David Martin, CEO of the MS Trust to retire

David Martin has announced that following six years at the MS Trust, he plans to retire in early 2024. During his tenure at the MS Trust, David has overseen the establishment of both the Specialist Nurse and the Advanced MS Champion programmes. Working closely with the NHS, these schemes place Specialist MS Health Professionals in…

Ipsen and World Stroke Organisation partnership focuses on improving post-stroke care

Research highlights financial challenges and knowledge gaps faced by stroke survivors Results of a new Ipsen survey highlight the stark reality faced by stroke survivors, revealing the personal and financial burdens that stroke can have on individuals and their families. The survey raises critical concerns, suggesting that many stroke survivors are not proactively made aware…

Increase Rehabilitation Time for Stroke Patients – NICE

The amount of rehabilitation time offered to adults in England who have had a stroke should be significantly increased from previous recommendations, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said. Previous guidance from 2013 recommended initially offering at least 45 minutes of relevant stroke rehabilitation therapy for a minimum of 5 days per…

Are CGRP medications effective against migraine in men?

Via Medscape: Most patients with migraine are women. This female predominance is reflected in the clinic and in clinical trials, where ~85% are women. A pharmacologist and a neurologist from the United States argue that the efficacy of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-based migraine therapies has been proven in women but not in men, and that men should be informed…

Reducing migraine in Major Depressive Disorder

Teva Phase IV UNITE study shows AJOVY® (fremanezumab) reduced migraine attacks and depression symptoms in migraine sufferers with Major Depressive Disorder 17th October, 2023: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has announced that data from the UNITE study presented today at the World Congress of Neurology in Montreal, Canada, show that AJOVY® (fremanezumab) reduced migraine attacks and…

New twice weekly Alzheimer’s disease patch

Alzheimer’s disease treatment can help reduce symptoms and lessen the care burden for patients and their caregivers September 2023: Zeyzelf® twice weekly rivastigmine transdermal patch is for the symptomatic treatment of mild to moderately severe Alzheimer’s dementia and it is the first ever patch to be launched in the UK that does not need daily…

Switching to second line MS DMTs associated with decreased relapse rate

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who switch between more than two disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have a higher risk of relapses compared with those who never switch, regardless of how well these patients adhere to their prescribed medications, according to real-world study in Canada. According to the researchers, these findings are consistent with a greater number of treatment switches in…

Gut bacteria and PD

Could changes in gut bacteria contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease in those with genetic risk? Via World Parkinson’s Congress: Mutations in the GBA1 gene are one of the most common genetic risk factors associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, it’s important to note that not all people with GBA1 mutations will necessarily develop…

UK-wide research platform for brain injury treatment

TBI-REPORTER, a new research platform led by the University of Cambridge, will bring together leading experts to enable better and more coordinated research into traumatic brain injury. It is hoped that this will result in more people receiving appropriate treatment due to better forecasting of how a particular injury is likely to impact a patient…