The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Category: Drugs

Has the tolebrutinib road ended?

Illustration of the word "no"

The fast track may have turned into a dead end for tolebrutinib, Sanofi’s Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor for multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied approval of the experimental treatment in its current form, saying “a favorable benefit-fisk profile could not be established for any patient population.” In a Complete Response Letter (CRL), released with redactions on January 6, 2026, the agency said…Continue Reading

Using DMTs to treat older people: Yes or no?

Hourglass to illustrate time running out for older people

Using disease modifying therapies (DMTs) to treat older people who have multiple sclerosis, like me, isn’t a simple choice. Many neurologists seem to make their recommendations guided by a 2017 review by University of British Columbia researchers, reporting that disease activity declines as people with MS grow older. It suggested that those of us who are 55 or older – and are having no relapses, new brain lesions, or other…Continue Reading

Did miss-matched medications make for some choppy cruising?

Choppy cruising waters

I’m writing this on Deck 14 on the cruise ship Celebrity Beyond. Cruising isn’t new to me but it’s often a challenge because of my multiple sclerosis (MS) mobility problems. This trip hasn’t been any different. I try to plan for all possibilities, of course. Accessible stateroom? Check. Confirm that onshore excursions can handle me with my scooter? Check. Prescription Scopolamine patches to wear behind my ear to prevent seasickness?…Continue Reading

Tolebrutinib nears the MS approval finish line

Woman runs toward finish line, like tolebrutinib is

After some stumbles out of the starting gate, an experimental treatment that’s in a group hoping to be the next big thing for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is a step closer to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Tolebrutinib, developed by Sanofi, has been designated as a Breakthrough Therapy for the treatment of adults with non-relapsing secondary progressive MS (nrSPMS). The designation is intended to speed the development…Continue Reading

A choice of shot or infusion for Ocrevus users

ocrevus zunovo vial

A 10-minute injection or a two-hour infusion? Which would you prefer to treat your multiple sclerosis (MS)? That choice is now available, following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Ocrevus Zunovo in mid-September. The treatment combines Genentech’s very popular Ocrevus with ocrelizumab with a drug delivery system called Enhanze. Ocrevus, according to Genentech, has been used to treat more than 350,000 people with MS (PwMS) since it was…Continue Reading

Can this CAR-T therapy help people with MS?

Woman with fingers crossed hoping for CART-T MS therapy success.

My fingers are crossed. Again. IMPT-514, an experimental cell therapy produced by ImmPACT Bio, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for phase 1 multiple sclerosis (MS) trials. I hope this treatment might be the next big thing for people with MS, but I know from experience that’s far from certain. IMPT-514 is a bispecific chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, designed to ease MS symptoms…Continue Reading

Does modafinil help when MS makes me tired?

Tired man head on desk.

The author describes his struggles with fatigue, cognitive fog, and stress exacerbated by multiple sclerosis (MS) and his wife’s recent back surgery. He juggles various caregiving tasks, while battling severe fatigue. He discusses mixed results of the medication modafinil, used to alleviate MS fatigue, noting personal experiences and varying research findings on its effectiveness.

Is it time to end your MS DMT?

Yes/no sign for DMT age decision

Is there a time when multiple sclerosis (MS) is finished attacking the nervous system – when it just “burns out” and there’s no longer any need to continue using a disease-modifying therapy (DMT)? A 2017 review by researchers at the University of British Columbia notes that disease activity declines as people with MS grow older. It suggests that those who are 55 years or older and have had no relapses,…Continue Reading

A better bladder means better sleep

Bladder incontinence

I slept through the night last night. Recently, I’ve managed to do that on most nights. No 4 a.m. bathroom trips for me! That’s a big deal. There was a time when I’d get up two or even three times during the night for a bladder run. Sleeping seven or eight hours straight is huge. I’ve been troubled by bladder frequency and urgency for many years during the four decades…Continue Reading

Will Tyruko save MS patients money? Maybe.

money

The late August approval of Tyruko (natalizumab-sztn) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is big news in the multiple sclerosis world. Tyruko is a biosimilar for Tysabri (natalizumab), and it’s the first biosimilar to gain FDA approval as an MS disease-modifying therapy (DMT). “Tyruko has the potential to extend the reach of natalizumab treatment for [MS] patients, increase healthcare savings and fuel innovation through competition in the market,” Keren…Continue Reading