Social Security disability claimants become eligible for Medicare on the 25th month after they first become eligible for a Social Security disability payment. For MS patients lacking access to regular review of prescribed medications, these delays may unnecessarily increase suffering and may dramatically increase the cost to the government when a claimant’s disease moves from a relapse-remitting stage to a progressive stage.
Medicare recently announced a breakthrough analysis of MS (Multiple Sclerosis) costs which showed that as the disease progresses, the care costs involved escalate dramatically. The research firm of JEN Associates and Wyeth conducted a study using a novel computer analysis to sort out MS patients by the stage that their disease was in, basing this on their Medicare payment records. The result of the study was that this led to a better understanding of MS treatment costs. The results of the study also indicated how well Medicare could reap more savings if effective treatment could block the advancements of the disease.
Consequently, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. is funding a worldwide study involving 1,350 MS patients in order to determine how safe and effective the medication glatiramer acetate (Copaxone®) for the treatment of the disease. The standard dose of glatiramer acetate is 20mg but the study is testing a higher dosage of 40mg administered only 3 times per week instead of the daily dosage of the smaller amount. The study will last a year and has been named the “GALA” Study.Read more on Delays in Social Security Disability Decisions May Result in Higher Costs to Medicare…
Filed under Medical research, MS Treatment by on Jan 29th, 2011. 1 Comment. 
There has been a lot in the news lately about statin drugs being used to treat high cholesterol in many individuals. They prevent cholesterol from being produced in the liver and also prevent cholesterol from entering the bloodstream. Some people believe that statins are being over prescribed, though, and that they do not really provide a great benefit to people. Still, others argue that they truly help with inflammation and prevent the cholesterol from rising and causing additional harm. But why are we discussing cholesterol drugs in a multiple sclerosis blog? Well, a new study has found that cholesterol drugs such as statins may not only help lower a person’s cholesterol, but may also be a helpful treatment option for multiple sclerosis.
Read more on Statin drugs may help reduce the incidence of brain lesions in MS patients…
Filed under Medical research, MS Treatment by on Apr 29th, 2010. Comment.
It is always exciting when a new medication is posed to come out on the market. There is a sense of hopefulness that this will be the treatment option that will work best for whatever condition ails you. What is even better and more exciting is when the drug is the first of its kind for a particular disease or illness. The newest medication to reach these ranks is drug maker Novartis’s oral medication for multiple sclerosis, Gilenia. This drug is the first of its kind for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and it is backed by a tremendous reduction rate for relapses of the disabling condition.
Read more on New Oral MS Drug Reduces Relapses Associated with the Condition…
Filed under Medical research, MS Treatment by on Apr 22nd, 2010. Comment.
One of the most difficult aspects of living with an autoimmune disease is figuring out what treatment option works best for a particular individual. With no cure, most people find themselves trying a variety of therapies to find one that works best. What is more is that sometimes a medication will be working well, and then it suddenly stops becoming as effective. Individuals suffering from multiple sclerosis, which is an autoimmune disease impacting millions of people around the world, also have to deal with occasional flare ups. These flare ups mean that the disorder could go into remission for a bit and then suddenly, and without warning, reappear. This makes it even more difficult to find out if a medication is actually working. In an effort to reduce these difficulties, researchers at Stanford University believe that it may be possible to predict which multiple sclerosis patients will respond favorably to a popular multiple sclerosis medication and which ones will not.
Filed under Living with MS, Medical research, MS Treatment by on Apr 16th, 2010. Comment.
In a previous post, we discussed the beneficial effects of Vitamin D on the management and maybe even prevention of multiple sclerosis. Specifically, we talked about how pregnant mothers who consumed a lot of Vitamin D when pregnant were less likely to have children who developed the condition. Vitamin D has long been touted as a supplement that can decrease the likelihood of a person eventually suffering from multiple sclerosis. This hypothesis was further shored up by the evidence that the condition is quite rare in tropical regions because people are exposed to a great deal of sunlight, and thereby Vitamin D. Conversely, multiple sclerosis is more prevalent where the sun shines less often, such as northern parts of North America and Europe. Although many scientists believe it is the Vitamin D that prevents the onset, no actual link between the two has been proven. Now, researchers believe that it is not the Vitamin D, but rather the ultraviolet rays from the sun that prevent a person from developing multiple sclerosis.
Read more on UV exposure may prevent the development of Multiple Sclerosis, studies show…
Filed under Medical research by on Apr 1st, 2010. Comment.
It is always refreshing to see evidence of a traditional treatment option continuously improving the lives of those living with a chronic illness. Most of the time, we are reading about studies of what therapies may work and what new side effects or diseases a debilitating condition could later produce. This past month, however, the journal, Multiple Sclerosis, published data from a fifteen year clinical study of the drug, Copaxone. The drug, which is a glatiramer acetate injection, showed great promise in continuously reducing relapses and their frequency in multiple sclerosis patients. It is produced by Teva Pharmaceuticals, who funded this study, which was the longest and continuous examination of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients.
Read more on MS drug Copaxone successful in preventing MS relapses…
Filed under Medical research, MS Treatment by on Mar 5th, 2010. Comment.
In December, we discussed a possible association between individuals exhibiting chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and the development of multiple sclerosis. At the time, there was one small study on the condition, which appeared to indicate a positive correlation between the two. Now, in the first blinded study on the occurrence, University of Buffalo neurology researchers have also discovered a definite association.
Read more on Researchers discover a definite association between MS and CCSVI…
Filed under Medical research by on Feb 22nd, 2010. 3 Comments.
From the barrage of smiling celebrities with frothy milk mustaches to 
countless advertisements about dairy trimming waistlines, the benefits of milk are being touted everywhere. Usually, calcium is cited as one of the best nutrients that milk has to offer. A new, preliminary study, however, is linking milk and its Vitamin D content to lowering a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Specifically, the study shows that mothers who drink milk during pregnancy may reduce their babies’ chances of developing multiple sclerosis.
Filed under Medical research by on Feb 12th, 2010. Comment.
Previously, we discussed a new MS drug (Ampyra) that improves the walking ability of those with multiple sclerosis and is set to be introduced in March of this year. It is the first drug of its kind that addresses a specific symptom of the condition. Now another drug is looking promising for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The study of the drug, Cladribine, is being published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Filed under Medical research, MS Treatment by on Feb 6th, 2010. Comment.
In an exciting turn of events, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ampyra, a new medication to improve the walking ability of those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. This approval came on January 22, 2010 and marks the first drug of its kind that specifically addresses a particular symptom of the disease. Since multiple sclerosis is a chronic condition, with no current viable cure, many individuals must manage their pain through various drug therapies and alternative treatment methods. Although multiple sclerosis symptoms may vary from person to person, almost all notice a decrease in their ability to walk due to the disease. When tested in clinical trials, those patients taking Ampyra had a definite improvement in walking speed than those who were provided a placebo.
Filed under Medical research by on Feb 1st, 2010. 1 Comment.
