The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show

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This week in Just MS News, we cover three important developments across the MS research pipeline.

The FDA has begun Priority Review of fenebrutinib for both relapsing MS and primary progressive MS, following three major Phase III trials.

We also revisit PRO-1562, a remyelination therapy we’ve followed before, as it moves from preclinical research into its first Phase 1/2a human study.

And researchers have identified a new inflammatory pathway involving HPGDS and PGD₂ that may help drive Th17-cell activity in MS. Human blood and cell findings supported the pathway, while blocking it reduced MS-like disease in mice.

Also on the shortlist this week:
• Continuing CAR-T safety questions in autoimmune trials
• The 2026 Rachel Horne Prize recognizing research on women and MS
• A&W Canada and MS Canada raising $1.56 million through Burgers to Beat MS

As always, the goal is to separate what the research actually shows from what it does not — without hype or information overload.

SOURCES & ARTICLES

FDA Begins Priority Review of Fenebrutinib for Relapsing and Primary Progressive MS
Source: BioPharma Dive
https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/roche-fenebrutinib-ms-fda-accept-application-btk/831746/

Primary source: Roche
https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2026-09-30

PRO-1562 Enters First Phase 1/2a Human Study Focused on Remyelination
Source: AllSci
https://allsci.com/news/clinical-trials/pro-1562-multiple-sclerosis-trial-progentos/

Targeting the HPGDS-PGD₂ Axis to Treat Th17 Cell-Mediated Autoimmunity in Multiple Sclerosis
Source: Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy / Nature Portfolio
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-026-02937-5

Autoimmune Researchers Seek Answers After Deaths in CAR-T Cell Trials
Source: Medscape
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/autoimmune-researchers-seek-answers-after-deaths-car-t-cell-2026a10010xi

Recognising Excellence in Women’s MS Research — 2026 Rachel Horne Prize
Source: MS Trust
https://mstrust.org.uk/news/recognising-excellence-womens-ms-research

A&W and MS Canada Celebrate $1.56 Million Raised Through Burgers to Beat MS
Source: A&W Canada / MS Canada / Newswire

1. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/a-amp-w-and-ms-canada-celebrate-outstanding-generosity-from-canadians-with-1-56-million-raised-from-burgers-to-beat-ms--899132706.html

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

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This week in Just MS News:

Alpha-lipoic acid has passed an important interim checkpoint in the phase 3 OCTOPUS trial for progressive MS, while metformin will not continue. This does not yet prove ALA slows disability progression, but it has shown enough potential to keep testing.

A new Nature Medicine study also found EBV-related immune changes appearing roughly 30–90 days before confirmed MS relapses. The findings strengthen the link between EBV, B cells and MS activity, but do not prove EBV caused the relapses.

European regulators have recommended expanding Ocrevus to people aged 10+ with active relapsing MS. We also cover a newly cleared C-CAR168 CAR-T trial for progressive MS and early Manitoba research into NRG-1 and myelin repair.

SOURCES

OCTOPUS / Alpha-Lipoic Acid
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2026/sep/existing-drug-shows-early-promise-treat-progressive-ms
https://ms-octopus.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/

EBV Before MS Relapse — Nature Medicine
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04665-3

Ocrevus / Pediatric MS
https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2026-09-18
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/variation/ocrevus

C-CAR168 CAR-T / Progressive MS
https://www.neurologylive.com/view/fda-clears-c-car168-trial-refractory-progressive-multiple-sclerosis

NRG-1 / Manitoba Research
https://umtoday.ca/stories/potential-new-ms-treatment-may-restore-brain-function
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-72639-7

Just Multiple Sclerosis
https://justmultiplesclerosis.com

Just MS News is for education and discussion and is not medical advice. Discuss treatment decisions, supplements or changes to your care with your healthcare team.

#MultipleSclerosis #MSNews #ProgressiveMS #MSResearch #Ocrevus #EBV #CART #SPMS #PPMS

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Just MS News, we look at new research examining three very different parts of living with multiple sclerosis.

