News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
A little over a year ago, in my column on the MS New Today website, I asked if it was safe for someone with MS to handle a gun. I wondered whether there would be safety issues due to problems with grip strength, balance, eyesight, and all the other various difficulties people with MS have to one extent or another. A Facebook post from a woman with MS who’d been…Continue Reading
Biogen, a pharmaceutical company that markets half a dozen MS therapies, is accused of paying doctors to prescribe its medications. A former Biogen employee claimed that the company paid fake consulting and speaking fees to doctors who prescribed Avonex (interferon beta-1a) and Tysabri (natalizumab) in 2009 and 2010. The company now faces a False Claims Act lawsuit in Massachusetts. Biogen also markets Fampyra (fampridine), Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a), Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), and Zinbryta…Continue Reading
As I cruise around MS groups on social media I see a lot of questions involving MS medications. People want to know which meds are available to treat various symptoms. There’s also a lot of interest in comparing disease-modifying therapies, particularly the two newest: Ocrevus and Lemtrada. To help a little with this information search, I’ve added an MS Medications page to The MS Wire. You’ll see that the page…Continue Reading
For years researchers have believed a link exists between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and multiple sclerosis. But scientists have had a hard time finding a precise association. Now, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are reporting another possible connection. Researchers at the Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have found a viral protein in EBV-infected cells. They think that the protein may turn on a “switch” that…Continue Reading
Americans who want to treat their MS with a stem cell transplant have a tough road to follow. They’re forced to travel to Russia, Mexico, or somewhere else out of the country and to spend a lot of money to avoid the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s stem cell treatment barrier. But now, a crack may be appearing in that wall. An article in STAT reports on surgeons at Houston’s Memorial…Continue Reading
As you can see, if you’re reading this, The MS Wire has a new look. The idea is to make the site easier to read and navigate. I hope you like this new format. Of course, comments or suggestions for improvements are always welcome. Ed
I’m finished with my second round of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab). Hopefully, this will be the final round of this disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for me, and my final MS treatment of any kind. Though some have required more, most people treated with Lemtrada receive only two rounds. The first round consists of five infusions over five days. The second round, a year later, is three infusions over three days. If it works…Continue Reading
You may have noticed that I’ve been away from this blog fo a while (at least I hope you noticed). There are a couple of reasons for this. As I write this I’m sitting in an infusion chair, two-thirds of the way through my second round of Lemtrada infusions. I’ll have a report in an upcoming blog most. In the meantime, to catch up with me, you can read these…Continue Reading
I got a phone call from my MS One to One nurse, Lynn, a few days ago. One to One is the patient support service provided by Sanofi Genzyme for patients on the biotech company’s MS disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Aubagio (teriflunomide). Lynn called to ensure that all of the paperwork was up-to-date and ready for my second round of Lemtrada infusions, which is scheduled to begin the…Continue Reading
After I wrote about pediatric MS earlier last week, a reader commented: “I think it would behoove your editorship to follow up to address to audiences…symptoms that typify the early-age demographic.” That’s a good point. So, I drilled deeper into how MS is handled in people younger than 18 years old and found some very interesting information. Pediatric MS diagnosis To begin with, neurologists have a difficult time diagnosing MS…Continue Reading