Medical retirement hit me instantaneously; suddenly I knew the time had arrived. My old friend multiple sclerosis had boxed me into a corner. I had spent the last 15 years working as an international contract analyst programmer travelling all over the world. I had SPMS but retirement at 58 was not on my horizon. I had discovered methods to cope with the problem of MS but my OOMPH was definitely...
#ThinkHand collaboration
I’m an artist, a painter, and a person with MS. I’m looking for volunteers to take part in and contribute to a new artwork inspired by the #ThinkHand campaign. My intention is to carry out several unorthodox and experimental portraits of people who are affected by the disease in various ways and stages. I would like to invite everyone who has MS or a carer or otherwise affected by the...
JCV index and the effect of DMTs
JCV STRATIFY (anti-JCV antibody) test has been utilized for more than decade to de-risk natalizumab treatment and other DMTs for risk of PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy). Cases of PML have occurred predominantly in natalizumab, but less commonly with fingolimod (Gilenya), dimethylfumerate (Tecfidera) and rituximab. A high JCV antibody index value indicates that the risk of...
Equal First or Equal Last?
Comparison of Copaxone® and Synthon’s therapeutically equivalent glatiramer acetate. Arends RJ, Wang D, Buurman M, Luten J, Koper NP, Wolf C, Scheren M. Pharmazie. 2019 ;74(8):449-46. Glatiramer acetate is indicated for the treatment of patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). In 2016, an alternative to the originator product was approved in the EU through the hybrid...
Reviewer week. Will the blog get use of an Orchid?
I guess you didn’t know it and I bet you didn’t care that this week was reviewer week. I didn’t know until got an spam email from PLoS Biology either. However reviewers are being celebrated. Acting as a reviewer is part of the science publishing process. This is part dictates what you get to read here. Good reviews and maybe EAE In the octopus would have got star billing a bad...
Extending dosing to reduce PML Risk
I suspect you will get a piece on this from ProfG in a few weeks . As you know natalizumab is a very good drug for stopping disease activity of the brain. However it is also good at stopping immune surveillence of the brain and if you are one of the 50% of people who are infected with the John Cunningham (JC) virus you are at risk from a brain disease called Progressive multifocal...
The Nocebo Effect
Placebo: A dummy medicine containing no active ingredients; Nocebo: A substance which a patient experiences as harmful due to a previous negative perception, but which is in act pharmacologically (medicinally) inactive. Nocebo in multiple sclerosis trials: A meta-analysis on oral and newer injectable disease-modifying treatments. Gklinos P, Papadopoulos D, Mitsikostas DD. Mult Scler Relat Disord...
American Military show that MS starts years before it shows itself
Migration data suggests that people contract the MS trigger before the aga of 15 but we know from clinical studies that it often doesn’t show itself for years later. However it appears that this grumbles on for many years before it rears its ugly head. The American Mitltary is a big beast full of healthy young people who get good medical check-ups. They have their bloods taken and stored...
All for one and one for all
“All for one and one for all”- The Musketeers FACTS Fact 1 – Siponimod (Novartis Pharmaceuticals) trialed for SPMS, but the FDA label sits as Clinically isolated syndrome (the first clinical episode), Relapsing-remitting MS, and active Secondary progressive MS. Fact 2 – Ocrelizumab (Genentech, Roche Pharmaceuticals) trialed for RRMS/PPMS; the latter has been shown to be...
Prof K
Whilst we were at ECTRIMS in Stockholm DrK got an email from our University informing him that his promotion was successful! Dr K is now Prof K! I think we should all clap hands, raise a glass of champagne and congratulate him on a well-deserved promotion. Professor Klaus Schmierer ProfK’s academic accomplishments have been well-rehearsed on this blog. He is an international expert on...