March 4, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2024: Most patients relapse-free after 6 years on Zeposia About two-thirds of people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) remained completely free from relapses over six years of treatment with Zeposia (ozanimod) in the DAYBREAK clinical trial. Most also saw no sustained disability progression during that period and the mean number of new or enlarging lesions…
February 5, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Zeposia treatment during early pregnancy may be safe in MS: Study Treatment with Zeposia (ozanimod) during early pregnancy may be safe for women with multiple sclerosis (MS), or inflammatory bowel diseases,Ā a recent study suggests. Specifically, receiving the treatment during the first trimester of pregnancy didn’t increase the incidence of fetal malformations or…
October 19, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD ECTRIMS 2023: Most on Zeposia see slower disability progression More than three-quarters of people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who received Zeposia (ozanimod) in the RADIANCE clinical trial and its extension study still haven’t experienced confirmed disability progression after eight years of follow-up, new data shows. Among those who progressed, about half of disability progression…
February 14, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Zeposia’s long-term use doesn’t affect heart health, Phase 3 trials show Long-term use ofĀ Zeposia (ozanimod)Ā did not adversely affect the heart of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated for one or two years in Phase 3 clinical trials, with noĀ clinically significant changes in cardiac function reported. Data on people enrolled in the two studies were retrospectively evaluated, as the therapy…
June 30, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Long-term Zeposia May Help Cognitive Function in Patients, Data Show Long-term treatment with Zeposia (ozanimod) stabilizes or even improves cognitive function in adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly among those with greater brain volumes. Thatās according to five years of data from the completed SUNBEAM Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT02294058) and the ongoing…
May 31, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Mayzent and Kesimpta Gaining Ground as MS Treatments in Canada Novartisā Mayzent (siponimod) and Kesimpta (ofatumumab) are gaining ground among multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) therapies in Canada, according to the latest Spherix Global Insightsā report. āFollowing an eventful 2021 that included the launch of two new brands ā Novartisā Kesimpta and BMS’ Zeposia ā and generic versions of Biogenās…
March 18, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD 3D Showing of Mayzent Binding to Receptor Could Advance Treatments For the first time, researchers have brought to light the precise three-dimensional structure ofĀ Mayzent (siponimod) as it binds to its molecular target, the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1). These findings are expected to aid in developing next-generation MS therapeutics with better selectivity for S1P1, enhancing their potency while reducing…
December 8, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Report: Tecfidera, Aubagio Preferred RRMS Treatments in Canada Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Aubagio (teriflunomide) are the preferred disease-modifying treatments for managing relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in Canada, according to a report from Spherix Global Insights. The report was part of SpherixāsĀ RealTime Dynamix: Multiple Sclerosis (Canada) service, which collects data on market trends of MS…
November 9, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ocrevus Still Top Therapy for Progressive MS Forms, Report Finds Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) continues to be the most commonly prescribed therapy for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), including primary progressive MS (PPMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS), according to an analysis from the market intelligence firm Spherix Global Insights. However, other therapies are “gaining traction” among…
August 3, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Trials Support NfL Levels as Marker of Disease Activity in Relapsing MS Larger declines with treatment in blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a marker of nerve cell damage, are associated with fewer brain lesions, less brain shrinkage, and lower relapse rates in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), a study reported. These results, based on a post-hoc analysis…
May 27, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Mayzent, Zeposia May Lose Ground in Canada, Report Finds Mayzent (siponimod) and Zeposia (ozanimod), the two sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators most recently approved in Canada for treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), showed strong launches in the country, according to the latest Spherix Global Insightsā report. However, due to several internal and external factors, sustained relevance of these…
May 24, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Zeposia, Music and Gait, Video Therapeutics, Treatment Perceptions NICE Again Says No to Adding Zeposia to Health System for England and Wales Reading this news, I’m again reminded of the major difference between the healthcare system in the U.S. and those in most of the rest of the world. While the systems outside the U.S. provide most…
May 17, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD NICE Again Says No to Adding Zeposia to Health System for England and Wales The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has maintained its initial draft recommendation and will not recommend that Zeposia (ozanimod) be added to the National Health Service (NHS) of England and Wales. This final decision on the cost effectiveness of the oral therapy means Zeposia will…
May 5, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Relapsing MS Patients May Fare Better on Zeposia Than Aubagio Treatment with Zeposia (ozanimod) significantly reduces the risk of relapse, decreases the proportion of patients experiencing a relapse, and has a better safety profile than Aubagio (teriflunomide) for people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an indirect comparison of clinical trial data.
