href="http://memphis.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2006/02/27/focus8.html">CLICKNEW DRUG IN THE PIPELINE FOR MS: Daclizumab for the treatment of MS:
"It's easy to understand the $800 million alliance forged between PDL Biopharma and Biogen Idec in August. The deal answers Biogen's pipeline needs and provides PDL a kindred biotech with experience in MS and cancer...The deal calls for PDL and Biogen to jointly develop, manufacture and sell three antibody products in mid-stage clinical trials. This includes PDL's drug Daclizumab for the treatment of MS......"

CLICK: "Scientists warn of 'unproven stem cell treatments'"

MS: Scientists warn that some stem cell treatments could kill:
"A group of leading British scientists warned patients today to be wary of 'extravagant' claims made for 'unorthodox' stem cell treatments offered abroad....."In the case of these unorthodox 'stem-cell' treatments, the protocols and results have not been published or subject to independent review.

"Although scientists are making great strides in stem-cell science, there is no published evidence to support claims that stem cells can safely repair tissue damage caused by MS. "Indeed, there is concern that these unproven treatments could be dangerous, potentially exposing patients to the risk of uncontrolled and inappropriate tissue generation."...."

CLICK: "Genentech and Biogen Idec Announce Positive Results From a Phase 2 Trial of Rituxan in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis"

Genentech and Biogen Idec Announce Positive Results From a Phase 2 Trial of Rituxan in Relapsing-Remitting Ms
"Genentech, Inc. and Biogen Idec, Inc. announced today that a phase 2 study of Rituxan(R) (Rituximab) for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) met its primary endpoint. The study of 104 patients showed a statistically significant reduction in the total number of gadolinium enhancing T1 lesions observed on serial MRI scans of the brain at weeks 12, 16, 20, and 24 in the Rituxan-treated group compared to placebo. Genentech and Biogen Idec will continue to analyze the study results and will submit the data for presentation at an upcoming medical meeting.

This phase 2 randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, multi-center study was designed to evaluate safety and efficacy of Rituxan in adults with RRMS. A total of 104 patients at 48 sites in the U.S. and Canada were randomized to receive either a single treatment course of Rituxan or placebo. Gadolinium-enhancing lesions visible by MRI scans were assessed at 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks. Patients will continue to be followed for 48 weeks.

"These initial results exceeded our expectations," said Hal Barron, MD, Genentech senior vice president, development and chief medical officer. "Showing a significant benefit at 24 weeks in this small phase 2 trial supports our hypothesis that selective B-cell targeted therapy may play an important role in the treatment of MS."

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‘Jeremy's Juggernauts' do battle with MS: "As long as researchers keep working on a cure for MS, the Kohlers of Barnhart plan to continue to take part in fund-raising events to battle the disease......"

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MS: Disproving the myths of disability - Mayo Clinic
"....The power of positive thinking.....Your attitude toward yourself is reflected back to you from those around you,' Holtackers says. 'Every day, challenge yourself to deal positively with negative circumstances. When you project a positive attitude, those around you tend to become more positive, too.....'"

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"Roles of immunoglobulins and B cells in MS: From pathogenesis to treatment":
[Abstract: Pub Med]

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Risk factors for falling among people aged 45 to 90 years with MS:
[Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois]
"CONCLUSIONS: There are a number of factors associated with an increased risk of falling among people aging with MS that are amenable to intervention and therefore warrant the attention of health care providers serving that population."

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Utility of the National Eye Institute VFQ-25 Questionnaire in a Heterogeneous Group of Multiple Sclerosis Patients:
[Abstract: National Library of Medicine]
"CONCLUSIONS: The VFQ-25 questionnaire is a sensitive and useful tool in assessing visual function in MS patients. Such patients have quality of life indices similar to glaucoma and cataract patients, underscoring the significance of visual symptoms in MS."

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NBC VIDEO: "New Hope For MS Patients"..[CLICK TO WATCH
"Recent studies suggest exercise, like chair aerobics, can help patients with MS regain balance and strength. So, they're pairing MS with physical therapists and fitness trainers...Joanna Lee believes she's proof that exercise helps. Lee says her MS symptoms have improved, since joining exercise classes ..."I'm not tired. I feel like I'm more flexible. I still feel tight and stiff, but it's more flexible," said Lee.

