MS Trust Recent Story List

Pfizer set to spend $100 million on new stem cell research unit

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Pfizer has announced plans to set up a research unit with bases on both sides of the Atlantic which will investigate the therapeutic use of stem cells.

NHS medical research plan threatens patient privacy

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Chair of data watchdog warns new proposal is 'ethically unacceptable'.

Environment causes increase in multiple sclerosis among women only

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Gender has become a dominant factor in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) during the last decades. Already with a ratio of 3.2 to 1 MS is gradually changing into a disease predominantly among women.

Should you trust health advice from internet forums?

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

There are internet forums for all kinds of illness. We explore whether you can rely the advice and information you can get from these sites.

Multiple sclerosis 'barometer' reveals wide variation in care across Europe

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in different countries in the Europe face huge variations in provision of treatment and care, according to results from an MS barometer reported at the European parliament.

MS Commissioning Pathway, UK

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The MS Trust has launched the Pathway designed to simplify the process and enable commissioners to provide effective MS services

In the war against diseases, nerve cells need their armor

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Scientists find key step in maintaining myelin

Personal rehab helpful for multiple sclerosis

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Results of a study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry suggest that an individualized rehabilitation program effectively reduces disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Multiple sclerosis - a global disorder and still poorly managed

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The launch of Atlas: Multiple Sclerosis Resources in the World 2008 (MS Atlas)[1] during the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in September, 2008, was met with substantial global interest.

Only half of patients with multiple sclerosis achieve and maintain response to interferon treatment

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Regular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluations show that only about half of patients with multiple sclerosis achieve and sustain a response to treatment with interferon beta over three years, according to a study posted online today that will appear in the January 2009 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Supplier defends NHS drugs price

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Drugs deemed too expensive to offer to patients on the NHS are fairly priced, according to a major supplier.

Patients warned over online 'miracle cure' claims

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Seriously ill patients are being given false hope by websites making misleading, unscientific and exaggerated claims about "miracle" treatments for chronic conditions, experts have warned.

Warning over untested web 'cures'

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Leading medical experts are warning patients against using untested remedies advertised on the internet which, they say, sell "false hope".

Neuron gene linked to multiple sclerosis: study

Sun, 9 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A newly-discovered genetic flaw may lay the nervous system open to assault from the body's own immune system, leading to multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published Sunday.

Multiple sclerosis progression can be predicted with MRI

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A new study published in Journal of Neuroimaging shows that MRI scans used on multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to determine if the disease has affected gray matter in the brain can identify those at-risk for progression of disability.

Patients are ready for partnership

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Why are we still so bad at providing patients with information? Despite the best efforts of some health professionals, communication is often patchy, many questions are never asked for want of an opportunity or for fear of appearing demanding, and answers can be contradictory and confusing.

Top-up details and implications for the NHS

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Richards Review of NHS medicines access has permitted top-ups and Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced that he was accepting all 14 recommendations of cancer czar Professor Mike Richards' report Improving Access To Medicines For NHS Patients (see list below).

Private treatment will no longer bar patients from NHS care

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Ceiling lifted on cost of drugs for cancer patients - move made in response to public outrage over policy.

'My right to euthanasia'

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The British MS-sufferer who went to court to try to ensure her husband wouldn't be prosecuted if he helped her travel to Switzerland to be euthanised talks to newstatesman.com

Penalty ends for 'topping up' care

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Thousands of patients will learn today that they can pay for the latest drugs to "top up" care from the NHS.

Commentary: Government's decision is a triumph for common sense

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Common sense, that much undervalued commodity, has triumphed in the government's decision to ensure NHS care will not be withdrawn from patients who choose to pay for additional private drugs, writes Niall Dickson, chief executive, The King's Fund.

Finger on the pulse: Max Pemberton on top-up payments and the NHS

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Max Pemberton on why top-up payments threaten equality of care.

Virtual reality helps MS patients regain stability while walking

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Studies performed over the last few years show many Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients no longer have to live with a meandering or unsteady gait caused by their disease.

Alan Johnson publishes proposals to make more drugs available on the NHS

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

NHS care will not be withdrawn from patients who choose to pay for additional drugs.

NHS next stage review: the whole package

Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

World class commissioning will be a major driver in improving healthcare quality, by embedding it in the DNA of services.

MSP plans bill to legalise assisted suicide

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A bill to legalise assisted suicides in Scotland is to be introduced by one of the country's best-known MSPs after a woman with multiple sclerosis failed to get a court ruling to allow her husband to help her die.

