MS Trust Recent Story List

Negative attitudes towards disability

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Four personal stories in the Guardian (one from a woman with MS) illustrate how people have received abuse linked to their disability following negative coverage of benefit claimants in the media.

Guardian

My Story - personal stories of life with MS

Fampridine availability

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The difficulty of accessing fampridine has been discussed on BBC Radio Stoke. Tina and Barry Boycott and then the local MP interviewed from 1:09:04 (nine minutes). MS Society comment from 1:49:22 (seven minutes)

BBC Radio Stoke (available until 7 February)

Fampridine (Fampyra) - A to Z of MS

Respite - Brambles close to reopening

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The MS Society say they are very close to exchanging contracts with the new owners of the Brambles and staff "are on standby so that within five working days, Brambles can reopen to guests"

Redhill And Reigate Life

Benefit changes reversed in Commons

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Commons has overturned amendments made to the Welfare Reform Bill and has blocked the opportunity for the Lords to vote on the bill again. The changes reinstate the one year limit on claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and the £26,000 cap on annual benefit which will include child benefit payments

Guardian
Independent
Daily Telegraph

Teenagers with a father with MS

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

A television programme about troubled teenagers will include an episode on two brothers coping with their father's primary progressive MS. The programme, The Naked Truth, presented by Gok Wan, will be broadcast on 7 February on Channel 4

Daily Mail

The young person's guide to MS - book

Primary progressive MS exposed - book

CCSVI studies

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The latest reports from the seven CCSVI studies being supported by the National MS Society and the Canadian MS Society have been published. Some interim data has been published but none of the studies is yet complete. The same report appears on both charities' websites.

National MS Society (USA)
Canadian MS Society

CCSVI - A to Z of MS

Tysabri trial for secondary progressive MS

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Biogen have announced a phase 3 trial called Ascend, which will look at the effectiveness of Tysabri in secondary progressive MS. The study will enrol 850 people in 15 countries. Participants will receive either Tysabri or placebo every four weeks for 96 weeks.

Biogen Idec press release

Nataizumab (Tysabri) - A to Z of MS

Rebif for CIS

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Rebif (interferon beta 1a) has been approved in Europe for the treatment of people with clinically isolated syndrome. This brings Rebif into line with the other first line disease modifying drugs

Reuters
Merck press release - (pdf 38kb)

Disease modifying drugs - A to Z of MS

EMA announces review of fingolimod (Gilenya)

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The European Medicines Agency has begun a review of the benefits and risks of Gilenya (fingolimod) following the death of one person in the United States less than 24 hours after the first dose and reports of heart problems in other people.

While the review of this new oral treatment for relapsing remitting MS is ongoing, doctors are advised to increase cardiac monitoring of people after first dose.

European Medicines Agency

MS Trust news item on death following first dose of fingolimod
A to Z of MS - Fingolimod

MPs hear evidence of value of MS nurse-led services

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Dr Steve Pollock, senior neurologist in East Kent, praised a nurse-led MS service to the Public Accounts Committee.

The committee, which is currently investigating NHS neurology services following publication of a report by the National Audit Office, also heard calls for the appointment of national level leadership on improving neurology services, such as a national clinical director or 'tsar'.

Nursing Times

MS Trust news item - 'Neurology disease time bomb' says Neurological Alliance
MS Trust news item on the National Audit Office report - 16 December 2011
National Audit Office report - Services for people with neurological conditions

Natalizumab (Tysabri) label change

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The American FDA has approved a label change that will allow mention of the JC virus as a risk factor for PML (a side effect of natalizumab) and has approved the marketing of the STRATIFY test which shows exposure to the virus. Includes January's PML figures - 201 cases, 42 deaths out of more than 96,500 people treated.

Med Page Today
Biogen press release
FDA safety announcement

Natalizumab (Tysabri) - A to Z of MS
PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy) - A to Z of MS

Fair deal for neurology

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Following the publication in December of the National Audit Office report which found the implementation of neurology services had been poor, uncoordinated and lacked effective monitoring, the Neurology Alliance is calling on people to raise these concerns with their MP

Neurological Alliance

MS Trust news item on the National Audit Office report - 16 December 2011

Neurology timebomb

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Neurological Alliance, which represents more than 70 charities, has warned the NHS that neurological problems will cause increasing strain to the NHS unless action to support people is taken now. They cite the increasing incidence of Parkinson's and MND and that 50 people a week are diagnosed with MS.

Guardian
BBC
Daily Mail
Daily Telegraph

MS Trust news item on neurological services - 16 December 2011

Benefit changes

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

A proposed amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill, which would have delayed the introduction of personal independent payments (PIPs) (the replacement for disability living allowance (DLA)) until pilot testing has been carried out, has been defeated in the House of Lords by 16 votes

BBC
Guardian

How the Spartacus report spread

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Article looking at how the Responsible Reform report (the Spartacus report), research that questions the level of support for welfare reform, made its impact by using Twitter

Guardian

MS Trust on Facebook and Twitter

Stem cells to oligodendrocytes

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Researchers in Florida have for the first time managed to get umbilical cord stem cells to convert into oligodendrocytes - the nervous system cells that produce myelin. They hope this laboratory work will lead to better understanding of the damage that occurs in MS and other conditions

Eureka Alert

Stem cells - A to Z of MS

Benefit bill challenged in Lords

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The House of Lords has defeated the government on aspects of the Welfare Reform Bill. Peers voted to protect young disabled people from cuts to employment support allowance (ESA); for a two-year limit on claims, rather than the proposed one year; and also to exempt people with cancer from a limit of benefits.

BBC
Guardian
Daily Mail

Nerve rerouting and cognition

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

In a small study involving 16 people with MS, researchers have suggested that the rerouting of nerve messages around an area of damage may have an impact of cognitive function.

Medical Xpress
Science Daily

Cognition - A to Z of MS

Spartacus report

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Responsible Reform report (being referred to as the 'Spartacus report') used figures gathered from Freedom of Information requests to show the level of objection expressed in the consultation on benefit changes and how this hasn't been acknowledged by the Government. The report, researched and written by disabled people, has been backed by a number of disability charities

Herald
Daily Mail
Responsible Reform report (download from Scope website - pdf 508kb)