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Sunday
End-of-Year Task: Renewing Your DMT Prescription for 2016
By Kim Dolce—December 8, 2015
December is upon us, and besides being the holiday season, ‘tis also the season to renew our prescriptions for disease-modifying therapies and reapply for co-pay assistance.
Read more »
Labels: Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Gilenya, Rebif
NOVARTIS WILL PAY TO GET MSers TO USE GILENYA
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Novartis will pay out-of-pocket costs for non-Medicare patients who use Gilenya! PLUS: Novartis will also help patients navigate testing and monitoring recommended by the FDA, paying as much as $600 per patient for that expense.
Read more »
Labels: Avonex, Copaxone, Gilenya, Rebif
HERE'S MY TIPS ON HOW TO REDUCE THE TERRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF AVONEX & OTHER INTERFERONS
Toni Perry, Guest Columnist, MSnewsChannel.com
I think we are the unknown hero's of multiple sclerosis. I myself was dx'd in 2000 at 27 years of age. I was put on avonex immediately. Many stop this therapy because of the side effects we all know that interferons cause. I can say that I have lost 24 hours a week to avonex. I run a fever and have extra fatigue and often extra pain and depression on what I call my medicine day. I've found there are ways to help myself. Take ibuprofen before my shot which my husband gives just before bed. I try to sleep through the fluish feelings. I take ibuprofen when I wake and it helps more than any thing I've been prescribed. I have not had a flare for many years and I will stay on avonex
Read more »
Labels: 100 MOST POPULAR, Avonex
Brain Volume Changes in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Avonex
The reductions in brain volume often seen in patients with chronic relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis may be reduced by treatment according to Michael G. Dwyer, PhD, assistant professor of neurology in the Department of Neurology at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and the technical imaging director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Buffalo, NY
Click here to read
Click here to read
Labels: Avonex
My secret to pain free Avonex shots plus my secret to coping with Avonex side effects
Yvonne Decelis, Columnist, MSnewsChannel.com
I have been on Avonex since 1998. I have found that the way (for me) to make the shots as "pain free" as I can is to use something like Prilocaine/Lidocaine cream (or Emla) to numb the top layer of skin out.
Here's how I cope with the side effects of Avonex
I really hope this helps you...
Read more »
Labels: 100 MOST POPULAR, Avonex
Heather Tetzlaff Smith, Columnist, MSnewsChannel.com
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| Heather Tetzlaff Smith |
“I have MS.” How many times have I said those words? How many different ways have I felt when I said it? And yet…I rarely say it anymore
It was sometime near the middle of October, 1998 when I received a call FROM the neurologist’s office. Earlier that year I had become clumsy and was tripping over nothing and running into doorways as I entered and exited a room. A visit to my family doctor led to a referral to a neurologist which then led
Read more »
Labels: Avonex
BREAKING NEWS: FDA delays decision on Biogen's multiple sclerosis drug Plegridy
Biogen Idec Inc said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration extended the review process for the company's multiple sclerosis drug by three months to evaluate the application. Biogen, which was expecting to launch the drug, Plegridy, by mid-2014, said the FDA did not ask for additional studies.
Plegridy, is an injectable drug designed to reduce the dosing schedule of standard interferon drugs such as Biogen's own Avonex, which are typically dosed at least once a week. Interferon is hard to tolerate as it leads to flu-like symptoms, prompting patients to delay or discontinue treatment. Analysts say the market for such interferon-based treatments will shrink over the next decade as newer generation products enter the fray. More
Labels: Avonex
Saturday
Another big beast joins the MS Drug fray: ofatumumab phase 2 trial results
"MS used to be a orphan disease. Interferon-beta-1a (Avonex) was licensed by the FDA under the orphan drug legislation. What is an orphan disease? Orphan diseases are rare diseases that only affect a small percentage of the population. Orphan drug acts were put in place to incentivise drug companies to take the risk and develop drugs for these diseases. MS is no longer an orphan disease; sales of DMTs for MS are close to $15billion a year. In the beginning the Pharma companies in the MS space were relatively small, but as the market expanded the big beasts started to arrive; Novartis, Sanofi, Roche and now GSK. GSK is developing ofatumumab for MS; the stunning phase 2 results are presented below."
