Lindsey Shapiro, PhD, science writer —

In the five years before their first disease attack, people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) required significantly more doctor’s office visits and hospitalizations than their peers in the general population, a new study from Canada found. The researchers believe these findings point to the presence of an NMOSD…

Long-term treatment with Uplizna (inebilizumab) was well tolerated and led to sustained disease control for adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). That’s according to final data from the open-label extension period of the Phase 2/3 N-MOmentum clinical trial (NCT02200770), top-line data of which supported the therapy’s…

International research has uncovered a series of immune-related events that might contribute to the abnormal immune responses against the aquaporin-4 protein (AQP4), which drives neuroinflammation in cases of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Among the implicated immune cell types are natural killer T-cells (NKT), which seem to be first…

A significant proportion of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients in the U.S. lost employment, work hours, and wages after their diagnosis, as motor and visual disability and symptoms like pain and fatigue hurt their productivity, a study has found. Older patients, those using mobility aids, and those…

March 1 kicks off NMOSD Awareness Month, which aims every year to shed light on the experiences of people living with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). The Sumaira Foundation (TSF) has led the month-long advocacy initiative in the U.S. since 2016, promoting efforts to spread knowledge about the…

Certain long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) — a family of molecules that can regulate gene activity — tied to immune function were at significantly higher levels in the blood of people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) compared with the general population, a study reports. All four evaluated markers —…

Uplizna (inebilizumab) prevented disease attacks for people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) regardless of whether they had a genetic variant in the FCGR3A gene that’s associated with reduced efficacy of rituximab, a therapy commonly used off-label for NMOSD. That’s according to additional data analyses from the Phase…

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) experience faster disability progression with fewer attacks than those with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), a related condition, according to a long-term analysis of German registry data. Notably, in all patients, experiencing inflammation in the optic nerve, which transmits signals between…

Nearly 1 in 5 people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) experience early neurological symptoms prior to their first established NMOSD attack, new research suggests. These symptoms could represent an NMOSD prodrome, a disease stage where nonspecific symptoms emerge before the classic manifestations of the disease. A better…

AstraZeneca has announced filing a legal challenge to certain aspects of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), arguing that there may be unintended but harmful consequences for people living with rare diseases such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). It joins a number of other pharmaceutical companies…