Current Treatments
BETASERON® (interferon beta-1b) is indicated for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis to reduce the frequency of clinical exacerbations. Patients with multiple sclerosis in whom efficacy has been demonstrated include patients who have experienced a first clinical episode and have MRI features consistent with multiple sclerosis

AVONEX® (Interferon beta-1a) is a 166 amino acid glycoprotein with a predicted molecular weight of approximately 22,500 daltons. It is produced by recombinant DNA technology using genetically engineered Chinese Hamster Ovary cells into which the human interferon beta gene has been introduced. The amino acid sequence of AVONEX® is identical to that of natural human interferon beta.

COPAXONE is the brand name for glatiramer acetate (formerly known as copolymer-1). Glatiramer acetate, the active ingredient of COPAXONE, consists of the acetate salts of synthetic polypeptides, containing four naturally occurring amino acids: L-glutamic acid, L-alanine, L-tyrosine, and L-lysine with an average molar fraction of 0.141, 0.427, 0.095, and 0.338, respectively. The average molecular weight of glatiramer acetate is 5,000 – 9,000 daltons. Glatiramer acetate is identified by specific antibodies.

Rebif® (interferon beta-1a) is a purified 166 amino acid glycoprotein with a molecular weight of approximately 22,500 daltons. It is produced by recombinant DNA technology using genetically engineered Chinese Hamster Ovary cells into which the human interferon beta gene has been introduced. The amino acid sequence of Rebif® is identical to that of natural fibroblast derived human interferon beta. Natural interferon beta and interferon beta-1a (Rebif®) are glycosylated with each containing a single N-linked complex carbohydrate moiety.

Tysabri is a monoclonal antibody that affects the actions of the body's immune system. Monoclonal antibodies are made to target and destroy only certain cells in the body. This may help to protect healthy cells from damage. Tysabri is used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.
Gilenya™ is a new class of medication called a phingosine 1-phosphate receptormodulator, which is thought to act by retaining certain white blood cells (lympohcytes) in the lymph nodes, thereby preventing those cells from crossing the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system (CNS). Preventing the entry of these cells into the CNS reduces inflammatory damage to nerve cells.


Early Symptoms
The most common early symptoms of MS include:
* Tingling * Numbness
* Loss of balance
* Weakness in one or more limbs
* Blurred or double vision

Less common symptoms of MS may include
* Slurred speech
* Sudden onset of paralysis
* Lack of coordination
* Cognitive difficulties
Listed above, the early symptoms. I tend to be a poster child for these. The symptoms that occur later on are too numerous just to list. There will be a link included that will get you to a site where these symptoms are listed and explained. Keep in mind that someone may have some of these or many of these, there is no way to tell.
Multiple sclerosis statistics show that approximately 250,000 to 350,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with this disease. The life expectancy for people with multiple sclerosis is nearly the same as for those without MS. Because of this, multiple sclerosis statistics place the annual cost of MS in the United States in the billions of dollars. MS is five times more prevalent in temperate climates -- such as those found in the northern United States, Canada, and Europe -- than in tropical regions. Furthermore, the age of 15 seems to be significant in terms of risk for developing the disease. Some studies indicate that a person moving from a high-risk (temperate) to a low-risk (tropical) area before the age of 15 tends to adopt the risk (in this case, low) of the new area and vice versa. Other studies suggest that people moving after age 15 maintain the risk of the area where they grew up.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater New England Chapter Two great programs in Attleboro & Foxboro - Sign up today!

MS Product Fair: Improving Independence & Quality of Life

Please join the Greater New England Chapter and our co-sponsor, the MS Center at Sturdy Memorial Hospital for a presentation of assistive devices, products, and services designed to increase independence for persons with disabilities. Life with MS can be frustrating. The ability to complete what was once an easy task may become more difficult. However, there are numerous products to assist with mobility, grabbing, hearing, vision, organization, heat sensitivity, and much more that can be helpful to people with MS.

Representatives at vendor booth displays are available to assist you and answer questions about their products or services.

The MS Product Fair is an interactive program that allows you to try out a variety of products. A wheelchair van is on display. Refreshments are provided. Door prizes!

Location: Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Rice-Webb Auditorium, Attleboro, MA
Date: Monday, October 25, 2010
Time: 3 - 7 pm FREE! Please register by Friday, October 22.

Three easy ways to register:

Call: 1-800-344-4867, option 1
Email: Martha.Maynard@nmss.org
Register Online here

Cognifitness: A Mental Exercise Program

Up to 60% of people with MS experience cognitive changes. Learn exercise & strategies to help focus your attention, improve memory, planning & problem solving skills.