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'Invisible' Brain Changes May Be Key to MS Progression - Yahoo! News: "New research suggests that subtle, undetected changes in brain tissue affect disease progression for people with MS...."

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Millennium Announces Phase I Trial of MLN0415 for MS:
"Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the initiation of a Phase
I study of MLN0415, an oral, highly selective, small molecule inhibitor of
IKK2, which targets a major inflammatory pathway...."

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"I Was Betrayed By Stem Cell Claims":
A MS patient yesterday warned fellow patients against a UK-registered company which promised to treat him with "pioneering" stem cell treatment. Malcolm Pear handed over pounds 14,000 after reading testimonials on the Advanced Cell Therapeutics (ACT) website, which claims it can reduce the symptoms of a range of diseases from MS and Parkinson's to HIV.

Moments after undergoing the procedure in Europe, Malcolm Pear, 51, says he was able to walk unaided, despite having to previously rely on elbow crutches to move.

After returning to the UK, his wife Lesley spent hours on the phone promoting the treatment to hundreds of callers who inquired about its benefits.

But three months after stem cells from discarded umbilical cords were injected into his spine, the health of the former Bromsgrove chartered accountant deteriorated sharply. The Pears then found it impossible to contact ACT and the only correspondence they received were emails offering expensive top-up treatments....

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Teri Garr talks about everything from her leaking roof to her fight to educate people that MS doesn't mean wheelchairs anymore!

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PERSEVERANCE=Real Heros: Christin Harding's Ride of a Lifetime: Life's Pleasures: "This is a story of dedication above all else. Christin Harding was diagnosed with MS 13 years ago. T was Christin's catalyst to live each day like it was her last. She says, in a way, this disease was a blessing in disguise....13 years later, there's still no wheelchair...."

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"MAYO CLINIC: Marijuana as medicine: Consider the pros and cons"
"Whether marijuana will relieve your side effects or symptoms is questionable. But the risks of smoking pot are clear. Examine the facts about marijuana before making your decision

People have used marijuana as a medical treatment for thousands of years. Such uses extend even to modern America. Marijuana was listed by the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the organization that sets quality standards for approved drugs in the United States, until the 1940s, when political pressure against marijuana's recreational use triggered its removal.

Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that state laws allowing medicinal use of marijuana must bow to federal law banning it, proponents still tout this controversial plant's ability to treat pain, nausea and other uncomfortable side effects of medical treatment as well as some disease symptoms.

Marijuana 101: The plant and its components-----
Marijuana refers to the dried flowers, leaves, stems and seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant. These parts contain the compounds that produce the mind-altering effect that recreational users seek when smoking or ingesting the plant — but they also provide components with potential medical benefits.

Marijuana contains at least 60 chemicals called cannabinoids. Researchers are evaluating how effective some of these cannabinoids might be in controlling symptoms of certain medical conditions. For example:

THC....An abbreviation for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC is the main component responsible for marijuana's mind-altering effect. It also may help treat signs and symptoms such as nausea and vomiting that are associated with a number of medical conditions.

Cannabinol and cannabidiol....These compounds have some of the properties of THC, but cause less psychoactive effects — the high.

Dronabinol (Marinol)....Dronabinol (dro-NAB-in-ol) is a man-made version of THC available by prescription. It's used to prevent nausea and vomiting after cancer chemotherapy when other medicines for these side effects don't work, and to increase appetite in people with AIDS.

How it works-----
When smoked or ingested, THC and other cannabinoids in marijuana attach to two types of receptors on cells in your body — like keys in a lock — affecting the cells, once attached.

CB1 is one such receptor. CB1 receptors are found mainly in your brain, especially in areas that control body movement, memory and vomiting. This helps explain why marijuana use affects balance and coordination and impairs short-term memory and learning, and why it can be useful in treating nausea, pain and loss of appetite.

