MS Forum & Expo

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Biogen Know Your Options PDF
Biogen Legacy of Leadership PDF

The Brigham Multiple Sclerosis Center, located at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, is a leading institution in the area of multiple sclerosis, providing comprehensive patient care, innovative technology, and ongoing clinical research studies, directed by Dr. Howard Weiner. The clinical facilities at the MS Center are designed specifically with the MS patient in mind. The MS Center has specialized exam rooms, an on-site infusion facility, and highly experienced personnel, including specially trained physicians, nurses and an on-site social worker. We refer patients to subspecialists within our hospital for ophthalmology, urology and rehabilitation services. A high field strength (7T) MRI scanner is available for clinical use. The Brigham MS Center is home to the CLIMB study which stands for Comprehensive Longitudinal Investigations in MS at BWH. The CLIMB study has yielded over 150 scientific publications on MS and has contributed greatly to our understanding of the disease. Our center is also affiliated with several research laboratories developing new therapies, translational biomarkers, studying disease mechanisms, and basic research in MS. The Brigham MS Center is equipped to provide the best level of care for MS patients and is committed to continuous clinical and laboratory research, in an effort to discover a cure for multiple sclerosis.

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Cadense is an innovative adaptive footwear brand dedicated to giving more mobility to those with walking difficulties. Based on over a decade of research Cadense has created the world's first truly adaptive sneaker, called the Cadense Original. The shoe features Cadense's patent-pending variable friction technology. Low friction elements on the shoe sole allow sliding and gliding over obstacles, while high friction elements allow to stop and toe-off with ease. The Cadense Original is the only sneaker in the world marrying low and high friction in one shoe enabling greater mobility for millions of people with walking difficulties.

Use code EraseMS for 10% OFF your entire purchase when you checkout at cadense.com.

The Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center at Cedars-Sinai offers advanced treatment with access to cutting-edge research and clinical trials in a compassionate setting to help patients manage their symptoms and keep participating in activities they enjoy.

With new treatments emerging, primary neurologists can look to our MS and neuroimmunology specialists for second opinions on diagnosis and treatment. Our physicians are at the helm of research focused on novel diagnostic and monitoring biomarkers, offering Cedars-Sinai patients access to cutting-edge imaging and visual outcomes technology. We also offer access to national clinical trials, giving MS patients the opportunity to try new therapies while being part of groundbreaking research that will benefit other individuals around the world.

Each patient at our center receives an initial evaluation from one of our neurologists who have expertise in MS and other related autoimmune conditions. In addition, each patient will receive care from a multidisciplinary team that may include Cedars-Sinai specialists in ophthalmology, urology, rheumatology, and physical therapy. These team members use their expertise to develop a personalized treatment plan for each patient. This team-wide approach improves outcomes and quality of life for patients and remains a differentiating factor in the care received at Cedars-Sinai.

Cedars-Sinai is a designated National Multiple Sclerosis Society Partner in MS Comprehensive Care. In addition to providing diagnostic and treatment services, the center helps patients and their loved ones deal with physical and emotional demands by connecting them with resources and support.

Learn more at cedars-sinai.org/ms or call (310) 423-6472.

Reaching 76MM consumers every month, Everyday Health delivers trusted and relevant health information, tools, and resources to inspire and enable our audience in their wellness goals.

We adhere to the highest standards for accuracy, objectivity, and balance, creating trustworthy, innovative content based on up-to-date, evidence-based health and medical information, real-world patient experiences, and clinician expertise to help consumers to take control of their health.

Patient Stories: https://www.ocrevus.com/patient/living-with-ms/real-patient-stories.html

Patient Support Resources: https://www.ocrevus.com/patient/support/connect-to-support.html

Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Precision Medicine Center of Excellence

Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Center and the Need for Personalized Medicine in MS

The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center at Johns Hopkins cares for over 3500 patients every year and is a leading MS center in the world with respect to patient volumes and research productivity in both clinical and basic investigations. The center has 11 physicians, 1 PA, 4 nurses, and over 20 research staff. We are conducting several pharma-sponsored and investigator-initiated drug trials and have a rapid response team to treat patients with urgent needs.

MS is a demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system that has both inflammatory and secondary neuroaxonal degenerative components1. In its most common presentation, MS is a relapsing-remitting disease with episodes of neurological dysfunction followed by variable recovery. MS is a heterogeneous disease, with tremendous variability in the severity of disease course, recovery from clinical relapses and in the onset and progression of permanent disability from patient to patient. Despite the expanding number of FDA-approved treatments (23) that reduce the occurrence of inflammatory disease activity, little information exists on determining the ideal treatment in an individual patient. Thus, determining whether a particular drug would be efficacious or have adverse effects in an individual, involves a trial period of several months to years. Approaches that help identify sub-groups of patients who would benefit from specific treatment approaches, or the identification of markers predicting therapeutic response or adverse effects to a medication, will have a tremendous impact on the management of people with MS.

