Category Archives: MS Treatment

The research will be led by Dr Jeremy Chataway, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, who led the phase 2 trial of simvastatin involving 140 people with SPMS that was published in The Lancet in 2014. The research found those taking high doses of simvastatin had a significant reduction in the rate of brain atrophy (brain shrinkage) over two years, and also had better disability and quality of life scores at the end of the study. "This drug holds incredible promise for the thousands of people living with secondary progressive MS in the U.K., and around the world, who currently have few options for treatments that have an effect on disability," said Chataway. "This study will establish definitively whether simvastatin is able to slow the rate of disability progression over a three year period, and we are very hopeful it will." Bruce Bebo, Executive Vice President, Research for the National MS Society said, "We are very pleased to be a partner in the public-private funding syndicate that was forged to support a phase 3 clinical trial of a repurposed, generic therapy for people with SPMS, for whom there are few treatment choices." Susan Stellmacher, 62, of Minneapolis lives with SPMS. "I … Continue reading →

The quest to cure multiple sclerosis, or even to discover its cause, has remained elusive. But in March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug to treat the most severe form of the disabling neurologic condition, which causes the bodys immune system to malfunction, attacking the cells of the spinal cord and brain.MS affects more than 450,000 people more often women in the United States. The new drug, Ocrevus, has been hailed by researchers and physicians as a game-changer, with the potential to lead to new avenues of treatment for other diseases, as well. One of those involved in the research and development of the drug is neurologist and scientist Amit Bar-Or, recently named chief of the multiple sclerosis division in the University of Pennsylvanias Department of Neurology, and director of the new Center for Neuroinflammation and Experimental Neurotherapeutics. He spoke to us recently about the new MS treatment, and why even those of us who weren't science majors will find this tale of T cells, B cells and a molecule called CD20 fascinating. Let's start with a brief overview of Ocrevus and how it works. Ocrevus is an example of an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. Basically, it … Continue reading →

Research and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis has come a long way since the 1980s and many credit that success to annual fundraising events, such as the one held in Orland Park on Sunday. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society started its Walk MS fundraising events nationwide in 1988, and Sunday's was Lori Carroll's 11th year organizing the event in Orland Park. It included a three-mile walk around Centennial Park followed by lunch and live music entertainment by the band Audiomatic, which also performed walking themed songs at the starting line such as Johnny Cash's "Walk the Line" and Aerosmith's "Walk this Way." "I call it an MS walk party," she said. The Tinley Park resident was inspired to get involved after her own experience with MS. Carroll said she knew something was wrong in the 1980s when she started feeling tingling and numbness in her limbs, muscle weakness and short-term memory loss. She said five neurologists over the years couldn't come up with a diagnosis, and some suggested nothing was wrong and that she should see a psychologist. "But I knew I had all these symptoms," Carroll said. She finally received an MRI brain scan that led to a … Continue reading →

Fort Worth Star Telegram Couple plans to travel to Central America for MS treatment option Fort Worth Star Telegram After a couple of months, they diagnosed me with MS; they sort of left it to me - my treatment options - and if I wanted to begin a medicine regimen, Karen said. They gave me a packet containing information about MS and I came home and laid my Bible ... Excerpt from: Couple plans to travel to Central America for MS treatment option - Fort Worth Star Telegram … Continue reading →

Ocrelizumab (OCREVUS), an anti-B cell therapy has been approved by the FDA as of March 28th 2017, for the treatment of Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). This treatment is highly effective for RRMS, based on the data from the Phase III clinical studies. It is also the first drug approved for use in PPMS. At IMSMP/TISCH we have used Rituximab, a similar anti-B cell treatment, for the past 16 years with great success. It is because of the effectiveness of this therapy (Rituximab) we were able to persuade Medicare to cover the costs of this therapy in New York. Rituximab, however, is NOT approved by the FDA for use in MS. At our center we use it as an off-label drug. This unfortunately can require several weeks to obtain approval from insurance carriers and often approval may be denied. Therefore, the approval by the FDA of Ocrelizumab, which should have almost identical anti-B cell activity to Rituximab, appears to be good news for MS patients. However, there are some serious concerns with Ocrelizumab that patients need to be made aware before they consider this therapy. First, in the RRMS trial, there were 9 patients who … Continue reading →

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New York Times Hitting a Medical Wall, and Turning to Unproven Treatments New York Times Although Amanda Hanson was warned by her son Hayden's allergy specialist that attempting Ms. Thieringer's treatment for the boy, who had life-threatening allergies to 28 different foods, would be playing Russian roulette with his life, she felt she had ... Read the rest here: Hitting a Medical Wall, and Turning to Unproven Treatments - New York Times … Continue reading →

US biotech Biogen has presented new real-world data showing that use of its leading multiple sclerosis To continue reading this article and to access exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space you need to be logged into the site and have an active subscription or trial subscription. Please loginorsubscribe in order to continue reading. Claim a week's trial subscriptionby signing up for free today and receive our daily pharma and biotech news bulletin free of charge, forever. BiogenBiotechnologyCNS DiseasesDrug TrialNeurologicalTecfideraTysabriUSA Access The Pharma Letter's latest news free for 7 days PLUS... you can receive the Pharma Letter headlines and news roundup email free forever Click here to take a free trial Unlimited access to The Pharma Letter site for a whole year Only 77 per month or 820 per year Click here to subscribe More here: New data shows effect of Biogen's blockbuster MS drugs - The Pharma Letter (registration) … Continue reading →

Sanofi Genzyme will present new results on follow-up studies of its products Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Aubagio (teriflunomide), both of which have been approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The new data will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meetingtaking place through April 28 in Boston. Lemtrada and the CARE II extension trial Lemtrada is an antibody treatment that specifically targets the CD52 protein, which is present on the surface of certain immune cells, such as T- and B-lymphocytes, thereby blocking their action. This drug was under investigation in RRMS patients in the Phase 3 CARE-MS II trial (NCT00548405). Results showed that most patients on Lemtrada (330 patients, or 76%) had no relapses between their first and second treatment courses, but 24% (105 patients) did relapse between courses. Nonetheless, relapsing patients receiving Lemtrada presented significantly greater improvements on clinical and brain imaging outcomes compared to Rebif (interferon beta-1a), another drug approved as an MS therapy. Results of an extension trial (NCT00930553) with six years of follow-up showed that this group of patients had similar improvement to those who did not relapse between courses: The new Lemtrada data being presented at AAN suggest that occurrence … Continue reading →

A Co Antrim father-of-five with Multiple Sclerosis is trying to raise 65,000 to undergo stem cell treatment in Mexico, which he hopes will allow him to see his children grow up. Glenariff farmer John McNaughton, who suffers from the secondary progressive form of the disease, was diagnosed six years ago at the age of just 37. Now mostly wheelchair-bound, John has gone from being an active hurling player to having to give up his herd of cattle while assuming an "overseeing" role on the family farm. His eldest son Shea (13) helps out with the practical aspects of managing the farm's sheep, assisted by his siblings Clodagh (11) Eoin (8) and Ruairi (6). His youngest child, Shannon, is just three-years-old, and John has only been able to carry her once since she was born, due to his illness. Speaking during MS Week, John (43), told the Belfast Telegraph that while his life has totally changed since his diagnosis he is "staying positive" for his kids and his wife Patricia, who is now his full-time carer. "I was diagnosed in May 2011 but my symptoms appeared three years before that when I was 34", he recalled. "My balance wasn't as good … Continue reading →