Category Archives: MS Treatment

PEKIN, Ill., Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- James "Buck" Runyan, MS, LMFT, CEDS, has been named as the new 2013-2014 President of the Board of Directors of The International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp). Runyan has an extensive background in treating eating disorders and other compulsive behaviors and is currently the Chief Operations Officer at the Center for Discovery, at which he oversees Discovery's four residential eating disorder treatment facilities. Runyan has held positions as the founding Program Director of the Remuda Ranch Adolescent Center for Eating Disorders and Program Administrator for San Bernardino Mental Health Court Pegasus Program. Runyan earned a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology degree at California Baptist University. "I am honored to represent iaedp as the President of the Board of Directors for the 2013-2014 term," said Runyan. "It is a very exciting time to be involved in this area of mental health care and with iaedp reaching a greater number of treatment professionals than ever before, I look forward to what the future brings, including our upcoming 27th annual Symposium." Says iaedp Managing Director, Bonnie Harken: "The leadership contribution at iaedp has always been exceptional, and with Buck as president, he will continue … Continue reading →

By Poon Chian Hui The Straits Times Monday, Jan 21, 2013 WHEN Ms Hilmy Chung suffered long bouts of diarrhoea, constipation, lethargy and bone pain in 2010, neither she nor her doctors could pin down the cause. By the time her rare cancer was diagnosed the following year, it had spread to other parts of her body. Experts have found that her disease - gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP NET) - takes a more aggressive form in Asians than in people elsewhere in the world. The new data from the GEP NET Registry suggests that Asians may require closer monitoring and more intensive treatment for this hard-to-detect cancer, which arises from cells of the hormonal and nervous systems. More than half of GEP NET cases showed up in the pancreas for Asians. For non-Asians, only 30 per cent had tumours in the same organ, the registry found. Although the disease can crop up in the stomach, small and large intestines and appendix, it is more threatening when located in the pancreas, said oncologist Lim Hwee Yong of the National Cancer Centre Singapore. He said people with neuroendocrine tumours of the pancreas who do not have treatment are given about 27 months … Continue reading →

Topics: animals, dental, dogs, fraser coast, hervey bay, teeth, vet DENTAL disease is rife among pets, with a vet estimating eight out of 10 of animals seen in the surgery need treatment for their teeth. Candice Loft, from Hervey Bay Veterinary Surgery, said cats and dogs were similar to people in that their teeth were also affected by plaque and decay. Without the right care, they get gum disease and can be in a lot of pain, she said. The Hervey Bay Veterinary Clinic does free dental checks for pets. Ms Loft said too much soft food and not enough large marrow bones or hard food could have a negative impact on an animal's teeth. Even feeding pets chicken necks or other similar foods would not make much of a difference, she said, because dogs and cats both needed to chew for prolonged periods, up to about 15 to 20 minutes, in order to properly clean their teeth. "Crunching actually helps clean dogs' teeth," Ms Loft said. "Dental disease is quite painful for dogs. When the gums are affected, they get a constant ache in their mouths, she said. Read more: Fanging out on bones helps keep a smile on … Continue reading →

OTTAWA If not for the kindness of an anonymous benefactor, Lacey Levair fears she could be dead or dying by now. And though her story has a happy ending, it raises questions about the adequacy of Ontarios drug benefit program. On Tuesday, the 29-year-old Stittsville resident was diagnosed with Type A influenza, the most virulent form of the disease. Though most people recover within 10 days or so, influenza and its complications kill between 2,000 and 8,000 Canadians each year. Among the most vulnerable are people with compromised immune systems. And few Canadians have immune systems more compromised than Lacey Levairs. Levair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007. She was soon unable to walk, confined to a wheelchair. But her fortunes took a turn for the better in 2010. Following a successful multi-year study of a new MS treatment involving stem cell transplants, Ottawa hematologist Dr. Harold Atkins chose Levair to be the first post-study recipient. Atkins collected stem cells from Levairs bone marrow in July 2010 and, after theyd been purified, transplanted them back into her body in November of that year. The results have been miraculous. While Levair technically still has MS, her symptoms have vanished. Im … Continue reading →

Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) and partner Elan Corporation (ELN) recently submitted applications to the US Food and Drug Administration (:FDA) and European Medicines Agency (:EMA) seeking to update the label of their multiple sclerosis (MS) drugTysabri (natalizumab). The companies are looking to get Tysabri approved as a first line treatment for patients suffering from certain relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have tested negative for antibodies to the JC virus (:JCV). The application is based on risk stratification data. Tysabri slows disability progression by 42% 54% and reduces annualized relapse rates by 68%. Tysabri is the primary growth driver at Elan. As per Elan, Tysabri global net sales in the third quarter of 2012 rose 9.8% to $306.4 million. However, third quarter 2012 Tysabri revenues at Biogen declined 1% to $275 million. We note that Tysabri is approved in the US for treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients who show inadequate response to or are unable to tolerate other treatments. In the EU, Tysabri is approved for treating highly active relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) in adults who have severe RRMS or have not responded to beta interferon treatment. In the EU, Tysabri was approved in 2006 and … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TYSABRI is an important treatment option for thousands of people living with MS BIOGEN IDEC AND ELAN SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR FIRST-LINE USE OF TYSABRI IN ANTI-JCV ANTIBODY NEGATIVE PATIENTS WITH MS - Marketing Applications Supported by Risk Stratification Data - Weston, Mass. & Dublin January 16, 2013 Today Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) announced that they have submitted applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) requesting updates to the TYSABRI (natalizumab) labels. The applications request an expanded indication that would include first-line use for people living with certain relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have tested negative for antibodies to the JC virus (JCV). A formal assessment of both applications is ongoing. These submissions are supported by risk stratification data and a risk algorithm that enables physicians and individuals living with MS to make informed decisions when considering treatment with TYSABRI. If approved, a first-line label will allow all appropriate anti-JCV antibody negative patients to consider TYSABRI early in the course of treatment, regardless of the level of disease activity or prior treatment history. TYSABRI is a highly efficacious treatment that has been shown to … Continue reading →

(Adds analyst comment, background) * Firms hope new test will pave way for wider use of drug * Tysabri highly effective but PML risk has curbed uptake LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Biogen Idec (NasdaqGS: BIIB - news) and Elan have filed for approval to sell their drug Tysabri as a first-line treatment for multiple sclerosis, a move that could boost sales of the drug. Demand for Tysabri has been curtailed due to concerns over its association with a potentially fatal infection known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, which is caused by the JC virus. Now (Other OTC: NWPN - news) , however, there is a test for the virus to predict if patients are at risk of developing PML, opening the possibility that Tysabri could be used more widely and at an earlier stage of treatment. Biogen and Elan said on Wednesday they had submitted applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency seeking approval for first-line use in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have tested negative for antibodies to the JC virus. The JC virus is generally harmless, but in people with weakened immune systems, such as those … Continue reading →

Elan and Biogen Idec hope Tysabri would be used more widely and at earlier stage of treatment for MS Elan and Biogen Idec have filed for approval to sell their drug Tysabri as a first-line treatment for multiple sclerosis. The move that could boost sales of the drug. Demand for Tysabri has been curtailed due to concerns over its association with a potentially fatal infection known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, which is caused by the JC virus. Now, however, there is a test for the virus to predict if patients are at risk of developing PML. This opens the possibility that Tysabri could be used more widely and at an earlier stage of treatment. Elan and Biogen said today they had submitted applications to the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency seeking approval for first-line use in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have tested negative for antibodies to the JC virus. The JC virus is generally harmless, but in people with weakened immune systems, such as those using immune system-suppressing drugs like Tysabri, it can lead to an increased chance of developing PML. Tysabri use is currently limited to between … Continue reading →

LONDON (Reuters) - Biogen Idec and Elan have filed for approval to sell their drug Tysabri as a first-line treatment for multiple sclerosis, a move that could boost sales of the drug. Demand for Tysabri has been curtailed due to concerns over its association with a potentially fatal infection known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, which is caused by the JC virus. Now, however, there is a test for the virus to predict if patients are at risk of developing PML, opening the possibility that Tysabri could be used more widely and at an earlier stage of treatment. Biogen and Elan said on Wednesday they had submitted applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency seeking approval for first-line use in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have tested negative for antibodies to the JC virus. The JC virus is generally harmless, but in people with weakened immune systems, such as those using immune system-suppressing drugs like Tysabri, it can lead to an increased chance of developing PML. Tysabri use is currently limited to between 10 and 12 percent of treated MS patients, due to the risk of PML, and analysts … Continue reading →

WESTON, Mass. & DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today Biogen Idec (BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (ELN) announced that they have submitted applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) requesting updates to the TYSABRI (natalizumab) labels. The applications request an expanded indication that would include first-line use for people living with certain relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have tested negative for antibodies to the JC virus (JCV). A formal assessment of both applications is ongoing. These submissions are supported by risk stratification data and a risk algorithm that enables physicians and individuals living with MS to make informed decisions when considering treatment with TYSABRI. If approved, a first-line label will allow all appropriate anti-JCV antibody negative patients to consider TYSABRI early in the course of treatment, regardless of the level of disease activity or prior treatment history. TYSABRI is a highly efficacious treatment that has been shown to slow disability progression by 42 54 percent and reduce annualized relapse rates by 68 percent. Our anti-JCV antibody test, STRATIFY JCV, helps to determine the most appropriate patients for TYSABRI and the data collected to date supports our recent filing for first-line use, said Alfred Sandrock, … Continue reading →