MS and Demyelinating Disorders

The staff neurologist at Cleveland Clinic addressed several questions regarding choosing an optimal therapy for patients with MS.

The FDA has granted the go-ahead to Biogen and Alkermes’ diroximel fumarate, which will be marketed as Vumerity, for the treatment of relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive MS, as well as clinically isolated syndrome.

Robert Fox, MD, reviews the current treatment landscape for progressive multiple sclerosis, and why a focus on inflammation may not be sufficient to slow disease progression.

Robert Fox, MD, discussed the pursuit to identify new imaging biomarkers in an effort to better understand the disease course in progressive multiple sclerosis.

The drug is now approved to treat pediatric patients with both upper and lower limb spasticity, excluding spasticity caused by cerebral palsy.

VTS-72 is a proprietary combination of fumarate and VTS-Aspirin believed to improve the pharmacokinetics of fumaric acid while improving flush, which is estimated to occur in up to 40% of patients on a fumarate agent.

The latest generic entry comes on the heels of a new report from ICER, which published a list of prescription drugs that had substantial price increases in 2017 and 2018 without what they consider to be new supporting evidence.

The director of Centers for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research, and Traumatic Brain Injury Research at Kessler Foundation discussed the use of cognitive rehabilitation techniques in healthy individuals.

A composite score of a number of measurements of evoked potentials may be able to predict sustained accumulation of disability in patients with clinically isolated syndrome, which could provide clinicians insight into early disease.

The director of Centers for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research, and Traumatic Brain Injury Research at Kessler Foundation shared her perspective on the varying benefits different patient groups derive through strategy training for cognitive rehabilitation.

This is the first study to compare infection risk with rituximab alongside other highly effective disease-modifying therapies.

The latest generic entry comes on the heels of a new report from ICER, which published a list of prescription drugs that had substantial price increases in 2017 and 2018 without what they consider to be new supporting evidence.

The director of Centers for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research, and Traumatic Brain Injury Research at Kessler Foundation discussed the use of strategy training in the cognitive rehabilitation of patients with MS and TBI.

Unsustainable costs pose challenges for patients and providers alike as the price of living with MS continues to rise.

The neurologist at the National MS Center and University Hospital, in Brussels, discussed the clinician mindset when treating women with MS who plan to get pregnant, and how patients using assistive reproductive treatments should be approached.

Mallinckrodt’s repository corticotropin injection (Acthar Gel) showed statistically significant results for every efficacy end point assessed, including the primary end point. Data will be shared at an upcoming medical meeting.

After showing significant benefits in delayed disease progression in patients with secondary progressive MS, new data suggests siponimod can delay the time to wheelchair dependence by 4 years.

Hauser, who is director of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, spoke with NeurologyLive about the gravity of the phase 3 ASCLEPIOS I and II trial results in relapsing MS.

The senior research scientist in the Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering Research at Kessler Foundation spoke to the research being done into the functional implementation of exoskeletons in neurorehabilitation.

The professor and senior physician in the department of clinical neuroscience at the Karolinska Institutet spoke to the use of stem cell transplantation as a potential method of treating multiple sclerosis.

Neurology News Network for the week ending September 28, 2019.

This regulatory approval in the treatment of pediatric patients aged 2 years and older with upper limb spasticity, excluding those with cerebral palsy, marks abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport, Ipsen) as the first botulinum toxin approved for both upper and lower pediatric spasticity.

The senior research scientist in the Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering Research at Kessler Foundation shared insight into the work she and her colleagues are doing to try to revolutionize the way exoskeletons can improve neurorehabilitation and gait challenges.

The director of the Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center at Kessler Foundation spoke about the future of functional MRI in providing real-time neurofeedback, and how it might be incorporated as an end point in clinical trials.

The director of the Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center at Kessler Foundation shared insight on the abilities functional MRI have provided researchers and how it has made an impact on the testing of interventions for a number of neurologic conditions.

PML incidence in a cohort of more than 6000 patients have decreased by 23% each year since risk guidelines and new serologic testing were introduced.

Based on datasets from 2 national registries and the European Interferon Beta Pregnancy Registry, the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has given a positive opinion to remove the contraindications, which would allow the Biogen agents to be used by pregnant and breastfeeding women with multiple sclerosis.

Neurology News Network for the week ending September 21, 2019.

The neurologist at the National MS Center and University Hospital, in Brussels, spoke to the decision-making process when treating women with MS who seek to get pregnant, or who are planning a family.

The professor and senior physician in the department of clinical neuroscience at the Karolinska Institutet discussed the evolving understanding of the blood-brain barrier in MS, and what might still be left to uncover.