Category Archives: MS Treatment

* Elan (Other OTC: ELNCF - news) to buy back $1 bln of shares after Tysabri sale * Deal is "unique opportunity" to reward shareholders * Firm still working on acquisitions with rest of proceeds * Shares climb over 4 percent By Stephen Mangan DUBLIN, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Irish drugmaker Elan will return $1 billion to shareholders, giving them an immediate boost from the sale of its stake in multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment Tysabri to partner Biogen Idec (NasdaqGS: BIIB - news) . Elan shares climbed over 4 percent following the announcement on Friday, which also reiterated the company's intention to make acquisitions with the rest of the $3.25 billion raised from the deal. Tysabri was by far Elan's most important product, responsible for almost all its revenue and its sale creates uncertainty over the future shape of the company. "Close to 40 percent of Elan's current market cap could be invested in as yet unknown assets ... we are unlikely to gain the visibility needed to become constructive on the shares until transactions are concluded," said Deutsche Bank (Xetra: 514000 - news) analyst Richard Parkes. Elan is already pursuing potential deals for the next 12-18 months, Chief Executive … Continue reading →

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish drugmaker Elan (Other OTC: ELNCF - news) will return $1 billion (654 million pounds) to shareholders and seek acquisitions with the proceeds of selling its stake in blockbuster multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment Tysabri to partner Biogen Idec (NasdaqGS: BIIB - news) . The sale of Tysabri, which was by far Elan's most important product and responsible for almost all its revenue, leaves the company's future shape unclear, but the deal now offers it flexibility to buy new assets. The company said on Friday it would use almost a third of the $3.25 billion from the deal to buy back shares. "By unlocking a portion of the Tysabri asset value ... we have a unique opportunity to reward shareholders, diversify our business and create a highly distinctive business platform upon which to advance to the benefit of shareholders and patients around the world," Elan Chief Executive CEO Kelly Martin said. Elan is already pursuing potential deals for the next 12-18 months, Martin told Reuters in an interview earlier this month, which he said may not necessarily be restricted to the company's past. The Irish drugmaker has co-marketed Tysabri with the larger U.S. company for 12 years and … Continue reading →

The MS Center of Atlanta, along with the NMSS (National Multiple Sclerosis Society), are dedicated to remove all barriers to patient care. The Center is proud to team up with GPT (Georgia Partnership of Telehealth) and Dr. Brian Griner to set up the first dedicated telehealth center for MS in Valdosta, Georgia. (PRWEB) February 22, 2013 The MS Center of Atlanta, along with the NMSS (National Multiple Sclerosis Society), are dedicated to remove all barriers to patient care. The Center is proud to team up with GPT (Georgia Partnership of Telehealth) and Dr. Brian Griner to set up the first dedicated telehealth center for MS in Valdosta, Georgia. Dr. Griner is a Primary Care Physician and Dr. Jeffrey English along with the Centers other staff neurologist are on the MS Center side of this partnership. Patients will be able to see their MS specialist immediately from a primary care facility without traveling 4.5 hours (each way). The Center is to have sites across Georgia and hope the future will allow such care directly from every primary care physician's office. Separately Dr. English is developing similar relationships for concussion management through SCI-Atlanta (Sports Concussion Institute at Atlanta). Athletes with suspected concussion … Continue reading →

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish drugmaker Elan will return $1 billion to shareholders, giving them an immediate boost from the sale of its stake in multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment Tysabri to partner Biogen Idec. Elan shares climbed over 4 percent following the announcement on Friday, which also reiterated the company's intention to make acquisitions with the rest of the $3.25 billion raised from the deal. Tysabri was by far Elan's most important product, responsible for almost all its revenue and its sale creates uncertainty over the future shape of the company. "Close to 40 percent of Elan's current market cap could be invested in as yet unknown assets ... we are unlikely to gain the visibility needed to become constructive on the shares until transactions are concluded," said Deutsche Bank analyst Richard Parkes. Elan is already pursuing potential deals for the next 12-18 months, Chief Executive Kelly Martin told Reuters in an interview this month, which he said may not necessarily be restricted to the firm's past areas of activity. "By unlocking a portion of the Tysabri asset value ... we have a unique opportunity to reward shareholders, diversify our business and create a highly distinctive business platform upon which to … Continue reading →

Feb. 21, 2013 A drug that is currently used for cancer can relieve and slow down the progression of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS) in rats, according to a new study published in PLOS ONE. The discovery, which was made by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, might one day lead to better forms of treatment for patients with MS. Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the spinal cord and brain, damaging nerve tissues to cause visual impairment, paralysis and other neurological disabilities. There are approximately 17,000 MS victims in Sweden, most of who develop the disease between the age of 20 and 40. The disease is currently incurable, and the treatments that are able to ameliorate the symptoms can have severe side effects. "There is a particularly urgent need to find new, efficacious drugs with minimal adverse effects for patients with MS in the relapsing phase of the disease," says Assistant Professor Ingrid Nilsson at Karolinska Institute's Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics. The disease is caused when white blood cells attack the central nervous system. The CNS is normally protected by the blood-brain barrier, which governs what passes through the vascular walls. … Continue reading →