Our lead story follows more than 500 newly diagnosed people with MS and compares early treatment strategies. B-cell-depleting therapies were linked with fewer relapses and less MRI activity — but after two years, researchers did not find a significant difference in disability.

We also examine new research into late-onset MS. In an Egyptian cohort, people whose MS began later in life experienced fewer relapses but reached confirmed disability progression sooner — highlighting why relapse activity does not always tell the whole story.

Then we look at MS fatigue. A study of people with relapsing-remitting MS found fatigue often appeared alongside poor sleep, pain, stress, anxiety, walking difficulties and heat sensitivity. The study shows associations, not cause and effect, but it raises an important practical question: what else may be adding to someone’s fatigue?

Plus, we finish with one more quick MS update.

Just MS News covers multiple sclerosis research carefully, without hype, with a focus on what the evidence actually means for people living with MS.

SOURCES & RESEARCH

Early MS treatment choices
Uibel P. et al.
Therapy Choices and Outcomes in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis: The Pan-European MultipleMS Study
Neurology Open Access, September 2026
https://doi.org/10.1212/WN9.0000000000000168

Late-onset MS and disability progression
Fouad AM, Saad AA, Abd El-Aziz HM, Elelwany DA.
Late-Onset Versus Adult-Onset Multiple Sclerosis: A Comparative Analysis of Clinical, Radiological, and Confirmed Disability Progression
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, September 11, 2026
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2026.107923

MS fatigue and contributing factors
Naghilou S. et al.
Fatigue and contributing factors in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a descriptive study based on the comprehensive fatigue assessment battery for multiple sclerosis (CFAB-MS)
Neurological Sciences, August 27, 2026
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-026-09353-1

NR Times coverage, September 11, 2026:
https://nrtimes.co.uk/fatigue-in-relapsing-remitting-ms-linked-to-pain-sleep-stress-study-finds-care26/

This content is for education and discussion and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Treatment decisions should be discussed with your MS care team.

#MultipleSclerosis #MSResearch #MSNews #LivingWithMS

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Just MS News, we lead with a difficult but important story: Novartis has paused eight CAR-T clinical trials after three patient deaths linked to severe immune reactions.

These are not simply numbers in a clinical trial or events affecting a company's share price. They were people who entered research hoping for something better. We look at what happened, what it may mean for CAR-T research in multiple sclerosis, and why patient safety has to remain at the centre of this conversation.

I also share some of my own perspective. Early in my MS journey, I was offered the possibility of HSCT and ultimately decided the risks were more than I was personally prepared to accept. Decisions involving experimental or high-risk treatments are deeply personal, and stories like this are a reminder of what patients are sometimes being asked to weigh.

A quick personal note: this week's episode is shorter than usual because I've been dealing with some of my own MS-related issues. Rather than miss the week entirely, I focused on our lead story and kept the remaining stories concise.

This week's stories and sources

1. Novartis halts eight CAR-T cell therapy trials after deaths
Source: EMJ GOLD
Read the original article

2. Remibrutinib reports positive Phase 3 results in relapsing MS
Source: Novartis
Read the Novartis announcement

3. In-vivo CAR-T shows early promise in autoimmune disease, including MS
Source: Nature
Read the Nature article

4. Targeted MS therapy uses patients' red blood cells to curb autoimmune attacks
Source: Medical Xpress
Read the article

5. Aging and cellular senescence as possible drivers of MS progression
Source: Journal of Neuroscience
Read the paper

6. DMTs associated with higher risk of some gynecologic complications
Source: NeurologyLive
Read the article

7. Real-world infection risk with B-cell-depleting MS therapy
Source: NEJM Clinician
Read the article

8. Researchers investigate shared biology behind profound fatigue
Source: Medical Xpress
Read the article

9. Funding boost for an EBV vaccine with possible future MS-prevention relevance
Source: National Tribune
Read the article

10. Genetic score may help predict lymphopenia risk with dimethyl fumarate
Source: NeurologyLive
Read the article

As always, Just MS News is about following the science without losing sight of the people behind it.

Subscribe for weekly multiple sclerosis news, research updates and patient perspective.

Sources and story selection are based on the September 1–7 weekly article collection.

