Category Archives: MS Treatment

A New Jersey woman has been accused of faking cancer and scamming concerned friends and family out of thousands of dollars. Source: Supplied WHEN Lori Stilley told her friends and family that she had bladder cancer, they delivered meals, held raffles and a T-shirt sale, hastily planned and paid for her wedding and raised more than $10,000 for her treatment. But prosecutors say it was all a scam. Ms Stilley, a 40-year-old who lives in Delran, New Jersey, was charged on Wednesday with theft by deception, charges her lawyer denies. Authorities say Ms Stilley told family and friends in February 2011 that she had stage 3 bladder cancer and would need chemotherapy and radiation. Two months later, she told them - and posted on her Facebook page and personal website - that it was now stage 4, which means the cancer was spreading to other parts of her body. Her friends and supporters pitched in the way people often do for sick loved ones: making a schedule of meal deliveries and - when she said she didn't have medical insurance - raising money. The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said family and friends also hastily planned and paid for her wedding … Continue reading →

PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwire - Sep 25, 2012) - Total Rehab and Fitness (TRF) will be hosting an open house on September 27, 2012 from 12-2 p.m. to showcase their multiple disciplinary models of care for patients with multiple sclerosis. Two current patients will be at the open house to share their success stories. The Greater Delaware Chapter of the National MS Society has been able to provide funding for TRF to continue providing life-changing treatment. TRF provides their patients with tailored programs with services including physical therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy and speech therapy. Congressman Jon Runyan will be there to show his support for members of the National MS Society, as well as his chief of staff, Stacy Palmer-Barton. TRF staff members who will be in attendance include founder and Director of Therapy Services John Marmarou, Director of Behavioral Services John Armando and Medical Director Marshall Lauer. Chapter President Tami Caesar, Vice President of Advocacy Karen Mariner and Client Services Manager Melissa Bruno will also be at Friday's open house. The open house will take place at TRF's headquarters located at 1111 Marlkress Rd., Cherry Hill, NJ 08003. There are more than 14,000 members of the Greater Delaware Valley community … Continue reading →

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, was honored at the 38th annual Dinner of Champions. The gala event took place on Monday, September 24, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The event raised $2.1 million that will support the National MS Societys vital programs and services to improve the quality of life for people with MS, as well as cutting-edge research for better treatments and a cure. Melissa Sherak Glasser, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1987 when she was only 15 years old, was presented with the Dorothy Corwin Spirit of Life award for educating, motivating and inspiring so many to live well and pay it forward. Director Christopher Nolan and his wife, producer Emma Thomas, presented the award to Jeff Robinov in recognition of his and Warner Bros. continued support in helping the National MS Society move closer toward a world free of multiple sclerosis. Rock musician Chris Cornell and Carolina Liar performed at the dinner. Byron Allen was master of ceremonies for the 20th year and also served with Joe Roth and Tom Sherak as Dinner Chairs. Other special guests in attendance included Ben Affleck, Jason … Continue reading →

For years, patients suffering from multiple sclerosis had to endure injection therapies to stave off the horrible disease. Oral medications have finally emerged from development recently, and it turns out the competition is heating up fast: Results arrived on two major clinical trials for Biogen Idec's (NYSE: BIIB) own oral MS drug, BG-12, and the data looks rock-solid. With the MS market suddenly red-hot, will Biogen's latest success propel the company to higher heights? Mopping up the competitionBiogen's two phase 3 trials for BG-12 came out in Wednesday's New England Journal of Medicine with promising results. The two trials demonstrated strong efficacy for BG-12, with chronic relapses falling 44% to 51% at the two-year mark. Given that drugs currently used to combat MS relapses typically demonstrate only a 30% improvement, BG-12's success looks sharp. While the FDA won't rule on BG-12's approval until later in the year, Biogen's drug looks to become just the third oral medication for MS on the market. Sanofi's (NYSE: SNY) Aubagio received the green light from the FDA earlier this month, following Novartis's (NYSE: NVS) Gilenya, the first oral MS treatment launched in 2010. Unfortunately for Biogen's two competitors, their drugs come with serious questions … Continue reading →

A cannabis user from Earley who claims the drug has changed his life is calling for it to be made legal. Clark French, 26, of Sutcliffe Avenue, was diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in August 2010. He was studying ancient history and archaeology at The University of Reading, but his symptoms rapidly became so bad that he had to use a walking stick and was forced to quit his degree. Mr French said: It meant I couldnt walk, I would slur my speech, I would have bladder and bowel problems. It destroyed my life, I couldnt do anything. Theres a treatment which is usually given to people who have had MS for over 10 years, I was offered that when I was diagnosed, which was pretty unheard of. Last year Mr French flew out to California, where medicinal use of the drug is legal, and underwent a cannabis-based treatment. He said: I got a doctors appointment and access to medical cannabis. I used cannabis oil and Ive not used my walking stick since. Its drastically increased my quality of life. For the first week I just slept a lot and after that I was with some friends and I was climbing … Continue reading →

