A single dose of CD45-ADC, an investigational targeted therapy being developed to treat different types of autoimmune diseases, is enough to reset the normal function of the body’s immune system in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), and to delay onset of the disease. Those findings were presented earlier this week in the poster […]

The post Single Dose of CD45-ADC Resets the Immune System, Delays the Onset of MS in Mice appeared first on Multiple Sclerosis News Today.
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Source MS Society: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld our complaint against the Government’s Universal Credit adverts.

Formal investigation

In June, as part of the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), we submitted a complaint to the ASA about the DWP’s advertising campaign in the Metro newspaper.

The ads claimed to be a “myth buster” on Universal Credit. But we argued they were misleading and dangerous to the health and financial security of disabled people.

After receiving our complaint, the ASA launched a formal investigation. Read on.

Source MS Trust: Sativex is a cost-effective treatment for people with MS spasticity according to new guidance published today by NICE(link is external).  This reverses the decision made in draft guidance published earlier this year.

The guideline recommends that, providing the local NHS health authority is willing to pay for continued treatment, a 4-week trial of Sativex can be offered to people with moderate to severe MS-related spasticity which has not been improved by other treatments.  At the end of the trial, if their spasticity-related symptoms have improved by at least 20%, they can continue taking Sativex.  Read on. 

Source MS Trust: Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) should be restricted to people with highly active relapsing-remitting MS according to a review carried out by the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) drug safety committee.

Highly active relapsing-remitting MS covers people who continue to have relapses despite taking at least one disease-modifying drug (DMD) or if MS is worsening rapidly with at least two disabling relapses in a year and MRI scans show new MS activity. In addition, Lemtrada must no longer be used in people with certain heart, circulation or bleeding disorders or in people who have auto-immune disorders other than MS.

The recommendations also include new measures to identify and treat problems that may occur after having a Lemtrada infusion.  Read on. 

Source BBC: Two cannabis-based medicines, used to treat epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, have been approved for use by the NHS in England.

It follows new guidelines from the drugs advisory body NICE, which looked at products for several conditions.

Charities have welcomed the move, although some campaigners who have been fighting for access to the drugs have said it does not go far enough.

Both medicines were developed in the UK, where they are also grown.

Doctors will be able to prescribe Epidyolex, for children with two types of severe epilepsy – Lennox Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome – which can cause multiple seizures a day.  Read on. 

Source Medical Xpress: Watching immersive 360 videos of icy Arctic scenes helps to relieve intense burning pain and could hold hope for treating chronic pain, a small study has found.

Scientists from Imperial College London have found that using virtual reality headsets could combat increased sensitivity to pain, by immersing people in scenes of icebergs, frigid oceans and sprawling icescapes.

In a small proof-of-concept study, published in Pain Reports, a team from Imperial used VR video to reduce peoples’ scores of perceived ongoing pain as well their sensitivity to painful stimuli.

According to the researchers, the findings add to the growing evidence for the potential of VR technology to help patients with chronic pain.  Read on.

Source MS Society:  After months of speculation, the UK government has called a general election for Thursday 12 December. But what do people with MS want from our next government?

For the next six weeks, parliamentary candidates from a range of political parties will be trying to convince people across the UK to vote for them.

More than 100,000 of us live with MS in the UK. This is our opportunity to ask representatives from all political parties what their plans are for dealing with the issues that affect our community. We’ve put together an MS manifesto that lays out our demands for the next UK government.

Our MS manifesto – our priorities for the next UK government.  Read on.