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Just MS News, we break down some of the most important multiple sclerosis research and developments from August 25–31, 2026.

Our top stories:

🚶 Everyday Walking Data & MS Progression
Researchers are looking at whether real-world walking measurements could help reveal MS progression earlier.
Source: Multiple Sclerosis Journal

🦠 EBV, MS & the Push for a Vaccine
The connection between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis continues to drive research into whether preventing EBV infection could ultimately help prevent MS.
Sources: Technology Networks / ClinicalTrials.gov

🧠 Recovery vs. Compensation in MS Rehabilitation
New rehabilitation research explores an important distinction: are people actually recovering neurological function, or learning better ways to compensate for impairment?
Source: International Journal of MS Care

Also in this week’s MS news: neurogenic bladder, treatment-access updates, MS nursing, BTK research in the central nervous system, family screening, distinguishing MS from MOGAD, and stories from people living and working in the MS community.

Just MS News cuts through the noise to focus on MS research, treatment, rehabilitation and the developments that matter to people living with multiple sclerosis.

👍 Like the video if you found it useful.
 💬 Tell me which story you want me to explore further.
 🔔 Subscribe for weekly MS news, interviews and deeper discussions.

For information and more Just MS content:
justmultiplesclerosis.com

This content is for educational and informational purposes and is not medical advice. Always discuss treatment or healthcare decisions with a qualified medical professional.

#MultipleSclerosis #MSResearch #MSNews #MultipleSclerosisResearch #MSAwareness #JustMSNews #LivingWithMS

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Just MS News, we’re focusing on two important areas of multiple sclerosis research: understanding progression and repairing damage.

👁️ Could your eyes reveal clues about MS progression?

Researchers are investigating whether measurements of retinal layers using OCT — optical coherence tomography — could help identify people at greater risk of future cognitive progression.

The study specifically looked at cognitive PIRA — progression independent of relapse activity — and raises an intriguing possibility: could a relatively simple eye scan eventually provide another window into what is happening elsewhere in the nervous system?

🧠 The race to repair myelin

Researchers in Germany are developing a transdermal patch designed to deliver low, steady doses of theophylline as a potential approach to promoting remyelination.

The patch has NOT been shown to repair myelin in people with MS. It remains experimental and is moving toward early human testing.

But the bigger story is how many different approaches researchers are now taking toward remyelination. We look at the new patch alongside some of the other myelin-repair research we’ve been following.

This week’s sources:

🔶 Retinal layers and cognitive progression in MS
https://visualize.jove.com/42562954-Retinal-layers-prognosticate-cognitive-progression-independent-of-relapse-activity-in-multiple-sclerosis

🔶 A Transdermal Patch to Promote Remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis Patients — Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
https://cnb-idn.biologie.uni-mainz.de/a-transdermal-patch-to-promote-remyelination-in-multiple-sclerosis-patients/

For the complete weekly MS news digest — including stories that don’t make the video — visit:

https://justmultiplesclerosis.com

Understand the progression. And, hopefully one day, repair the damage.

Just MS News provides news and information for the MS community and is not medical advice. Always discuss medical decisions with your healthcare team

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Just MS News, we look at four developments in multiple sclerosis research and diagnosis — including an important FDA regulatory milestone for CAR-T therapy in progressive MS.

This week:

🔶 CAR-T for non-active SPMS
The FDA has granted RMAT designation to miv-cel, an experimental CD19 CAR-T therapy being studied in non-active secondary progressive MS. The designation could help accelerate its development — but it is not FDA approval, and the human evidence remains very early.

🔶 New 2024 McDonald Criteria
Updated MS diagnostic criteria may allow more people to meet diagnostic criteria earlier. One major change is the inclusion of the optic nerve as a fifth location when evaluating dissemination in space.

🔶 Lucid-MS moves toward Phase 2
Lucid-MS has been cleared to begin Phase 2 testing in progressive MS. The experimental therapy takes a different approach by targeting biological processes associated with myelin damage. Human evidence of benefit in MS has not yet been established.

