Gene Pattern Could Make IDing M.S. Easier

From U.C.S.F.

M.S. often starts with just one little symptom…a problem with vision or walking that lasts for several days and then disappears. About a third of these people are diagnosed with r/r M.S. within a year and about half within two years. Now, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco think they’ve identified a pattern of gene activity that could identify, after that first attack, which of these patients are likely to develop full-blown M.S.

New Flu Vaccines Given the Green-Light

From the FDA

Vaccines for the 2008-2009 flu season will have all 3 of the strains they contain updated…more than the usual one or two updates.

Possible New Contrast Medium Could Help Diagnose M.S.

From Science Daily:

Scientists in Germany are using a new M.R.I. contrast medium and, though they have yet to try it on humans, they hope it may help them diagnose Multiple Sclerosis earlier.

Tysabri’s Manufacturer Defends Its Drug

Biogen Idec says Tysabri will remain on the market, despite the two cases of PML that were revealed at the end of last week.

Last Friday, a Biogen Vice-President Brian McGinty wrote to me: “Biogen idec is in the process of informing physicians through multiple medical conference calls which started last night and continue today. The best place to start your inquiry would be with your health care provider as they are best equipped to deal with your specific situation. The other place to go for some more general information is to contact the Biogen idec Patient Services team MS Active Source at 1 800 456-2255.”

Early Friday morning Biogen held a conference call with its investors.  You can hear a recoding of that call, (it lasts about an hour), here.

Two More Tysabri Patients Have Developed Brain Disease

From the Boston Globe and the SEC web site

The first cases of a rare brain disease have been diagnosed in patients using the drug Tysabri since the drug returned to the market two years ago.  According to the manufacturer, both patients are in Europe and both had been treated with Tysabri for more than a year. One patient is in the hospital, the other is at home.

Biogen Idec, which manufactures the drug, reported this today in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The story has been picked up by the Boston Globe.

FDA Says Monitor Heart Function of MS Patients Using Mitoxantrone

It’s not a new recommendation, just a reminder, but the FDA says health professionals should monitor the cardiac function of patients who they are treating with Mitoxantrone.  The recommendation has been on the books since 2005, but the FDA says its recommendations aren’t being followed, very well, in day-to-day practice.

Statin Drugs May Help Retain Memory

Statins, the class of drugs commonly used to help reduce cholesterol, may also help protect against dementia and memory loss. This, according to a study just published in the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Softer Seat Possible for Folks in Wheelchairs

A softer ride could be down the road for those who have to use a wheelchair.  A physical therapist at a hospital in upstate New York has developed a system for measuring the pressure that a “butt” places on the seat of the chair, allowing for personal adjustment of the chair’s pad.

Oral Med or Avonex?

Here’s a study that’s enrolling participants that compares an experimental oral drug, Laquinimod, to injections of Avonex.

More information on ALLEGRO can be found at www.tevaclinicaltrials.com. For more information about the BRAVO trial, call 1-800-840-5601 or visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Coffee, Mice and M.S.

It took a lot of Java, and it’s only in mice, but this is an interesting read about how coffee might protect against a disease that’s similar to M.S.