The other type of receptor, CB2, is found in small numbers elsewhere in your body, mainly in tissue of the immune system, such as your spleen and lymph nodes. The function of these receptors is not well understood. They may serve as brakes on immune system function, which may help explain why marijuana suppresses your immune system.

After you smoke marijuana, its ingredients reach their peak levels in your body within minutes, and effects can last up to an hour and a half. When eaten — the plant is sometimes mixed with food — the ingredients can take several hours to reach their peak levels in your body, and their effects may last for hours.

The prescription drug dronabinol, which is taken as an oral capsule, takes effect in about 30 minutes and can continue to stimulate appetite for more than a day.

Possible medical uses----
Scientists studying marijuana's potential medical uses have found that it may help treat a variety of conditions.

Nausea----
One of THC's medical uses best supported by research is the treatment of nausea. It can improve mild to moderate nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy and help reduce nausea and weight loss in people with AIDS.

Younger people may find marijuana more useful as a treatment for nausea than do older people — who may not tolerate its mind-altering side effects ..."

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Profile of a newsmaker Doctor to ride for employee at MS 150 tour

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Multiple sclerosis damage found in 'normal' brain tissue: "
The effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) extend beyond visibly affected areas into large portions of the brain that outwardly appear normal, according to a study appearing in the September issue of Radiology......"

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"Experts Speak Out - Side Effect Considerations with Disease-Modifying Therapies" [CONTINUING EDUCATION-Interactive Flash Program for Medical Professionals]
Purpose...To review the latest information on the side effects associated with the available disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) used to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and to offer strategies for their management.

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10 Questions for Meredith Vieira :
"....On Sept. 13 the veteran journalist and mother of three takes a seat opposite Matt Lauer as the new co-anchor of NBC's Today show. She talked with TIME's Jeff Chu about how her husband's battles with cancer and MS have changed her, ..."

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Teen InsideMS - Online version or PDF

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Interferon treatment may trigger primary headaches in MS patients
[Abstract-MS Center, C. Besta National Neurological Institute, Milan,, Italy]
"....Worsening of pre-existing headaches or development of de novo headache occurred only in the interferon-group (41 and 48%, respectively) and not in the other group (P<0.001). These results show that headache should be considered among the side-effects of interferon in MS patients."

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Genentech, Biogen say cancer drug helps against MS:
"Biotechnology companies Genentech Inc. and Biogen Idec Inc. on Monday said their cancer drug Rituxan showed hints of effectiveness against MS in a small mid-stage trial. "These initial results exceeded our expectations," Hal Barron, Genentech's chief medical officer, said in a statement.

The study involved 104 adults in the United States and Canada with the most common form of multiple sclerosis, in which flare-ups of symptoms are followed by full or partial recovery between attacks. They were given either a single treatment course of Rituxan, or a placebo.

It showed a statistically significant reduction among those given Rituxan in the total number of brain lesions seen on MRI scans at weeks 12, 16, 20 and 24, compared with those receiving placebo.

Rituxan, an antibody which is one of the biggest-selling treatments against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, works by blocking immune-system B cells.

"Showing a significant benefit at 24 weeks in this small Phase II trial supports our hypothesis that selective B-cell targeted therapy may play an important role in the treatment of MS."

Rates of side effects were comparable in those taking Rituxan and those taking placebos, the companies said...."

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PERSEVERANCE=Real Heros: Despite having Multiple Sclerosis, Jacob Bell is still able to play with his two-year-old daughter, Mackenzie....click for full article
Bell is an MS Ambassador, and is doing what he can to raise awareness of the disease...

The Manila Times Internet Edition | WEEKEND >CLICK

"...In the Philippines, an estimated 8,400 suffer from the disease. Small number, considering that 300,000 people are affected by MS in the United States alone, and even more in Europe.....celebrities in entertainment, television, sports, journalism and public service came together on August 16 to raise funds for the MS Society by selling some of their possessions in a bazaar. Dubbed “Celebrity Clean House,”....."

