RealTalk MS

Jan Janisch-Hanzlik lives with MS and is a participant in one of the clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy for MS. Jan is the first person in the world to receive this one-and-done treatment, and this week, she's joining me to share her experience participating in the clinical trial. But you'll be especially interested in hearing how CAR-T cell therapy has impacted Jan's MS.

Open enrollment for people with Medicare and for those who get their health insurance through the ACA healthcare.gov Marketplace begins this week, and we're talking about some of the reasons you want to pay particular attention to your 2026 health insurance options.

As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters its third week, we're reviewing some of the ways that the shutdown may affect someone living with MS.

And we're giving you a reminder about how you can add your voice and share your story of living with MS with the FDA by participating in the Shaping Tomorrow Together initiative.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: A first-hand account of an important clinical trial, open enrollment begins, and how the government shutdown may affect people with MS :22

Open enrollment for Medicare and Marketplace enrolees begins :22

How the federal government shutdown could affect people living with MS 4:29

Your opportunity to tell the FDA what it's like to live with MS 8:57

Jan Janisch-Hanzlik shares her experience participating in a CAR-T cell therapy clinical trial, and how the treatment has impacted her MS 11:28

Share this episode 31:38

Next week's episode 31:57

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Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/424

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I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS

REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463

SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy

JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 424 Guest: Jan Janisch-Hanzlik

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Welcome to a RealTalk MS special series on MS clinical trials. This special series is made possible through a generous grant from Sanofi. In today's episode, we're exploring the risks and rewards of participating in a clinical trial with Dr. Kathy Zackowski and Mimi Brown.

Dr. Zackowski is the Associate Vice President of Research at the National MS Society, and she's going to offer an overview of the risks and benefits that you'll want to weigh in considering participating in a clinical trial. Mimi Brown lives with primary progressive MS, and Mimi is going to share her own experience as a participant in multiple clinical trials.

This special episode of RealTalk MS has been made possible through a generous grant from Sanofi. Sanofi has two ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials in MS studying Frexalimab, an investigational second-generation anti-CD40 ligand monoclonal antibody. If you are interested in learning more about these clinical trials, please visit SanofiStudies.com

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I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

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From the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, people living with MS have been justifiably concerned about how a COVID-19 infection might impact their MS. As the new "Stratus" strain of COVID-19 is currently surging in the United States, research is providing answers we didn't have five years ago.

Dr. Robert Fox, the Managing Director of the NARCOMS Patient Registry, joins me to discuss how COVID-19 infections and other infections impact people with MS.

As ECTRIMS, the world's largest MS research conference, approached, many attendees anticipated the FDA's decision on whether to approve Tolebrutinib, the first in a new category of disease-modifying therapies. Instead, the FDA has requested additional time for its review. We'll fill you in on the FDA's new target action date, and explain why there's strong interest in this particular disease-modifying therapy.

We know there's a specific gene that increases the risk of someone developing MS. But have you ever wondered where that gene came from, or why it exists at all? At ECTRIMS, Professor Lars Fugger took us on a journey 5,000 years into the past to explain its origin. When I spoke with him, Professor Fugger also explained how events from ancient history are still affecting the risk of developing MS today. You won't want to miss this compelling conversation!

At ECTRIMS, I also caught up with Jason Tardio, the President, and Dr. Andreas Muehler, the Chief Medical Officer, from Immunic Therapeutics. We talked about how their investigative drug, vidofludimus calcium, could potentially benefit people with MS by combating inflammation, protecting the nervous system, and offering antiviral benefits.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: Infections and MS, and more from ECTRIMS 2025! :22

FDA extends its review of Tolebrutinib 1:42

From ECTRIMS: Professor Lars Fugger discusses the origin of the gene that increases an individual's risk of developing MS 4:11

From ECTRIMS: Jason Tardio, President, and Dr. Andreas Muehler, Chief Medical Officer, at Immunic Therapeutics, discuss how vidofludimus calcium could potentially benefit people with MS 11:22

Dr. Robert Fox discusses what the research reveals about how COVID-19 infections and other infections impact people living with MS 16:34

Share this episode 32:00

Next week's episode 32:19

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Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/423

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I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS

REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463

SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy

JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 423 Guests: Professor Lars Fugger, Jason Tardio, Dr. Andreas Meuhler, and Dr. Robert Fox

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Last week, over 9600 MS researchers and clinicians gathered in Barcelona for the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis annual scientific congress -- ECTRIMS 2025.

