Media Room

News from the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA ) is pleased to announce My MS Manager ™, MSAA's mobile phone application, has been honored by the Web Health Awards | MOBILE with a Merit Award in the category of Mobile Application: Chronic Disease Management; Small Mobile Device in the Association/Professional Society/Non-Profit division. The Web Health Awards | MOBILE recognizes innovative health applications with more than 19 mobile application categories and 20 entry divisions.

Edwards, Colo. – Can Do Multiple Sclerosis will participate as an official Charity Partner with the Colfax Marathon, on May 19-20, 2012 in Denver, Colo.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Researchers and clinicians from around the globe gathered recently in Chicago to develop strategies for testing whether vitamin D supplements can prevent the development of MS. Participants discussed the latest findings relevant to vitamin D and MS and potential clinical trial designs, taking the first steps to making these exciting studies a reality. “Vitamin D and MS Prevention: An International Workshop,” was chaired by Colleen E. Hayes, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Anne-Louise Ponsonby, PhD (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Canberra Australia), and was funded by the National MS Society.

News from Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation

WESTON, Mass. & DUBLIN– January 26, 2012 – Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) today announced a global Phase 3b study, ASCEND, that is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of TYSABRI as a treatment for secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, approximately half of all people initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) - the most common form of multiple sclerosis (MS) - will transition to SPMS within 19 years.

News from the American Academy of Neurology

Win up to $1,000 and a Trip to New Orleans

ST. PAUL, Minn. – With only a few weeks until the deadline, the American Academy of Neurology Foundation is reminding everyone affected by brain disease to submit a short video to its 2012 Neuro Film Festival, telling your story about why more research is needed to cure brain disease. Winners could receive up to $1,000 and a trip to New Orleans. The deadline to enter is January 31, 2012.

News from Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation

WESTON, Mass. and DUBLIN – Today Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a product label change for TYSABRI that will help enable individual benefit risk assessment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The new label identifies anti-JCV antibody status as a risk factor for developing an infrequent but serious brain infection known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). This marks the third risk factor identified to help physicians and people with MS have more confidence in their treatment decisions when considering TYSABRI, a highly effective treatment for relapsing forms of MS.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Summary: Investigators worldwide are recruiting a total of 1,600 people with relapsing MS for two phase III studies comparing the effectiveness of intravenous ocrelizumab (Genentech) versus Rebif® (interferon beta-1a, EMD Serono & Pfizer). Ocrelizumab, an experimental therapy, is also being tested in primary-progressive MS.

Experience exceptional wineries, microbreweries, restaurants, ski resorts, live music, and a silent auction to benefit Can Do MS

Mark your calendar! The 12^th Annual Winter Wine and Ski Expo will be held Thurs., Feb. 2, 2012 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. All event proceeds benefit Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, a national nonprofit organization and innovative provider of lifestyle empowerment programs for people with MS and their support partners.

Discover a whole new way to think about and live with your MS.

IN THIS ISSUE
*Can Do Story of the Month - Kevin W.
*Program Spotlight - JUMPSTART Program Outcomes Research
*Upcoming Webinar - Relationships & Intimacy in MS
*MS In The News
*And More

Experience exceptional wineries, microbreweries, restaurants, ski resorts, live music, and a silent auction to benefit Can Do MS

Reno, Nevada • January 10, 2012 – Mark your calendar! The 12^th Annual Winter Wine and Ski Expo will be held Thurs., Feb. 2, 2012 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa. All event proceeds benefit Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, a national nonprofit organization and innovative provider of lifestyle empowerment programs for people with MS and their support partners.

News from ABC News

For three decades Tracy Ofri, 48, of Valley Stream, N.Y., suffered with multiple sclerosis.

At age 19, Ofri lost sight in one eye. Her unpredictable monthlong bouts of blurred vision, painful breathing and numbness throughout her body weighed her down.

News from Medical News Today

Radiology researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have found evidence that multiple sclerosis affects an area of the brain that controls cognitive, sensory and motor functioning apart from the disabling damage caused by the disease's visible lesions.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is pleased to offer you the new, FREE "MS Diagnosis & Management Healthcare Professional App", a unique tool and resource that provides important information about the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis for practicing clinicians.

