March 2013
2 posts
BG-12 (Tecfidera) Approved
As expected, the FDA today approved dimethyl fumarate (aka BG-12), to be marketed as Tecfidera. As with most of the other drugs for MS, it has been approved only for the relapsing-remitting type of MS.
We will be meeting with the company, Biogen Idec, soon and will try to obtain details on the rollout.
BG-12 (oral MS drug) Update
The latest news on BG-12 is that the FDA will decide about it on March 27, 2013. It is widely expected that it will be approved, but you can never be 100% sure with the FDA.
Biogen Idec, the manufacturer, has decided to market the drug under the brand name Tecfidera. I have no idea where that name came from but it does have the advantage of not sounding like anything else.
As you recall from...
January 2013
1 post
Progressive MS
As many of you know, most cases of MS begin with relapses followed by remissions - so called relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). After a number of years, however, many patients evolve into a progressive phase during which the disease slowly worsens without sudden relapses or exacerbations. This is known as secondary progressive MS (SPMS). There are a few patients for whom the disease is progressive...
December 2012
1 post
Pregnancy & MS
MS and Pregnancy
Its Kathy Bolen, your MS nurse hoping to answer some questions about one of life’s most exciting events. This summary will address some of your questions and for information only, not designed to replace talking to your doctor.
MS is commonly diagnosed in women of childbearing age. Years ago most women were counseled to avoid pregnancy with belief that it might make their MS...
November 2012
1 post
BG-12 Update
From what we hear, it now appears that the approval of BG-12 (aka DMF, dimethyl fumarate, or just fumarate) has been pushed back to March 2013. Apparently the FDA has requested more information.
As many of you recall, BG-12 is the oral MS medication which is made by Biogen Idec, the same company that makes Avonex and Tysabri. It is a twice daily pill which at least so far seems to have a good...
September 2012
2 posts
Teriflunomide (Aubagio) - a new pill for MS
Last week the FDA approved teriflunomide, a second oral medication for relapsing forms of MS. It comes in 2 doses, 7 mg/day and 14 mg/day. It is a once a day pill.
Based on the research results so far this seems to be drug with a fairly modest effect on MS, roughly equivalent to that of the interferon medications although obviously easier to take. It seems to reduce the annual...
Spasticity
Spasticity is one of the most common and most difficult of all MS symptoms. It refers to the particular kind of stiffness and weakness which gradually develops in the legs and arms of people after injury to the brain or spinal cord. It can be painful and it can interfere with all motor skills and dexterity. When your reflexes jump quickly after a tap on the knee, or when your foot keeps...
July 2012
1 post
What is NMO?
Once in a while a patient with apparent MS receives a surpise diagnosis - it is not MS at all, but rather NMO. NMO stands for neuromyelitis optica, and it used to be called Devic’s disease. It is quite similar to MS, and used to be considered a subtype of MS, but in the past decade we have learned that it is in fact a distinct disease and it requires different treatment entirely. There...
May 2012
1 post
Post #6 MS Fatigue
Sorry for the delay with this post, but have been crazy busy lately. Today I want to discuss MS-related fatigue and what can be done for it.
Each patient with MS has a unique set of symptoms. This is because MS can affect many different areas of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, or optic nerves. Because of this, one patient may have mostly visual problems, another may have...
April 2012
1 post
Post #5 Tysabri update
As many of you are aware, Tysabri has become one of the most widely used medications for multiple sclerosis. At this time there are nearly 100,000 people taking Tysabri around the world. In our center in Norfolk we currently are treating approximately 180 patients with Tysabri each month. It has become popular for several reasons, but primarily because it seems to be more effective than anything...
March 2012
3 posts
Post #4 Vitamin D & MS
Today I am pleased to have a guest contributor, Kathy Bolen, RN, MSCN. Many of you know Kathy who is a certified MS nurse and director of the infusion center here at MSCT.Vitamin D
Thank you, Dr. Rice for allowing me in on this digital adventure. The topic of Vitamin D seemed like a good place to start.
Over the last several years Vitamin D, has become a topic widely discussed. Many experts in...
Post #3: Oral Therapies: should I switch? and if...
OK, we have discussed the available and the soon to be available oral medications for MS. The next obvious question is who should consider switching or beginning oral medications, and when.
There are several types of patients for whom I would consider an early switch.
1) patients experiencing frequent or serious relapses while taking the first line injectable drugs (Copaxone, Betaseron, Rebif,...
January 2012
2 posts
Post #2 Oral Meds for MS
Ever since the very first Betaseron needles appeared in 1993, the one question I have heard more than any other is “when will we have a pill for MS?” Now that that day has arrived I thought I would update you on what is now available and what is expected in the next year or so.
As most of you know, there is already one pill on the market for relapsing MS. It was approved by the FDA...
Welcome to my MS blog!
The idea for writing an MS blog came to me out of the blue recently, but I might have never really started had it not been for the expert help of my computer-savvy daughter-in-law Sarah, who understands all things digital in a way that someone my age probably never will. So hats off to her, and to my son Teddy who also added his considerable expertise - not to mention the rest of my family who...
December 2011
3 posts
“It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.
Wisdom of...”
Watch
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - A new pill approved by the FDA in March may be a potential medical breakthrough for the nearly 10,000 Virginians living with Multiple Sclerosis.
MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system and stops people from moving.
Lamont Walker of Virginia Beach leans on a cane when he walks because his left foot does not move very well anymore.
He was diagnosed with...
