Category Archives: MS Treatment

SASKATOON -- A Saskatoon man is going to the U.S. to see if he can take part in a clinical trial of the so-called liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis. Andrew Dahlen is the first Saskatchewan resident to go to Albany, N.Y., for the final eligibility screening in a two-year, double-blind clinical trial. I think the possible benefit will outweigh the real risks of it. Im certainly terrified for going but Im more excited, so Im not really too concerned about the risks, Dahlen said Thursday. The province is putting up $2.2 million to have 86 Saskatchewan patients take part in the trial. All prospective participants are first screened by a neurologist to ensure they meet eligibility requirements. A successful candidate must be a Saskatchewan resident, under the age of 60 and not had liberation treatment. Candidates then spend several days at Albany Medical Centre, where a final assessment determines whether they will be accepted into the trial. The nature of the double-blind study means half of those participating will receive liberation therapy and half will get a placebo procedure. Dahlen, 28, is optimistic. In any scientific test there has to be a control group, so Im thinking even if I … Continue reading →

A Saskatchewan man who is going to the U.S. to see if he can take part in the so-called liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis says hes both terrified and excited. Andrew Dahlen is the first Saskatchewan resident to go to Albany, N.Y., for the final eligibility screening in a two-year, double-blind clinical trial. The province is putting up $2.2 million to have 86 Saskatchewan patients take part. The nature of the double-blind study means half of those participating in the trial will receive liberation therapy and half will get a placebo procedure. Dahlen says even if he were to get the placebo that would still be good research on the progression of MS. The 28-year-old Saskatoon music lover, who lost the ability to play guitar because of the disease, also says the possible benefit would outweigh the risks. The therapy was devised by Italian physician Paolo Zamboni, who has suggested MS may be caused by narrowed veins that prevent blood from properly draining from the brain. He says that could result in iron deposits that damage neurons. Zamboni calls the condition chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, or CCSVI. Zambonis treatment uses balloon angioplasty to open the veins in the same way … Continue reading →

Andrew Dahlen is going to Albany, N.Y. hoping to participate in neck vein clinical trials for his MS. (Steve Pasqualatto/CBC) A Saskatoon man with multiple sclerosis will be the first person sent by the province to the United States to see if he can participate in neck vein therapy clinical trials. Andrew Dahlen will fly to Albany, N.Y., Monday for a final assessment in order to join a two-year study of the so-called liberation therapy for MS. The therapy involves using tiny balloons, surgically inserted, to open up constricted veins. MS is a neurological disease that can seriously affect mobility, vision, speech and bladder function. Hundreds of people from Canada have gone to the U.S. or overseas for the treatment, and many say it has given them relief from their symptoms. However, neck vein therapy is controversial, with a number of medical experts saying it doesn't work, or that the relief it provides is temporary or can be explained by the placebo effect. No Canadian province pays for the procedure, which costs thousands of dollars per treatment, so people who leave the country for it must pay out of their own pockets. Saskatchewan doesn't pay for the procedure either, but … Continue reading →

With a mix of anticipation and fear, Andrew Dahlen will soon learn if he will be Saskatchewans first patient to participate in a clinical trial for a controversial multiple sclerosis treatment. Dahlen who was diagnosed with MS at the age of 22 will travel to Albany, New York on Monday for the final stage of eligibility screening for the clinical trial Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI). Its about 70 per cent exciting, 30 per cent terrified. More excited than terrified, said Dahlen, now 28 years old, during a news conference Thursday in Saskatoon. Saskatchewan Health Minister Dustin Duncan called Dahlens trip to New York a groundbreaking day for our province and science, and thanked Dahlen for his willingness to take part in the study. Again, there still are some questions and thats why we want to be a part of trying to find answers to some for those questions, whether this is an effective treatment or not, said Duncan at the news conference. Dahlen will spend several days at the Albany Medical Centre where a final assessment will determine whether he will be accepted into the trial. CCSVI is a controversial MS treatment first hypothesized by Dr. Paolo Zamboni. Zamboni … Continue reading →

By Benson Ang The New Paper Thursday, Aug 16, 2012 It was a battle of the lawyers in Parliament on Monday. In one corner was Law Minister K. Shanmugam (above). In the other was Ms Sylvia Lim, a Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC. They went head-to-head regarding the recent conviction of plastic surgeon Woffles Wu. During their heated exchange, Ms Lim was accused of avoiding a question that Mr Shanmugam asked three times. Workers' Party chief Low Thia Kiang asked if Mr Shanmugam was trying to intimidate Ms Lim. And because of voices joining in from the rest of the house, Mr Shanmugam asked if he could finish without being interrupted. It all began the usual way. Ms Lim had asked, among other things, if an Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) statement in June, explaining the choice of charge against Dr Wu, has addressed public concerns about the equitability of the legal system. Mr Shanmugam rose to speak. Read the rest here: I was hoping that Ms Lim would be fair … Continue reading →

