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EMD Serono Launches One Million Euro Research Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Fredricko

ROCKLAND, Mass., Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --EMD Serono, Inc., a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today during the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) congress in Lyon, France, that the company has initiated a new global research award to improve understanding of multiple sclerosis for the ultimate benefit of patients.

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The Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation will award up to one million euros annually to fund innovative research into multiple sclerosis (MS) by academic researchers.Researchers can submit their project proposals via the program's website, http://www.grantformultiplesclerosisinnovation.org, and awardees will be announced at next year's ECTRIMS congress in Copenhagen.

"We are committed to driving innovative research to further contribute to our understanding of the disease and ultimately lead to new medical breakthroughs in multiple sclerosis," said Annalisa Jenkins, Head of Global Drug Development and Medical for Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "While tremendous progress has been made over the years, we must continue to search for answers to important scientific questions in the field."

Potential research topics which could be funded through the Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation include MS pathogenesis, predictive markers for treatment response and potential new treatments.

This grant complements other existing programs like EMD Serono's collaboration with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the FastFoward* collaborative fund.

The funds from the Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation will be awarded by EMD Serono for projects based in the United States and Canada, and by Merck Serono to those based in the rest of the world.

For more information about the program, and to submit a scientific research project proposal, please visit http://www.grantformultiplesclerosisinnovation.org.

*For more details related to FastForward, please visit: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/fast-forward/index.aspx

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EMD Serono Launches One Million Euro Research Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation

Multiple Sclerosis Yielding Secrets But Questions Remain

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Fredricko

Editor's Choice Main Category: Multiple Sclerosis Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience Article Date: 11 Oct 2012 - 11:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Multiple Sclerosis Yielding Secrets But Questions Remain

3.78 (9 votes)

4.75 (4 votes)

This week more than 7000 leading MS physicians and researchers are in Lyon, France, attending the annual scientific conference of The European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS).

In the official Conference press briefing, leading MS clinicians described some of the unanswered questions currently perplexing the MS community.

"One concern is the growing proportion of women, compared with men who develop MS. Since the 1950s this proportion has grown from a ratio of 2:1 (women to men) to 3:1. "We don't know why," said Professor Christian Confavreux, Hopital Neurologique, Lyon, France and Chair of ECTRIMS 2012.

When asked about the apparent increase in MS currently occurring in the Middle East, the panel said that this was a mystery, but there were clues.

"MS seems to be a disease of 'modern life' ", said Professor Confavreux. As less developed societies modernise, many factors change, such as basic hygiene, vaccinations, smoking, and diet.

"We don't know what it is, but something about this new way of life is leading to an increase in MS." He pointed to the French West Indies where a major study had yielded intriguing findings.

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Multiple Sclerosis Yielding Secrets But Questions Remain

Research and Markets: Multiple Sclerosis – Thought Leader Panel – Pharmacoeconomics – What Benefits Make a Multiple …

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Fredricko

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6xfx9g/multiple) has announced the addition of the "Multiple Sclerosis Thought Leader Panel #15 Pharmacoeconomics" report to their offering.

Multiple Sclerosis Thought Leader Panel #15 2012-02, commissioned by BOLT International / MedPredict, was designed to address a question asked by a number of our clients: What benefits make a multiple sclerosis therapeutic worth the price? Asked another way, should MS therapies be priced more like an acute life-saving drug, whose survival benefit is measured in weeks or months? Or should they be priced more like therapies prescribed to deliver both symptomatic benefit and disease modifying properties for other immunologic conditions (psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease)? These agents top out in the $30,000 - $35,000/yr range. Are the QALY figures that Noyes cites reflective of overpriced drugs, ineffective therapies, or a combination of these two factors? Or do they reflect an over-hyped academic perspective that fails to capture the full spectrum of benefit that the drugs deliver over the entire course of the disease?