News from the United Spinal Association 

A federal judge ruled that New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for failing to provide meaningful access to taxicabs for wheelchair users.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The company Opexa Therapeutics (The Woodlands, TX) announced that the experimental therapy Tovaxin® has been designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a "Fast Track Product" for the treatment of secondary-progressive MS. Tovaxin is a personalized vaccine that aims to induce immunity against T cells that attack the brain and spinal cord in MS. It uses a person's own immune cells, which are removed, manipulated, and then reintroduced by under the skin injections. The Fast Track designation may expedite its future review by the FDA after the company submits results of future phase III trials. The company is planning to begin a Phase IIb clinical trial of Tovaxin in secondary-progressive MS "subject to securing the necessary resources," according to a November 8, 2011 press release.

News from Community First Foundation

$12.4 million was raised plus $300,000 from the FirstBank Incentive Fund and $36,000 in Bonus Bucks prizes

ARVADA, Colo. – Community First Foundation announced today that it will distribute $12.7 million to the 928 nonprofit organizations that participated in Colorado Gives Day 2011. Last year, the inaugural Colorado Gives Day distributed $8.7 million to 529 nonprofits across the state. More than 52,000 individual donations were made during Colorado Gives Day 2011—an increase of 150 percent over last year’s 20,000 donations.

Can Do MS is proud to be part of Colorado Gives Day to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving.

87% of participants used new skills learned at the program three months after the program

The JUMPSTART Program resulted in improvements in knowledge, skills, and resources (Dec. 2011).
- Participants enjoyed the program (99%)
- Would recommend the program (97%)
- Gained skills & information related to living better with MS (95%)
- Discovered new MS resources that can better help them to live with MS (91%)

News from Genzyme

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genzyme, a Sanofi company (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), today reported top-line results from TENERE, a Phase III clinical trial comparing the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of once-daily oral teriflunomide to interferon beta-1a (Rebif®), an approved injectable therapy, in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). The TENERE trial, which included 324 patients, is the second completed study of five efficacy studies of teriflunomide in MS, making the clinical program one of the largest and broadest of any multiple sclerosis agent under development.

A new leader to take us to new levels.
Can Do Multiple Sclerosis™, the leading provider of innovative lifestyle empowerment programs for people with multiple sclerosis and their support partners, has appointed Heidi Heltzel as its President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Working with the nonprofit search firm Commongood Careers, the Board of Directors conducted a thorough assessment of Can Do MS’s needs to ensure the organization continues its programmatic growth while maintaining best practices and continuing to achieve recognition for its effectiveness, efficiency and stewardship of donor dollars.

News from Novartis

- Once-daily oral MS medicine showed a 48% relative reduction in annualized relapse rate, meeting primary endpoint in Phase III placebo-controlled study
- Significant reduction in brain volume loss demonstrated, reinforcing strong efficacy benefit in key secondary endpoint
- Safety and tolerability were broadly consistent with previous clinical trials

Basel, December XX , 2011 – Novartis announced today new data from the Phase III 2309 study showing patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with Gilenya® (fingolimod) had a statistically significant 48% reduction in annualized relapse rates (ARR) at 24 months compared to placebo.

News from the National MS Society

Investigators at the University of California, San Francisco, are recruiting African Americans with MS and their family members across the country for genetic studies. For one study, the team is looking for an African American family that has three generations of family members with MS, or a family with multiple people with MS within one generation. There is no cost to people who agree to participate.

News from Community First Foundation

Arvada, Colo.  – Coloradans did it again. In an astounding demonstration of support for Colorado nonprofits, donors from across the state contributed $12 million as part of Community First Foundation’s Colorado Gives Day2011 — an increase of more than 40 percent compared to Colorado Gives Day 2010, which raised $8.4 million.

News from the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America

This year's joint meeting of the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS) was extremely well attended. More than 7,000 professionals attended the meeting, which featured more than 1,000 presentations - all in a whirlwind three-and-a-half days.

The following highlights review only a few of the many topics discussed at the meeting, but they reflect research of ongoing interest to the entire MS community.

Cash prizes to be continued and counted through noon tomorrow

Arvada, Colo. - Due to high traffic from generous donors to the GivingFirst.org website on Colorado Gives Day, and technical difficulties, Community First Foundation is extending the period of online giving to noon on Wednesday, Dec. 7. Contributions will continue to be counted towards Bonus Bucks (drawn every hour until noon on Dec.7) as well as High Five prizes.