Guest Speaker: Nancy Lowenstein, OTR, Mount Auburn MS Center

Topics to be covered:
# Attention skills
# Memory Skills
# Executive Skills

Cost is $10 per person (includes materials and lunch)
Limit: Person with MS and 1 adult guest
Space is limited - pre-registration is required.

Location: Hockomock YMCA, Foxboro, MA
Date: Saturday, November 6, 2010
Time: 10am - 3pm
Fee: $10 per person (fee waiver available)

If you would like a fee reduction or waiver, please call the Chapter to register. Do not proceed to online registration page.

Please register by Monday, November 1

Three easy ways to register:

Call: 1-800-344-4867, option 1
Email: Martha.Maynard@nmss.org
Register Online here


National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Greater New England Chapter
101A First Avenue, Suite 6
Waltham, MA 02451-1115
tel: 1 800-344-4867
fax: 1 781-890-2089

Friday, October 15, 2010

Greater New England Chapter Stanley F. Waterman Research Update and Annual Meeting of Members

Saturday, October 23, 2010
11:15 am - 3:00 pm
Lunch is provided

In addition to the Chapter-wide Annual Meeting, each state features a guest speaker, who addresses current and emerging MS research. This year we focus on our collective vision: a world free of MS. Research has never been more promising!

Maine: Nicholas G. LaRocca, PhD V.P., Health Care Delivery and Policy Research National Multiple Sclerosis Society Topic: MS Research You Might Not Know About

Massachusetts: Mark Freedman, MD Dir., Multiple Sclerosis Research Unit, Ottawa Hospital University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada Topic: Stem Cell Based Therapies: The Promise and Challenges of Treating MS.

New Hampshire: John Randolph PhD Clinical Neuropsychologist, Private practice, Lebanon, New Hampshire Topic: Cognitive Functioning in MS: An Update on What We Know

Vermont: Lloyd Kasper, MD Medical Director, Multiple Sclerosis Clinic Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Topic: B cells and T cells in MS: In the Garden of Good and Evil

Four states, four locations!

Register now for the location nearest you:
# Hilton Garden Inn, Auburn, Maine
# Best Western Royal Plaza, Marlborough, Massachusetts
# Church Landing, Meredith, New Hampshire
# Killington Grand Resort, Killington, Vermont


Visit http://www.msnewengland.org/ to register for this program online.

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National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Greater New England Chapter
101A First Avenue, Suite 6
Waltham, MA 02451-1115
tel: 1 800-344-4867
fax: 1 781-890-2089
MSnewengland.org



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Contact us at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/ or 1-800-344-4867.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

MS Cure Fund

When: Saturday, 10/30/10
Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM EDT
Add to my calendar
Where: Beechwood Hotel
363 Plantation Street
Worcester, MA 01605


Driving Directions
EXHIBITORS:





Event Sponsored by:

Contact: MS Cure Fund, Inc.
info@mscurefund.org
(617) 375 - 9900
(617) 375 - 9909 fax
Tax ID # 36-4562602
Free Fall New England MS Health Fair
Come join the Central New England MS Community at our FREE Fall MS Health Fair.
This Educational Health Fair will provide:
1) Neurologists presenting on the newest and hottest MS topics.
2) Vendors exhibiting on MS products & services along with MS therapies;
(Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Tysabri, Ampyra & Gilenya).
3) MS Advocates - mingle and learn about their personal experiences.
AGENDA:
9:00 am = REGISTRATION (morning coffee)
Visit Exhibitors

10:00 am = WELCOME remarks by MS Cure Fund
Featured Speaker: Peter Riskind, Ph.D., M.D. - Director of UMass Memorial MS Center
Topic: "Latest MS Research Update" followed by a Q&A session.


Speaker: Meredith W. Harper, Pharm.D., BCPS - clinical pharmacy specialist who majored in Neurology at UMASS Amherst.
Topics: "Disease Modifying Treatment of MS: Past, Present and Future".