Minutes after the conference adjourned, in what has become an annual tradition, Dr. Bruce Bebo, the Executive Vice President of Research at the National MS Society, joined me to share his initial thoughts on the science presented at the meeting.

Then, Kristine Werner Ozug, a member of the RealTalk MS team who lives with MS, joined me to share her perspective on three non-stop days of presentations, news, and announcements.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: It's all about ECTRIMS 2025! :22

The Executive Vice President of Research at the National MS Society, Dr. Bruce Bebo, shares his initial impressions of ECTRIMS 2025 1:17

As someone who lives with MS, Kristine Werner Ozug shares her thoughts on ECTRIMS 2025 10:03

Share this episode 22:30

Next week's episode 22:50

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Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/422

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS

REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463

SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy

JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 422 Guests: Dr. Bruce Bebo and Kristine Werner Ozug

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Happy birthday to us! RealTalk MS is 8 years old today! It's hard for me to believe that the podcast I launched in 2017, with the goal of one day reaching 300 listeners, today reaches thousands of people living with MS, their care partners, MS researchers, and clinicians in more than 100 countries.

So, let me start this week's show notes with a profound thank you to each of you for being an important part of the RealTalk MS listener community. Your ongoing engagement is a constant reminder that our podcast is a two-way conversation. And I'm looking forward to continuing the conversation until we can talk about MS in the past tense.

MS can affect memory, attention, and processing speed. But proactive strategies can help preserve your cognitive function and quality of life.

Erin Wilkinson, a nurse practitioner in the Multiple Sclerosis Department of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, is joining me to help us better understand the relationship between MS and brain health and to share strategies for preserving and even improving brain health.

You'll also meet Jan Bonville, a consultant, speaker, writer, and advocate for inclusive travel and patient empowerment. Jan has lived with MS for twenty years, and our conversation focused on resilience, empowerment, and self-advocacy. As you will hear, these are things that Jan lives every day.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: Happy birthday to us and greetings from ECTRIMS! :22

MS advocate Jan Bonville discusses resilience, empowerment, and self-advocacy 4:40

Nurse Practitioner Erin Wilkinson shares strategies for optimizing your brain health 23:03

Share this episode 41:01

Next week's episode 41:21

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Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/421

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS

REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463

SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy

LISTEN: RealTalk MS Episode 416: The Updated McDonald Diagnostic Criteria for MS with Dr. Andrew Solomonhttps://realtalkms.com/416

VIDEO: Dr. Robert Fox explains the results of the Phase 3 clinical trial for Tolebrutinib and Non-relapsing secondary progressive MS https://youtube.com/watch?v=tJQ93qdlXrU

JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 421 Guests: Jan Bonville and NP Erin Wilkinson

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You're living with MS, and maybe you're thinking about participating in an MS clinical trial. But how do they work? Are they safe? What's the difference between Phase 1, 2, and 3 trials? What are the real patient risks and benefits of participating in a clinical trial?

In this special episode of RealTalk MS, we're getting answers to those questions and so much more from my guest, Dr. Aaron Boster.

Dr. Boster is the founder of the Boster Center for Multiple Sclerosis in Columbus, Ohio, where he brings over 20 years of experience as an MS clinician. Dr. Boster has also participated in more than 65 clinical trials.

This special episode of RealTalk MS has been made possible through a generous grant from Sanofi. Sanofi has two ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials in MS studying Frexalimab, an investigational second-generation anti-CD40 ligand monoclonal antibody. If you are interested in learning more about these clinical trials, please visit SanofiStudies.com

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

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ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

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Disease-modifying therapies are the cornerstone of MS treatment, but they're not the only piece of the puzzle. Beyond prescription medications, self-care that includes making healthy lifestyle choices can significantly improve your quality of life with MS.