Can Do MS is proud to be part of Colorado Gives Day to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving. Learn how to donate to Can Do MS.

For the Second Year, Online Initiative Will Encourage Coloradans to “Give Where You Live” and Raise Millions for Local Nonprofit Organizations

Denver, Colo. — Community First Foundation, a Denver-based foundation dedicated to increasing community generosity and involvement, and FirstBank, Colorado’s largest locally owned bank, today announced the return of Colorado Gives Day, an initiative to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving.

Can Do MS is proud to be part of Colorado Gives Day to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving. Learn how to donate to Can Do MS.

For the Second Year, Online Initiative Will Encourage Coloradans to “Give Where You Live” and Raise Millions for Local Nonprofit Organizations

Denver, Colo. — Community First Foundation, a Denver-based foundation dedicated to increasing community generosity and involvement, and FirstBank, Colorado’s largest locally owned bank, today announced the return of Colorado Gives Day, an initiative to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National MS Society is committing $16 million to support 32 new MS research projects as part of its holistic and comprehensive strategy to stop MS in its tracks, restore function that has been lost, and end the disease forever. This financial commitment is part of an anticipated investment of $45.2 million in fiscal year 2012 to support new and ongoing research projects and Fast Forward drug development partnerships.

This past August Jonna P. rode 167 miles in two days on her bike. This would be an impressive achievement for anyone, but it is almost miraculous for Jonna – she has multiple sclerosis. Needless to say, she and her husband Tom are overjoyed with her accomplishment.

Things haven’t always been so rosy for Jonna. For years after her symptoms first appeared in 1992, doctors misdiagnosed her MS. A neurologist finally diagnosed her MS in 1997, and when her symptoms surfaced two years later, she went into an emotional tailspin. She felt like her days of being an athlete had faded.

News from the National MS Society

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
More than 7,000 investigators convened in Amsterdam on October 19-22, 2011 to present findings at a joint congress of ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS) and ACTRIMS (Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in MS). Over 1100 scientific presentations and display posters covered virtually every aspect of research to stop MS, restore function, and end MS forever. Among these were the latest results from pivotal clinical trials of emerging MS therapies, possible risk factors, underlying disease mechanisms, rehabilitation approaches, CCSVI, and much more.

News from the National MS Society

The Multiple Sclerosis Emerging Therapies Collaborative – which includes the members of the MS Coalition, the American Academy of Neurology, and the VA Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence East and West – has as its mission:

To develop and disseminate timely, evidence-based resources to persons affected by multiple sclerosis and health care professionals, in order to promote optimal, individualized treatment of the disease by facilitating effective communication and medical decision-making

News from National Family Caregivers Association

More than 65 million parents, sons, daughters, spouses and others are family caregivers in the U.S., but many of them remain anonymous, according to National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA). November is National Family Caregivers (NFC) Month and this year's theme is "Identifying Family Caregivers." Allsup, a nationwide Social Security Disability insurance (SSDI) representation company, is pleased to be an NFCA founding sponsor, and is offering free NFC Month posters and caregiver brochures to recognize America's family caregivers.

News from the MS Coalition
By Doug Franklin, President of the MS Coalition

It is an honor and a privilege for me to introduce this years’ Can Do Award recipient who has been a colleague and friend of mine for more than a decade.

News from Biogen Idec

– CONFIRM Study Validates Strong Results from BG-12’s First Pivotal Trial, DEFINE –
– Positive Results Set Stage for Regulatory Filings –

Weston, Mass. – Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced positive top-line results from CONFIRM, the second of two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials designed to evaluate the investigational oral compound BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate) in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Results showed that 240 mg of BG-12, administered either twice a day (BID) or three times a day (TID), demonstrated significant efficacy and favorable safety and tolerability profiles.

News from Genentech

– Phase III Trials Underway to Investigate Ocrelizumab in Two Forms of MS –

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – October 19, 2011 – Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), today announced 96-week results1 from a Phase II study of ocrelizumab in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the most common clinical form2 of the disease. The study showed that the significant reduction in disease activity as measured by the total number of active brain lesions and relapses, previously reported for 24 weeks, was maintained through 96 weeks.

