Multiple Sclerosis News and Research

Latest Multiple Sclerosis News and Research

Mayo study raises hope for treating multiple sclerosis

A Mayo Clinic study has found that two genes in mice were associated with good central nervous system repair in multiple sclerosis (MS). These findings give researchers new hope for developing more effective therapies for patients with MS and for predicting MS patients' outcomes. This study will be presented at the Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sept. 11, 2009.

11 Sep 2009

Pluristem begins enrollment following FDA approval for clinical trials of its PLX-PAD stem cell product

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (NasdaqCM: PSTI) (DAX: PJT) today announced that it has begun enrolling patients in the U.S. for a Phase I clinical trial with its unmatched placenta-derived stem cell product, PLX-PAD, the Company’s leading product candidate for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI), the end-stage of peripheral artery disease (PAD).

11 Sep 2009

Abstracts on Merck Serono oncology treatments to be presented at ECCO and ESMO

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, continues to drive the global effort to ensure patients receive personalized cancer therapies. A total of 17 abstracts concerning Merck Serono oncology treatments will be presented at the joint 15th Congress of the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) and 34th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), to be held in Berlin from 20-24 September 2009.

11 Sep 2009

Neurologists recommend oral cladribine for treating multiple sclerosis

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, owing to its infrequent dosing and positive efficacy, nearly 90 percent of surveyed neurologists indicate they will prescribe Merck Serono/EMD Serono's oral cladribine for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

11 Sep 2009

Teva's COPAXONE holds promise for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ: TEVA) today presented data that demonstrated patients treated for 10 and 15 years with COPAXONE® (glatiramer acetate injection) had significant reduction in disease severity. These data, generated from the longest continuous prospective study of any disease modifying therapy in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), were presented today at the 25th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Düsseldorf, Germany.

10 Sep 2009

Human neural stem cells to treat Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease

StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM) announced today that it will soon initiate with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Children’s Hospital a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic potential of StemCells’ proprietary HuCNS-SC® product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) to treat Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a myelination disorder that primarily affects infants and young children.

10 Sep 2009

BioTrends Research Group ranked by Philadelphia 100 for the second consecutive time

For the second year in a row, BioTrends Research Group, Inc. has been ranked as one of the fastest-growing, privately-held companies in the Philadelphia region by the Philadelphia 100, a joint project of the Wharton Small Business Development Center, the Entrepreneurs' Forum of Greater Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Business Journal.

10 Sep 2009

Acorda Therapeutics announces Phase 3 Fampridine-SR trial findings

Data from a long-term open-label extension study from the first Phase 3 Fampridine-SR trial, known as MS-F203, showed that 24.9% of extension study participants with multiple sclerosis (MS) met the criteria as Extension Timed Walk Responders (ETWRs) after one year of treatment and demonstrated improved walking speed over a two year period.

10 Sep 2009

New treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis

The drawback in the new immunotherapies in multiple sclerosis (MS) includMe severe infections that can be fatal. For example, treatment with natalizumab, which reduces the immune surveillance of the brain, can lead to the development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a typically fatal form of viral encephalitis.

10 Sep 2009

Therapeutic principles of monoclonal antibodies

Professor Joachim R. Kalden, Member of the Department for Molecular Immunology, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Zentrum, University Medical School Erlangen-Nuremberg, presents therapeutic principles based on monoclonal antibodies.

10 Sep 2009

Biovista's BVA-201 drug for MS shows positive results

Biovista Inc. today announced that BVA-201, its drug targeting Multiple Sclerosis (MS), has shown significant positive results in the MOG-induced Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis (EAE) murine model of MS. BVA-201 is an existing drug that Biovista repositioned in MS and is aimed at neuroprotection. It was shown to have both efficacy in reducing symptoms and no toxic effects in this well established model of MS.

10 Sep 2009

All Americans should have access to affordable and high quality health care: President of BIO

“BIO shares President Obama's goal of ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable, sustainable, high quality health care. Biotechnology plays an essential role in achieving this goal. Biotechnology expands the boundaries of science by discovering, developing, and delivering innovative and needed medical products to patients.

10 Sep 2009

North Carolina Biotechnology Center awarded a transformational grant by the Biogen Idec Foundation

The Biogen Idec Foundation today announced it has awarded a $1 million Transformational Grant in Science Education to the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to support the expansion of the Center’s educational training facility for K-12 science teachers. The grant is part of the Biogen Idec Foundation’s new Transformational Grants in Science Education initiative. The Foundation has awarded approximately $1.5 million in transformational grants since the program was initiated in 2008.

9 Sep 2009

Inspire Pharmaceuticals wins award for its denufosol tetrasodium program

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today it received the North Carolina Health & Life Sciences Award in the category of “Breakthrough Research” for its denufosol tetrasodium program for cystic fibrosis (CF).

9 Sep 2009

Biogen Idec restates its plan to purchase all outstanding shares of Facet Biotech

Biogen Idec Inc. today reiterated its proposal to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Facet Biotech Corporation for $14.50 per share in cash.

9 Sep 2009

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries to present MS treatment research data

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced that new research data furthering the clinical understanding of its diverse multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment franchise will be presented at the 25th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Düsseldorf, Germany, September 9-12, 2009.

9 Sep 2009

Opexa Therapeutics' ongoing development program for Tovaxin to be presented

Opexa Therapeutics, Inc., a company developing Tovaxin, a personalized T-cell immunotherapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), today announced that Neil K. Warma, Opexa’s president and chief executive officer, will deliver a corporate presentation at Rodman & Renshaw’s 11th Annual Healthcare Conference.

8 Sep 2009

Opexa Therapeutics releases Phase IIb TERMS clinical study results

Opexa Therapeutics, Inc., a company developing Tovaxin, a personalized T-cell immunotherapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), today announced results from further analysis of the double-blind, placebo-controlled, 52-week Phase IIb TERMS clinical study of 150 patients with Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS).

8 Sep 2009

RONA MS Bike Tour organized for the benefit of the Quebec Division of the MS Society a huge success

The 20th edition of the RONA MS Bike Tour, organized for the benefit of the Quebec Division of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, ended last weekend in a glow of unbelievable generosity. Together, the 1,500 cyclists raised $1,450,000, which will fund research and services for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their families. Participants got together in the Victoriaville area on August 22 and 23, and in the Levis region on August 29 and 30.

8 Sep 2009

Scientists solve the mystery of zonulin's identity

It was nine years ago that University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers discovered that a mysterious human protein called zonulin played a critical role in celiac disease and other autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes.

8 Sep 2009