MacDonald plans bill for assisted suicide

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Plans to create a new law to legalise assisted suicide and living wills have been announced in the Scottish Parliament.

Service planners urged to enhance patient involvement

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Department of Health is urging primary care trust managers to seek the views of "easy to overlook" groups such as homeless people, sex workers, people in rural areas and non-English speakers when shaping services.

Biogen reports brain infection in one more multiple sclerosis patient

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Drug developer Biogen Idec Inc Wednesday reported in a regulatory filing that a multiple sclerosis patient who was being treated with the company's Tysabri in the commercial setting in the US developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy or PML.

Judges call for Parliament to review rules on assisted suicide

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A terminally ill woman who wants her husband to help her die lost her landmark legal bid to clarify the law on assisted suicide but welcomed a High Court ruling that suggested Parliament should review the issue.

Health inequalities: wealthiest overfunded as the poor lose out

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

NHS services in the poorest and most needy parts of the country are being systematically underfunded to the benefit of the healthiest and wealthiest.

Ask parliament, not courts, whether your husband can help you end your life

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Judges reject plea to clarify assisted suicide law - terminally ill woman is granted leave to appeal.

Comorbidity related to disability in multiple sclerosis

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Both diagnostic delay and disability at diagnosis are influenced by comorbidity among multiple sclerosis patients, and these relationships need to undergo further study, according to a study published online Oct. 29 in Neurology.

Patients to get more say in NHS services

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Department of Health today urged Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to engage better with patients and the public in developing plans and making decisions about local health services.

Biogen reports another Tysabri brain disease case

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Biogen Idec Inc said on Wednesday that it has notified regulators of a new case of a potentially deadly brain disease in a multiple sclerosis patient being treated with Tysabri in the United States.

IT crucial for full engagement, report argues

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The NHS needs to make greater use of information and web 2.0 technologies if individuals are to engage more with their health and healthcare, the King's Fund think-tank has argued.

Analysis: Assisted suicide ruling

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A British woman has lost her battle in the High Court, where she had sought clarification in the law on assisted suicide.

How to be the perfect patient

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Be concise, don't expect miracles - and know when to stay away. Dr Pauline Brimblecombe on how to get the best from your GP

Govt set to axe NHS top-up ban in early November

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Health Secretary Alan Johnson is expected to announce within the next two weeks that the ban on patients paying privately for drugs and other treatments which are not available on the National Health Service (NHS) without forfeiting the rest of their NHS care is to be lifted.

New drugs could be hit in squeeze

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The credit crunch is likely to hit the discovery and production of many new medicines, experts are warning.

Benefits reforms to be introduced

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A new benefits system making it tougher for sick and disabled people to claim benefits is due to be launched later.

Multiple sclerosis disease activity reduced after taking oral fumarate

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

An article published in The Lancet reports successful results from a phase II trial for oral fumarate (BG00012).

Q&A: Nicola Russell on the new drug to treat multiple sclerosis

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A new drug to treat multiple sclerosis has given hope to patients suffering from the disease. Nicola Russell, the MS Trust's director of services, says the results are promising but more studies are needed.

NHS must rise to technology challenge and catch up with other industries, says The King's Fund

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The NHS is failing to make it more convenient for the public to receive the care they need, by not making use of everyday technology and innovation that consumers would welcome, say two new reports published today by The King's Fund.

NHS absence from individual budget trials was "missed opportunity"

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The failure to involve the NHS in individual budget pilots was a "missed opportunity" and deeply regretted by the social services staff who took part.

Oral fumarate reduces disease activity in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, and phase III results now awaited

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A phase II trial has shown oral fumarate (BG00012) substantially reduces the MRI-disease activity associated with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and the results of phase III studies are now awaited.

NHS constitution fails to fire public's imagination

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The NHS constitution is failing to attract public interest amid criticism that it is unclear about patients' rights and will not abolish the postcode lottery.

Major step towards treating multiple sclerosis as trials show drug reverses effects of disease

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Treatment could be licensed as early as 2010. Scans show brain repair in early-stage patients.

New drug raises hope of reversing multiple sclerosis in early stages

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A step change in the treatment of multiple sclerosis is heralded today by the first study to suggest that a drug can stop the disease in its tracks and even reverse its progress.

