MS Treatments Episodes

When you're living with a chronic condition like MS, you want to be sure you're doing everything you can to preserve and promote good health. And, right now, you may be feeling confused about whether you should be getting vaccinated, and which vaccines are safe. It's understandable. Unfortunately, there's a lot of confusing information about vaccines and vaccinations floating around out there. This week, Dr. Lisa Doggett helps us get past all the unnecessary noise and hysteria and reviews the s...

Some disease-modifying therapies can change the trajectory of your MS journey. But gaining access to those medications isn't always as easy or straightforward as it should be. In the United States, insurance companies are most often the gatekeepers to prescription medications. This week, Cassandra Ashby shares a story that many of you may already be too familiar with, as she takes us through her family's long, hard, and confusing struggle to get the DMT that her newly-diagnosed daughter's neuro...

Jan Janisch-Hanzlik lives with MS and is a participant in one of the clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy for MS. Jan is the first person in the world to receive this one-and-done treatment, and this week, she's joining me to share her experience participating in the clinical trial. But you'll be especially interested in hearing how CAR-T cell therapy has impacted Jan's MS. Open enrollment for people with Medicare and for those who get their health insurance ...

Disease-modifying therapies are the cornerstone of MS treatment, but they're not the only piece of the puzzle. Beyond prescription medications, self-care that includes making healthy lifestyle choices can significantly improve your quality of life with MS. Julie Polisena knows this firsthand. Julie lives with MS, and in a recent blog post, she shared a comprehensive list of the lifestyle changes that have improved her quality of life with MS. Julie joins us today to discuss some of the most imp...

Some people living with MS adhere to a treatment plan based exclusively on what we might consider traditional medicine. Others opt for alternative treatments. And, still, others take a whole-person health approach, blending integrative medicine with traditional treatments designed to support an individual's mind and body. Dr. Lynne Shinto joins me to discuss how a whole-person health approach can transform living with MS. Dr. Shinto is a Professor of Neurology and an MS Specialist at the Center...

Since 2001, clinicians have relied on the McDonald Diagnostic Criteria as the gold standard for diagnosing someone with multiple sclerosis. As science continues to add to our understanding of MS, the McDonald Criteria have been updated in 2005, 2010, 2017, and most recently in 2024. This latest iteration of the McDonald criteria will be published in September, and today, Dr. Andrew Solomon is giving us a preview of what these changes are, what they mean, and how they're going to improve the pro...

We're witnessing the early stages of a paradigm shift, as artificial intelligence is beginning to impact virtually every aspect of healthcare, from research to patient care. And there's much, much more to come. This week, Dr. Brad Willingham, the Director of MS Research at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, joins me to discuss how AI will impact MS patient care. We'll also share the encouraging results from a Phase 2 open-label extension study for Fenebrutinib, an investigational disease-modifying th...

Back in Episode #401, we reported promising results from a Phase 2 clinical trial for vidofludimus calcium and its impact on progressive MS. This therapy is being developed by Immunic Therapeutics, and this week, Jason Tardio, Immunic's President and Chief Operating Officer, joins me to share some of the specifics of that clinical trial. Jason will also shed light on why Immunic believes that vidofludimus calcium goes beyond merely slowing disability, potentially offering vital neuroprotection ...

Over the past few months, we've shared news about an algorithm that can accurately predict whether someone living with MS will experience worsening symptoms or a relapse in the weeks ahead. You've heard about a three-quarter-of-a-million-dollar investment by the International Progressive MS Alliance to support the development of an AI-based tool that will predict future disability as well as how someone with MS will respond to different disease-modifying therapies. Just last week, you learned ...

Managing MS means staying focused not only on your MS but also on your overall health. That includes getting routine health screenings to stay ahead of potential complications. Recent research has shown that, compared to healthy people, people with MS are more likely to develop some cancers. Clinician-scientist Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie joins me to discuss which cancers pose a greater risk to someone with MS, why you need to make those appointments for cancer screenings, where you can find low-cost o...