Julie Blew is a mother, a yoga instructor, a runner, an author, a photographer, a philanthropist, and a warrior. After a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in the fall of 2016 her life changed in an instant.

Since then, she has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the "center without walls" a research consortium of the top MS doctors in the country working diligently to find a cure for the Race to Erase MS, founded by Nancy Davis 30 years ago after receiving the same life changing diagnosis. The Race to Erase MS has given Julie a family and a purpose.

She not only raises money in the virtual arena for the center, but she also works closely with the auction committee and attends several meetings a year trying to find creative ways and interesting people and donations of items that will allow them to raise the money that is needed to fund the doctors researching for a cure.

Julie founded the nonprofit 'fumsinc' in 2019 for several reasons. As she had started leading charity yoga events after her diagnosis, she never wanted to take any of the money donated away from the "center without walls" so this way she was able to write off her expenses, not convolute the donation process and still give all the money given to her to the Race to Erase MS.

Julie also published a memoir in January of 2021 detailing her diagnosis and the year and a half that followed as she got back up on her feet again. She donates most if not all proceeds from the sales of her book to the Race to Erase MS as well. She has inspired many in her fight against this “bully” as she likes to call it and continues to advocate, educate, and support those that are newly diagnosed as well as those that have had it forever.

The USC Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center & Research Group provides academically based, patient-centered programs of interdisciplinary medical care, rehabilitation and network support to multiple sclerosis patients, their families and caregivers. It is the largest referral center for MS patients in the greater Southern California area and is comprised of multiple clinics distributed around the greater Los Angeles County. The center is recognized as a "Partner in MS" by the National MS Society, and is a member of both the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the Race to Erase MS Center Without Walls. In addition to fellowship-trained neurologists who have chosen to specialize in MS care, our team includes nurses and a nurse practitioner certified to deliver MS care, among others. We facilitate access to numerous allied health professionals (physical and occupational therapists, social workers and psychologists) who also have extensive experience with issues faced by MS patients.

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is a leading resource for the entire MS community, improving lives today through vital services and support. MSAA is a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1970 and provides ongoing support and direct services to individuals with MS, their families, and their care partners.

MSAA's free programs and services include:

• Helpline and online chat
• Safety and mobility equipment products
• Cooling vests and accessories for heat-sensitive individuals
• MRI Access Program for qualified individuals who are uninsured, under-insured, or financially unable to pay for an MRI to help determine a diagnosis of MS or evaluate disease progression
• Educational webinars, videos, and podcasts
• Publications including MSAA's national magazine, The Motivator
• My MSAA Community – online peer-to-peer forum
• My MS Manager – mobile phone app to track and manage one's MS
• Ultimate MS Treatment Guide – a comprehensive digital tool to learn about the FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies
• MS Conversations blog

For more information, please visit MSAA at www.MyMSAA.org or call (800) 532-7667. Also, follow MSAA on social media: @MSassociation.

Oregon Health & Science University Multiple Sclerosis Center

Portland, OR
Director: Vijayshree Yadav, MD, MCR, FAAN, FANA

The Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center offers a robust clinical care program with several clinics a week at OHSU and the adjacent Portland Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VAPORHCS). Eight neurologists, one nurse practitioner, one MS pharmacist and a multidisciplinary team of providers staff the OHSU MS Center who provide ongoing care to over 1,500 people with MS and evaluate about 300 new patient referrals each year. The center diagnoses and manages patients from all over Oregon, Southern Washington and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

The OHSU MS Center offers outstanding multi-disciplinary clinical care team collaborations with OHSU Clinicians comprising of Neuro-Ophthalmologists, Pain and Spasticity Consultants under the Comprehensive Pain Clinic and Neurosurgical team, Urological and Gastroenterological Physicians, Psychiatrists and Psychologists under the Department of Psychiatry, and Women's health experts in sexual dysfunction and fertility issues, all of whom offer services as deemed necessary for the individual needs of our MS patients. Our Center is supported by world class 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines and expert neuroradiologists available for accurate diagnosis and follow-up. Infusion centers for delivery of MS medications are readily available to our patients. In addition to the disease modifying therapies (DMTs) and rehabilitation interventions, our doctors emphasize and offer guidance on wellness approaches to our patients, including low fat diet, exercise, stress reduction and use of supplements. We are proud to be a National MS Society (NMSS) Center for Comprehensive MS Care (the only one in Oregon) and a member of the Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC).