A talented musician who once loved nothing more than play a few riffs on his guitar is now just happy he can tie his own shoes. Shea Bonney, a 34-year-old musician who lives in Calgary, is slowly getting his life back together after having the controversial chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency treatment in the United States Aug. 1 to address his Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The treatment is controversial because it is not offered in Canada. Bonney said the impact of the treatment has been profound, but he is upset he could not have accessed the care closer to home and have it covered through medicare. I feel betrayed and I dont understand how we cannot offer something so simple in Canada, he said. I feel abandoned. I dont understand how they could leave us in the dark at least they could do is try. As a result of the treatment, which is mainly angioplasty in the neck to improve blood flow, Bonney said his quality of life has improved dramatically. He is no longer using a cane, he now has the use of his hands again and vision has improved. Bonney admitted he does not know how long the affects of … Continue reading →

NEW YORK (AP) -- Biogen Idec Inc. said Wednesday that it will work with Regulus Therapeutics Inc. to identify microRNAs biomarkers in patients with multiple sclerosis. Biogen makes and sells several multiple sclerosis drugs including Avonex and Tysabri, and it is also developing BG-12, a pill that is seen as a promising treatment for the condition. The companies said Regulus believes the biomarkers may help identify the best patients for clinical trials of multiple sclerosis drugs, could be used to develop diagnostic tests and may help monitor the progression of the illness or relapses. MicroRNAs are small RNA molecules. RNA helps synthesize proteins in the body, and microRNA helps regulate the way genes work. Biogen will buy a stake in Regulus and will make upfront and potential milestone payments to the company. It did not disclose the size of the stake it is buying or the terms of any payments. Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks healthy nerves. It can cause pain, numbness, slurred speech, impaired vision, muscle weakness, and neurological problems. Shares of Biogen Idec rose $1.37 to close at $146.87. Link: Biogen Idec in MS biomarker deal with Regulus … Continue reading →

Two-hundred Americans are diagnosed each week with multiple sclerosis, joining the 400,000 already living with the debilitating disease. There are 20,000 people with MS in Ohio alone, more than any other state, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Its no wonder doctors such as Union Hospitals Alok Bhagat have their hands full. He sees 150 to 200 local MS patients each year. The disabling disease attacks the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. People living with MS may experience numbness in the limbs, chronic fatigue or more severe symptoms such as paralysis and loss of vision. There is no known cure for multiple sclerosis, Bhagat said. But there are more treatment options available to patients, as Bhagat shared during a lecture Thursday in the hospital auditorium. His lecture focused on early diagnoses of the disease, where most advancements can be used to help patients. Bhagat said people experiencing symptoms such as numbness and fatigue should see their family physician. If the symptoms cant be explained by simple causes, patients likely will be referred to a neurologist. He said the best thing a patient can do is try to stay physically fit by maintaining a healthy weight. Treatment for patients … Continue reading →

ARDSLEY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- National Disability Institute (NDI) and Acorda Therapeutics announced they will launch a free six-part webinar series on financial, tax and investment topics for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), their families and care teams. The National Disability Institutes Financial Wellness Series sponsored by Acorda Therapeutics will begin this September and be led by top experts in tax, money management, benefits, employment, Social Security and other areas of personal finance. Due to the programs success last year, Acorda and NDI worked together to provide resources on a greater number of topics than last years four webinars. In 2011, NDI completed an online survey of 3,000 people living with MS. Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported that their financial positions declined after their MS diagnosis, while nearly 74 percent reported that they did not use financial planning programs or strategies to manage or stabilize their finances. Our survey showed that whether people had an MS diagnosis early or later in life, there is a critical lack of information to help people with MS understand how to manage their money, plan for their financial futures, access favorable tax provisions, effectively utilize public benefits and keep working, said Michael Morris, National Disability … Continue reading →

JACKSON, MS--(Marketwire -08/13/12)- Injuries and other health conditions have long been known to spark chronic pain; however, chronic pain does not always develop in people who sustain the same injuries or suffer from the same health conditions. A new report, published in Nature Neuroscience, asserts that emotional behavior may be involved in the onset of chronic pain. An article released by U.S. News further considers this possibility, which is rooted in neurological activity. Neurosurgeon Adam Lewis believes that this study is valuable in that it sheds light on how attention to emotional factors can assist in alleviating chronic pain through the right treatment options. The article asserts that the brain regions concerned with emotional and motivational behavior show higher levels of communication in patients who suffer from chronic pain. "For the first time, we can explain why people who may have the exact same initial pain either go on to recover or develop chronic pain," explains A. Vania Apkarian, one of the authors of the study and a professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "The injury by itself is not enough to explain the ongoing pain. It has to do with the injury combined with the state of … Continue reading →