Category Archives: MS Treatment

TORONTO A new study says patients who underwent the so-called liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis experienced no measurable benefit from the procedure. The government of Newfoundland and Labrador, which funded the study, announced the findings Thursday in St. Johns. The government said based on the findings, the province will not cover the cost of liberation treatment. The study was small, including 30 participants who got the procedure and 10 who did not. The researchers did not know which were which as they assessed the patients. Participants were subjected to a series of physical and cognitive tests at the start of the study and then at one, three, six and 12 months after receiving the treatment. The researchers saw no measurable benefits, though patients themselves reported feeling better. The controversial liberation treatment is based on a theory that MS is a disease caused by blocked veins, not a neurodegenerative disease as is currently thought. The theory, advanced by Italian Dr. Paolo Zamboni, is that in MS patients, veins in the neck and upper chest develop blockages which restrict blood flow from the brain. According to the theory, the blockages lead to a pooling of iron-rich blood in the brain that triggers … Continue reading →

Date: Thursday Jun. 7, 2012 7:03 PM ET TORONTO Patients who underwent the so-called liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis experienced no measurable benefit from the procedure, a study commissioned by the government of Newfoundland and Labrador found. The results of the small, observational study were announced Wednesday in St. John's by lead investigator Dr. William Pryse-Phillips, a professor emeritus of neurology at Newfoundland's Memorial University. Pryse-Phillips said he had gone into the study hopeful the treatment might have something to offer his MS patients, but completed it convinced the people who had the vein-opening procedure didn't experience any gains. "I am disappointed. I had hoped. I cannot recommend this therapy on the basis of these results at this time," he said during a news conference, the video of which is posted on the Department of Health and Community Service's website. The province spent $400,000 on the study, which compared 30 patients with MS who had travelled outside the province to have the therapy and 10 who did not. Participants were subjected to an array of tests before the treatment and then at intervals of one month, three months, six months and one year post-procedure. It was an attempt to test … Continue reading →

TORONTO Patients who underwent the so-called liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis experienced no measurable benefit from the procedure, a study commissioned by the government of Newfoundland and Labrador found. The results of the small, observational study were announced Wednesday in St. Johns by lead investigator Dr. William Pryse-Phillips, a professor emeritus of neurology at Newfoundlands Memorial University. Pryse-Phillips said he had gone into the study hopeful the treatment might have something to offer his MS patients, but completed it convinced the people who had the vein-opening procedure didnt experience any gains. I am disappointed. I had hoped. I cannot recommend this therapy on the basis of these results at this time, he said during a news conference, the video of which is posted on the Department of Health and Community Services website. The province spent $400,000 on the study, which compared 30 patients with MS who had travelled outside the province to have the therapy and 10 who did not. Participants were subjected to an array of tests before the treatment and then at intervals of one month, three months, six months and one year post-procedure. It was an attempt to test a theory that has driven a wedge between … Continue reading →

EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BioTrends Research Group, one of the worlds leading research and advisory firms for specialized biopharmaceutical issues, finds through analysis of U.S. longitudinal patient-level claims data that patient share of Novartiss Gilenya has increased in both newly diagnosed and recently treated multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The recently treated patient group represents patients treated in the third quarter of 2011 and reviews historical therapies used in their treatment. According to Treatment Algorithms in Multiple Sclerosis, more than three quarters of switches to Gilenya in recently treated patients in the third quarter of 2011 came from patients who had previously taken an interferon-beta or Tevas Copaxone. A much smaller percentage of drug switches to Gilenya came from patients who had previously taken Biogen Idec/Elans Tysabri. Until the launch of Gilenya, Tysabri offered one of the few options for patients whose disease had progressed past the point where it could be effectively managed with interferon-betas or Copaxone, said BioTrends Director Nicole Westphal, Ph.D. Gilenyas oral formulation is likely a key driver of its use in recently treated MS patients following treatment with an interferon-beta or Copaxone. Additionally, physicians may be increasingly turning to Gilenya for MS patients who require stronger disease … Continue reading →

