News Archive

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Multiple Sclerosis Association of America Night at the Philadelphia Phantoms
Please join MSAA and the Philadelphia Phantoms in support of MSAA programs and services on Sunday, April 3, 2005 at 6pm at the Wachovia Spectrum as the Phantoms take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
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Voluntary Suspension of Tysabri ® for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
On February 28, 2005, Biogen Idec and Elan Pharmaceuticals announced a voluntary suspension in the marketing of Tysabri®. Commercialization is suspended and physicians are asked to suspend dosing of Tysabri immediately.
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Multiple Sclerosis Association of America Adds Western Regional Office in San Francisco, California
The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) has expanded its regional offices from five to six with the addition of the Western Regional Office. The Western Region is headquartered in San Francisco, California and under the direction of Amanda Montague (pronounced “Mon-taig´”) . The region encompasses California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah. Along with the addition of the Western Region, MSAA also re-aligned its other five regional offices to provide each state with a regional office.
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FDA Approves Tysabr® (formerly Antegren) for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tysabri® (natalizumab), formerly known as Antegren®, for the treatment of relapsing-remitting forms of multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
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FDA Decision on Antegren Expected Soon
On or before November 25, 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to announce its decision about whether or not Antegren® (natalizumab) will be approved as a treatment for multiple sclerosis. Six months ago, the makers of Antegren (Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation), submitted an application to the FDA for early approval of this drug for MS. The application was submitted one year sooner than planned. The decision came after the manufacturers reviewed the one-year data from the two ongoing, two-year phase III trials.
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Medicare Modernization Act
As part of the Medicare Modernization Act, Medicare will extend coverage to prescription medications used to treat multiple sclerosis as well as other serious conditions including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and pulmonary hypertension. This Act is part of a demonstration project that will help up to 50,000 beneficiaries. To be eligible for the program, a beneficiary must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, and Medicare must be the primary payer.
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Antegren Submitted One Year Early for FDA Approval
The makers of Antegren® (Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation) announced they are going to be submitting an application for approval of Antegren (natalizumab) as a treatment for multiple sclerosis to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) one year earlier than planned. They expect to submit the filing mid-year 2004. The decision came after reviewing the one-year data from the two ongoing two-year phase III trials. The companies did not disclose the one-year data to protect the integrity of the trial.
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MSAA Names Joseph R. King Chair of the Board of Directors
Joseph R. King, Director of External Affairs for Verizon Communications, Inc. was recently appointed chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America's (MSAA) Board of Directors effective June 4, 2004.
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Oral Cladribine Efficacy Trials Slated to Begin This Year
Recently, Serono (makers of Rebif) and Ivax Corporation announced their test results from two clinical trials with a new oral formulation of cladribine. The study results showed that the formulation of oral cladribine has met the targets for an orally administered product, with blood levels of cladribine reaching the desired levels. Cladribine inhibits immune reactions by disrupting the production of certain white blood cells, particularly lymphocytes, which are involved in the disease process of multiple sclerosis. Investigators are planning further efficacy studies of oral cladribine in MS patients for late 2004.
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More Patents and Trials Continue with MBP8298
BioMS Medical, based in Edmonton, Alberta, has recently received 17 additional patents for MBP8298 in conjunction with the University of Alberta. In total, 50 patents have been granted to the University of Alberta for MBP8298 in 29 countries worldwide, including three patents issued in the United States. MBP8298 stands for Myelin Basic Protein Peptide and is comprised of 17 amino acids. The drug, which has been in research for 26 years, is going to phase III of clinical trials, with successful results in the pre-clinical, phase I and phase II human clinical trials in Canada.
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Multiple Sclerosis Association of America Prsents "The Questions You Have, The Answers You Need"
On Saturday, March 5, 2005, from 10 am-3:30 pm, MSAA is presenting a day long program at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. The program will be in a small group format and will feature Director of the MS Clinic of Central Texas, Edward Fox, M.D., PhD; an expert physical therapist; MS nurse practitioner; and a resource specialist to address YOUR questions and concerns about MS.
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Flu Vaccines, MS, and General Flu and
Cold Information
Individuals with MS need to pay extra attention to staying healthy and avoiding illness during the flu and cold season. MSAA's Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Jack Burks, MD, advises everyone with MS to consult his or her physician about getting a flu shot. With the shortage of vaccines, individuals with MS qualify as a group which should get priority for receiving a flu shot. Other steps may be taken to reduce one's risk of getting the flu, and this is important for both individuals with MS and others in the household. For those who catch the flu virus or who get a cold, this writing explains how the viruses are transmitted, what the symptoms are, and what treatments are available. Additional warnings about supplements, antibiotics, saunas, and smoking are included
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Upcoming MSAA Health Fairs
MSAA is crossing the United States bringing specialized MS Health Fairs to targeted areas. The Health Fairs are funded by a grant from Serno, Inc./ Pfizer,Inc.
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Pharmaceutical Companies Latest Drug Reports
The 19th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) was held in Milan, Italy in September. This prompted pharmaceutical companies to send out press releases with the latest information on their drugs and studies with MS. Read More...

MS Blood Test Studied
MS has always been associated with a variety of symptoms that may occur unpredictably and mimic other conditions. In most cases, patients “present” to the neurologist after their first flare-up of neurological symptoms, which is labeled as a “clinically isolated syndrome.”Read More...

CAMPATH® Shows Promise in the Treatment of MS
Results of several pilot studies with the drug Campath (alemtuzumab) were presented at the annual American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting in Honolulu on April 1, 2003. . Read More...

Pregnancy Hormone Estriol May Help MS
For many years, the medical community has observed that a woman’s MS may be less severe during pregnancy. A pregnancy hormone named estriol is produced by the placenta and may cause this remission in symptoms. Read More...

Positive Results from Antegren® Trial Published
Last year’s Winter 2002 issue of The Motivator included the encouraging results of a six-month study investigating the effects of the monoclonal antibody natalizumab (Antegren) in 213 individuals with relapsing-remitting and secondary-progressive MS. Read More...

Vaccination Safety
Recent studies continue to affirm the safety of vaccinations for people with MS. An evaluation of several reports and trial outcomes by the US Penitentiary Health Services Unit in Terre Haute, IN, concluded that the hepatitis B (HB), influenza, and tetanus vaccines do not increase the risk of developing MS or exacerbating its symptoms. Read More...

Limited Baclofen Availability
A shortage of the drug baclofen (Lioresal®), in its oral tablet form, has been reported by Magee Rehabilitation of the Jefferson Health System. Many individuals with MS or other neurologic conditions depend on baclofen to treat spasticity. Read More...

Provigil® Among Recommendations in Treatment of MS Fatigue
A Working Group of neurologists has recommended the wake-promoting agent Provigil® (generic name: modafinil), as the first line of treatment for moderate to severe MS fatigue. Provigil was initially approved in the US in 1998 for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy. Read More...

Drug Injections for MS Become More Convenient
Betaseron® is now available in the US in a new “room-temperature” formula. Given via subcutaneous injection every other day for the long-term treatment of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), Betaseron previously needed to be refrigerated – making travel difficult for people using this medication. Read More...