Jeffrey M. Gelfand

First Licensing of Therapy for Pediatric MS

About 3% to 5% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are diagnosed before age 18, termed pediatric MS. Fingolimod (an oral sphingospine-1-phosphate

VGKC-Complex Antibodies in the Absence of LGI1 and Caspr2 Antibodies

Voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) complex antibodies are associated with several autoimmune neurological syndromes, including limbic encephalitis,

For Natalizumab-Associated PML, Prevention Is Still Key

Natalizumab, an anti-α4 integrin monoclonal antibody approved for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), is associated with excess risk for progressive

Rituximab for Treatment of Pediatric CNS Inflammatory Disorders

Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal CD20 antibody that results in B-cell depletion. To examine the off-label use of rituximab for numerous pediatric neuroinflammatory conditions, 15 pediatric centers collated standardized data of their clinical experience, focusing primarily on indication, safety, and disease outcome (functional status). Of 144 children (103 female) treated with Rituximab for more than 13 different neuroimmunological indications, the four most common conditions treated were NMDAR …

First PML Case Reported with Dimethyl Fumarate Monotherapy for MS

Dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) is approved as a disease-modifying treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) and is one of several new oral therapy options for MS (NEJM JW Neurol Oct 30 2012). Now, the FDA has announced a first case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in a patient taking dimethyl fumarate. According to FDA reports, the …

Does Dalfampridine Reactivate Trigeminal Neuralgia in People with Multiple Sclerosis

Dalfampridine, an extended-release formulation of the potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine, is licensed in the U.S. as a symptomatic therapy to

JC Virus in Natalizumab Users: Test for Virus Exposure Approved

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or Crohn disease who are taking natalizumab face an increased risk for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

Updated Estimate of PML Risk with Natalizumab

Natalizumab is a potent therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), but its effects on immune surveillance in the central nervous system

Another Oral Therapy for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: Dimethyl Fumarate (BG-12)

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF; BG-12) is an oral compound that, in combination with monoethylfumarate salts, has been licensed in Germany since 1994 as a

Plasma Exchange for Patients with Acute CNS Inflammatory Demyelinating Attacks

Plasma exchange (PLEX) is commonly used to treat patients with central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating attacks who do not respond to corticosteroid therapy. In a previously published, randomized, sham-controlled trial involving 22 such patients, neurologic improvement occurred significantly more often after PLEX treatment than after sham treatment (42% vs. 6% of courses; Ann Neurol 1999; 46:878). Researchers now describe outcomes in a historical cohort of 153 Mayo Clinic patients …