Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise A study conducted by Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, a UCLA neurologist, shows that combining estriol, a female hormone, with Copaxone, a medication currently used to treat multiple sclerosis, reduced the relapse rate of MS by nearly 50 percent with only one year of treatment. Voskuhl presented the results of the preliminary Phase II clinical trial today at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Philadelphia. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 158 women with relapsing-remitting MS. At 16 sites across the U.S., one group of women was treated with Copaxone, a commonly prescribed, standard-of-care drug for MS, and an 8 milligram estriol pill each day; others received Copaxone and a daily placebo pill. After 12 months of treatment, the relapse rate for the Copaxone-plus-estriol group was 47 percent lower than that of the group that took Copaxone plus a placebo. The test also showed that women who were taking Copaxone plus estriol scored higher on cognitive tests after one year than did women who were taking Copaxone and the placebo. Voskuhl found that, after two years, patients taking Copaxone and the placebo began to show improvement, but those results took … Continue reading →

This innovative collaboration aligns the research efforts of both organizations around projects which are designed to develop a deep understanding of the pathogenesis and progression of MS and to address the unmet medical needs in MS, particularly progressive forms of the disease. Initially the collaboration will focus on projects that explore strategies to address neurodegeneration, a hallmark of progressive MS, and novel technologies to better understand the pathology of the disease. The collaboration will be led by a joint steering committee comprised of Genzyme and Cleveland Clinic researchers and span a minimum of 5 years. As leaders in MS we want to advance and build a sustainable pipeline of novel therapeutic approaches, and our collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, along with our internal R&D efforts, reinforce Genzymes long-term commitment to the MS community, said David Meeker, President and CEO, Genzyme. We are excited to work collaboratively with a premier research and health care institution that has made many important contributions to better understanding this complex and devastating disease. Cleveland Clinics Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis has one of the largest and most comprehensive programs for MS care and research worldwide, managing more than 20,000 patient visits everyyear. The Center has a … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 29-Apr-2014 Contact: Barbara McMakin nindspressteam@ninds.nih.gov 301-496-5751 NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Combining the estrogen hormone estriol with Copaxone, a drug indicated for the treatment of patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), may improve symptoms in patients with the disorder, according to preliminary results from a clinical study of 158 patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The findings were presented today by Rhonda Voskuhl, M.D., from the University of California, Los Angeles, at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health; and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. "While these results are encouraging, the results of this Phase II study should be considered preliminary as a larger study would be needed to know whether benefits outweigh the risks for persons affected by MS. At present, we cannot recommend estrogen as part of standard therapy for MS. We encourage patients to talk with their doctors before making any changes to their treatment plans," said Walter Koroshetz, M.D., deputy director of NINDS. MS is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells break down myelin, … Continue reading →

Denver, Colorado (PRWEB) April 29, 2014 The Natural Vitiligo Treatment review indicates that this program will teach sufferers how to stop this condition and its symptoms immediately. The new program is considered to be one of the most powerful vitiligo treatment systems at the moment. Find out more about this new system and check out what others have to say about it at: http://www.dailygossip.org/natural-vitiligo-treatment-system-review-how-to-cure-vitiligo-6808 Daily Gossip reveals in its review that the method was created by a former vitiligo sufferer, Michael Dawson, who actually used this method, too. Dawson says that with the help of the program he created, he was able to cure his vitiligo permanently and naturally. The author of this method says that he managed to overcome his vitiligo forever in just 2 months. The Natural Vitiligo Treatment promises to help patients stop the spreading of this condition on the spot. Consequently, sufferers will look and feel much better, faster. Patients suffering from this condition are advised to learn from the experience of Michael Dawson and the way he managed to become vitiligo free, easily. Dawson discovered this unique method of overcoming vitiligo after years of struggle and years of research. The author of the Natural Vitiligo … Continue reading →