Category Archives: MS Treatment

Cure for the Fall April 5th Show! By: Jim McCrostie … Continue reading →

Treating Vision Problems in MS Treating Vision Problems in MS. By: msworldinc … Continue reading →

By Dow Jones Business News, March 27, 2013, 04:22:00 PM EDT By Kristin Jones The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Biogen Idec Inc.'s ( BIIB ) new treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis in adults. The FDA approved Tecfidera, or dimethyl fumarate, capsules after two clinical trials showed that people taking the drug had fewer relapses compared with a placebo. One trial showed that those taking the drug were less likely to experience a worsening of disability. "No drug provides a cure for multiple sclerosis so it is important to have a variety of treatment options available for patients," said Russell Katz, who directs the neurology products division in the FDA'sCenter for Drug Evaluation and Research. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, causing muscle weakness and difficulty with coordination and balance. The disease is among the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults, affecting more women than men, the FDA said. Tecfidera's most common side effects were flushing as well as stomach problems, including vomiting and diarrhea, the FDA said. The drug may decrease a person's white blood-cell count, which can raise the risk of infection. Biogen reported in … Continue reading →

WESTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today Biogen Idec (BIIB) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TECFIDERA (dimethyl fumarate), a new first-line oral treatment for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Biogen Idec will make this oral capsule available to people living with MS in the United States in the coming days. TECFIDERA has been clinically proven to significantly reduce important measures of disease activity, including relapses and development of brain lesions, as well as to slow disability progression over time, while demonstrating a favorable safety and tolerability profile. With the FDA approval of TECFIDERA, we will offer the MS community a treatment with strong efficacy and a favorable safety profile in the convenience of a pill a combination we believe will have a significant positive impact on the way people live with this chronic disease, said George A. Scangos, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Biogen Idec. Biogen Idec is committed to delivering innovative treatments and setting new standards for the next generation of medicines. We believe TECFIDERA will raise expectations for what people living with MS can achieve with their therapy. The FDA approval of TECFIDERA is based on data from a robust clinical development … Continue reading →

By Robert Weisman, Globe Staff Federal regulators Wednesday approved Biogen Idec Inc.s first pill to treat multiple sclerosis, a decision that cements the Weston biotechnology companys dominance in the market for MS treatments and could allow thousands of patients to stop taking drugs by needle or through intravenous infusions. The Food and Drug Administration said Biogen Idec can sell the treatment, called Tecfidera, in the United States in the form of a capsule to be taken twice a day. Analysts have projected Tecfridera could become one of the best-selling drugs of all time by the end of the decade if MS patients shift from existing therapies now on the market. The company said it expects to start making the drug available within days. MS, one of the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults, is an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system of about 400,000 people in the United States and 2.5 million globally. It disrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the body. Most people experience their first MS symptoms between the age of 20 and 40. No drug provides a cure for multiple sclerosis so it is important to have a variety … Continue reading →

A Dartmouth woman with multiple sclerosis claims she is being denied a check-up with a vein specialist in Nova Scotia after undergoing a controversial treatment in Europe. The health minister says it shouldn't be a problem for her to see someone, but Karen Clarke said she feels punished by the medical community. These days the 59-year-old says she has renewed energy, one of the benefits she credits of a controversial treatment for MS. The numbness is gone out of my feetI died and went to heaven. It's just fantastic, she said. In September 2011, Clarke flew to Brussels where she spent her inheritance, $15,000, on what's been dubbed "liberation therapy." Doctors made an incision near her groin, and inserted a balloon to open her jugular vein. It's an unproven and contested procedure. Clarke said she knew shed be running a risk back in Nova Scotia. I was told that when I came back I wouldnt be able to see any doctors about my procedure. If I went to a neurologist they would look at me as though I was some sort of weirdo. But almost a year and a half later Clarke asked her doctor to refer her to a … Continue reading →