Drug reboots immune system to reverse MS

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

For the first time, a drug has successfully reversed nerve and brain damage from multiple sclerosis, trial data suggests.

Drug can reverse the effects of MS

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Discovery is hailed as breakthrough in treatment of debilitating condition.

Leukemia drug shows great results vs. multiple sclerosis

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A leukemia-fighting drug shows great promise in combating multiple sclerosis, researchers at the University of Cambridge in England said today.

Cutting the cake fairly: CSCI publishes review of eligibility criteria for social care

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Everyone, regardless of their needs or how much money they have, should, as a minimum, have a proper discussion about their care needs and good information and advice about care choices, according to a new report by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, published today.

Recognition is vital

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The UK's 6 million carers feel exploited because the system pretends to ignore their contribution. A carers' leader proposes a radical reform.

Straight to the specialist: Johnson cuts GP referrals

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Patients with back pain will be able to access free treatment from NHS physiotherapists without having to go through a GP, under plans to be unveiled today by the health secretary, Alan Johnson.

Avigen announces AV650 did not meet efficacy endpoints in phase 2b clinical trial for spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Avigen, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company innovating therapeutics for neurological care, today announced that the top-line data from its Phase 2b study of AV650 (tolperisone HCl) for the treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) did not achieve statistical significance on its primary endpoint of a reduction from baseline of patients' Ashworth scores as compared to placebo.

Individual budgets can provide better care, says new report

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Individual budgets can give people more choice, flexibility and control over their personal care, as well as a better quality of life, according to a pilot scheme evaluation report launched today by Care Services Minister Phil Hope.

Patients to be given right to self-refer

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Patients will be able to visit a physio without seeing a GP.

New patient e-health 2.0 sites launched

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Two new websites have been launched featuring a collection of real life health stories and personal experiences of illness and health.

Radical overhaul for disabled parking

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The Government has today announced a major crackdown on those who abuse the disabled parking badge system.

Healthcare Commission publishes NHS ratings showing major improvement in performance

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

NHS urged to root out pockets of remaining poor and mediocre performance and get all trusts up to the standards of the best.

Support multiple sclerosis by the book

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

MS Talent project publishes second anthology on 19 November, 2008.

NHS postcode lottery continues

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Standards of healthcare in London are deteriorating as the situation across the country improves, a new Healthcare Commission report revealed today.

Patients at risk 'as hospitals fail to pass on vital details'

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Patients are being put at risk because hospitals are failing to pass on crucial records to GPs, according to a poll of family doctors.

Healthcare Commission report: The good and the bad

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The best and the worst of the NHS trusts across England, according to the wide-ranging Healthcare Commission report.

Doubling levels of vitamin D 'could prevent serious diseases in your children'

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Children from newborns to teenagers should get double the recommended amount of vitamin D to prevent serious diseases, scientists say.

Response to immune protein determines pathology of multiple sclerosis

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

New research may help reveal why different parts of the brain can come under attack in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The 'button' that could bring an end to catheter misery

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A device known as a 'button' allows people with bladder problems to insert a tube into an abdomen porthole rather than wear a catheter bag.

Complaints 'do not improve NHS'

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Vital lessons which could be learned from complaints to the NHS are ignored, a public spending watchdog says.

Nurses face the axe as NHS aims to make a saving of £344m

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Almost 2,500 jobs will be axed from the Northern Ireland health service within three years under radical new proposals to save millions of pounds, it was announced last night.

PCTs call for continuing care help

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Strategic health authorities are having to rescue primary care trusts flooded with "continuing care" cases, a year after the government made it easier for service users to claim NHS funding.

Librarians set to be NHS cure

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Libraries have been put at the heart of an evidence-based NHS.

Neurotransmitter defect may trigger autoimmune disease

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A potentially blinding neurological disorder, often confused with multiple sclerosis (MS), has now become a little less mysterious.

Drug companies urged to drop NHS prices

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The Government is urging pharmaceutical companies to lower their initial prices for new drugs, with the promise that the NHS will pay more for them if evidence proves greater effectiveness.

Vitamin D story compels experts to act

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Commentary by George Ebers, Action Research Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford.

Veterans' MS study awaits Bush sign-off

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, now awaiting President Bush's signature, contains a provision to determine whether veterans of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and of post-9/11 wars are at increased risk for multiple sclerosis.

Terminal illnesses: My life is worth living, despite the pain and suffering

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Choosing a deliberately induced death is the end of all autonomy, and the end of hope. My sincere wish is that Mrs Purdy will be enabled and supported, as I am, to choose life until death comes naturally.

