MS in the Media
This is an archive of news and feature stories from the internet that may be of interest to people in the UK.
These stories are transcripts from the original sources (indicated on each page) and appear as published. They have not been edited by the MS Trust and views expressed are those of the authors or originating journal. The MS Trust does not endorse their content nor any claims made in them.
Stories are held on these pages for three months.
If you have any comment on the range or type of stories collected here, please contact the MS Trust.
Recent news stories
Response to immune protein determines pathology of multiple sclerosis
13 October 2008
New research may help reveal why different parts of the brain can come under attack in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Complaints 'do not improve NHS'
10 October 2008
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
10 October 2008
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
09 October 2008
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
08 October 2008
Libraries have been put at the heart of an evidence-based NHS.
Neurotransmitter defect may trigger autoimmune disease
08 October 2008
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
07 October 2008
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
06 October 2008
Commentary by George Ebers, Action Research Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford.
Veterans' MS study awaits Bush sign-off
06 October 2008
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
06 October 2008
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'
03 October 2008
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
03 October 2008
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'
03 October 2008
Millions more people should get the flu jab this year, the Government's director of immunisation has said.
Assisted suicide court review due
02 October 2008
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?
02 October 2008
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
02 October 2008
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
02 October 2008
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
01 October 2008
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]
01 October 2008
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
01 October 2008
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
30 September 2008
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
29 September 2008
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
28 September 2008
The law on assisted suicide as it stands is vague.
New web resource about medicines
26 September 2008
From today, people can access a new authoritative source of information on the Internet about medicines.
Independent chemists 'worst for reliable advice'
25 September 2008
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
24 September 2008
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
23 September 2008
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
23 September 2008
Ministers poised to relax ban on patients paying privately for life-extending treatments while receiving NHS care.
ATL/TV1102 trial results presented at WCTRIMS
22 September 2008
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'
22 September 2008
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
22 September 2008
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
21 September 2008
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
20 September 2008
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
20 September 2008
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
20 September 2008
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
19 September 2008
Resveratrol, the compound in red wine that previous research has linked to longevity, has shown promise in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.
New data presented at WCTRIMS supports the importance of early and sustained treatment with Betaseron
19 September 2008
Earlier treatment initiation and longer exposure to Betaseron was associated with improved long-term outcomes in multiple sclerosis.
MS pill found to slow damage
19 September 2008
Biogen Idec Inc's experimental pill to treat multiple sclerosis prevented brain lesions associated with the disease from getting worse, a study found.
Oral Trimesta phase IIa clinical and preclinical findings presented at WCTRIMS
19 September 2008
New findings from a phase IIa clinical trial results using estriol for the treatment of multiple sclerosis
Tysabri PML patient deteriorates - researcher
19 September 2008
One European Tysabri PML patient near coma - Other patient identified in July recovering - Biogen says no new PML cases confirmed
Long-term studies of Avonex, Copaxone
19 September 2008
New results from studies that looked at long term use of Avonex (Interferon beta-1a) and Copaxone (Glatiramer Acetate) showed that on average both stabilized or reduced disability.
Opexa shares lose most of value on study data
19 September 2008
Opexa Therapeutics Inc said Friday its lead drug candidate [Tovaxin] aimed at treating multiple sclerosis failed to meet its main goal in a midstage study, sending shares in a nosedive to an all-time low.
Atlas of MS rolls out, and World Congress of MS rolls on, with new data on repairing MS damage and new therapeutic approaches
18 September 2008
The Atlas of MS, providing data on MS around the world, was introduced on the second day of the first World Congress on Treatment and Research in MS, along with novel strategies to repair MS damage, new data on children with MS, and updates on alternative interventions.
Falls clinics 'confusing' for patients
18 September 2008
Patients who attend falls clinics are often unsure of their purpose and how they relate to their needs, research has found.
Laquinimod shows significant and sustained impact on multiple sclerosis disease activity - quick facts
18 September 2008
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd said Thursday that new data from the extension phase of oral laquinimod in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis showed a significant reduction in the mean number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions in both patients who switched from placebo to laquinimod and patients who continued with their initial laquinimod dose.
Worldwide survey seeks MS answers
18 September 2008
The number of people suffering from the neurological disease multiple sclerosis (MS) worldwide could be far more than the estimated 1.3m, researchers say.
Long-term conditions scheme 'doomed to fail'
17 September 2008
A flagship Government scheme to issue 15 million patients with advice about long-term conditions this year is in crisis, after experts warned GPs would not support it without more resources.