Besides providing direct patient care, OHSU MS Center is leader in providing cutting edge, quality education programs and learning opportunities for both clinicians, patients and relevant stakeholders. OHSU MS and Neuroimmunology fellowship training program provides state of the art education for the next generation of neurologists in MS and CNS neuroimmunological disorders. The fellowship training program comprises of an outstanding and unique clinical and research training environment for its neurologists and scientists that is supported by the Department of Veteran Affairs and a highly prestigious NMSS Institutional MS Clinician Training Award.

OHSU MS Center researchers have discovered many MS pathogenic pathways, novel therapeutic options and led many grant projects and clinical trials toward improving the lives of patients with MS. Our basic science researchers excel in testing novel therapies in animal models of MS and our clinical researchers excel in clinical trials translating those therapies in real patients. Our work in anti-oxidant therapies such as lipoic acid, diet, wellness and drugs that stimulates remyelination is noteworthy. OHSU MS Center is a research and education pioneer in the wellness and complementary management approaches in MS. From the research role of yoga, exercise, diet, antioxidants to supplements to treat MS symptoms and disease activity, the OHSU MS center clinician-researchers, have been on the forefront of advancing this field. Our MS researchers are funded by the National Institute of health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, NMSS and multiple pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

At TG Therapeutics, our commitment to people impacted by immune diseases knows no boundaries. We are fiercely focused on the needs of patients and caregivers, as well as physicians and allied professionals, working together as one team to bring innovative treatments to those in need. We view our role as more than the development of novel treatments, but more broadly as the development of solutions to ease the burdens associated with immune diseases. To achieve this goal, we are actively pursuing partnerships that allow us to engage with the communities in the most respectful and meaningful ways. We look forward to working with you. Learn more about TG at www.tgtherapeutics.com.

To discover more about BRIUMVI, visit the website.

The Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center at UCLA empowers people living with MS to take control of their health and well-being through educational and experiential programs. Established in 2001, the Center is a collaborative effort of the UCLA Department of Neurology and the National MS Society with generous support from the Hilton Family. It offers wellness interventions that complement the medical care participants receive for the disease.

The Center offers programs across the continuum of the disease, for those newly diagnosed with MS as well as those who have been living with MS for a longer period of time. A team of MS health and wellness professionals at the Center and in the community lead the programs. Participants learn not only from the instructors, but also from one another in an engaging, supportive and fun environment. See the following description of each program and the month(s) each program is held.

• Beyond Diagnosis (January) – is a half-day program for those diagnosed with MS within the last two years. Participants have an open conversation about MS with MS professionals from the Center and the National MS Society, and learn the importance of integrating wellness practices to live their best life with MS.
• CogniFitness (February) – is an interactive four-week program held on Saturday mornings for individuals with MS who are experiencing mild cognitive problems. Sessions are led by speech pathologists and provide strategies for dealing with common memory and cognitive challenges that can accompany MS including attention, memory, organization, problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• Living Well with MS (March thru May) – is a 12-week, self-paced, online and in person program to help those newly diagnosed with MS better understand MS and develop healthy lifestyle practices to manage symptoms and enhance wellbeing while gaining a support network of others newly diagnosed with MS.
• Exercise and MS – An Integrated Approach to Fitness (June thru August) – is a 12-week program specially designed for those who can easily walk a minimum of 25 feet with or without a cane or walker. Participants learn how to exercise to improve overall wellness and help manage MS symptoms.
• Free From Falls (October – November) – is an eight-week fall prevention program held on Saturday mornings. It is designed specifically for people with MS who are able to walk easily with or without a cane, but may be at risk for falling. Participants learn about risk factors for falls, strategies to reduce those risks, exercises to improve balance and mobility, and ways to manage a fall if one does occur.
• REACH to Achieve (Ongoing) – is the Center's flagship, comprehensive health and wellness program for those who have been living with MS for some time and may be experiencing multiple challenges. Members attend the program on a weekly basis and participate in a range of wellness activities including fitness, adaptive yoga, cognitive stimulation, emotional wellness, recreation and health education.

For more information, please visit our website at www.msac.ucla.edu or call the Center directly at (310) 267-4071.

Don't let the heat keep you from doing the things you love like going to the beach, backyard BBQ's, playing sports and spending time with family.

Sick of bulky cooling vests cramping your style? We get it. That's why ThermApparel created UnderCool, the first cooling vest to be worn under your clothes directly against the skin. UnderCool cooling vests are designed to be invisible for extreme comfort and freedom of movement and contoured to fit your body, lightweight under 2 pounds and breathable, but engineered to keep you cool. Four cooling pockets provide cooling relief when you need it most no matter where life takes you from chores around the house to skydiving. Where will UnderCool take you?