Applying the Goldilocks principle, our Panel concluded the following: Gilenya (fingolimod) may be as effective as Tysabri in terms of reducing disease activity measured by MRI, but at $52,000/yr, it's overpriced. The CRAB(E)s (interferon, Copaxone), are priced lower ($30,000 - $40,000, but are less effective even on this dimension. Tysabri (natalizumab), priced in the low $40,000/yr range, arguably has the best efficacy, and with the new diagnostic, can be timed for safe use. Tysabri is effective when measured by reduction in gadolinium enhancing lesions, and EDSS. In addition it is remarkably effective at returning patients to essentially normal function - meaning that they feel like they no longer have MS (also described as improves existing symptoms). The drug attenuates fatigue, early cognitive complaints, executive function problems and depression symptoms.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

- Backround

- Conclusions

Discussion

- Introduction

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Research and Markets: Multiple Sclerosis - Thought Leader Panel - Pharmacoeconomics - What Benefits Make a Multiple ...

Research and Markets: Multiple Sclerosis – Pipeline Review, H2 2012

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Fredricko

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/q5j88n/multiple) has announced the addition of Global Markets Direct's new report "Multiple Sclerosis - Pipeline Review, H2 2012" to their offering.

Global Markets Direct's, 'Multiple Sclerosis - Pipeline Review, Global Markets Direct's, 'Multiple Sclerosis - Pipeline Review, H2 2012', provides an overview of the indication's therapeutic pipeline. This report provides information on the therapeutic development for Multiple Sclerosis, complete with latest updates, and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis - Pipeline Review, Half Year is built using data and information sourced from Global Markets Direct's proprietary databases, Company/University websites, SEC filings, investor presentations and featured press releases from company/university sites and industry-specific third party sources, put together by Global Markets Direct's team.

Scope

- A snapshot of the global therapeutic scenario for Multiple Sclerosis.

- A review of the Multiple Sclerosis products under development by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources.

- Coverage of products based on various stages of development ranging from discovery till registration stages.

- A feature on pipeline projects on the basis of monotherapy and combined therapeutics.

- Coverage of the Multiple Sclerosis pipeline on the basis of route of administration and molecule type.

- Key discontinued pipeline projects.

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Research and Markets: Multiple Sclerosis - Pipeline Review, H2 2012

Multiple sclerosis: Using the eye as a 'window into the brain'

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Fredricko

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2012) An inexpensive, five-minute eye scan can accurately assess the amount of brain damage in people with the debilitating autoimmune disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), and offer clues about how quickly the disease is progressing, according to results of two Johns Hopkins studies.

"The eye is the window into the brain and by measuring how healthy the eye is, we can determine how healthy the rest of the brain is," says Peter A. Calabresi, M.D., a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and leader of the studies described in recent issues of The Lancet Neurology and the Archives of Neurology. "Eye scans are not that expensive, are really safe, and are widely used in ophthalmology, and now that we have evidence of their predictive value in MS, we think they are ready for prime time. We should be using this new quantitative tool to learn more about disease progression, including nerve damage and brain atrophy."

Calabresi and his colleagues used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to scan nerves deep in the back of the eye, applying special software they co-developed that is capable of assessing previously immeasurable layers of the light-sensitive retinal tissue. The scan uses no harmful radiation and is one-tenth the cost of an MRI. The software will soon be widely available commercially.

In the Lancet paper, Calabresi and his team reported measuring thickness or swelling of the inner nuclear layer of the retina in 164 patients with MS and 60 healthy controls, following changes in these tissues over four years. At the same time, they also used brain MRI to measure inflammation spots directly, and performed clinical tests to determine disability levels.

The more inflammation and swelling the researchers found in the retinas of the MS patients, the more inflammation showed up in their brain MRIs. The correlation, they said, affirmed the value of the retinal scans as a stand-alone surrogate for brain damage. Having such information so easily available could allow physicians to accurately tell how far the disease has progressed, and to better advise patients about how they should proceed with their care.

The researchers also found microcystic macular edema in the central part of the retinas of 10 of the MS patients, tiny pockets of fluid typically found in older, usually diabetic people. While Calabresi cautions that eye scans do not as yet have primary diagnostic value for MS, he says finding a cyst like this on the eye of a young, healthy person might be reason to have her evaluated for the disorder.