Genes might not be so selfish after all
17 September 2008
It may sound like heresy, but research suggests that environmental factors can alter our DNA, writes Magnus Linklater
World Congress on multiple sclerosis kicks off: young researchers report on MS from around the world
17 September 2008
Nearly 5200 clinicians, clinical researchers and basic scientists have gathered in Montreal, Quebec, from around to world to kick off the first World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, the largest international conference on MS research and treatment in 2008.
Wii Fit may encourage physical activity
16 September 2008
Although many people might argue that using an active computer game is no substitute for outdoor exercise, an expert has claimed that they do encourage activity in people who might normally lead a sedentary lifestyle.
How scientists linked sunshine, diet and disease
14 September 2008
The evidence that points unerringly to a link between vitamin D and Scotland's health statistics can be traced back to a journey undertaken in 1977 by two young Americans, Frank and Cedric Garland, who were studying cancer.
Let NHS patients pay for drugs - thinktank
11 September 2008
The NHS should no longer deny treatment to patients who pay privately for unapproved drugs, the King's Fund, an influential health thinktank, said yesterday.
Britain's paralympics riding star unfazed by disability and age
11 September 2008
When Anne Dunham found herself hanging upside down in a ditch after a nasty fall during a cross-country riding competition, her first thought was not for her own safety.
Sexy impulses: treating multiple sclerosis with hormones
09 September 2008
Hormones increasingly are shown to affect brain functions, and now they may battle MS symptoms, too.
Online lifelines
09 September 2008
For many people with serious illnesses, blogging offers a way to cope and share their stories.
Meat, fish and milk 'protect against memory loss'
09 September 2008
A diet rich in fish, meat and milk could help to protect against memory loss in old age, a new study has shown.
NHS insurance voucher plan mooted
09 September 2008
Healthcare organisations should compete to insure patients under a state-funded scheme which would radically transform the NHS, a think tank is proposing.
Hard times for Coventry MS centre
08 September 2008
A centre which provides supports for people with multiple sclerosis could face the axe.
Cannabis-based drug shows long-term efficacy
08 September 2008
GW Pharmaceuticals plc announced on Monday that a study of its cannabis-based pain killer Sativex has shown long-term efficacy in the treatment of neuropathic pain due to multiple sclerosis.
NHS 'spending lottery persists'
07 September 2008
Entrenched differences remain in the amount local health bodies spend on major diseases, a think-tank says.
NHS may allow 'top-up' care
07 September 2008
Health service and Scottish government to compromise over drug payments.
Reinventing the wheel to help disabled
05 September 2008
Duncan Fitzsimons believes he has the answer to wheelchair users' problems - collapsible wheels, which will make the chair more versatile.
Comfort in art
04 September 2008
Frustration, depression and fear are emotions felt at the onset of multiple sclerosis. MICHELLE DUFF talks to sufferers turning to art for help.
Social care staff at bottom of pay pile
03 September 2008
It's unusual for employers to highlight how little they pay their workers, but voluntary organisations running social care services for local government say today that their care assistants earn at least £100 a week less than road sweepers.
Singer Clay Walker not letting multiple sclerosis slow him down
03 September 2008
Country singer Clay Walker's 1996 diagnosis of multiple sclerosis made him realize what's important in life.
Uplifting message from writer with incurable disease: 'MS has taught me to get the most out of life'
02 September 2008
'I refuse to let this illness define me,' says Tim Satchell.
MS world first in NZ study
01 September 2008
New Zealand has become the first country in the world to fully research the incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) over an entire country.
Multiple sclerosis: the eloquent rage of a party girl cut down
01 September 2008
Elizabeth Grice meets a woman who conveys the full horror of MS through poetry
New help for brain injured people
31 August 2008
A new service has begun in Bath helping people with long-term neurological problems and brain injuries.
MPs call for better benefits for carers
29 August 2008
The government should provide extra financial support for unpaid carers, MPs have claimed.
Carers 'need more financial help'
29 August 2008
The government must give more money to help Britain's six million unpaid carers, MPs have said.
Alastair Hignell: How MS has changed by life
27 August 2008
It was the bleakest of times in Alastair Hignell's life. A consultant had just confirmed the diagnosis he had been dreading. He did, indeed, have multiple sclerosis.
