Small Hi-Cy Study Shows Improvement in Disability:

A limited study that used very high doses of cycophosphamide, an immune-suppressing drug treatment commonly called Hi-Cy, to “reboot” the systems of nine people with MS appeared to reverse the course of the disease, at least temporarily.

In study results published in the June 9 issue of Neurology, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reported that they gave the participants a single infusion of cycophosphamide in a dose of 200 milligrams per kilogram, over four days through infusion.

The results were an overall 40 percent reduction in disability judged by a standard test and 87 percent improvement on a test looking at physical and cognitive function.

Two years after the treatment, however, about half of those who participated showed disease activity on MRI.

Learn more about Hi-Cy in Hopkins Magazine at http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hmn/W08/feature1.cfm

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Teva and Australia's ANP obtain good results for MS drug
Globes - Rishon Le-Zion,Israel
Last week, Teva announced Phase II results for another multiple sclerosis treatment, laquinimod. The results showed that laquinimod slowed the disease and ...
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Teva & ANP Announce That ATL/TV1102, a Novel Drug for the ...
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
“Together with COPAXONE ® , a market-leading MS therapy and Laquinimod, an oral MS treatment currently in Phase III studies, Teva continues with its ...
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Teva & ANP Announce That ATL/TV1102, a Novel Drug for the ...
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung) - Wien,Austria
"Together with COPAXONE(R), a market-leading MS therapy and Laquinimod, an oral MS treatment currently in Phase III studies, Teva continues with its ...
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Laquinimod Heads into Phase 3 Studies:

Phase 2 studies of laquinimod, an experimental disease modifying treatment for relapsing-remitting MS that can be taken orally, showed a .6 milligram dose of the medication resulted in a 40 percent reduction in disease activity seen on MRI scans.

A smaller dose of laquinimod, .3 milligrams, did not perform statistically better than the placebo during the study.

The study, funded by Teva Pharmaceuticals, randomly assigned 306 people to take a either .6 milligram or .3 milligram dose of laquinimod, or placebo. Monthly MRIs tracked the group’s disease progression starting at 12 weeks and ending at 36 weeks.

Two people stopped participating in the study due to liver problems. Another person, who had a pre-existing clotting disorder, experienced a type of vein obstruction known as Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Results were published June 21 in the UK medical journal, The Lancet and originally were reported at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Phase 3 studies of the drug already are underway.

More information is at www.tevaclinicaltrials.com.

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MS and kidney drugs subsidised from July
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
About 2300 people are expected to start using Tysabri to treat their condition in the first year of its listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). ...
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PHYSIOS HELP PATIENTS GET BACK ON TRACK
Express & Echo - Exeter,England,UK
"My specialism is neurology, so I see any person who has some kind of disease or damage to the nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord ...
"We'll work with patients to facilitate recovery of the nervous system, although with some degenerative diseases like MS or Parkinson's you don't get recovery, but we can help them with mobility."
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Animal Study Suggests Inadequate Sleep May Exacerbate Cellular Aging In The Elderly
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have shown that the unfolded protein response, which is a reaction to stress induced by sleep deprivation, is impaired in the brains of old mice.
Multiple Sclerosis Patients at Higher Risk for Restless Legs Syndrome

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Daily Living with MS

Dr. Smyth

Neurologist, MS Specialist
View BIO

Q :
I have been recently been diagnosed with MS. There is a 4-6 month wait for me to get into the MS clinic. Until I get into the MS clinic, the folks there cannot really give me any information as to what will happen with me. I'm just curious as to what the different tests are that they might perform on me being newly diagnosed and all.
A :
The MS Clinic performs a comprehensive assessment of your history and the symptoms you are having. Each MS Clinic is slightly different, but the approach is quite similar across Canada. You will see a neurologist who will take your history and examine you. Then they will review the MRI to try to confirm the diagnosis. If you haven’t had an MRI, they will likely order one. They may order additional tests depending on how confident they are of the diagnosis of MS. If there is still some question of the diagnosis, sometimes we will talk about other investigations such as lumbar puncture or visual evoked potentials.
They will try to determine what type of multiple sclerosis you have (relapsing-remitting, primary progressive, secondary progressive). They will tailor your education depending on the type of multiple sclerosis you have. You will likely meet with a nurse to talk about coping skills and symptom management. They may arrange for you to see a physiotherapist at some point in the future, depending on what symptoms you have, and may arrange for you to see an ophthalmologist. If you have relapsing-remitting MS, they may talk to you about therapies to try to reduce the number of relapses over time. Finally, we usually let you know what research is ongoing in MS, and most MS Clinics are involved in research that you may wish to participate in (this is entirely up to you and optional).
Write down some of your questions ahead of time, so that you remember everything that you wish to ask.
7/1/2008 8:31:10 AM
More answers from Dr. Penelope Smyth
More answers in the category: Daily Living with MS

DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that this information does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MS Society of Canada, and is not intended as medical advice. For specific advice and opinion, always consult a physician.
© 2008 Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada | www.mssociety.ca

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stem cells

Adult Stem Cells Reprogrammed In Their Natural Environment
Science Daily (press release) - USA
"We can now potentially tailor the fate of stem cells to treat certain conditions such as multiple sclerosis." In patients with multiple sclerosis, ...
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Author : The Repair Stem Cell Institute LLC
Earthtimes (press release) - London,UK
... life-changing therapies for congestive heart failure, sickle cell anemia, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and many other diseases. ...
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FRENCHAY MS CENTRE DREAM BECOMING REALITY
Evening Post - Bristol,England,UK
BY VICKI MATHIAS V.MATHIAS Work has started to transform laboratories at Frenchay Hospital into a centre for people with multiple sclerosis. ...

Burnham Institute Researchers Link Early Stem Cell Mutation to Autism
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
The study demonstrated that mice lacking the myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) protein in neural stem cells had smaller brains, fewer nerve cells and ...
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