Suicide guarantee 'not possible'

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

It is not possible to guarantee a woman with multiple sclerosis her husband would escape prosecution for helping her die, the High Court has heard.

Leading article: Death with dignity

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The dilemma Debbie Purdy faces is about as agonising as can be imagined. She has a terminal illness and is anxious to be in a position to decide when and if to end her own life, should her condition become unbearable.

Millions more people 'need to have flu jab'

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Millions more people should get the flu jab this year, the Government's director of immunisation has said.

Assisted suicide court review due

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A woman with multiple sclerosis has told the BBC she wants the High Court to clarify the law on assisted suicide.

MS sufferer asks high court: Will my husband go to jail if I die?

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A multiple sclerosis sufferer will today ask a judge if her husband will be prosecuted if he helps her commit suicide abroad.

Make NHS drug top-ups the exception, not the rule

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Lord Crisp, former chief executive of the NHS, has suggested that topping-up of recommended drugs should be made the exception to the NHS system, rather than the rule.

Drug companies told to do a discount for expensive drugs on the NHS

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Expensive drugs should be offered to the NHS free or at discount prices so that patients can be given access to them more quickly, the Government has said.

Fast-track cancer test unveiled by Yorkshire team

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

TESTING for diseases including cancer and multiple sclerosis could soon be as simple as using a pregnancy test kit, Yorkshire scientists claim today.

Revised guidance for top-up drugs [Scotland]

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Revised guidance on patients receiving drugs not available on the NHS will make the system clearer, Scottish ministers have said.

Patients slow on choosing hospitals

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Patients' right to choose which hospital treats them is being taken up far more slowly than the government had hoped and there are large variations around the country, according to private hospital operators.

Suspicious immune molecule elevated in MS patients

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A protein that helps keep immune cells quiet is more abundant in the spinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), further boosting suspicion that the protein, TREM-2, may be an important contributor to the disease.

N Ireland scraps prescription fees

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Northern Ireland's Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has announced plans to abolish prescription charges in the country.

MS sufferer Debbie Purdy fights to change law on assisted suicide

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The law on assisted suicide as it stands is vague.

New web resource about medicines

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

From today, people can access a new authoritative source of information on the Internet about medicines.

Independent chemists 'worst for reliable advice'

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

If you want the best medical advice, avoid small independent chemists, an undercover investigation suggests today.

Disease modifying drugs tie for efficacy in multiple sclerosis: presented at ANA

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The different disease-modifying drugs available on the market for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) result in similar rates of disease relapse when examined over the long term, according to a retrospective chart review.

Prescription charges to be axed

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Patients with long-term conditions will get free prescriptions under plans announced by Gordon Brown today.

Top-up fees for drugs herald two-tier NHS

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Ministers poised to relax ban on patients paying privately for life-extending treatments while receiving NHS care.

ATL/TV1102 trial results presented at WCTRIMS

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

ATL/TV1102 significantly reduced disease activity in patients with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study.

Polyclinics 'may damage GP trust'

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Polyclinics may damage trust between the patient and GP, harming the quality of care in the process, experts say.

Sustained-release fampridine improves walking and leg strength in patients with multiple sclerosis: presented at WCTRMS

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Sustained-release fampridine improves walking and leg strength in patients with multiple sclerosis, according to data from a phase 3 study presented here at the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (WCTRMS).

More patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis are disease-free with natalizumab: Presented at WCTRMS

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Natalizumab significantly increases the proportion of disease-free patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with placebo over 2 years, according to study results presented here at the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (WCTRMS).

Lack of vitamin D linked to multiple sclerosis

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Children later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis had far lower levels of vitamin D than other youngsters, Canadian researchers reported yesterday in studies showing more links between the "sunshine" vitamin and disease.

Intramuscular interferon beta-1a reduces disability progression and improves quality of life in relapsing multiple sclerosis: presented at WCTRMS

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Patients who have been taking intramuscular interferon beta-1a for as many as 15 years have significantly better quality-of-life scores and less long-term disability than patients on other disease-modifying therapies, according to a study presented here at the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (WCTRMS).

Glatiramer acetate decreases severity of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: presented at WCTRMS

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Glatiramer acetate has been shown to be efficacious in several outcomes among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) when a scale other than the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was used, according to research presented here at the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (WCTRMS).

Red wine molecule might battle MS