Read more »
Labels: Avonex
Friday
15 STUDIES IN FRIDAY'S NEWS
PLUS: 874 new Studies we posted from 11/1 to Thursday 1/2 Start at the Bottom!Multiple sclerosis in pregnancy.
Preconceptual counseling to discuss the safety of medications in pregnancy, the antepartum period along with what the patient can expect during birth, and the postpartum period will be discussed.
Cognitive reserve in multiple sclerosis.
We review evidence that benefits of intellectual enrichment on cognitive status may stem from more efficient patterns of brain function. We discuss clinical implications and highlight important unanswered questions for future research on reserve against cognitive impairment in MS.
Update on therapeutic options for multiple sclerosis.
The disorder has long been associated with clinical relapses and a disabling course. However, there has been a rapid expansion in the available treatment options for MS, and new insights into existing therapies, as decades of research has begun to produce tangible treatment results leading to newly approved an emerging therapies.
Responsiveness of the Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life questionnaire to disability change: a longitudinal study.
Whereas specific dimensions of MusiQoL identified EDSS changes, the MusiQoL index did not detect disability changes in worsened MS patients in a 24-month observational study. Future responsiveness validation studies should include longer follow-up and more representative samples.
Neuroendocrine Immunoregulation in Multiple Sclerosis.
Here we provide an overview of the complex system of crosstalk between the neuroendocrine and immune system as well as reported dysfunctions involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity, including MS. Finally, possible strategies to intervene with the neuroendocrine-immune system for MS patient management will be discussed. Ultimately, a better understanding of the interactions between the neuroendocrine system and the immune system can open up new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of MS as well as other autoimmune diseases.
Labels: Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Extavia, Gilenya, Novantrone, Rebif, Sativex, TECFIDERA, Tysabri
Masta Ace thought something was wrong.
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Masta Ace thought something was wrong. It was 1999, and when he would take hot showers, he would sometimes get the sensation that his left arm and part of his neck would go asleep. It was similar to the pins and needles sensation a person feels when they lie in a certain position for too long before moving, but Ace was in the shower, standing up.
Later that year, the rapper temporarily lost the vision in his left eye. It was as if someone had taken a photo and the flash had temporarily blinded him. But the loss of vision persisted for a month before returning. He went to the doctor, who told him that he had optic neuritis, a condition normally associated with central nervous system issues.
During the summer of 2000, Masta Ace had an episode in which both of his feet felt as if they had fallen asleep. But this wasn’t a fleeting sensation. It lasted for about a week.
Masta Ace did not make a connection between the incidents, but he was concerned. “I knew something was going on, but I didn’t know what,” Masta Ace says during an exclusive interview with HipHopDX. “You start thinking the worst kind of stuff ‘cause it’s weird, like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ I didn’t know that the two things were connected, but I just knew that weird stuff was happening and I needed to find out why.”
Read more »Labels: Avonex
Thursday
ECTRIMS Congress 2013: Biogen covers all bases for personalised approach to MS
ECTRIMS Congress 2013
After presenting fresh data on products old and new, Biogen Idec believes that a more personalised approach to treating multiple sclerosis is the future.
The company is making over 55 presentations at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) congress in Copenhagen and unsurprisingly data on its oral treatment Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) has taken centre-stage.
Interim analyses from the ENDORSE long-term extension study show that Tecfidera maintained its effect in reducing disease activity in patients treated for four years. Furthermore, no new or worsening safety signals were observed in patients who had been on the drug for up to six and a half years.
Labels: Avonex, TECFIDERA, Tysabri
Friday
MS & THE LONG ROAD TO DIAGNOSIS!