12 noon = LUNCH - Visit Exhibitors & chat with MS Advocates

1:00 pm = (2) BREAK OUT SESSION(s) (pick one):
Option 1 = "Fatigue & Spasticity"

Carolina Ionete, MD, PhD.
UMass Memorial Medical MS Center

Option 2 = "Cognitive Issues in MS"

Maria Pilar Elisa Dayaw, M.D.
Director of Milford Regional Medical MS Center

2:15 pm = YOGA session
3:00 pm = END

Free parking ~ Handicap accessible ~ Complimentary lunch & beverages provided
Register Now!
Event Marketing by

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The National MS Society, Greater New England Chapter presents Complementary & Alternative Therapies in MS Treatment

Featuring neurologist & author Dr. Allen Bowling
Director of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Service
Colorado Neurological Institute

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Sheraton Monarch Hotel, Springfield, Mass.

FREE. Pre-registration is required by October 14th. Dinner is provided.
Limit: Person with MS and one adult guest.

Join us for a free educational dinner seminar featuring Dr. Allen Bowling, Director of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Service at the Colorado Neurological Institute (CNI). Dr. Bowling is also the Medical Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Service at CNI and Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Colorado. He was the Medical Director of the Rocky Mountain MS Center from 2003-2007.

Dr. Bowling’s unique approach to MS treatment has been well received nationwide; he has authored or co-authored four books, including “Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis” and “Multiple Sclerosis: The Guide to Treatment and Management.” Additional information about Dr. Bowling is available on his website, http://www.neurologycare.net/.

Dr. Bowling will be discussing current conventional medications used in MS, diet & supplements (including Vitamin D), exercise, wellness in MS, and symptom management. This is a great opportunity to hear an expert in this field and to get your questions answered!

For more information or to register, click here or call 1-800-344-4867.


National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Greater New England Chapter
101A First Avenue, Suite 6
Waltham, MA 02451-1115
tel: 1 800-344-4867
fax: 1 781-890-2089
MSnewengland.org

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Federal Focus - October 2010

House Passes HR 1362 and Sent to Senate for Consideration
Just before breaking for recess last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1362, the National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System Act. Previously named the National MS and Parkinson’s Disease Registries Act, H.R. 1362 was expanded during an Energy and Commerce committee mark-up earlier this month. This modification would make the surveillance system available to all neurological conditions, while maintaining MS and Parkinson’s as a priority.

This legislation will establish a national data surveillance system that will track and collect data on the epidemiology, incidence, prevalence, and other factors of neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s. Currently, such a national coordinated system does not exist to collect data on MS. The development of a surveillance system will address this gap by gathering all existing data on the incidence and prevalence of MS in one location. As a result, this system could help uncover and inform promising areas of MS research such as genetic and environmental risk factors, and support the discovery of disease therapies, treatments, and one day—a cure.

While we have passed this bill in one chamber of Congress, the work to get this system in place is not done yet. To make this data system a reality, the Senate must now take action on the companion bill, S. 1273, before they adjourn for the year. Click here to ask your Senator to pass S. 1273 this session of Congress to establish a surveillance system for MS!

Federal Appropriations Update
Congress will need to continue addressing federal appropriations for Fiscal Year 2011 after the November elections, which includes MS priority issues like funding for MS research in the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), the Lifespan Respite Care Program, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Before they recessed, Congress passed a continuing resolution that keeps the government operating into the new fiscal year largely at FY 2010 funding levels. This continuing resolution will expire December 3.

MS research funding in the CDMRP is included in the Department of Defense appropriations bill, which to date has passed through the Subcommittee in the House and passed through the full Appropriations Committee in the Senate. One of the Society’s 2010 priority issues is to increase MS research funding in the CDMRP and early indications are that the House Subcommittee has provided such an increase—for a total of $6 million specifically designated for MS research. This would be an increase of over 20 percent in funding. The Senate, on the other hand, has provided funding for medical research, but without a specific MS program.

Funding for the Lifespan Respite Care Program and for the NIH is contained in the Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) appropriations bill. The House has passed its LHHS appropriations bill out of the Subcommittee and the Senate has passed its version out of the full Appropriations Committee. The Lifespan Respite Care Program, one of the Society’s priority issues for 2010, provides competitive grants to states to establish or enhance statewide lifespan respite programs serving family caregivers regardless of age or disability. Both chambers have urged an increase for Lifespan Respite, with the Senate providing the largest increase for a total of $7 million. The Senate has also approved a significant increase for the NIH--$1 billion above FY 2010 levels for a total of $32 billion. The NIH is the single largest source of biomedical research funding in the world and conducts and sponsors a majority of the MS related research carried out in the United States.

Bill Introduced to Support MS Achievement Centers
In late September, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) introduced a bill to bolster achievement centers for people living with MS, the Adult Day Achievement Center Enhancement Act (H.R. 6208). This legislation would help sustain and grow Adult Day Achievement programs by establishing a new grant program within the Administration on Aging that is specifically designed to support Adult Day programs targeting a younger population of people, such as those living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and similar diseases.

