Archive for September, 2009

Data from two long-term open-label extension studies of Fampridine-SR show that 86.0% of participants remained on therapy after a maximum treatment time of 15 months in study MS-F204EXT, and 69.5% remained on therapy after a maximum treatment time of 36 months in study MS-F203EXT. The average treatment time for all patients was 10 months in the MS-F204EXT study and 26 months in the MS-F203EXT study, both inclusive of dropouts.

British researchers have made a new discovery about how the immune system works. The findings, published in the journal Nature Immunology, looked at a specific subset of immune cells called Natural Killer (NK) cells. NK cells are specialised immune cells that play a role in killing and removing infected or unhealthy cells, which include cancerous cells.

Watch for these warning signs of suicide.

Artielle ImmunoTherapeutics, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company announced the presentation of “Results of a Phase 1 safety study of RTL1000, a recombinant T-Cell receptor ligand specific for an immunodominant MOG peptide, in multiple sclerosis.” The results were presented yesterday by one of Artielle’s founding scientists, Arthur Vandenbark, Ph.D., at the Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies in Florence, Italy.

Title: Are You Hankering for a Swine Flu Vaccine?
Category: Health News
Created: 5/7/2009
Last Editorial Review: 9/11/2009

Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) have announced six-month results of an ongoing, one-year longitudinal, observational, patient-reported outcomes study showing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients taking TYSABRI® (natalizumab) experienced an improvement in both their physical function and psychological well-being. Findings from the study, which was performed in conjunction with HealthCore Inc.

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 was presented at the Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sept. 11, 2009.

Data from an observational phase IV study of 499 patients entitled The Swiss MS Skin Project show that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients taking AVONEX (interferon beta-1a IM) reported significantly fewer injection site reactions (ISRs) compared to patients on Betaferon® (interferon beta-1b), Copaxone® (glatiramer Acetate) or Rebif ®(interferon beta-1a).

Title: Radiculopathy
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 9/10/2009 2:49:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 9/10/2009 2:49:31 PM

Research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine has described how progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) infection may occur in people taking Tysabri, a drug licensed for use in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). PML is a serious and often fatal infection of the brain that is estimated to occur in approximately one in 1,000 people taking Tysabri over the course of 18 months.