In the United States, there are roughly 400,000 people living with MS. The disorder typically strikes between the ages of 20 and 50 and affects two-to-three times as many women as men.

In the paper published in the Archives of Neurology, Calabresi and colleagues looked at eye and brain scans of 84 MS patients and 24 healthy controls. This time, they focused on two other deep retinal layers, the ganglion cell layer + inner plexiform layer (GCL+IPL), and the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRFNL). Greater cell wasting in those areas was strongly correlated with more atrophy in the gray matter of the brain, signifying more nerve damage from MS. Gray matter consists of the part of the brain where nerve cells live, and plays a role similar to a computer's hard drive, in contrast to white matter that is more like the wiring that sends information out from the brain to the spinal cord and the rest of the body's nerves.

Calabresi, director of the Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Center, says this finding is particularly important because neurodegeneration is so difficult to accurately gauge. In a young person with MS, the brain may be atrophying but may cause no symptoms because the brain is able to compensate for what is being lost. Ultimately, though, the loss of brain cells becomes apparent and is irreversible. Calabresi says that if he saw the kind of thickness on an eye scan indicating severe atrophy, he would consider a patient's prognosis less encouraging than someone with a healthy retina, and this information may guide physicians to treat more aggressively. For example, he says he would likely redouble efforts to enter a patient into a clinical trial for an experimental medication before too much permanent damage takes place.

Calabresi says his findings could also shift how researchers approach MS, long believed to be caused by an immune system that wrongly attacks the fatty protein called myelin that insulates nerves and helps them send electrical signals that control movement, speech and other functions. The usefulness of the scans raises the possibility that there could be something else going on, as there is no myelin deep in the retina of the eye. If the immune system is going after something else along with myelin, it could help researchers find new medications to target the incapacitating symptoms of MS, such as blurred vision, numbness and weakness.

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Multiple sclerosis: Using the eye as a 'window into the brain'

Controlling inflammation in multiple sclerosis comes closer to reality

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Fredricko

Washington, October 5 (ANI): In a new study, researchers have suggested a possible new mechanism to control multiple sclerosis (MS).

The study by Dr Iain Comerford from the University of Adelaide is directed towards understanding how specific enzymes in cells of the immune system regulate immune cell activation and migration.

Along with his colleagues, Professor Shaun McColl and PhD students Wendel Litchfield and Ervin Kara, he focused on a molecule known as PI3Kgamma, which is involved in the activation and movement of white blood cells.

"There's already been worldwide interest in PI3Kgamma in relation to other human inflammatory disorders, such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, and our study links this molecule and MS," Dr Comerford said.

Dr Comerford and his colleagues have now shown that this molecule is crucial for the development of experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) in an animal model developed as a standard laboratory system for studying MS.

The team showed that a genetic alteration, which knocked out that particular molecule, resulted in a high resistance to the development of EAE and therefore protected against the nervous system damage typical of multiple sclerosis.

When the molecule is present, severe damage to the insulating myelin in the central nervous system was evident, resulting in inflammation in the spinal cord and myelin loss.

Following up on this result, the team then used an orally active drug that blocks the activity of the molecule PI3Kgamma at the first signs of disease onset. The drug even suppressed the development of EAE and reversed clinical signs of the disease.

"Our results so far have been very promising," Comerford said.

"We've shown that by blocking PI3Kgamma, we can reduce the activation of self-reactive immune cells, reduce the release of inflammation-inducing molecules from immune cells, and also result in a dramatic reduction in the movement of immune cells into the central nervous system.

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Controlling inflammation in multiple sclerosis comes closer to reality

Infertility treatments may significantly increase multiple sclerosis activity

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Fredricko

Public release date: 3-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dawn Peters sciencenewsroom@wiley.com 781-388-8408 Wiley

Researchers in Argentina report that women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo assisted reproduction technology (ART) infertility treatment are at risk for increased disease activity. Study findings published in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, suggest reproductive hormones contribute to regulation of immune responses in autoimmune diseases such as MS.