Newswise SAN DIEGO A Massachusetts researcher will receive a $225,000 award to continue her study of hormone differences in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) through the American Brain Foundation and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Clinician-Scientist Development Award. This award was presented in San Diego during the American Academy of Neurologys 65th Annual Meeting, the worlds largest meeting of neurologists. Riley Bove, MD, a Fellow at Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, was awarded the fellowship for her work investigating the differences shown by men and women in their risk of developing MS as well as differences in their course of the disease. If we find that sex hormones do in fact influence MS risk then this may point to promising avenues for treatment, said Bove. The three-year award will consist of an annual salary of $75,000 per year and is designed to encourage MS clinical research with the goal of providing better treatment, prevention or cure of the disease. Clinical research is the fundamental transition stage between discovery and treatment. Clinical research provides the scientific basis for all forms of care, addresses patient and caregiver needs and is the backbone for drug development and cost-effectiveness studies needed … Continue reading →

Swiss drug giant Novartis AG (NVS: Quote) on Tuesday confirmed that its multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya (fingolimod) has shown consistent and sustained efficacy, with the number of patients treated increasing to over 63,000. Based on up to seven years of clinical trial experience, including Phase II and III, and over two years of real-world use, Novartis noted that Gilenya, licensed from Japan's Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. (MTZXF.PK), is the only approved MS treatment shown to consistently decrease brain volume loss. According to the company, brain volume loss is the best magnetic resonance imaging or MRI correlate of long-term disability. New data presented at the recent 65th Annual Meeting American Academy of Neurology showed that Gilenya reduced the rate of brain volume loss by about one-third compared to Avonex (interferon beta-1a IM), a commonly prescribed treatment, or placebo in patients with relapsing MS. The low rate of brain volume loss with Gilenya sustained for up to four years in Phase III studies and for up to seven years in patients after completing a Phase II study. Data has also shown significant efficacy with Gilenya in reducing relapses and slowing of six-month disability progression sustained at four years, the company added. Novartis … Continue reading →

Public release date: 25-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Carolann Murphy CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org 973-324-8382 Kessler Foundation West Orange, NJ. March 25, 2013. The National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society awarded Nancy Chiaravalloti, Ph.D., a $43,494 grant to study the efficacy of a new treatment for memory loss in MS. Dr. Chiaravalloti, PhD, director of Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation, is an expert in cognitive rehabilitation research in traumatic brain injury and MS. This one-year pilot project is titled, "Stylistic Memory Enhancement" (NMSS grant #GR391). "Development of new strategies to improve memory in individuals with MS is an important area of research at Kessler Foundation," said John DeLuca, PhD, VP of Research & Training. Although cognitive symptoms such as memory loss are experienced by up to two-thirds of patients, relatively little research has been conducted in cognitive function in persons with MS." Dr. Chiaravalloti's study will evaluate the clinical efficacy of a new memory treatment program aimed at improving learning and memory of information that patients need on a daily basis. The study involves an 8-session treatment program. The memory skills of participants will be tested before and after treatment. "If effective, this treatment could have a positive impact … Continue reading →

Growing global evidence base reinforces consistent and sustained efficacy of first once-daily oral multiple sclerosis treatment Up to seven years of clinical trial experience (Phase II and III) and over two years of real-world use Gilenya is the only approved MS treatment shown to consistently decrease brain volume loss across studies with a significant effect seen as early as six months Low rate of brain volume loss with Gilenya sustained for up to four years in Phase III studies and for up to seven years in patients after completing a Phase II study Basel, March 26, 2013 - Latest global patient-use data show that Gilenya (fingolimod) has been used to treat more than 63,000 patients in clinical trials and the post-marketing setting[1]. "As the first once-daily oral MS therapy, we are pleased Gilenya has played such an important role in addressing unmet medical need in the MS community in the two years following initial approvals," said David Epstein, Head of the Pharmaceuticals Division of Novartis Pharma AG. "Our growing experience reinforces Gilenya`s high efficacy and very good tolerability profile and Novartis remains committed to ensuring eligible patients have access to Gilenya." Gilenya is the only approved treatment shown to consistently … Continue reading →