Latest Conference Coverage

Top Interviews from 2023 ACTRIMS: Expert Insights on Multiple Sclerosis

A group of experts in the care of patients with multiple sclerosis—Marisa McGinley, DO; Farrah Mateen, MD, PhD; Laura Piccio, MD, PhD; Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD; and Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MAS, FAAN—shared their perspectives on hot topics of treatment and management from the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum.

Proven Therapies Underutilized in State of Care for NMOSD: Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MAS, FAAN

The clinical research director of the UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center spoke about the barriers in accessing proven therapies for NMOSD at the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

Potential Therapies Targeting Memory B-Cells to Prevent Relapse and Progression in MS

Rajiv Jain, PhD, post-doctoral associate, department of clinical neurosciences, University of Calgary, talked about his presentation on T-bet+ memory B-cells in multiple sclerosis at the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum.

Significance of Evusheld’s Effect in Multiple Sclerosis: Svetlana P. Eckert, MD

The clinical assistant professor of neurology at Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, New York, talked about her presentation on Evusheld at the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Utilizing Biomarker Panels to Effectively Gauge, Manage Multiple Sclerosis

Taylor Gonyou, DO, a multiple sclerosis fellow at Michigan Institute for Neurologic Disorders, detailed a proteomic biomarker panel that gauges multiple sclerosis disease activity, with potential to impact clinical decision-making.

Overcoming Issues With Access to MRIs, Resources in Care of Multiple Sclerosis: Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD

The director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center provide perspective on innovative ways to monitor progression in multiple sclerosis, and the importance of high-level care facilities. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Role of Evusheld in Preventing COVID Infections in Multiple Sclerosis

Svetlana P. Eckert, MD, clinical assistant professor of neurology at University at Buffalo, talked about Evusheld as a preventive approach to COVID-19 infections in multiple sclerosis at the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum.

Investigating Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients on B-Cell Depleting Therapies: Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MAS, FAAN

At the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum, the clinical research director of the UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center talked about the implications for patients on B-cell depleting therapies infected with COVID-19. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Vaccine Status and Hypogammaglobulinemia in N-MOmentum Trial Analyses: Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MAS, FAAN

The clinical research director of the UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center spoke on the findings from two post-hoc analyses that were presented at the 2023 ACTRIMS Conference. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

Assessing Deep Gray Matter Loss in Cortical, Thalamic Regions to Understand MS Progression: Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD

The director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center discussed the need to further explain differences in cortical lesions and deep gray matter in patients with severely affected multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Challenges With Tailoring Diets in Multiple Sclerosis: Laura Piccio, MD, PhD

The neurologist and physician scientist at Washington University in St. Louis provided insight on the general dieting strategies patients with multiple sclerosis should take as more information becomes available. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes

Recapping Research From 2023 ACTRIMS

As a recap from ACTRIMS 2023, get caught up on some of the latest news in multiple sclerosis as the NeurologyLive® team shares some of our data updates.

Identifying Reasons, Barriers to Low Employment Rates in NMOSD: Farrah Mateen, MD, PhD

The associate director of the Multiple Sclerosis & Neuromyelitis Optica Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital provided perspective on a study that linked NMOSD to increased unemployment and decreased income. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes]

Positive Response of Telehealth as Additional Option for Care in MS: Marisa McGinley, DO

The staff neurologist from the Mellen Center for MS Treatment and Research at the Cleveland Clinic discussed how patients with multiple sclerosis are more open to using telehealth for accessing their healthcare providers at the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Differentiating Severe Multiple Sclerosis Through a Comprehensive Assessment: Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD

The director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center provided context on the CASA-MS study, and the key differences in why certain patients with multiple sclerosis experience more rapid disability progression. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Metabolic Changes, Cognitive Improvements in Multiple Sclerosis Observed Through Intermittent Calorie Restriction

Compared with those on an unrestricted diet, patients with MS on intermittent calorie restriction showed greater cognitive performance, as assessed by SDMT, after 12 weeks dieting.

Building Trust and Increasing Patient Engagement With MS Communities: Marisa McGinley, DO

At the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum, the staff neurologist from the Mellen Center for MS Treatment and Research at the Cleveland Clinic talked about the lack of trust and engaging more with the MS community. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Favorable Safety Outcomes Observed in Ozanimod Over Diroximel Fumarate

The ozanimod group demonstrated significantly lower odds of safety outcomes such as nasopharyngitis, diarrhea, and urinary tract infection relative to diroximel fumarate.

Access to MS Care in Underserved and Diverse Populations: Marisa McGinley, DO

The staff neurologist at the Mellen Center for MS Treatment and Research at Cleveland Clinic, spoke at the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum about disparities in care access for patients with MS. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Long-term Ozanimod Treatment in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Associated With Stable or Improved Disease Activity and Safety

An ad hoc analysis of patients from a pair of phase 3 clinical trials and an open-label extension suggest that more than 5 years of treatment with ozanimod (Zeposia; BMS) was safe, without differences in age groups.

Satralizumab Shows Long-term Efficacy and Safety in AQP4-IgG-Seropositive NMOSD

Results from the open-label SAkuraMoon study show consistent relapse freedom in satralizumab-treated patients with aquaporin-4-IgG-seropositive NMOSD.

Ocrelizumab and Rituximab Demonstrate Similar Safety, Efficacy in Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

Treatment with either rituximab and ocrelizumab, 2 FDA-approved therapies that target CD20, resulted in similar odds of experiencing a clinical disease activity in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses.

BTK Inhibitor Evobrutinib Displays Superior Efficacy Compared With Anti-CD20 Treatment for MS

A preclinical assessment of evobrutinib showed it demonstrated superior efficacy in targeting compartmentalized neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis compared with anti-CD20 treatment.

Majority of Long-Term Immunotherapy-Treated Patients With MOGAD Sustain Relapses

An analysis of patients with MOGAD showed that only 50% of those treated with various immunotherapies over a long-term period maintained relapse-free status.

Cognition Stabilized in Highly Active Relapsing MS on Cladribine

Between pretreatment naïve patients and those previously on disease-modifying therapies, treatment with cladribine resulted in stable scores on Symbols Digit Modalities Test and other cognitive assessments.

Gauging MS Disease Activity Through Octave’s MSDA Test: Taylor Gonyou, DO

The multiple sclerosis fellow at Michigan Institute for Neurologic Disorders provided perspective on the clinical utility and advantages of a multi-protein test that assesses multiple sclerosis disease activity. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

Glatiramer Acetate Depot Injection Shows T1 and T2 Lesion Reduction in Relapsing MS

Secondary findings from a phase 3 study demonstrate a significant decrease in new T1 enhancing lesions and new enlarging hyperintense T2 lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis undergoing glatiramer acetate depot treatment.

Combination Treatment Approach to Fatigue in MS Nets Benefits

Study results suggest that selected interventions should be based on phenotypic differences and treatment goals.

Disability Progression Risk Lowered in Diverse Patients With Relapsing MS on Ocrelizumab

Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic or Latino individuals on ocrelizumab did not demonstrate significantly greater risk on 24-week confirmed disability progression relative to non-Hispanic Whites.

High Proportion of Patients Maintained No Evidence of Disease Activity With Ublituximab

Majority of patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis demonstrated achieving and maintaining no evidence disease activity after being treated with ublituximab.