According to a 2006 report from the World Health Organization (WHO), MS affects 2.5 million individuals worldwide and is more common among women than men. While previous research found that up to 20% of couples in Western countries experience infertility, women with MS typically do not have diminished fertility except in those treated with cyclophosphamide or high-dose corticosteroids. Medical evidence shows sex hormones and those involved in ovulation (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)) play an important role in the development of autoimmune disorders.

"When MS and infertility coincide, patients seek ART to achieve pregnancy," explains Dr. Jorge Correale with the Ral Carrea Institute for Neurological Research in Buenos Aires. "Given the role of some reproductive hormones in autoimmune diseases, those with MS receiving infertility treatments are at particular risk of exacerbating their disease."

To further understand the impact of infertility treatment on MS disease activity, researchers analyzed clinical, radiological, and immune response data in 16 MS patients who were subject to 26 ART cycles. The team recruited 15 healthy volunteers and 15 MS patients in remission not receiving ART to serve as controls.

Results show that 75% of MS patients experienced disease exacerbation following infertility treatment. MS relapses were reported in 58% of the cycles during the three month period following ART treatment. Furthermore, ART was associated with a seven-fold increase in risk of MS exacerbation and a nine-fold increase of greater MS disease activity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The authors noted that 73% of exacerbations were new symptoms and 27% were attributed to a worsening of pre-existing symptoms.

Worsening was associated with three different mechanisms: 1) increase in the production of certain pro-inflammatory molecules known as cytokines (IL-8, IL-12, IFN-, and TGF- by CD4+ T a GnRH-mediated effect); 2) increase in the production of antibodies against de myelin protein MOG, as well as B cell survival factor BAFF and antiapoptotic molecule Bcl-2 levels from purified B cells, these effects were a consequences of the rise of 17- estradiol production induced by ART; and 3) authors demonstrated using an in vitro model of the blood-brain-barrier that ART facilitated the penetration of deleterious peripheral blood cells into the central nervous system, an effect mediated by the induction of the molecules IL-8, VEGF and CXCL-12.

"Our findings indicate a significant increase in MS disease activity following infertility treatment," concludes Dr. Correale. "Neurologists should be aware of possible disease exacerbation so they may discuss the benefits and risks of ART with MS patients."

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Infertility treatments may significantly increase multiple sclerosis activity

Trends in Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Examined in New Insightful FirstWord Report Published at MarketPublishers.com

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Fredricko

New in-demand report "Therapy Trends: Multiple Sclerosis -- KOL Insight and Consensus Outlook Modules" developed by FirstWord has been recently published by Market Publishers Ltd. The report states that the most recent clinical trials of a new multiple sclerosis therapy were launched in Canada.

London, UK (PRWEB) October 02, 2012

Besides, new therapies are invented. For instance, the most recent clinical trials of a new therapy were launched in late September 2012 in Canada.

New in-demand report "Therapy Trends: Multiple Sclerosis -- KOL Insight and Consensus Outlook Modules" developed by FirstWord has been recently published by Market Publishers Ltd.

Report Details:

Title: Therapy Trends: Multiple Sclerosis -- KOL Insight and Consensus Outlook Modules

Published: September, 2012

Price: US$ 7,495.00 http://marketpublishers.com/report/medicine_pharmaceuticals_biotechnology/healthcare_equipment_services/therapy-trends-multiple-sclerosis-kol-insight-n-consensus-outlook-modules.html

The report provides a comprehensive guide to trends in multiple sclerosis therapy. It covers historical sales from 2006 through 2011, market majors and drug developers. The study includes valuable data on current and late-stage pipeline drugs, comparative clinical trial results. Sales outlook to 2016, product positioning forecast, market growth expectations as well as future event mapping can also be found in the research.