Jeannine Everett, Columnist, MSnewsChannel.com
Read 10 of my articles by clicking my photo in the left Column
I started having problems when my son was born in 1986. OK off to the doctor where I was told that it was just because I wanted to be at home with my new son (I really did but that was not it). A few months later same thing different doctor who told me I had Epstein Bar Virus with Chronic Fatigue (note to self, didn’t know there was a difference but I guess I am wrong). He also diagnosed me with hypoglycemia. ugh. So ok, how do I go on with my life? I just did. At that time I had 2 children, one newborn and one 9 years old so how can you just stop? I also found out at that time that not everyone's legs go numb when going in a hot tub.
Read more »
Labels: Avonex
MS & THE LONG ROAD TO DIAGNOSIS!
Jeannine Everett, Columnist, MSnewsChannel.com
Read 10 of my articles by clicking my photo in the left Column
I started having problems when my son was born in 1986. OK off to the doctor where I was told that it was just because I wanted to be at home with my new son (I really did but that was not it). A few months later same thing different doctor who told me I had Epstein Bar Virus with Chronic Fatigue (note to self, didn’t know there was a difference but I guess I am wrong). He also diagnosed me with hypoglycemia. ugh. So ok, how do I go on with my life? I just did. At that time I had 2 children, one newborn and one 9 years old so how can you just stop? I also found out at that time that not everyone's legs go numb when going in a hot tub.
Read more »
Labels: Avonex
PLEGRIDY: Biogen's new injectable MS drug cut relapse rate by 36 percent when dosed once every 2 weeks
Biogen hopes that Plegridy will provide an option for patients seeking a less frequent dosing schedule. Plegridy, is an injectable drug designed to reduce the dosing schedule of standard interferon drugs such as Biogen's own Avonex, which are typically dosed at least once a week. When given once every four weeks, PlegridyRead more »
Labels: Avonex
Thursday
How Can I Get Rid of Back, Neck Pain With MS?
( Posted by Desinie Smith )
Q: I am a 32-year-old woman, and I was diagnosed with MS in October 2002. I only had one flare. I was on Avonex (interferon beta-1a) until April 2007 and haven't been on any medication since then because I have been planning to have a baby. Starting in November 2007, I have been experiencing serious neck and back pain.
To read the rest of the question and the doctor's answer click here.
Oral MS Drugs Effective in Phase III Trials
Two oral drugs under investigation for multiple sclerosis reduced relapse rates and delayed onset of disability in separate trials reported online this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Fingolimod, a novel agent also known as FTY-720, was more effective than both placebo and the standard of care for MS, interferon-beta-1a (Avonex), in two independent trials.....full report in MedPage Today
Fingolimod, a novel agent also known as FTY-720, was more effective than both placebo and the standard of care for MS, interferon-beta-1a (Avonex), in two independent trials.....full report in MedPage Today
Labels: Avonex
First Ten-Year Follow-Up Shows That Treatment With AVONEX® Leads To Long-Term Benefits In Early Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced data results from the CHAMPIONS (Controlled High-Risk AVONEX (interferon beta-1a) Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Prevention Study In Ongoing Neurologic Surveillance) study, an open label follow-up to CHAMPS (Controlled High Risk Subjects AVONEX MS Prevention Study). Based on the CHAMPS study, AVONEX was granted approval for use in patients who experienced their first clinical MS episode with MRI findings. The CHAMPIONS ten-year follow up showed that patients treated immediately after their first episode had significantly less chance of experiencing a second attack versus those patients with delayed treatment. These results at ten years also indicate that 80 percent of patients taking AVONEX were below an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score of three. These data were presented as a poster at the Annual American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting. ...full report in Medical News Today
Labels: Avonex
First Ten-Year Follow-Up Shows That Treatment With AVONEX Leads To Long-Term Benefits In Early Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced data results from the CHAMPIONS ( C ontrolled H igh-Risk A VONEX ® (interferon beta-1a) M ultiple Sclerosis (MS) P revention Study I n O ngoing N eurologic S urveillance) study, an open label follow-up to CHAMPS ( C ontrolled H igh Risk Subjects A VONEX M S P revention S tudy). Based on the CHAMPS study, AVONEX was granted approval for use in patients who experienced their first clinical MS episode with MRI findings. The CHAMPIONS ten-year follow up showed that patients treated immediately after their first episode had significantly less chance of experiencing a second attack versus those patients with delayed treatment. These results at ten years also indicate that 80 percent of patients taking AVONEX were below an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score of three. These data were presented as a poster at the Annual American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting. ...report in Medical News Today
Labels: Avonex
AAN: Oral MS Drug with Novel Mechanism Beats Interferon-Beta1a
SEATTLE, May 1 -- An investigational drug for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis showed better efficacy than interferon-beta1a (Avonex) in a head-to-head trial, it was reported here.