CLICKFamily focuses on fitness, giving back

CLICKPERSEVERANCE=Real Heros: MS doesn’t slow Liz Hanser - girls’ coach

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Hum Brain Mapp. 2006 Aug 24; [Epub ahead of print]...[Abstract: National Center for Biotechnology Information]
"If fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) is related to an abnormal activation of the sensorimotor brain network, the activity of such a network should vary with varying fatigue. We studied 22 patients treated with interferon beta 1a (IFNbeta-1a; Avonex, Biogen....

MS Society honorees are true champs:

"it's no wonder that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society wanted to honor Brad Alford and Dr. John Forestner at its annual Dinner of Champions fundraising even...":

"MS Harborfest hopes to raise $130K":

"MS Tour for Cure rolls again in October":

New Orleans MS Tour for Cure rolls again after being cancelled last year due to Hurricane Katrina
The ride has had as many as 1,800 cyclists and has raised as much as $800,000 for the Louisiana MS Chapter.....

"Hacker' putts in thousands to benefit MS chapter's work":

Trial Results Published in Neurology Show Risk of Developing Multiple Sclerosis Significantly Reduced with Interferon Beta-1b Early Treatment:

Caraco gets FDA OK for generic multiple sclerosis drug:

Pharmaceutical Business Review: "The FDA has granted final approval for Caraco Pharmaceutical's baclofen tablets, the company's generic version of Novartis' Lioresal, a muscle relaxant used for the alleviation of signs and symptoms of spasticity resulting from MS..."

Schering says drug helps fight MS:

German drug maker Schering said in a statement on Thursday research showed that its key drug works in tackling MS. The study, published in medical journal Neurology, shows that the group's drug Betaseron, if taken early, can cut the chances of the disease developing by half. It also shows that the drug doubled a patient's chances of avoiding the disease developing compared to patients in the study who only took a placebo....."

Caregiver fleeces three clients:

"A Jackson woman who was a caregiver for three women with MS ended up being more of a taker. Kerri Lynn Clark, 20, was sentenced Wednesday to 90 days in jail. She pleaded guilty to using a credit card without consent....."

Trial Results Published in Neurology Show Risk of Developing Multiple Sclerosis Significantly Reduced with Interferon Beta-1b Early Treatment

BETASERON: Trial Results Published in Neurology Show Risk of Developing Multiple Sclerosis Significantly Reduced with Interferon Beta-1b Early Treatment
"Researchers have found that treatment of patients with interferon beta-1b after a first attack suggestive of MS cuts their risk of developing the disease in half over the next two years, according to results from the BENEFIT (BEtaferon(R)/BEtaseron(R) in Newly Emerging MS for Initial Treatment) clinical trial.....

Tysabri Recovery Plan:

Tysabri Recovery Plan
"....In an interview with this magazine last year, the late Donal Geaney wouldn't comment on Elan except to say how proud he was of what it had achieved. Having just settled an unfair dismissal case with his former employers, raking up old roots didn't interest him. Geaney had stood down from Elan three years previously, following a crash in the company's share price....."

Immunopathogenesis and immunotherapy of MS

Nat Clin Pract Neurol. 2006
"....Here, we review current knowledge of the immunopathogenesis of MS and corresponding animal models of disease, and discuss new immunointerventional treatment strategies based on changing pathogenetic concepts..."

MRI changes in relapsing-remitting MS patients complaining of fatigue after IFNbeta-1a injection
Hum Brain Mapp. 2006 Aug 24; [Epub ahead of print]...[Abstract: National Center for Biotechnology Information]
"If fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) is related to an abnormal activation of the sensorimotor brain network, the activity of such a network should vary with varying fatigue. We studied 22 patients treated with interferon beta 1a (IFNbeta-1a; Avonex, Biogen....

"Denver's shining stars for MS are the real thing":...[CLICK HERE]

The Manila Times Internet Edition | WEEKEND > The Celebrity Clean House Bazaar: Where the stars shine down on MS patients


"...In the Philippines, an estimated 8,400 suffer from the disease. Small number, considering that 300,000 people are affected by MS in the United States alone, and even more in Europe.....celebrities in entertainment, television, sports, journalism and public service came together on August 16 to raise funds for the MS Society by selling some of their possessions in a bazaar. Dubbed “Celebrity Clean House,”....."