News

Study: Rituximab Better Than MMF, Azathioprine in Preventing Relapses

Rituximab worked better than other treatments at preventing relapses in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who have antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP-4), according to a recent Chinese report. As a first-line therapy for the autoimmune disease, Rituximab outperformed both azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in relapse prevention, the…

Uplizna Approved in Europe for NMOSD Adults With Certain Antibodies

The European Commission has approved Uplizna (inebilizumab-cdon) to treat adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who test positive for antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG). The approval covers all member states in the European Union, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Horizon Therapeutics, the company marketing Uplizna,…

Organizations Rally to Help Ukrainian Rare Disease Patients

A Russian military plane crash near Tetiana Zamorska’s home in Kyiv, Ukraine, was a sign that it was time for her and her family to leave. The treacherous, 34-hour pilgrimage that ultimately brought the group of eight by car to temporary accommodations in neighboring Poland last month was physically and emotionally difficult,…

Immunotherapy Clears Optic Neuritis, Lesions Prior to Symptoms

Giving immunosuppressive therapy to patients with antibodies against aquaporin-4 protein (AQP4) and optic neuritis but no symptoms may help resolve observed lesions and prevent a relapse of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a case report suggests. The case study, “Radiologically isolated aquaporin-4 antibody neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder,” was…

Europe Awaits Proposed New Framework for Sharing Health Data

The European Commission is expected to propose a new governing framework for health data next month, called the European Health Data Space (EHDS), with the aim of connecting national health systems to facilitate secure and efficient transfer of data across systems in different European nations. The move is expected to…

Rare, Simultaneous NMOSD Diagnosis Seen in Identical Twins

A case report has detailed the clinical journeys of two identical twin sisters’ simultaneous diagnosis with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a rare occurrence. NMOSD was last reported in identical twin sisters in 1938, but those girls’ symptoms started two years apart,  unlike the present case. The case report,…