🔶 Artificial Axons and remyelination research
Researchers are developing engineered artificial-axon models that may provide a better way to test potential remyelination drugs before they move toward human trials. This is a drug-discovery platform — not an MS treatment.

Related research: Last week, Just MS News covered lab-grown “mini-brains” being used to study myelin repair. This week’s Artificial Axons story tackles a similar problem from a different direction — using engineered nerve-fibre models to test how oligodendrocytes form myelin and how candidate remyelination drugs behave.

Together, they highlight a broader challenge in MS research: building better laboratory models before potential treatments move into human trials.

Sources:

1. CAR-T / miv-cel
   • Title: Kyverna Therapeutics Reports Pipeline Progress and Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
   • Author/Source: Kyverna Therapeutics 
   • Published: August 11, 2026 
   • Live link: https://ir.kyvernatx.com/news-releases/
   •  This is the company release announcing that FDA granted RMAT designation to miv-cel for non-active SPMS. 
2. 2024 McDonald Criteria / Earlier MS Diagnosis
   • Title: Applying the 2024-revised McDonald criteria for multiple sclerosis using conventional diagnostic tools: a single-centre prospective cohort study in Germany
   • Lead author: F. F. Konen 
   • Journal: eClinicalMedicine 
   • DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.104098 
   • Live link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589537026003512
   •  This is the 215-person study behind the 93.5% vs 84%, optic-nerve 55%, and VEP 89% figures. 
3. Lucid-MS / Phase 2
   • Title: FDA Clears Phase 2 Trial for Demyelinating Agent Lucid-MS in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
   • Author: Marco Meglio 
   • Outlet: NeurologyLive 
   • Published: August 13, 2026 
   • Live link: https://www.neurologylive.com/view/fda-clears-phase-2-trial-demyelinating-agent-lucid-ms-progressive-multiple-sclerosis
   •  The article covers the FDA-cleared IND, Phase 1 healthy-volunteer results, PAD2 mechanism, and planned randomized Phase 2 trial. 
4. Artificial Axons / Remyelination Drug Screening
   • Title: MIT spinout Artificial Axon gets NINDS backing for MS lesion-mimicking drug screening platform
   • Source: AllSci 
   • Published: August 11, 2026 
   • Live link: https://allsci.com/news/grants/ms-drug-screening-platform-artificial-axon-labs/
   •  This is the source reporting the $1.48 million NINDS SBIR Phase II funding. 

For the Artificial Axon science itself, the underlying 2025 paper is also worth linking:

Myelin ensheathment and drug responses of oligodendrocytes are modulated by stiffness of artificial axons
Mingyu Yang, Calliope J. L. Martin, Kavin Kowsari, Anna Jagielska, Krystyn J. Van Vliet
PLOS ONE, 2025

The goal of Just MS News is simple: explain what happened, what the evidence actually shows, and why it matters for people living with MS.

Subscribe for weekly MS research, treatment and community news.

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Just MS News, we take a closer look at three important stories from the multiple sclerosis community.

First, new research in JAMA Neurology strengthens the evidence around GFAP, a blood biomarker that may help researchers track progression independent of relapse activity, or PIRA. The study included more than 2,300 people with MS and over 18,000 blood measurements.

That story also connects with a small randomized study of high-dose N-acetyl cysteine, or NAC, in progressive MS. Participants received 1,250 mg three times daily for four weeks, and researchers observed a significant difference in GFAP levels compared with placebo. The study was very small and does not show that NAC slows MS progression, but a larger trial is already underway.

Next, we review a systematic review of exercise in people with severe MS disability. What can exercise still improve when walking is limited or disability has progressed, and why are nonambulatory people still so underrepresented in exercise research?

Finally, Christina Applegate is reportedly back home and doing very well following a months-long hospitalization. Applegate has been living publicly with MS since announcing her diagnosis in 2021.

Just MS News looks beyond the headline to explain what the research actually found, what remains uncertain, and why it may matter to people living with MS.

Sources include JAMA Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, University of Basel, UCSF, Neurology Advisor, and PEOPLE.

Learn more and follow the latest MS news at:
www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

This content is for news and educational purposes and is not medical advice.