FREMONT, Calif., Sept. 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zyomyx, Inc., an innovator in the development and commercialization of proprietary diagnostic platforms, has appointed Jennifer McFarlane as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Ms. McFarlane brings 25 years of experience in finance and global investment banking. In total, she has helped raise more than US$600 million, primarily for early-stage companies, and close approximately 15 mergers and acquisitions (M&A). At Zyomyx, Ms. McFarlane will be responsible for financial operations, investor relations and capital raising. Prior to joining Zyomyx, Ms. McFarlane was CFO at LanzaTech, where she built infrastructure to support the company's initial sales on three continents. Previous positions also include CEO of Astia, a nonprofit accelerator focused on high-growth, women-led startups; Executive Director of Southern Pacific Petroleum, a public energy technology company in Australia; and Vice President of Investment Banking at Salomon Brothers, now Citigroup. Ms. McFarlane has also worked with the Barents Group of KPMG Consulting, providing strategic advice and M&A services to corporations and governments across seven emerging economies. "Jennifer's experience working in emerging markets and with public- and private-sector companies will be a tremendous asset," said Peter Wagner, Zyomyx's CEO. "She will undoubtedly help drive our commercial success, particularly as … Continue reading →

(CBS News) There's a new treatment for multiple sclerosis, or MS, which affects more than 400,000 Americans. MS can strike anyone at any time, but it usually hits adults in the prime of their lives. But researchers say a new drug is proving very promising. FDA approves new multiple sclerosis treatment Aubagio As an electrician, 49-year-old Stephen O'Malley depends on good vision. But seven years ago, things suddenly began to go dark. O'Malley recalled, "I was scared to death. I went to work at 6:00 in the evening and I was completely blind in one eye six hours later." The Cleveland father of two was diagnosed with MS. MS is a neurological disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms can range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. They usually get worse over time, leaving many patients greatly disabled. While there is no cure for MS, there are effective treatments. Kate Lodge gets monthly infusions requiring a two-hour visit to the hospital, but there are scary potential side effects, including fatal brain infections. "The symptoms of the brain infection can mirror the symptoms of MS, so you can't know," Lodge said. "And so you go into a … Continue reading →

Two phase 3 clinical trials have shown that oral doses of a drug called BG-12 show significant and clinically meaningful reductions in multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses and brain lesions in people with a relapsing form of MS. The active ingredient in BG-12 is the compound dimethyl fumarate. The trials, which were published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, were financed by Biogne Idec, a biotechnology company that creates drugs for neurological and autoimmune disorders. The company is seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment. The publication of both dimethyl fumarate pivotal studies in NEJM is another achievement for this important investigational therapy, said Dr. Katherine Dawson, senior medical director at Biogen Idec Neurology Research and Development and co-author of the published studies. The data from its clinical development program consistently indicate that dimethyl fumarate may provide tangible benefits and address existing treatment needs of people living with MS. We are working closely with regulatory authorities across the globe with the aim of making the review of dimethyl fumarate as quick as possible. The two studies found that both twice-a-day and thrice-a-day 240mg treatments with BG-12 reduced the proportion of patients with relapsing-remitting MS who … Continue reading →

(KUTV) Multiple Sclerosis affects more than 400,000 Americans and can strike anytime but it often hits adults in the prime of their lives. A new drug, however, is promising results for those affected by the disease. Stephen OMalley, the father of two, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis a neurological disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms can range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The symptoms usually get worse over time, leaving many patients disabled. I was scared to death, said OMalley. I went to work at 6:00 in the evening and I was completely blind in one eye six hours later. While there is no cure for MS, there are effective treatments. Kate Lodge gets monthly infusions requiring a two hour visit to the hospital. However, there are scary potential side effects, including brain infections. "The symptoms of brain infection can mirror the symptoms of MS, so you can't know - and so you go into a panic mode, said Lodge. Doctors realized they needed a treatment that was both an effective therapy as well as tolerated and safe. And now, that therapy may finally be available in an easy-to-take pill form. Dr. Robert Fox, … Continue reading →

By Miriam Falco,CNN (CNN) Achemical that can be used as a food additive, caused serious skin infections after people sat on sofas treated with it and was approved as a psoriasis treatment in Germany 15 years ago, may prove to be a viable treatment option for people with the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis (MS). Its true. Dimethyl fumarate also known so far as BG-12 could be another weapon in a neurologists arsenal to treat the disease, if the drug is approved. Based on the results of two large studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine, experts believe this is likely. More than 2 million people around the world live with MS, a disease where the bodys immune system attacks the patients central nervous system and destroys the myelin, or sheath, protecting nerve cells. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, and more women than men are affected, according to the National MS Society. As the disease progresses, it can become quite debilitating, leading to numbness and difficulty walking and seeing among many other symptoms. Relapsing MS is a disease that we have treatments for, but theyre really on two ends of the spectrum, … Continue reading →