Multiple Sclerosis

Add-on daclizumab reduces MS disease activity

20/02/2010 | Add-on daclizumab treatment might reduce multiple sclerosis disease activity more than standard interferon beta treatment alone, research suggests.

Oral MS drugs offer new horizon

25/01/2010 | Two new oral drugs shown this week to lower relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis provide a 'new horizon' for patients and a welcome increase in the range of treatment options, says William Carroll, a neurologist from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth.

Early treatment halves risk of MS progression

12/10/2009 | Early treatment with glatiramer acetate can almost halve the risk of patients progressing from clinically isolated syndrome to clinically definite MS, a study finds.

Smoking sparks MS progression

16/07/2009 | Cigarette smoking has an adverse influence on the progression of MS and accelerates conversion from a relapsing-remitting to a progressive course, a recent study has found.

Adding oral steroids to interferon beta-1a reduces relapse in MS

11/05/2009 | Two new studies suggest that the addition of oral methylprednisolone to subcutaneous interferon beta-1a substantially reduces the relapse rate in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Stem cells show promise for relapsing-remitting MS

05/02/2009 | Autologous non-myeloablative haemopoietic stem cell transplantation may prevent neurological progression and improve neurological disability in patients with relapsing-remitting MS, results of a phase II study show.

Relapses more frequent in paediatric onset MS

22/01/2009 | Patients who develop multiple sclerosis before age 18 experience more relapses than those diagnosed as adults, researchers report.

Early MRI abnormalities predict MS

15/12/2008 | People with MRI anomalies highly suggestive of multiple sclerosis, but without neurological signs or symptoms, are at high risk of progressive pathology and the onset of clinical disease, a study in San Francisco has concluded. Source: Okuda, D. et al. 2008, Neurology, published online.

Only half of MS patients achieve and maintain response to interferon

17/11/2008 | Only half of MS patients treated with interferon beta achieve and maintain a full response to the drug over three years, new research shows. Source: Chiu, A. Arch Neurol 2008; published online before print.

Co-morbidities delay MS diagnosis

07/11/2008 | People with pre-exisiting medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, or high blood pressure, are more likely to experience a delay in being diagnosed with MS, researchers say. Source: Marrie, R. et al. Neurology 2008; published online before print.