ECTRIMS 2016 Overview

ECTRIMS 2016

Overview by Ashley Ringstaff and Kara Friesen

The ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis) Conference took place in London, UK, September 14-17, 2016.

So what is ECTRIMS exactly? ECTRIMS is a conference that works alongside researchers and other organizations worldwide, meeting and collaborating with each other, in order to present breaking MS research news. ECTRIMS is the world’s largest gathering of MS researchers, doctors, scientists, and clinicians – this year, over 9,000 delegates attended, from almost 100 countries! At a conference like ECTRIMS, it’s all about MS, all the time. Everything you ever wanted to learn about Multiple Sclerosis, you can learn here.

As I read over the program of the different topics that were being presented by various doctors, I was actually overwhelmed. So much information is covered at an event like this, and it’s really quite incredible! Everything from Pediatric MS and what the risk factors and features are along with that, to new directions in Progressive MS research.

You can click here for just one of the resources available that covered this year’s conference.

One of the topics that I kept seeing “Lemtrada” come up. For those of you who are not familiar with this treatment you can click here to learn more. So, one of the things that was brought up about Lemtrada at ECTRIMS was, “Few Serious Autoimmune Reactions to Lemtrada Treatment Seen in 3 MS Clinical Trials”. This is obviously a good thing, because we need less serious reactions to our medications. This topic stated that Lemtrada mainly affected the thyroid, and that symptoms were generally ‘not serious’. Read more…

One of the topics that really caught my eye was the headline, “Brain MRI Scans Can Predict Which Patients Will Progress into SPMS”. So how did researchers come up with this information? From what I’ve read, it stated that, “The presence of certain brain and spincal cord lesions can be used to predict if an MS patient with clinically isolated syndrome will progress into relapsing or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) within 15 years. So this focus was on those with CIS, also known as, Clinically Isolated Syndrome. Read more…

There was also talk about other types of treatment, like supplements for example. Vitamin D, along with Vitamin D3 Oil Supplement, were also highlighted at this years conference at ECTRIMS. Read more…

In regards to the Vitamin D3 Oil Supplement, the study that was highlighted call the SOLAER study, was about the use of the Oil Supplement as an “add-on” therapy. So the patients in the study were taking the supplement, as well as taking subcutaneous interferon B-1a. Read more…

One of the more common subjects we hear about MS is the link between Vitamin D Deficiency and Multiple Sclerosis. At the 2016 ECTRIMS Annual Meeting there was a nationwide study in Finland, this study found evidence supporting the theory there is about Vitamin D Deficiency and the higher chance of contracting Multiple Sclerosis, for women. Read more…

One of the more popular topics was about clinical trials for treatment for Progressive forms of Multiple Sclerosis. On a Phase 3 Study of Novartis’s Siponimod, it appears to help so progression for those diagnosed with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS). Read more…

Another highlight about Progressive MS at the conference was the results of the ORATORIO trial. You might have heard about the treatment called Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the results brought to light at the conference show that the drug STOPPED disease progression for more than two years! Read more…

There were also much more things covered at the 2016 ECTRIMS Conference, so be sure to check out all of the news released! It’s always nice to see the studies they conduct on the existing treatments available as well, as well as studies and findings about symptomatic studies.

Lots of info about the conference can be found by clicking here.

Thank you for reading and we hope you find this information we have highlighted very educational.

Truly Yours,

The MS Cure Fund Team

“Strength for today… Hope for tomorrow.”

Reference: MultipleSclerosisNewsToday.com; ECTRIMS2016