Patients taking 0.5 mg/day of fingolimod, an oral agent also known as FTY720, in a randomized one-year trial had half the annualized relapse rate of those taking interferon-beta1a, said Jeffrey Cohen, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic.
Speaking to a packed ballroom at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting, Dr. Cohen reported that the annualized relapse rate with fingolimod was 0.16 per year, compared with 0.33 (P<0 data-blogger-escaped-.001="" data-blogger-escaped-30="" data-blogger-escaped-at="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-for="" data-blogger-escaped-interferon-beta1a="" data-blogger-escaped-mcg="" data-blogger-escaped-week.="">
Moreover, 83% of patients taking 0.5 mg of fingolimod remained relapse-free during treatment, versus 69% of the interferon patients (P<0 data-blogger-escaped-.0001="" data-blogger-escaped-br="">
"The study met its primary endpoint and demonstrated superiority of fingolimod over interferon-beta1a," Dr. Cohen said.
A higher dose of fingolimod, 1.25 mg/day, was also tested in the 1,292-patient study. Its efficacy was no better than the lower dose -- somewhat less impressive, in fact, by some measures, including annualized relapse rate -- and was associated with more adverse events, Dr. Cohen reported.
Fingolimod, a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator, had been tested earlier in placebo-controlled phase III studies. (See AAN: Promising Long-Term Results for Oral MS Drug) .......full report in MedPage Today
Patients taking 0.5 mg/day of fingolimod, an oral agent also known as FTY720, in a randomized one-year trial had half the annualized relapse rate of those taking interferon-beta1a, said Jeffrey Cohen, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic.
Speaking to a packed ballroom at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting, Dr. Cohen reported that the annualized relapse rate with fingolimod was 0.16 per year, compared with 0.33 (P<0 data-blogger-escaped-.001="" data-blogger-escaped-30="" data-blogger-escaped-at="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-for="" data-blogger-escaped-interferon-beta1a="" data-blogger-escaped-mcg="" data-blogger-escaped-week.="">
Moreover, 83% of patients taking 0.5 mg of fingolimod remained relapse-free during treatment, versus 69% of the interferon patients (P<0 data-blogger-escaped-.0001="" data-blogger-escaped-br="">
"The study met its primary endpoint and demonstrated superiority of fingolimod over interferon-beta1a," Dr. Cohen said.
A higher dose of fingolimod, 1.25 mg/day, was also tested in the 1,292-patient study. Its efficacy was no better than the lower dose -- somewhat less impressive, in fact, by some measures, including annualized relapse rate -- and was associated with more adverse events, Dr. Cohen reported.
Fingolimod, a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator, had been tested earlier in placebo-controlled phase III studies. (See AAN: Promising Long-Term Results for Oral MS Drug) .......full report in MedPage Today
Labels: Avonex
First Ten-Year Follow-Up Shows That Treatment With AVONEX® Leads To Long-Term Benefits In Early Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced data results from the CHAMPIONS (Controlled High-Risk AVONEX (interferon beta-1a) Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Prevention Study In Ongoing Neurologic Surveillance) study, an open label follow-up to CHAMPS (Controlled High Risk Subjects AVONEX MS Prevention Study). Based on the CHAMPS study, AVONEX was granted approval for use in patients who experienced their first clinical MS episode with MRI findings. The CHAMPIONS ten-year follow up showed that patients treated immediately after their first episode had significantly less chance of experiencing a second attack versus those patients with delayed treatment. These results at ten years also indicate that 80 percent of patients taking AVONEX were below an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score of three. These data were presented as a poster at the Annual American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting. ....full report in Medical News Today
Labels: Avonex