A dozen phase III trials in neurology were published in 2018, many of which led to FDA approvals. The following is a summary of the study results. Read More
Neurology
Record number of FDA drug approvals in 2018
January 9, 2019The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved 59 new drugs in 2018 – a 30% increase over the number approved in 2017 and a 270% increase over the low-water mark set in 2016. Only 7 of the new approvals were for drugs used in neurology; there were no approvals of psychiatric agents. Read More
Rare cases of stroke reported with alemtuzumab
December 14, 2018The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a black-box warning about a risk of stroke and arterial dissection in patients with multiple sclerosis who have been exposed to alemtuzumab (www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm624247.htm?fbclid=IwAR2eBbqp24E0J3VIk8jbUZZ5pet…). The announcement was issued on November 29, 2018 and a black-box warning was added to the U.S. product label. The Canadian product monograph had not been updated at the time of writing. Read More
Early diagnosis of MS – is it a myth?
November 28, 2018The most recent iterations of the McDonald criteria have enabled an earlier diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (Lee et al. Eur J Neurol 2018; epublished October 26, 2018). However, it is unclear if MS is being diagnosed earlier in real-world practice, or if patients are then receiving earlier treatment with a disease-modifying therapy. Read More
Effect of MS treatment on cognitive dysfunction
November 15, 2018A newly-published set of recommendations advocates increased professional and patient awareness of MS-related cognitive symptoms and their management. The recommendations were endorsed by the U.S. National MS Society, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers and the International MS Cognition Society (Kalb et al. Mult Scler 2018; epublished October 10, 2018). Use of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) or other validated test is advised early on when the patient is clinically stable, with re-assessments at least annually to detect new-onset cognitive impairment, detect disease activity and evaluate progression of cognitive impairment. Annual screening for depression is also recommended. Read More