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

Send us Fan Mail

This Week on Just MS News

This week, we look at three important stories affecting the MS community.

Researchers in Australia are using lab grown “mini brains” to investigate how damaged myelin might one day be repaired. Sheffield Teaching Hospitals has also treated its first MS participant with experimental CAR T cell therapy, an approach researchers have been watching for years.

We also examine a revised Cleveland Clinic protocol designed to help MS clinicians respond more confidently when a patient reports suicidal thoughts.

The episode finishes with several additional stories worth checking out, including treatment discontinuation in older adults, EBV vaccine and T cell research, MS treatment sequencing, OCT in diagnosis, and the need for better pain care.

Featured stories

Researchers use lab grown mini brains to study MS repair

Sheffield treats its first MS participant with CAR T cell therapy

Cleveland Clinic revises its suicidal ideation protocol for MS care

More stories worth checking out

Stopping disease modifying therapies in older, stable patients

EBV vaccine and T cell trials in MS

Framework for sequencing MS treatments

OCT and the updated McDonald diagnostic criteria

Why MS pain needs more attention

Visit Just Multiple Sclerosis for the always open MS news stream, past weekly editions, community updates, and Sudoku Omega, a free sudoku game I built to help you slow down, focus, and relax.

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Mental Health and Crisis Support

United States: Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Free, confidential support is available 24 hours a day across the United States and its territories. 

Canada: Call or text 988 to reach the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline. Support is available nationwide, 24 hours a day, in English and French. Visit 988.ca.

Other countries: Find verified crisis and emotional-support services in your country through Find A Helpline or Befrienders Worldwide. 

If someone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Just MS News, we lead with encouraging—but still early remyelination research.

Scientists have identified an experimental small molecule that promoted oligodendrocyte development and remyelination in preclinical models. We explain how this candidate differs from PTD802, the remyelination therapy we recently covered as it prepared to enter human testing.

We also look at:

• Fampridine becoming routinely available through NHS England for eligible adults with MS-related walking difficulties

• Evidence examining whether treatment escalation after clinically silent MRI lesions may reduce future relapse risk

• New research exploring how anti-CD20 therapies may affect protective immune cells originating in the gut

• A large U.S. analysis identifying racial, geographic and age-related disparities in MS-associated mortality

• Two brothers continuing their remarkable marathon journey using an adaptive racing wheelchair

ARTICLES AND SOURCES

1. A Novel Small Molecule Remyelination Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis
   Source: npj Drug Discovery
   https://www.nature.com/articles/s44386-026-00060-7

2. Thousands With MS to Get Fampridine on the NHS to Help Them Walk More Freely
   Source: NHS England
   https://www.england.nhs.uk/2026/07/thousands-ms-life-changing-drug-nhs-help-walk-more-freely/

Clinical commissioning policy:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/clinical-commissioning-policy-prolonged-released-pr-fampridine-as-a-treatment-of-adults-with-multiple-sclerosis-and-associated-walking-impairment/

3. Treatment Escalation After Clinically Silent MRI Lesions in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
   Source: Brain
   https://academic.oup.com/brain/advance-article/doi/10.1093/brain/awag252/8741305

4. Anti-CD20 B-Cell Depletion Is Associated With Elevated Mucosal-Originating Circulating Immune Cells
   Source: Science Translational Medicine
   https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aee1580

5. Racial and Ethnic Trends and Comorbidity Patterns in Multiple Sclerosis Mortality
   Source: Neurology Open Access
   https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WN9.0000000000000148

6. Man With MS Does Marathons With a Push From His Brother
   Source: Deseret News
   https://www.deseret.com/sports/2026/07/22/deseret-news-marathon-brian-danny-connolly-wheelchair-ms-people-with-disabilities/

Just MS News provides accessible summaries of multiple sclerosis news and research. This episode is for informational purposes and should not replace guidance from your healthcare team.

Visit Just Multiple Sclerosis:
https://www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

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https://www.justmultiplesclerosis.com/podcast

#MultipleSclerosis #MSNews #Remyelination #MSResearch #Fampridine #MultipleSclerosisResearch

The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.

www.justmultiplesclerosis.com