Tysabri patients recovering after infection
27 August 2008
Two Tysabri patients with brain infection now recovering - Cases show need for vigilance, no need to change use, researcher says
Poison warning over popular Indian herbal medicines
27 August 2008
Popular Indian herbal medicines used to treat illnesses ranging from depression to high blood pressure may contain toxic levels of poison, new research shows.
Biogen says revises MS drug warning
25 August 2008
A warning on Biogen Idec and Elan Corp's drug, Tysabri, has been revised following two recent reports of a potentially fatal brain infection, Biogen said on Monday.
Could low doses of a drug for alcoholics ease the agony for sufferers of MS?
25 August 2008
One man's experience of low dose naltrexone and a possible clinical trial.
Fears grow over Metro ban on mobility scooters
24 August 2008
ANY plans to extend a ban on mobility scooters on the Metro system [in Tyne and Wear] would be viewed as blatant discrimination of the disabled, a charity has warned transport bosses.
Study highlights link between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis
23 August 2008
Vitamin D, the principal regulator of calcium in the body, may prevent the production of malignant cells such as breast and prostate cancer cells and protect against specific autoimmune disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS) according to an article by Sylvia Christakos, PhD, of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.
£1m new funding for world's first end of life care research institute
22 August 2008
Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis today announced a £1millon grant to help build the world's first purpose-built institute for research into end of life care.
Study shows evidence of nerve regeneration within MS lesions
19 August 2008
A study of brain tissue obtained from nine people with MS shows that, while many areas of damage show expected loss of myelin and nerve cells, a few older lesions showed a 72% increase in nerve cells when compared with neighboring brain regions.
'Remote nurse' aids home patients
19 August 2008
A "remote nurse" system which allows patients to monitor their own health at home is being tested in Cornwall.
NICE chairman hits back at critics
18 August 2008
Some recent criticisms of NICE's work ignore the realities of modern healthcare and misrepresent the facts. Institute chairman Sir Michael Rawlins sets the record straight.
Medicines watchdog attacks NHS 'postcode lottery' and drug costs
18 August 2008
The head of the NHS drug approval body today calls on healthcare trusts to end Britain's "postcode lottery" for prescribing drugs.
NHS branded chronic failure over 900,000 patients in agony
18 August 2008
Patients suffering chronic pain in Scotland are being failed by the NHS due to a lack of specialist services, experts warned yesterday.
Pharma industry rejects NICE chief's profiteering claims
18 August 2008
The chief of the UK's drug cost-effectiveness watchdog has torn a strip off the pharmaceutical industry saying that the latter's desire for higher profits are driving up prices, a claim drugmakers have been quick to deny.
Tysabri label update
18 August 2008
Changes include clarification on who is a candidate for the drug.
Darzi review: Up to 5000 patients with long term conditions will have their own personal budgets next year
15 August 2008
Patients with long term conditions are to have their own personal health budgets under the governments plans for the NHS in England.
Impax reports positive results in phase III trial
13 August 2008
IPX056 has met its clinical endpoints in Impax Laboratories' Phase III study of spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients.
European Medicines Agency Update on progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and Tysabri
13 August 2008
At the end of July 2008, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) received two reports of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) who have been treated with Tysabri.
Watchdog chair to get tough on obeying NICE rules
13 August 2008
Care Quality Commission chair Baroness Young has pledged to crack down on NHS organisations that fail to adopt National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance.
NICE "set to publish guidance on non-NHS drugs"
13 August 2008
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is preparing to launch a new service, providing patients with independent, impartial advice on drugs and other treatments, including those which it has already said are not sufficiently cost-effective to be made available on the National Health Service (NHS).
High-dose cyclophosphamide shows promise for aggressive multiple sclerosis
13 August 2008
High-dose cyclophosphamide, aimed at immune system ablation, is a safe and well-tolerated treatment for aggressive multiple sclerosis that can markedly reduce disease activity and disability, according to the results of a small, open-label trial.
It's hard being Nice
12 August 2008
Michael White comments on the difficult decisions faced when deciding what drugs can be paid for by the NHS.
High risk of conversion to multiple sclerosis predicted by gene activity
12 August 2008
Scientists have identified a pattern of gene activity that predicts which patients who experience the first clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis - known as clinically isolated syndrome - are at high risk of converting to the full blown disease.
Neurologist shares his week - and worries
12 August 2008
Dr Trevor Pickersgill's week will be featured in a forthcoming British Medical Association Wales publication Dear Diary
Arrogant, illogical and totally out of touch, NICE must be scrapped ...it's killing too many people
12 August 2008
Patronising. Bullying. Intimidating. That is how the body which makes life-and-death decisions on the rationing of NHS drugs was described in yesterday's Daily Mail - by two of the very experts who advise it.