Report Contents:

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Trends in Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Examined in New Insightful FirstWord Report Published at MarketPublishers.com

Researchers define 2 categories of multiple sclerosis patients

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Fredricko

Public release date: 26-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Marjorie Montemayor-Quellenberg mmontemayor-quellenberg@partners.org 617-534-2208 Brigham and Women's Hospital

BOSTON, MAThere are approximately 400,000 people in the United States with multiple sclerosis. Worldwide, the number jumps to more than 2.1 million people. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to treating the millions with multiple sclerosis, what if doctors could categorize patients to create more personalized treatments? A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) may one day make this idea a reality in the fight against the debilitating autoimmune disease.

A research team led by Philip De Jager, MD, PhD, BWH Department of Neurology, senior study author, has found a way to distinguish patients with multiple sclerosis into two meaningful subsets. The ability to categorize patients with multiple sclerosis may open new doors for treatment development.

The study will be electronically published on September 26, 2012 in Science Translational Medicine.

"Our results suggest that we can divide the multiple sclerosis patient population into groups that have different levels of disease activity," said De Jager. "These results motivate us to improve these distinctions with further research so that we may reach our goal of identifying the best treatment for each individual who has multiple sclerosis."

De Jager and his team extracted RNAkey molecules involved in making proteins from the instructions found in the DNA sequencefrom blood cells of patients with multiple sclerosis. After analyzing the samples, they found distinct sets of RNA molecules among the patient samples. These unique sets formed a transcriptional signature that distinguished two sets of multiple sclerosis patientsMSa patients and MSb patientswith those in the MSa group having a higher risk for future multiple sclerosis relapse.

According to the researchers, knowing the category a person with multiple sclerosis is in may help doctors make more informed treatment decisions. For instance, since a patient who falls into the MSa category is more likely to experience relapse, her doctor may consider a stronger treatment for the patient.

In light of the discovery, the researchers remain cautious about the findings.

"Our study is an important step towards the goal of personalized medicine in MS, but much work remains to be done to understand under which circumstance and in combination with which other information this transcriptional signature may become useful in a clinical setting," said De Jager.

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Researchers define 2 categories of multiple sclerosis patients

Cyclists' multiple sclerosis fund-raising ride passing through Portsmouth

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Fredricko

Today's most viewed articles Cyclists fighting multiple sclerosis to ride into city

PORTSMOUTH Thirty bicyclists of The MS Great 8 will ride through the city en route from Portland, Maine, to New York City, to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and generate $160,000 in funding for multiple sclerosis research and services.

The riders are scheduled to arrive Sunday afternoon in the city after riding 75 miles from the starting point in Portland. They are scheduled to leave at 7:30 a.m. Monday from the Courtyard by Marriott on Market Street, on Day 2 of their 425-mile, eight-day trek.

The MS Great 8 Foundation provides funding to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to support research and treatments to stop progression, restore function and end the disease while helping address challenges of living with its unpredictable symptoms. The foundation was founded in 2007 by Co-Presidents Mike Zimits, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 14 years ago, and Catherine Tsigakos, whose brother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 25 years ago.

The MS Great 8 ride can be followed live at http://www.msgreat8.org, where donations are also accepted. For details, e-mail Zimits and Tsigakos at cycling@msgreat8.org or visit http://www.nationalMSsociety.org.

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Cyclists' multiple sclerosis fund-raising ride passing through Portsmouth

Two categories of multiple sclerosis patients defined

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Fredricko

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) There are approximately 400,000 people in the United States with multiple sclerosis. Worldwide, the number jumps to more than 2.1 million people. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to treating the millions with multiple sclerosis, what if doctors could categorize patients to create more personalized treatments? A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) may one day make this idea a reality in the fight against the debilitating autoimmune disease.

The study will be electronically published on September 26, 2012 in Science Translational Medicine.

De Jager and his team extracted RNA -- key molecules involved in making proteins from the instructions found in the DNA sequence -- from blood cells of patients with multiple sclerosis. After analyzing the samples, they found distinct sets of RNA molecules among the patient samples. These unique sets formed a transcriptional signature that distinguished two sets of multiple sclerosis patients -- MSa patients and MSb patients -- with those in the MSa group having a higher risk for future multiple sclerosis relapse.

In light of the discovery, the researchers remain cautious about the findings.