An observational study of people in Newfoundland and Labrador who had a controversial treatment for multiple sclerosis found there was no measurable benefit to the Zamboni procedure, according to the neurologist who led the research. "I cannot recommend this treatment to MS patients," said Dr. William Pryse-Phillips, a neurologist and the lead researcher of the study. The province launched the study of what is known as the Zamboni procedure, or liberation therapy, nearly two years ago after people from this province travelled abroad to undergo the experimental procedure. It's based on a theory that MS is linked to blocked veins in the neck, and that opening them up helps relieve symptoms of the debilitating disease. Mark Lane, who lives with MS and paid $4,000 to have procedure done in Poland almost two years ago, was at the announcement about the study's findings in St. John's on Thursday. "I'm disappointed by these findings. We all had hope," Lane, 36, said. "I know it's not a cure, but I still believe despite this that there is a link and I'm getting [the procedure] again if I start to deteriorate." The province spent more than $400,000 for the study after intense lobbying from … Continue reading →

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating, often deadly disease that attacks the body's central nervous system. It can devastate a victim's brain, spinal cord, optic nerves and vision. The disease is unpredictable. While treatments and medication currently on the market can help slow down the attacks, there is no cure. Yet. But the cure for MS just might be sitting right in southeastern Wisconsin's backyard. Endece LLC, a Mequon-based drug discovery company, recently formed Endece Neural, a subsidiary company focused on neurological drug development. More specifically, Endece Neural is pursing the development of a drug that could help repair and even reverse the damage caused by MS. Endece's work is getting some attention in the world of MS research. "We're very excited about the Endece compounds," said Jay Tung, president of drug discovery at the Myelin Repair Foundation in San Francisco. Endece hopes to collect enough data so the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will accelerate clinical testing enough to have the drug on the market in five to seven years. "We've already proven that our compound and even our backup compounds work in in vitro (in Petri dish) environments," said James Yarger, chief executive officer of Endece. The central nervous … Continue reading →

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVNR) today announced the presentation of three posters, including preliminary results from the PRISM patient registry, at the Fourth Cooperative Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis. PRISM Registry The aims of the PRISM registry are to define pseudobulbar affect (PBA) prevalence and its quality of life (QoL) impacton patients with the associated underlying neurologic conditions of Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Results At the time of the data-cut a total of 3,647 patients with the six underlying neurologic conditions had enrolled in the PRISM registry. Among the enrolled patients, a total of 37.3% of all participants (n=1,361) had a positive screening score for PBA as measured by a CNS-LS13. The range of positive screening for PBA was similar across all the disease states (range of 34.7% to 40.0%); the prevalence of positive screens was also similar in the MS patient group (38.7%; n=354). The table below displays interim positive PBA screening rates of the current registry participants by underlying neurologic diagnosis. These prevalence … Continue reading →

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- N-of-One, Inc., provider of Diagnostic Strategy Roadmaps and Treatment Strategy Roadmaps for personalized cancer care, announced today the appointment of Christine Cournoyer as the companys Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Cournoyer brings to N-of-One more than 25 years of executive leadership experience with healthcare technology companies, including her position as President and Chief Operating Officer of Picis, a provider of health information software solutions installed in more than 1,800 medical centers and hospital systems worldwide prior to its acquisition by United Healthcare in 2010. Jennifer Levin Carter, MD, MPH, the companys founder and President, will remain President and has taken on additional responsibility as Chief Medical Officer, an expanded role to lead further product development of N-of-Ones diagnostic and treatment strategy roadmaps for wider use by healthcare providers and other collaborators. Over the past four years, weve helped hundreds of cancer patients access our diagnostic and treatment strategy roadmaps as we developed and systematized our PrecisionWorks platform, said Dr. Carter. N-of-One is now positioned to scale this platform to power oncologists, regional cancer centers, and provider networks anywhere with leading-edge, data-driven knowledge and decision-support tools. We are extremely pleased that Chris, a distinguished and proven leader in the … Continue reading →

HAWTHORNE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOR) will present research at the 4th Collaborative Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) that examines the impact of walking impairment on different aspects of the lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as the use of AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg in the United States. The six company-sponsored posters will be presented on Friday, June 1 at the CMSC/ACTRIMS meeting, being held in San Diego, CA. AMPYRA is the only FDA-approved therapy to improve walking in people with MS. Although walking is one of our most critical functional capabilities, and is impaired in more than half of all MS patients, there has been limited research on the pharmacologic treatment of walking impairment in MS. In part this was due to the lack of treatment options prior to AMPYRAs availability in 2010, said Ron Cohen, M.D., Acorda Therapeutics President and CEO. By supporting research that explores ways to better characterize walking impairment and more precisely quantify its impact in real-world settings, we can gain a better understanding of how improved walking may benefit people with … Continue reading →

29-05-2012 03:06 Extraordinary world first research carried out in Australia could transform the treatment and lives of people with MS See more at Visit link: MS breakthrough - Video … Continue reading →