Category Archives: MS Treatment

(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 →

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Multiple Sclerosis Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials Article Date: 20 Sep 2012 - 7:00 PDT Current ratings for: MS Pill Shows Promise In Reducing Relapses 1 (1 votes) The studies report the results of two phase 3 clinical trials, DEFINE and CONFIRM, evaluating oral BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate) for the treatment of MS. They are published in the 19 September online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM. The dose used in the trials was 240 mg of dimethyl fumarate, administered twice daily, or three times a day. The results show that at this dose, compared to placebo, the drug resulted in significant and clinically meaningful reductions in MS relapses and brain lesions in patients with relapsing-remitting MS, as well as some benefit in slowing disease progression. About 85% of people with MS have the relapsing-remitting form (RRMS), which means there are times when the disease flares up and is very active, and at other times it quietens down or remits. During remission periods, the symptoms can almost disappear, and the disease barely progresses. "The publication of both dimethyl fumarate pivotal studies in NEJM is another achievement for this important … Continue reading →

RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --For the fifth year in a row, the Central Virginia Chapter of the National MS Society will host the Women on the Move luncheon Thursday, September 20th at the Richmond Marriott (Downtown) from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Sponsored by CowanGates, Saxon Shoes, TEVA Neuroscience, Union First Market Bank and Lite 98, event attendees will celebrate six Richmond-area business and community leaders who are finalists for the Woman on the Move Award: The event's keynote speaker, Zoe Koplowitz, is a 22-time marathon finisher who lives with the daily challenges of Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Babette Fuss of Virginia Commonwealth University will also speak about the progress being made on her MS research project, and the program will culminate with the presentation of the Woman on the Move Award. This year, Vera and Mike Caniglia of Vera's Fine Jewelers have donated a beautiful, custom-designed pin for the 2012 Woman on the Move recipient. Designed to look like a high-heel shoe with the MS Society logo, the pin will be passed down each year to the next award winner. This year it will be presented by Debbie Johnston, owner of Care Advantage and the 2011 recipient of the Woman … Continue reading →

CLEVELAND, Ohio---A new oral medication for the most common form of multiple sclerosis significantly cut down on relapses and brain lesions, according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The drug may offer a safe and convenient alternative for patients who want to avoid frequent injections. "It's an important option [for patients]," said Nicholas LaRocca, vice president of healthcare delivery and policy research at the National MS Society. The drug, BG-12, or dimethyl fumarate, is a new type of treatment that researchers believe may work by reducing inflammation in the brain or by helping cells in the brain and spinal cord protect themselves from the damage that is characteristic of the disease, said Dr. Robert Fox, lead author of the study and medical director of the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis. "BG-12 seems to offer us a step forward in MS treatment," said Fox. There is no cure for MS, a disease in which the body's own defense system attacks the protective layer surrounding nerves, and can cause numbness, paralysis and loss of vision. About 400,000 people in the U.S. have the disease, according to the National MS Society. BG-12 is the latest … Continue reading →

BG-12 suppresses relapses Web edition : 5:32 pm People with multiple sclerosis might soon have a new option for controlling their disease with pills instead of shots. Two studies in the Sept. 20 New England Journal of Medicine demonstrate that a variation on a drug used against psoriasis for years in Germany holds off MS relapses and has minimal side effects. These data look good. Both studies show a reduction in relapses with really pretty robust effects, says Clyde Markowitz, a neurologist at the University of Pennsylvania who wasnt involved with the trials. The drug, called BG-12, has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval by the biotech company Biogen Idec. Markowitz expects it to get approved. It would be a clear benefit to the MS population to have another option, he says. If approved, BG-12 would be the third oral drug available to treat MS. The disease results when the immune system attacks the fatty myelin sheaths coating nerves in the central nervous system, leading to impaired muscle control, balance, vision and speech. BG-12, or dimethyl fumarate, has anti-inflammatory, cell-protective and antioxidant effects, which earlier work suggested could suppress the aberrant immune reactions in MS … Continue reading →

Sept. 19, 2012 -- An experimental pill is showing promise for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In two late-phase studies appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine, the drug BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate) reduced relapses by about half in patients with the most common form of MS. If approved by the FDA, BG-12, which is being developed by drug maker Biogen Idec, will become the third oral drug for people with multiple sclerosis. The second -- Sanofi Aventis pill Aubagio -- won FDA approval just last week. This is an exciting time in the development of new drugs for MS, especially considering the fact that we had no effective treatments just a few decades ago, says National MS Society Chief Research Officer Timothy Coetzee, PhD. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the insulation that coats and protects nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. With the most common type, people experience sporadic attacks or flare-ups of symptoms that are then followed by periods of remission. Symptoms include numbness, fatigue, vision problems, spasms, and issues with bladder and bowel control. People with this "relapsing-remitting" form of MS were the target group for the new … Continue reading →

Thousands of Americans who suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS) might one day be able to take advantage of a drug that new research suggests is both safe and effective. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic and often disabling disease that affects nearly 400,000 people in the United States. It attacks the protective substance called myelin that covers the nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. Myelin is similar to the insulation of a wire and ensures proper nerve function. Once the myelin is damaged, the disease can also damage the nerve fibers themselves, leading to scars in these delicate tissues. This damage leads to symptoms as mild as tingling in your feet and fingers, or as severe as paralysis or blindness. Eighty-five percent of MS patients are diagnosed with what is called relapsing-remitting MS, which means they experience flare-ups of symptoms, followed by partial or complete recovery. A team of researchers looked at nearly 1,500 patients in 28 countries taking the experimental oral drug, known for now by the name BG-12, to see whether such flare-ups decreased, as well as whether they experienced any side effects from the treatment. The patients were studied for two years. The results were encouraging. … Continue reading →