The concept of this legislation is based upon the success of existing MS Adult Day Programs (MSADP). MSADPs provide an important response to the needs of people with severe MS and their caregivers. For persons living with MS, MSADPs offer medical care, rehabilitation therapies, assistance with activities of daily living, nutrition therapy, health monitoring, social interaction, and stimulating activities that are appropriate for a younger disabled population. These can help to ameliorate MS symptoms, reduce dependency, provide important socialization opportunities and maintain quality of life. Additionally, MSADPs provide caregivers of people living with MS an opportunity to seek employment, run errands or simply offer some respite during the day.

Currently, however, few Adult Day programs are equipped to provide the younger disabled population with age-appropriate adult day programming. There are less than a dozen MS Adult Day Programs in the United States at present but increased federal funding via competitive grants could help promote more options for this population. We will continue to provide updates on ways to engage on this issue, so stay tuned!

Congress May Address Stem Cell Through Legislation
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has lifted an injunction imposed by a federal judge in late August, allowing federal funding of embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) to temporarily continue while the case is heard on merits.

The National MS Society has made a commitment to pursue promising avenues that will lead to solutions that stop disease progression, restore function, and ultimately prevent future generations from ever receiving an MS diagnosis. This commitment is reflected in our decision to support the conduct of scientifically meritorious medical research, including research using human cells, in accordance with federal, state and local laws, and with adherence to the strictest ethical and procedural guidelines. This decision was not reached without intense scrutiny and discussion among volunteers, people living with MS, ethicists, researchers and scientists, and MS neurologists. Rather than stop federal funding, more research is needed to better understand which stem cells, and from what sources, could hold significant promise for repairing damage and restoring function, as well as provide a better understanding of the underlying disease cause.

With the help of MS Activists, Congress in the past twice comfortably passed bi-partisan legislation permitting federal funding of ESCR, but both bills received presidential vetoes. In 2009, an Executive Order lifted previous restrictions on federal funding of ESCR and brought new hope to the millions of people living with chronic and debilitating diseases or disabilities. An August federal court ruling halted this progress by issuing a preliminary injunction against federal funding of ESCR. While the recent appeals court ruling provides temporary protection, legal battles in the court system continue and the only way to guarantee a permanent solution is to pass bi-partisan legislation.

Congress may address ESCR when it returns to Washington in November. Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate that places strict ethical and procedural limits on the use of federal funds, in line with the 2009 Executive Order. Stay tuned for further updates on legislation to protect federal funding of ESCR.



To keep future MS activism messages out of your junk folder, add the following address to your contacts or safe sender list: MSActionNetwork@nmss.org

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Annual Meeting October 23 2010

Greater New England Chapter
Annual Meeting of Members and Research Update
Saturday, October 23, 2010

Four states, four locations!

Register now for the location nearest you:
# Hilton Garden Inn, Auburn, Maine
# Best Western Royal Plaza, Marlborough, Massachusetts
# Church Landing, Meredith, New Hampshire
# Killington Grand Resort, Killington, Vermont

Gather together with other chapter members to hear a report on the activities and accomplishments of the past year, plus a look ahead to plans for next year. After the Annual Meeting, catch up on some recent and exciting developments in the world of MS research. Each location will feature a keynote presentation with a nationally recognized MS researcher. Watch your mailbox for details.

The Annual Meeting of Members is held to elect the Board of Trustees, and to consider the Annual Report of the Board and the Treasurer’s Report of the Chapter accounts. Send Trustee nomination using the nomination form by October 1, 2010. The Nomination Committee, prior to the submission for election, will review nominations. Please provide the name, address, phone number, and brief background of the nominee, as well as your name, address and phone number. If you cannot attend but would like to vote by proxy, fill out the proxy form. To attend the Annual Meeting, register online using the links above or fill out the form on the back page of the Community PrograMS catalogue.


National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Greater New England Chapter
101A First Avenue, Suite 6
Waltham, MA 02451-1115
tel: 1 800-344-4867
fax: 1 781-890-2089
MSnewengland.org

Facebook Become a fan of the Greater New England Chapter on Facebook

About Me

My photo
North Grafton, Massachusetts, United States
Well-educated, disabled at this point with Multiple Sclerosis. I am very glad that I was able to do the things that I have been able to do over the years. had to change the picture, this one's more realistic.