However, from the pre-clinical perspective, the researchers recognize that the findings are essential because they build on earlier studies that had suggested that this structure might be present.

"The study will further enable the community of MS researchers to build upon this transcriptional signature with other data in order to enhance patient care in the future," said De Jager.

Multiple sclerosis: Canada launching clinical trial of controversial treatment developed by Zamboni

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Fredricko

TORONTOA long-awaited Canadian trial of a controversial experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis has been given the go-ahead and will soon begin recruiting patients, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced Friday.

Aglukkaq, in Halifax for a meeting with provincial and territorial health ministers, said about 100 MS patients will be enrolled in the trial to assess the safety of the procedure to unblock narrowed neck veins and its efficacy in improving MS symptoms.

The condition dubbed chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, or CCSVI has been proposed as a possible cause of MS by Italian vascular surgeon Paolo Zamboni.

More than three years ago, Zamboni hypothesized that narrowed and twisted veins in the neck and chest create a back-up of blood in the brain, resulting in iron deposits that could cause the brain lesions typical of MS.

The disease causes the destruction of myelin, the protective sheath around nerves throughout the body, leading to progressive physical and cognitive disability. An estimated 55,000 to 75,000 Canadians have MS, and the county has one of the highest rates of the incurable disease in the world.

Dr. Anthony Traboulsee, medical director of UBC Hospitals MS Clinic, will lead the $6-million study, which will be conducted initially in Vancouver and Montreal. Medical and ethical approval is also being sought for parts of the trial to be conducted in Quebec City and Winnipeg.

Its going to be a randomized-control study where patients who have the presence of CCSVI will be randomly selected to either have the venoplasty, which is dilation of the vein, or a sham treatment, which is not an actual dilation, just a pretend dilation, Traboulsee said Friday from Vancouver.

And after a year, the groups will switch so that everybody eventually gets the dilation of the vein.

A venoplasty to widen veins is the same technique as an angioplasty used to expand coronary arteries; a tiny balloon is fed into the blood vessel, then expanded.

None of the participants will know which treatment they received or during which half of the study, Traboulsee said.

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Multiple sclerosis: Canada launching clinical trial of controversial treatment developed by Zamboni

Multiple sclerosis finding may change therapy strategy

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Fredricko

Published: Thursday, September 27, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

NEW YORK -- A cellular signature seen in the blood of multiple sclerosis patients may help determine their likelihood of relapse, potentially influencing which therapy physicians prescribe, a study found.

Differences in patients' blood cells delineated them into two groups, one with a 40 percent lower risk of relapse, according to research today in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The findings eventually could help doctors determine whether to prescribe a drug such as Biogen Idec Inc.'s Avonex, which is moderately effective with fewer side effects, or its Tysabri, an aggressive therapy with greater safety issues, said Philip De Jager, a neurologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston and a study author.

Relapsing-remitting MS is the most common form of the illness, which affects more than 2.1 million people worldwide and about 400,000 Americans, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Patients with RRMS get attacks that degrade their neurological function, followed by periods of recovery.

"This study is a very important contribution to developing the kinds of tools that can help the physician personalize treatment," said Timothy Coetzee, chief research officer of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in a telephone interview. "The challenge we've faced in MS is that for a physician there isn't a blood test, like for your cholesterol level," to provide information about the disease.

Doctors aim to be able to attack multiple sclerosis similarly to the way cancer is starting to be treated: by identifying the underlying cause of a patient's tumor and selecting a drug tailored to attack it, said Coetzee, whose group is based in New York and Denver.

In MS, being able to determine a patient's likelihood of flare-ups may lead doctors to prescribe a more aggressive treatment earlier, according to De Jager, who is also an MS specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"If we had information about trying to predict the course of the disease, that would be very helpful for managing the patient's care," he said in a telephone interview.

The researchers drew on data from a study of the disease out of Brigham and Women's, feeding information from 363 patients' immune cells into a computer program that hunted for similarities. The analysis turned up two groups of patients, designated MS(a) and MS(b), separated by cellular differences and the likelihood of patients experiencing an exacerbation.

