treatment

Selecting healthcare practitioners is a daunting task, especially when you’re diagnosed with a rare disease like neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). I visited several physiotherapists, massage therapists, and dietitians before settling on my current team. Through my experiences, I’ve discovered the key questions to ask up front to determine…

Soliris (eculizumab) may help relieve symptoms during severe attacks in the acute phase of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) when other treatments are ineffective, according to a case series study from Japan. The study included five patients who had experienced severe NMOSD attacks that did not respond well…

Biologic immunosuppressants are more effective than conventional immunosuppressants for people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMSOD) with self-reactive antibodies against the AQP4 protein. That’s according to real-world data from a Japanese study comparing biologic therapies — Soliris (eculizumab), Enspryng (satralizumab), Ultomiris (ravulizumab), Uplizna (inebilizumab), and…

Early use of immunosuppressive therapy — when compared with a later treatment start — was associated with fewer relapses and reduced disability among neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients with self-reactive antibodies against the AQP4 protein, a study from China showed. The data demonstrated a time-dependent treatment efficacy, with…

The composition of bacteria in the gut is altered in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients experiencing disease relapses compared with healthy people in the same household, a study reports. Following treatment, however, the gut bacterial profiles of NMOSD patients in remission resembled those of healthy people. “The…

A seaweed-derived preparation named GV-971 (sodium oligomannate) that has anti-inflammatory effects through the gut-brain axis, delayed the onset and progression of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in mouse models of the disease, a study shows. The preparation developed by Green Valley Pharmaceuticals is approved in China as an…

HNSA-5487, Hansa Biopharma’s experimental treatment for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and other autoimmune diseases, safely and effectively reduced the levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies — ones involved in the abnormal immune attacks that drive these conditions — in a Phase 1 clinical trial involving healthy volunteers.

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with Uplizna (inebilizumab-cdon). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. I had a rough summer. After enduring three major attacks from my neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD),…

Note: This column describes the author’s own perspectives on several potential treatments for pain. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it a thousand times more: Living with pain is the worst.

As I write this, it’s the evening before I start receiving Uplizna (inebilizumab-cdon) infusions, a preventive treatment for my neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). I’ll admit, I’m feeling anxious. Here’s how Uplizna works: Astrocytes are a type of cell that helps nerves work properly. On the surface of…