Multiple Sclerosis News and Research

Latest Multiple Sclerosis News and Research

Celebrity chef, registered dietitian team up to create nutrition program for people with MS

Amanda Freitag, celebrity chef and recurring judge on the Food Network's "Chopped," and Julie Barto, a registered dietitian specializing in multiple sclerosis, have teamed up to create a nutrition program especially for people with MS.

17 Dec 2010

Merck, sanofi-aventis enter global cancer research and development agreement

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that Merck, has signed a worldwide research and development agreement with sanofi-aventis U.S. Inc., under which Merck Serono and sanofi-aventis U.S. Inc. will collaboratively investigate novel experimental combinations of agents that could block specific pathways in cancer cells. This collaboration could deliver novel targeted oncology treatments with high therapeutic potential.

17 Dec 2010

Second brain death exam impacts organ donation rates

Requiring a second exam on a person who is considered brain dead may be unnecessary, according to a study on the impact of a second brain death exam on organ donation rates. The research is published in the December 15, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Dec 2010

Adeona expands and enhances zinc-based product candidate portfolio

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of innovative medicines for serious central nervous system diseases, announced today that it has acquired access to clinical data supporting a zinc-based therapy for the prevention of infections in the elderly. This acquisition expands and enhances Adeona's zinc-based product candidate portfolio that already includes its proprietary zinc-based tablets for use in the dietary management of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment patients, and age-related macular degeneration.

16 Dec 2010

New study contradicts presence of oxysterols in multiple sclerosis patients

New research findings appearing in the January Journal of Lipid Research indicate that compounds called oxysterols are not present in any significant amount in multiple sclerosis patients, contradicting a previous study that suggested that some of these cholesterol metabolites were associated with MS and could be used as diagnostic tools in the clinic.

16 Dec 2010

Survey reveals 40% of consumers prefer to purchase vision care services during weekends, evenings

An independent, national survey reveals 40 percent of consumers prefer to shop for and purchase vision correction services during evenings or weekends.

15 Dec 2010

BRIC researchers discover new protein that improves immune system

Researchers at BRIC, the University of Copenhagen, have discovered for the first time a protein normally found in the body that can act to prevent chronic tissue inflammation.

15 Dec 2010

CGEN-15001 administration shows dramatic therapeutic potential in CIA animal model

Compugen Ltd. announced today that administration of CGEN-15001 in an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis dramatically ameliorates the clinical symptoms of the disease.

15 Dec 2010

Preliminary results from Phase 1b/2a trial of MediciNova's ibudilast in opioid addicts announced

Drug addiction investigators with joint appointments at Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute along with MediciNova Inc, a biopharmaceutical company publicly traded on the Nasdaq Global Market and the Jasdaq Market of the Osaka Securities Exchange, today reported preliminary results of the company's neurological drug candidate, ibudilast (MN-166/AV411), in a Phase 1b/2a trial in opioid addicts. The study was largely funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) with MediciNova supplementation.

14 Dec 2010

Lack of strong molecular 'glue' allows tumour cells to break away and spread

A remarkable discovery into how tumour cells invade normal tissue should lead to vital diagnostic tools and help develop strategies to stop the spread of cancer cells. A new study by scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University reveals that the surface of aggressive tumour cells lack the strong molecular 'glue' responsible for binding normal cells together.

14 Dec 2010

Majority of brain tumor patients use alternative therapies

Many people with incurable brain tumors use alternative therapies, such as taking vitamins and homeopathy, in addition to their conventional treatments, according to a study published in the December 14, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Dec 2010

$Indian study confirms vitamin D deficiency as risk factor for hip fracture$

Indian study confirms vitamin D deficiency as risk factor for hip fracture

A study from New Delhi India has revealed high rates of vitamin D deficiency among hip fracture patients, confirming the conclusions of similar international studies which point to vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for hip fracture.

13 Dec 2010

Physiotherapy Associates announces new MS Specialty Program

Physiotherapy Associates, the nation's foremost provider of outpatient rehabilitation services, announced its new MS Specialty Program, which includes physical therapy services and a health and wellness program designed to reduce or alleviate the symptoms of MS for patients, available in its more than 600 clinics throughout the United States.

10 Dec 2010

Acorda initiates enrollment in GGF2 Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with heart failure

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in the first clinical trial of Glial Growth Factor 2 (GGF2). Acorda is collaborating with the Vanderbilt University Heart and Vascular Institute to conduct this Phase 1 single-dose trial in patients with heart failure.

9 Dec 2010

Teva, Active Biotech report positive initial results from laquinimod Phase III study in multiple sclerosis

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech announced today initial results from the two-year Phase III ALLEGRO study, which demonstrated that relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with 0.6 mg daily oral laquinimod experienced a statistically significant reduction in annualized relapse rate compared to placebo. Additional clinical endpoints, including significant reduction in disability progression, as measured by Expanded Disability Severity Scale (EDSS), were also achieved.

9 Dec 2010

Beike exits stem cell joint venture with SiriCell

Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co. Ltd. ("Beike") and SiriCell Technologies, Inc. announced that they are ending their partnership in "Beike Holdings Limited", a joint venture formed by the two companies in 2008. Going forward, Beike will exit the joint venture, and all current and future Beike Holdings-initiated business activities will operate exclusively under the SiriCell brand. Beike Holdings was established to expand the availability of Beike's stem cell products outside of China through collaborative hospital partnerships and new international subsidiaries.

8 Dec 2010

New technique may help develop novel treatments for brain diseases

Scientists have created a way to isolate neural stem cells - cells that give rise to all the cell types of the brain - from human brain tissue with unprecedented precision, an important step toward developing new treatments for conditions of the nervous system, like Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases and spinal cord injury.

8 Dec 2010

Restless legs syndrome during pregnancy may reappear later on

Women with transient restless legs syndrome (RLS) during pregnancy appear to be at a higher risk of developing a chronic form of RLS later in life or have the same symptoms during future pregnancies, according to new research published in the December 7, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. RLS is a sleep-related motor disorder that causes an unpleasant feeling in the legs. The condition generally worsens during rest at night and improves with movement. Symptoms tend to progress with age.

7 Dec 2010

New, HIV-like retroviruses linked to CFS, prostate cancer detected in healthy blood donors

In an unprecedented move, chronic fatigue syndrome patients published a half-page ad in The Washington Post today. The ad brings attention to new, HIV-like retroviruses, including XMRV, which have been linked to CFS and aggressive prostate cancer, and have been detected in healthy blood donors.

6 Dec 2010

First patient dosed with rFVIIIFc in A-LONG trial

Biogen Idec and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum today announced that the first patient has been dosed with the companies' long-lasting recombinant Factor VIII Fc fusion protein (rFVIIIFc) in a global registrational clinical trial. The study, called A-LONG, is an open-label, multicenter, Phase 2/3 study designed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of rFVIIIFc in previously-treated hemophilia A patients.

6 Dec 2010