Patients in the MS(a) group expressed more genes in T-cell receptor and B-cell receptor pathways, which play roles in the immune system, and certain others, the researchers found. Those were the patients more likely to have an inflammatory event.

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Multiple sclerosis finding may change therapy strategy

Therapy Trends: Multiple Sclerosis — KOL Insight and Consensus Outlook Modules

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Fredricko

NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Therapy Trends: Multiple Sclerosis -- KOL Insight and Consensus Outlook Modules

http://www.reportlinker.com/p01006955/Therapy-Trends--Multiple-Sclerosis----KOL-Insight--and-Consensus-Outlook-Modules.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Pathology

Charting the Future Multiple Sclerosis Market Landscape

Over the next five years, the global multiple sclerosis (MS) market is set to grow from $12.3 billion in 2011 to $17.3 billion in 2016. Primary drivers of this growth will be the entry of new pipeline therapies, satisfying the unmet needs of convenient administration and more efficacious therapy, and continued uptake of existing therapies.

Therapy Trends Consensus Outlook: Multiple Sclerosis analyses the global MS market players and products of today and tomorrow. Start mapping your market parameters with access to the following comprehensive resources:

An in-depth 5-year forecast report based on analyst consensus, mapping the impact of future events to predicted product performance

A detailed forecast data analysis spreadsheet model comparing critical market parameters including

Timely event-driven market forecast report and data analysis updates over the next 12 months

Mapping Future Events to Product Sales Forecasts

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Therapy Trends: Multiple Sclerosis -- KOL Insight and Consensus Outlook Modules

Dual Multiple Sclerosis Finding May Change Therapy

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Fredricko

By Meg Tirrell - 2012-09-26T18:00:00Z

A cellular signature seen in the blood of multiple sclerosis patients may help determine their likelihood of relapse, potentially influencing which therapy physicians prescribe, a study found.

Differences in patients blood cells delineated them into two groups, one with a 40 percent lower risk of relapse, according to research today in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The findings eventually could help doctors determine whether to prescribe a drug such as Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB)s Avonex, which is moderately effective with fewer side effects, or its Tysabri, an aggressive therapy with greater safety issues, said Philip De Jager, a neurologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston and a study author.

This study is a very important contribution to developing the kinds of tools that can help the physician personalize treatment, said Timothy Coetzee, chief research officer of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in a telephone interview. The challenge weve faced in MS is that for a physician there isnt a blood test, like for your cholesterol level, to provide information about the disease.

Doctors aim to be able to attack multiple sclerosis similarly to the way cancer is starting to be treated: by identifying the underlying cause of a patients tumor and selecting a drug tailored to attack it, said Coetzee, whose group is based in New York and Denver.

In MS, being able to determine a patients likelihood of flare-ups may lead doctors to prescribe a more aggressive treatment earlier, according to De Jager, who is also an MS specialist at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston.

If we had information about trying to predict the course of the disease, that would be very helpful for managing the patients care, he said in a telephone interview.

The researchers drew on data from a study of the disease out of Brigham and Womens, feeding information from 363 patients immune cells into a computer program that hunted for similarities. The analysis turned up two groups of patients, designated MS(a) and MS(b), separated by cellular differences and the likelihood of patients experiencing an exacerbation.

Research and Markets: Multiple Sclerosis (Event Driven)

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Fredricko

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/g525xq/multiple) has announced the addition of Decision Resources, Inc's new report "Multiple Sclerosis (Event Driven)" to their offering.

The market for disease-modifying multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies is poised to undergo a dramatic transformation as a suite of new and promising emerging therapies enter the market over the next five years, including the first, and much-anticipated, orally delivered products. Novel therapies will drive growth of the MS market through 2015, but the gains will be constrained by a conservative prescriber base and lingering favoritism for time-tested current agents, at least over the near term, coupled with forecasted generics competition. All new agents are expected to be approved to treat relapsing forms of MS; ample opportunity will remain for therapies to treat the underserved population of patients who suffer progressive forms of the disease.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

What are the key parameters of the multiple sclerosis market?