Julie Polisena knows this firsthand. Julie lives with MS, and in a recent blog post, she shared a comprehensive list of the lifestyle changes that have improved her quality of life with MS. Julie joins us today to discuss some of the most impactful changes you can make to start your own journey toward better health and wellness.

We're also diving into the science behind some of the most talked-about diets for MS. We're breaking down the research on the Mediterranean diet, the Keto diet, the Wahls Diet, the Swank Diet, a gluten-free diet, and intermittent fasting, giving you an overview of the studies that have measured their impact on MS.

We're discussing the latest developments in the ongoing scrutiny of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). There's significant pending legal action and a congressional investigation targeting PBMs, the powerful and secretive middlemen in the prescription drug supply chain. And we'll tell you how they've profited at the expense of millions of people with chronic illnesses, including people living with MS.

We'll tell you about a clinical trial that's testing an injectable formulation of Briumvi.

You'll hear about a promising new strategy for myelin repair.

And we'll remind you about a warning from the FDA and Health Canada about glatiramer acetate (Copaxone).

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: A DIY approach to improving your MS journey :22

A roundup of studies that focused on popular diets for people with MS 1:53

Congress and the FTC have pharmacy benefit managers in their sites 7:32

TG Therapeutics is testing an injectable form of Briumvi 9:32

A research team has developed a novel remyelination strategy 11:03

A warning about glatiramer acetate has been issued 14:08

Julie Polisena discusses lifestyle changes that can make a difference in your quality of life 16:58

Share this episode 33:24

Next week's episode 33:43

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Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/420

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS

REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463

SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy

READ: Small Changes, Big Impact: Managing My MS Through Lifestyle Changes https://mscanada.ca/find-support/blog/small-changes-big-impact-managing-my-ms-through-lifestyle-change

STUDY: The Role of Nutrition and Physical Activity in Modulating Disease Progression and Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis https://mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/16/2713

STUDY: Transient Gene Melting Governs the Timing of Oligodendrocyte Maturation https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S009286742500861X

REVIEW: Copaxone, Glatopa (Glatiramer Acetate) FDA Drug Safety Communication https://www.fda.gov/safety/medical-product-safety-information/copaxone-glatopa-glatiramer-acetate-drug-safety-communication-fda-adds-boxed-warning-about-rare

JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 420 Guest: Julie Polisena

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Some people living with MS adhere to a treatment plan based exclusively on what we might consider traditional medicine. Others opt for alternative treatments. And, still, others take a whole-person health approach, blending integrative medicine with traditional treatments designed to support an individual's mind and body.

Dr. Lynne Shinto joins me to discuss how a whole-person health approach can transform living with MS. Dr. Shinto is a Professor of Neurology and an MS Specialist at the Center for Women's Health at Oregon Health and Science University.

We're also sharing some encouraging news about funding for the National Institutes of Health in 2026.

We'll explain the research that has led to the identification of a new and quite different subtype of MS.

We'll tell you about this year's winner of the Rachel Horne Prize for Women's Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

The National MS Society's virtual program, New to MS: Navigating Your Journey, takes place in just two days. We have all the details!

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: A whole-person health approach to MS care :22

House Republicans reject President Trump's $20 billion cut to 2026 NIH funding 1:26

Have researchers identified a new MS subtype? 4:16

This year's winner of the Rachel Horne Prize for Women's Research in Multiple Sclerosis 8:27

We're two days away from the National MS Society's New to MS: Navigating Your Journey virtual program 9:53

Dr. Lynne Shinto discusses how taking a whole-person approach to MS care can transform your MS journey 12:04

Share this episode 31:41

Next week's episode 32:01

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/419

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS

REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463

SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy

STUDY: Large-Scale Online Assessment Uncovers a Distinct Multiple Sclerosis Subtype with Selective Cognitive Impairment https://nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62156-4

REGISTER: New To MS: Navigating Your Journey https://nationalmssociety.org/understanding-ms/newly-diagnosed/new-to-ms-journey

Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 419 Guest: Dr. Lynne Shinto

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Living with MS means living with uncertainty, possible physical disability or cognitive dysfunction, bouts of crushing fatigue, mood changes, and let's not forget the very real irritation of well-meaning people telling you how healthy you look. Just processing the world around you can feel challenging.