World-class MS information at the touch of a button
11 August 2008
People affected by the debilitating neurological condition multiple sclerosis (MS) now have world-class information at their fingertips.
NHS hospitals to forge £2bn research link-up with university
07 August 2008
Four NHS hospitals and a university last night disclosed plans for a £2bn business partnership to create the largest biomedical research organisation in Europe.
National MS Society makes recommendations regarding therapeutic use of cannabis
05 August 2008
Cannabis has the potential to treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis as well as limit the progression of the disease, according to an expert opinion paper published by the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society. However, the Society stopped short of recommending that MS patients use the drug medicinally.
Two fresh cases of brain infection linked to Tysabri
01 August 2008
Biogen Idec and Elan Corp have suffered a stock slide in after-hours trading after the firms revealed two new cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, in multiple sclerosis patients being treated with Tysabri, the brain infection that led to the drug being withdrawn in 2005.
New cases of PML reported with Tysabri
01 August 2008
Those taking Tysabri who have questions about the news are urged to talk to their doctors.
Companies report brain infection in Tysabri users
31 July 2008
Biogen Idec Inc and Elan Corp reported two confirmed cases of a deadly brain infection in patients taking the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri, the first since the drug was reintroduced in the US in 2006.
Hope for MS sufferers as city scientist nears breakthrough
28 July 2008
[report on stem cell research in Edinburgh - the researchers are more cautious in their expectations than the journalist]
New EU air travel regulations for people with disabilities
26 July 2008
Disabled air passengers experience discrimination and EDF - the European Disability Forum - intensive mobilisation has impacted the new EU regulation. EMSP embarks with a fact sheet for PwMS!
Is pain all in the mind?
26 July 2008
New research shows why some people are better at coping with pain than others
Research suggest brain cells may come back after damage from multiple sclerosis
25 July 2008
Brian cells in areas targeted by multiple sclerosis may regenerate - often years after the initial injury, according to research by a team of Cleveland Clinic neuroscientists.
Living life with multiple sclerosis
23 July 2008
Four people with multiple sclerosis tell their stories about the condition. MS affects the central nervous system and is most common in the Northern Hemisphere.
Who'll be first to offer disabled people a job?
23 July 2008
If we want to get claimants off incapacity benefit, we had better come up with some proper work for them, writes Alice Miles.
Can cannabis compounds slow the progression of multiple sclerosis?
21 July 2008
The CUPID (Cannabinoid Use in Progressive Inflammatory brain Disease) study at the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth has reached an important milestone with the news that the full cohort of 493 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been recruited to the study.
Important vitamin D does the body good
21 July 2008
It's being hailed as a protection against a plethora of cancers, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes and even chronic back pain.
'Work for benefits' plan unveiled
21 July 2008
Unemployed people will be forced to work for their benefits, as part of welfare reforms unveiled by Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell.
'I'm just another Scot with MS'
19 July 2008
Elizabeth Quigley, the political correspondent for BBC Scotland, was diagnosed with MS in 2000. Now she has made a documentary about the condition in Scotland.
Acupuncture comes to the aid of multiple sclerosis patients
18 July 2008
Acupuncture has dramatically improved the lives of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients at a treatment centre in Nailsea.
Gene map charts spinal cord mysteries
17 July 2008
Online mouse atlas could lead to new treatments for humans, scientists say.
Health 2.0 empowers plugged-in patients
17 July 2008
Consumers are well ahead of the health service in using the web, with patient opinion leaders emerging in many disease areas. Should the NHS engage the public in online dialogue, asks Daloni Carlisle.
Providing information for patients is insufficient on its own to improve clinical outcomes
17 July 2008
A study in this week's BMJ reports a systematic review shows that coaching patients to ask questions during consultations has relatively little effect
North Wales neurology unit within five years
16 July 2008
Neurosurgery patients in north Wales will continue to receive treatment in Liverpool, Health Minister Edwina Hart has confirmed.
Patient voice improving GP access
16 July 2008
The Government today welcomed the results of the second annual GP Patient Access Survey which reveals improvements in patient satisfaction and experience.
Researchers reprogram adult stem cells in mouse brain to become myelin-making cells
16 July 2008
After much further research, a similar approach may someday be used to repair myelin lost in MS.