What factors are driving the market for multiple sclerosis therapies?

What factors are constraining the market for multiple sclerosis therapies?

What are the drug development activities of note in multiple sclerosis?

What do the experts say?

Screening Tool Reveals Two Multiple Sclerosis Types

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Fredricko

By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental screening technique finds that multiple sclerosis patients have two different molecular "signatures" that reflect disease severity.

This suggests that doctors might one day use this tool to help determine who has a more aggressive form of MS and might need earlier treatment with stronger medications, researchers report.

"This study shows there is evidence that we can begin to identify subsets of MS patients, and that we're moving ever-so-slowly to personalizing MS care," said study author Dr. Philip De Jager, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an associate neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

But this screening tool "is not ready for the clinic at this point. It needs to be validated in another trial," De Jager said. He envisions that this test would be one component of a number of tests doctors could use to generate risk estimates.

Results of the study are published in the Sept. 26 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

About 400,000 Americans have MS, a chronic, sometimes disabling disease that affects the central nervous system. The central nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. MS symptoms may include fatigue, numbness in the limbs, balance and coordination problems, bladder or bowel dysfunction, vision problems, pain, and even paralysis.

A few treatment options exist for one type of the disease, but no single therapy helps everyone with MS, and there is no cure.

The four types of MS include relapsing-remitting, primary progressive, secondary progressive and progressive-relapsing, the MS society says. About 85 percent of people with MS have the relapsing-remitting form of the disease, and the available treatments are for this form of the disease.

It's often difficult to diagnose MS, and it can take even longer to figure out which type someone has. In addition, doctors have no way to predict which patients will respond to a particular drug.

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Screening Tool Reveals Two Multiple Sclerosis Types

Consensus Outlook: Multiple Sclerosis

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Fredricko

NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Consensus Outlook: Multiple Sclerosis

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Charting the Future Multiple Sclerosis Market Landscape

An in-depth 5-year forecast report based on analyst consensus, mapping the impact of future events to predicted product performance

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Mapping Future Events to Product Sales Forecasts

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Consensus Outlook: Multiple Sclerosis

Easing multiple sclerosis symptoms with food

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Fredricko

For multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers, symptoms like numbness, fatigue and difficulty walking can be debilitating but changing what they eat can have a big impact on the quality of their lives.

The National MS Society website advises a diet thats low in saturated fats and high in omega-3 fatty acids.

A two-year study of 312 MS patients revealed that people who ingested 10 grams of fish oil each day had less progression of the debilitating disease than those who did not take supplements.

You can take a supplement, but it is always a good idea to incorporate whole foods into your diet, said Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing health editor at FoxNews.com.

Walnuts, flaxseed and cod liver oil are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as fatty fish such as salmon.

According to the National MS Society, three grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day is considered safe, but you should talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet.

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Easing multiple sclerosis symptoms with food

Celebrities drawing attention to multiple sclerosis a sign of hope for N.J. patients

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Fredricko

Quick: What do Ozzy Osbourne and Mitt Romney have in common?

DON SMITH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Patients work out at Holy Name Medical Center's MS Center.

The former is a rocker who once bit the head off a bat and starred in his own reality television series, while the latter was a titan of Bain Capital and now Republican candidate for president.

Both are part of the 1 percent.

But beyond that, each has a family member diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

For Ozzy, it's son Jack Osbourne, 26, who learned in June that he has MS after partial blindness in his right eye led him to seek a doctor's care. Word of the diagnosis came two weeks after his fiance, Lisa Stelly, gave birth to their daughter.

"I was just angry and frustrated and kept thinking, 'Why now?'x'' he told People magazine.

For Mitt, it's wife Ann Romney, 63, whose Republican National Convention speech, aimed at humanizing the candidate, scoffed at the notion that theirs is a "storybook marriage." Those storybooks, she said, "never seemed to have chapters called 'MS' or 'Breast Cancer.'x"

Her husband's steadfastness through her illnesses, she implied, provided ample evidence to voters that "this man will not let us down."

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