April 7, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Tecfidera, Gilenya and Ocrevus Losing Favor as Switch Therapies in US, Spherix Finds Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), Gilenya (fingolimod), and Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) are losing ground to more recent therapies among U.S. multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients switching treatment, according to the latestĀ Spherix Global Insightsā report. The launch of MS generics, bioequivalents, and new brands in the U.S. market over the past year has increased…
March 16, 2021 News by Mary Chapman Foot Drop Device Earns Innovation Challenge Prize As winner of the Lyfebulb and Bristol Myers Squibb Innovation Challenge in multiple sclerosis (MS), Evolution Devices will use the $25,000 in prize money to further develop a smart stimulation therapy that seeks to improve patient mobility. The innovative electrical device under development by Pierluigi Mantovani, co-founder…
February 9, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Zeposia Tablets Approved in Scotland to Treat Active RRMS The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approvedĀ Zeposia (ozanimod)Ā for the treatment of active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Zeposia is sold as a tablet, to be taken by mouth once daily. The SMC has recommended that Zeposia be prescribed for people with RRMS who experience relapses or have evidence of…
February 1, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Pediatric MS, Rituximab, AHSCT, Zeposia Tecfidera Safe and Effective Over Long Term in Children With RRMS, Trial Shows In my view, too little attention has been paid to treating children and teens with MS between the ages of 10 and 18. Though things seem to be improving, only one disease-modifying therapy, Novartisā Gilenya (fingolimod),…
January 25, 2021 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD NICE Opposes Zeposia Being Added to RRMS Therapies in UK’s Health Service The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not recommend Zeposia (ozanimod) be available at low or no cost through the National Health Service (NHS) to treat adults with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)Ā living in England and Wales. In a recentĀ draft recommendation, NICE stated thatĀ …
December 29, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Top 10 Multiple Sclerosis Stories of 2020 Multiple Sclerosis News Today brought you daily coverage of the latest scientific findings, treatment developments, and clinical trials related to multiple sclerosis (MS) throughout 2020, a year marked by theĀ COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to reporting more news to patients, family members, and caregivers dealing with MS during…
October 8, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Health Canada Approves Oral Zeposia for Adults With RRMS Health Canada has approvedĀ Zeposia (ozanimod), an oral daily treatment for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in the country. Approval does not assure that Zeposia will be available to Canadian patients at no or low cost, as publicly funded prescription plans are largely administered by each…
September 22, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Gilenya Remains Favorite S1P Receptor Modulator in US, But Zeposia May Catch Up, Survey Finds Among oral sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators for multiple sclerosis (MS), Novartisās GilenyaĀ (fingolimod) remains physiciansā favorite in the U.S., but prescriptions of recently-launched Bristol Myers Squibbās Zeposia (ozanimod) are beginning to rise,Ā according to a survey conducted by Spherix Global Insights. Also, COVID-19Ā not…
September 14, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Survey, MSVirtual2020, Zeposia, B-cells COVID-19 Pandemic Had Minimal Emotional Impact in Progressive MS Patients, Survey Finds I beg to differ. I have secondary progressive MS, and COVID-19 has bummed me out. I haven’t been in an exercise room since May. My wife and I haven’t had a meal in a restaurant since late…
September 3, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 ā Zeposia Still Prevents Relapses in Relapsing MS Patients After 3 Years, Trial Data Show Zeposia (ozanimod) oral capsules continue to safely and effectively prevent relapses and disability progression in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to three-year data from a Phase 3 extension clinical trial. āGaining insight into long-term therapeutic outcomes can enable clinicians to identify the most appropriate…
June 8, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ofatumumab, Zeposia, Early Symptoms, New App FDA Extends Review of Ofatumumab for Relapsing MS to September The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was expected to make a decision about ofatumumab, a self-administered injection of a monoclonal antibody, by this month. Now, it looks as if we’ll be waiting until fall. Ofatumumab is already approved…
June 5, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias Another Medication, Zeposia, Joins the MS Treatment Arsenal By my unofficial count, disease-modifying therapy No. 19 has just become available to people with multiple sclerosis in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zeposia (ozanimod) in late March. While pharmaceutical companies usually rush to make newly approved medications available to patients, with COVID-19 raging,…
June 3, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Zeposia, Daily Oral Treatment for Relapsing MS, Now Available in US ZeposiaĀ (ozanimod), a newly approved oral capsule treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), is now commercially available in the United States, its manufacturer, Bristol Myers Squibb,Ā announced. “We are pleased to now bring Zeposia, an important new once daily treatment option, to [relapsing]…
June 1, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Pollution and MS, ATA188, Ofatumumab, Zeposia Air Pollution of Urban Life Raises MS Risk, Study from Italy Suggests I grew up in New York City. It’s hard to get more urban than that. There weren’t many factories spewing pollution, but there certainly were a lot of cars, trucks, and buses, and I inhaled more than…
May 27, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Zeposia Receives European Commission Approval for Adults with Active RRMS The European Commission (EC) has approved Zeposia (ozanimod) for the treatment of adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who have active disease based on clinical or imaging features. The EC decision follows a positive opinionĀ issued in March by the EuropeanĀ Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).
April 9, 2020 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Zeposia Is Now Approved, But Expect Delays Zeposia’s recent approval in the U.S. is exciting news for all in the MS community. Unfortunately, we will need to table that excitement a bit longer. Despite its approval, the treatment’s commercial distribution will be delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am confident, however, that it will be…