance. The results were shown in an oral presentation, āSustained clinically meaningful improvements in walking ability with prolonged-release fampridine: results from the placebo-controlled ENHANCE study,ā atĀ the European Committee for…
March 18, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Resistance Training in Ms Patients Found to Improve Hip Strength, Walking Ability Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineĀ released preliminary results of an ongoing study intoĀ an effective and progressive resistance training program to improve hip strength and walking ability, areas ofĀ concern in neurodegenerative diseasesĀ like multiple sclerosis (MS). The program, consisting of exercises using resistant…
March 3, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MSAA Draws Attention to Specific Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms Each Week of March, MS Awareness Month March isĀ Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month, and the Ā Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) will be marking it with a campaign to educate and heighten public awareness of the disease and the needs of the MS community. For this campaign, the MSAA will dedicate each week in March toĀ a…
February 23, 2016 News by Charles Moore Science Fiction Becomes Reality for MS Patients in New Robotic Exoskeleton Study Wearable robotic exoskeletons may soon help people with advanced multiple sclerosis (MS) walk more efficiently and confidently again. Exoskeleton technology reduces the amount of energy and muscle exertion needed to initiate and controlĀ the process of walking, according to research presented last week at the Association for Academic Physiatrists (AAP)…
December 22, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Patients Show Better Gait and Balance with Dalfampridine Treatment In a new study, researchers evaluated the effect of dalfampridine treatment in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and observed significant improvements in not only walking speed and distance, but also in gait and balance. The paper, titled āDalfampridine Effects Beyond Walking Speed in Multiple Sclerosis,ā was published in the…