JEFFERSON CITY - The National Multiple Sclerosis Society met with Missouri lawmakers Wednesday to promote awareness about Missourians living with MS, and to push for Medicaid expansion. Sarah Gentry with the MS society said a Medicaid expansion could mean more resources for MS patients, like access to neurologists and new treatment options. Gentry also said about 60 percent of MS patients cannot work within 10 years of being diagnosed. With a two year waiting period before patients can receive disability, Medicaid can provide patients with health coverage during that time. Gentry said if Medicaid is not expanded, it could mean trouble for Missourians living with MS. "It would impact those living with MS negatively, because there's still that barrier to health care, and we want to open up access to health care for individuals who live with MS," said Gentry. (D) Representative Mike Colona said Medicaid expansion is needed to prevent problems in the future. "Without an expansion, smaller hospitals are at risk of closing, and less benefits will be available for those with illness or disability." said Colona. (R) Representative Sue Allen also said changes must be made to the Medicaid program, but she does not think expansion is … Continue reading →

Dear Dr. Roach: I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis three years ago, and I seem to have the worst, most aggressive type of the disease. I receive IV steroid treatment and prednisone that relieves my leg pain, but the relief lasts only a month. I have to limit my activities, which has significantly changed my mood and outlook toward life. My MS doctor has prescribed a myriad of drugs for depression, inflammation and pain, most of which I refused because I do not want to live under the vice of a hundred pills a day. The one pain medication I agreed to try was morphine. This allowed me to go about my daily activities almost the way I lived my life before the MS. The problem is my doctor refuses to continue to prescribe painkillers, saying she doesnt want to further complicate the constipation most people with MS deal with. I am willing to take any medication necessary for constipation, but she wont budge. Should I deal with the pain, or change doctors? J.D. A: Treatment of noncancer pain with powerful narcotics like morphine is a big issue right now in the medical community, with some advocating never doing so … Continue reading →

Pictures from the 2012 presidential campaign depict Ann Romney, wife of candidate Mitt Romney, as a woman with bright eyes and a dancers posture. But beneath the polished business suit, another battle has raged. Ann Romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) many years ago and experienced a flare-up of symptoms that forced her to curtail campaign efforts. There is no known cause or cure for MS, although medications are available to slow the progression of the disease. However, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered that the drug daclizumab appears to tone down the autoimmune response in MS patients, providing hope for those trying to overcome the obstacles of living with MS. MS is an autoimmune disorder, meaning cells in the bodys immune system attack healthy tissues. In the case of MS, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath that covers nerve cells. Myelin is crucial in the conduction of electrical impulses to and from the brain. The loss of myelin, called demyelination, causes hardened scars in areas of the nerves and brain affected. The name multiple sclerosis actually means many scars. MS is the most common disease of the central nervous system in young adults, affecting … Continue reading →

CALGARY , Feb. 19, 2013 /CNW/ - EmberClear Corp. (EMB.V) ("EmberClear" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its subsidiary, EmberClear GTL MS Inc. ("EmberClear GTL"), has completed the technical feasibility study for a natural gas to liquids project (the "Project") in Natchez, Mississippi. It is anticipated that if the Project proceeds it will be capable of producing 4,000 tons of methanol per day or 14,000 barrels of gasoline per day. Abundant natural gas supplies in North America can produce high value transportation fuels using proven technologies. This Project's proximity to competitively priced sources of natural gas and the Gulf Coast petrochemical complex creates the potential for attractive pricing, efficient access to markets and multiple modes of transportation. "It is our intent to take advantage of the recently available long-term natural gas contracts and address the desire for more domestic energy. The USA may continue to import oil for decades but facilities like ours could potentially reduce such imports while providing lower cost energy," stated Nick Cohen , Chief Operating Officer. EmberClear has access to an 800-acre site along the Mississippi River. "This site is served by American Midstream's Midla pipeline system that intersects three interstate gas pipelines providing us … Continue reading →

Kurt Rishel leaves on the 3,785-mile journey in June. Central York High School grad Kurt Rishel will bike across the country starting in June to raise funds for MS research. (SUBMITTED) When Kurt Rishel signed up to ride his bicycle across the country to support multiple sclerosis, he didn't know of anyone with the disease. The 21-year-old athlete started cycling after graduating from Central York High School in 2010. He needed something to fill the void of competitive sports -- soccer and track -- and cycling became a passion. Rishel has wanted to ride across the country since he read an article about someone who made the trek a few years ago. When he learned about Bike the US for MS -- a nonprofit that raises money for research and treatment -- he felt he had to get involved. On June 1, Rishel plans to dip the back tire of his bicycle in the Atlantic Ocean in Yorktowne, Va., before embarking on a 3,785-mile ride for two months. The nonprofit provides participants with route leaders who drive a trailer, where cyclists may store a few pairs of bike shorts, a tent, a sleeping bag and some nonperishable food in a … Continue reading →