In this episode, psychologist Dr. Miriam Franco joins me to discuss how developing a growth mindset can make all the difference in how you experience your MS journey.

We're also sharing a real-world example of how the drastic cuts in federal funding are already impacting MS care.

We'll tell you about the first country in the world to approve Tolebrutinib, a new disease-modifying therapy for nonrelapsing secondary progressive MS. And we'll explain why people are particularly excited about this medication.

We'll share details about the MS Clinical Imaging and Data Resource that's been launched by the International Progressive MS Alliance.

We'll tell you how and where to catch the MS Standup Comedy Benefit next Monday in New York.

And we're reminding you about your opportunity to impact future MS therapies by helping the FDA better understand what living with MS is really like.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: Developing a growth mindset :22

How those federal research funding cuts are impacting MS patient care 1:30

United Arab Emirates becomes the first country in the world to approve Tolebrutinib for nonrelapsing secondary progressive MS 5:05

The International Progressive MS Alliance launches an MS Clinical Imaging and Data Resource open to the MS research community 8:32

The MS Standup Comedy Benefit takes place next Monday in New York 10:15

Add your voice and participate in the Shaping Tomorrow Together initiative 11:04

Dr. Miriam Franco discusses what it means to have a growth mindset when you're living with MS 14:50

Share this episode 34:11

Next week's episode 34:31

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/418

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS

REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463

VIDEO: Dr. Robert Fox, Principal Investigator in the Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Tolebrutinib and Secondary Progressive MS https://youtu.be/tJQ93qdlXrU?si=S5jREy5ixVcE7ol-

VIDEO: Dr. Jiwon Oh, Principal Investigator in the Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Tolebrutinib and Relapsing-Remitting MS https://youtu.be/zcBmAHRTotA?si=n86KRjB9Xt9sdZMg

The International Progressive MS Alliance Clinical Imaging and Data Resource https://progressivemsalliance.org/ms-clinical-and-imaging-data-resource

ATTEND: MS Stand-Up Comedy Benefit https://msstandup.org

Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 418 Guest: Dr. Miriam Franco

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If you've watched the critically acclaimed series, House of Cards, on Netflix, or the OCD detective series, Monk, on the USA Network, you've already listened to some of five-time Emmy award-winning composer Jeff Beal's work.

This week, Jeff joins me to discuss his journey as an artist and as someone living with MS. We're also sharing all the details about the free event taking place at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, California, on September 1, when Jeff joins conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a free concert featuring three of Jeff's works, including a world premiere!

We're also explaining a newly introduced AI-based model of MS that replaces the MS subtypes (relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, primary progressive) with a continuum that tracks four different states.

We'll tell you about a study that identified specific gut bacteria that may determine whether an individual is susceptible to MS.

And we'll share the details of a study that identified the first genetic marker that can accurately predict how someone will respond to a disease-modifying therapy.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: Emmy award-winning composer Jeff Beal discusses his work and his MS journey :22

An AI-based model of MS 1:18

A study identifies specific gut bacteria that may be linked to MS susceptibility 4:49

A study identifies the first genetic marker for accurately predicting an individual's response to MS treatment 6:29

Composer Jeff Beal discusses his journey as an artist and as someone living with MS 9:57

Share this episode 30:36

Coming next week 30:56

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/417

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS

REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463

ATTEND: Music + The Body https://realtalkms.com/musicandthebody

An AI-Driven Reclassification of Multiple Sclerosis Progression https://nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03901-6

STUDY: Multiple Sclerosis and Gut Microbiota: Lachnospiraceae From the Ileum of MS Twins Trigger MS-Like Disease in Germfree Transgenic Mice -- An Unbiased Functional Study https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2419689122

PARTICIPATE: International MS Microbiome Study https://www.nationalmssociety.org/how-you-can-help/get-involved/participate-in-research-studies/other-studies/international-ms-microbiome

STUDY: HLA-A*03:01 As Predictive Genetic Biomarker for Glatiramer Acetate Treatment Response in Multiple Sclerosis: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(25)00317-2/fulltext

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RealTalk MS Episode 417 Guest: Jeff Beal

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