Posts by: Marta Figueiredo PhD

Marta Figueiredo PhD

July 7, 2022July 7, 2022

Higher COVID-19 Risk Tied to 2 MS Therapies, Even With Vaccination

COVID-19 News, Multiple Sclerosis News Today

Fully vaccinated multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) or Gilenya (fingolimod) have a significantly higher risk of COVID-19 infection than those given other immunosuppressive therapies, according ... Read more

June 30, 2022June 30, 2022

24 New CLN6 Gene Mutations Found in Patients in Middle East, Africa

Batten Disease News Columns

Two dozen new mutations in the CLN6 gene were identified in nearly 100 people, mostly from the Middle East and North Africa, with CLN6 Batten disease, a study shows. These findings ... Read more

June 24, 2022June 24, 2022

NICE Updates Its Guidelines for MS Management

Multiple Sclerosis News Today

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England has updated its guidelines for the diagnosis and management of adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). Called Multiple sclerosis in adults: ... Read more

June 23, 2022June 23, 2022

Excessive Microglia Activation May Underly Seizure Onset in CLN1

Batten Disease News Columns

The number of activated microglia — the brain’s resident immune cells — are significantly increased by the time seizures start to occur in a mouse model of infantile Batten disease, ... Read more

June 23, 2022June 23, 2022

Biogen Secures Tecfidera Patent in EU Until 2028; Generics Not Likely

Multiple Sclerosis News Today

Biogen has secured a new patent in Europe covering the use of its oral therapy Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) for multiple sclerosis (MS) through 2028, the company announced. Granted by the European ... Read more

June 22, 2022June 23, 2022

Airway Devices Help in Breathing in AADC Children Under Anesthesia

AADC News

A less invasive airway device — called a supraglottic airway device or SAD — was found to safely and effectively maintain breathing in pediatric patients with aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase ... Read more

June 21, 2022June 21, 2022

Colorado Joins 23 States in Opening Rare Disease Advisory Council

Lambert-Eaton News

Legislation to create a Rare Disease Advisory Council (RDAC) in Colorado has passed the state’s Senate and House and was recently signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis, making “the ... Read more

June 20, 2022June 20, 2022

Novel Immunotherapy QXL138AM Wins Orphan Drug Status in US

Myeloma Research News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to Nammi Therapeutics’ lead immunotherapy candidate QXL138AM for multiple myeloma. The first-in-class therapy is designed to kill targeted ... Read more

June 20, 2022June 20, 2022

New Agreement Set to Scale Up Production of Hem A Gene Therapy

Hemophilia News Today

ASC Therapeutics has joined forces with Charles River to scale the manufacturing of ASC618, its second-generation virus-based gene therapy for hemophilia A. The agreement expands upon their current collaboration, begun in ... Read more

June 17, 2022June 17, 2022

Neurologists Confident SMA Treatments Help Youngest Patients Most

SMA News Today

Pediatric neurologists’ expectations in terms of treatment benefits are decidedly higher for infants and toddlers with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) types 1 and 2 than for adolescent patients, a study ... Read more

June 17, 2022June 17, 2022

B12 Slows Functional Decline in Early-stage ALS, Data Show

ALS News Today

Treatment with ultrahigh-dose methylcobalamin — the physiologically active form of vitamin B12 — effectively slowed functional decline in people with early-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and moderate progression, data from ... Read more

June 17, 2022June 17, 2022

Long-term Treatment With Enjaymo Safe and Effective, Trial Data Show

Cold Agglutinin News

Long-term treatment with Sanofi’s Enjaymo (sutimlimab-jome) safely and effectively prevented red blood cell destruction (hemolysis), anemia, and the need for blood transfusions, while improving the quality of life in adults ... Read more

June 16, 2022June 16, 2022

Atrophy-related Protein BNIP3 May Be New Target in LOPD

Pompe Disease News

The levels of BNIP3, a protein implicated in muscle fiber atrophy and increased autophagy — two features of late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) — are increased in muscle samples from LOPD ... Read more

June 16, 2022June 16, 2022

FDA Clears New Antibody Test to Help in SLE Diagnosis

Lupus News Today

Thermo Fisher Scientific has received regulatory authorization in the U.S. to market its EliA Rib-P blood test, designed to improve the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), particularly in patients without ... Read more

June 14, 2022June 14, 2022

AMP945 as Effective as Ofev in IPF Mouse Model; Phase 2 Trial Planned

Pulmonary Fibrosis News

The experimental oral therapy AMP945, from Amplia Therapeutics, is as effective as the approved therapy Ofev (nintedanib) at reducing tissue scarring, or fibrosis, in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary ... Read more