NMO Awareness Month

Aeterna Zentaris GmbH has acquired exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize highly-specific, autoimmune modifying proteins for the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). The company, a subsidiary of Aeterna Zentaris, reached an agreement with Julius-Maximilians-University Wuerzburg (JMU), in Germany, which developed the technology, called AIM Biologicals.

I was hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine because there is still limited data about its safety and efficacy in people with rare diseases. However, there is also no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines harm people with rare diseases, including people like me who are immunocompromised. I am still…

CorEvitas and the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation (GJCF) announced plans to launch a registry study for people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Called SPHERES — which stands for Synergy of Prospective Health & Experimental Research for Emerging Solutions in NMOSD — the observational study is expected to…

The first three months after giving birth are a particularly high-risk time for developing neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and for experiencing relapses when the disease is already established, an expert emphasized in a recent webinar hosted by the The Sumaira Foundation for NMO. The pregnancy-focused webinar featured…

In the United States, March is Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month, but did you know it’s also Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) Awareness Month? NMO patients are most frequently misdiagnosed with MS, as these two diseases can look quite similar, so awareness is key. Let’s separate some facts from fiction. “NMO is…

Activities are underway this month to raise awareness about neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a rare progressive autoimmune disorder that affects about 15,000 people in the U.S. Patients, caregivers, and advocates nationwide are flooding social media platforms, garnering state proclamations, participating in educational webinars, and holding fundraisers — all…

The first trimester after giving birth or ending a pregnancy is a time of high risk for women with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), with younger patients, those with more AQP4 antibodies, or inadequate prenatal care most at risk of an attack, a study…

I can trace my first neuromyelitis optica (NMO) symptoms to when I was 12 years old. I’d be walking down a flight of stairs, and for a split second it was as if a switch had been thrown, cutting off communication between my brain and my legs, and I’d fall…

When I was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) in 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hadn’t yet approved any medications specifically to treat this disease. However, doctors could select various therapies to help patients prevent or deal with attacks. When NMO patients had an attack, doctors treated…