Undercool Features:

• Adjustable straps and velcro front for the best fit and comfort
• Wicking fabrics and built-in mesh panels to keep you dry and comfortable
• Cooling pack pockets along back to keep your core temp down
• Cooling relief for up to 1 - 3 hours depending on cooling pack
• Slim fitting with 7 Sizes and two colors
• 60-day money-back guaranteed

Our unique bio-degradable non-toxic Phase Change cooling pack technology keeps you cool when others can't. They are easy to use too! Ready to be frozen right out of the box, no need to soak or "plump." You can leave them in your fridge or freezer for an unlimited amount of time between uses without worry.

Our cooling packs are safe on your skin because they are not ice. The cooling packs contain PCM (Phase Change Material) that is entirely safe and comfortable when worn next to the skin. They cool the blood without constricting your blood vessels. As your blood flows past the PCM cooling packs, it cools the blood that is circulated throughout the whole body, safely cooling down your core.

Cooling Pack Features:

• Works great in humid and dry conditions (no condensation)
• Fast recharge in ice water, fridge or freezer
• No electricity needed
• Lightweight – weighs under 2lbs
• Reusable
• Many uses, great for pre and post cooling
• Easily transportable
• Enhances performance by lowing fatigue

Two industrial design graduate students founded ThermApparel at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. Kurtis Kracke & Brad Dunn put their design talents to work, after observing how those living with Multiple Sclerosis are constrained in hot weather due to their heat sensitivity. After researching other cooling products on the market, none of them meet the critical criteria for people with heat sensitivity caused by health conditions – concealable, lightweight, and comfortable. After more than 50 prototypes, the ThermApparel UnderCool cooling vest was born. To date, their vest has made life-changing differences for people in all 50 states, 17 countries and is made right here in the USA, in Rochester, NY.

15% of all proceeds benefit Race to Erase MS

UCLA Health is ranked #1 in Los Angeles, #1 in California, and #3 in the nation. Neuroscience dominates the UCLA campus. Across the street from the state-of-the-art Ronald Reagan Hospital are six separate buildings dedicated to neuroscience specialties: neurogenetics, neuroimaging, basic neuroscience, clinical neurology, neuropsychiatry, and neuro-ophthalmology. The UCLA MS Program Director is Rhonda Voskuhl, MD., holder of the Jack H. Skirball Chair in MS Research. Dr. Voskuhl's leadership leverages the vast neuroscience capabilities of UCLA toward the pursuit of neuroprotective treatments for MS. The next major step for MS treatments lies beyond relapse reduction. It is to prevent and repair disabilities, and this will depend on cutting-edge neuroscience.

The UCLA MS Program translates basic neuroscience findings within UCLA labs to novel clinical trials in MS, all grounded in addressing fundamental clinical observations in MS patients. Using clinical observations in MS patients as the foundation for basic research is why the traditional approach of “bench-to-bedside” is instead “bedside-to-bench-to-bedside” at UCLA. This assures that basic research findings will have relevance and significance for MS patients.

The UCLA MS Program's research has twice received an MS Collaborative Center Award from the National MS Society (NMSS) in the past as well as tremendous support for cultivation of novel projects from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation over the last decade which continues to this day. The UCLA MS Program's track record of success is clear having received consistent funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the last 24 years. The UCLA MS Program was honored to be the most recent site to join the Nancy Davis Center Without Walls in 2019 and is excited about collaboration with other elite MS programs from around the country.

The UCLA MS Program's mission also includes providing patient care for MS patients in the southwestern United States and this clinical care outreach is expanding, with two new MS clinical faculty joining in October of 2018 and yet another in July of 2021. Finally, UCLA initiated one of the first of its kind MS clinical support infrastructures, the Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center at UCLA, which provides tailored rehabilitation and support programs for MS patients. This has served as a model for others of its kind that were subsequently developed across the nation.

The UCSF Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroinflammation Center is one of the premier centers in California for caring for patients with MS and other inflammatory diseases of the nervous system and is internationally renowned for providing high quality, patient-centered healthcare; for improving the quality, safety, and efficiency of that care; and for providing timely and appropriate access to neurological evaluation and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, transverse myelitis, neurosarcoidosis, chronic meningitis, encephalitis and other neurological manifestations of systemic inflammatory or rheumatological diseases. We serve as an educational resource for physicians, patients, and their families, and conduct high-quality clinical and basic research that probes both the causes and potential cures for these illnesses. UCSF MS group has 12  neurologists, 1 nurse practitioner, 4 nurses and a large number of research staff.