News from the National MS Society

Researchers from the Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center are recruiting 5,000 subjects who have at least one first-degree relative with a diagnosis of MS. The goal of the study is to identify the genetic, environmental and immune profiles that may increase a person's risk of developing MS. A first-degree relative could be a parent, sibling, or child of a person with MS, and the study is limited to those between 18 and 50 years of age. The GEMS (Genes and Environment in MS) study is led by primary investigator Philip De Jager, MD, PhD, a Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar of the National MS Society. The study is privately funded.

News from the National Spinal Injury Association - a program of United Spinal Association

While there are over 54 million Americans living with disabilities, Lives Worth Living is the first television history of their decades-long struggle for equal rights.

Can Do MS has earned a four-star rating, the highest rating possible, four consecutive years for  its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances from nonprofit
evaluator Charity Navigator. 

Investigational Oral Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Teriflunomide (Aubagio™^(*) Significantly Reduced Relapse Rate, Disability Progression and Disease Activity
- Findings from Two-Year Pivotal Phase III TEMSO Trial Published today
in The New England Journal of Medicine -

Paris, France - October 5, 2011 - Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and its subsidiary Genzyme announced today the publication of the pivotal Phase III TEMSO study with investigational once-daily oral medication teriflunomide in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).  Results showed that teriflunomide at the 14mg dosage significantly reduced the annual relapse rate, reduced disability progressions and improved several magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of disease activity, including new or worsening brain lesions.

The 23^rd Annual Alpen Wine Fest held Sept. 4, 2011 in the Village at Squaw Valley was a huge success and raised $19,000 for Can Do MS, a national nonprofit organization and innovative provider of lifestyle empowerment programs for people with MS and their support partners.

"One's destination is never a place, but rather a new ways of looking at things."
~Henry Miller

Share your celebrations, favorite quotes and new insights with all, and read others’ posts on our Can Do Day Facebook page like Gini did.

“I celebrated Can Do Day today by resuming yoga-'practicing what I preach!' Gini Patterson, physical therapist, Can Do MS Programs Consultant"

Michelle Keating, Can Do MS volunteer and CAN DO Program participant, made a quilt for Can Do MS that demonstrates the journeys through life with MS and moving beyond the challenges of MS; a patchwork of people, memories and creative energy.

Can Do MS is proud to announce that the Council on Humane Giving, administered by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, has awarded our organization the Human Charity Seal of Approval.

Imagine having access to the most valuable resources and innovative products available to improve your independence and achieve your goals? United Spinal Association’s Independence Expo offers just that–– all under one roof and free for you to explore!

Edwards, Colo. - Can Do MS CAN DO Program will be held Oct. 26 - 29, 2011 in Vail, Colo. at The Lodge at Vail. There are only a few more slots open. Apply today.

News from Allergan:   BOTOX® (onabotulinumtoxinA) Receives U.S. FDA Approval for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence in Adults with Neurological Conditions Including Multiple Sclerosis and Spinal Cord Injury - Clinical Trials Showed Approximately 20 Fewer Urinary Leaking Episodes Per Week At Week Six; BOTOX® Proven Effective Up To 10 Months In Patients Who Have An Inadequate Response To Or Are Intolerant

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The board of directors of the National MS Society is pleased to have the honor to announce that effective October 1, Cyndi Zagieboylo will become the National MS Society’s new President and CEO.

- SELECT Study Demonstrates Significant Reductions in Annualized Relapse Rate and Meets Key Secondary Endpoints -

- Full Data to Be Presented at an Upcoming Medical Meeting -

Weston, Mass. and Abbott Park, Ill. – Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced positive top-line results from SELECT, a global, registrational Phase 2b clinical trial designed to evaluate the investigational compound daclizumab high-yield process (DAC HYP) in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) over one year. Results showed that DAC HYP, administered subcutaneously once every four weeks, significantly reduced annualized relapse rate by 54 percent in the 150 mg dose arm (p< 0.0001) and 50 percent in the 300 mg dose arm (p=0.0002) compared to the placebo arm at one year. DAC HYP met key secondary endpoints for the 150 mg and 300 mg arms, respectively, providing a highly statistically significant reduction in the cumulative number of new gadolinium-enhancing (Gd+) lesions between weeks eight and 24 (69%; 78%); in the number of new or newly enlarging T2 hyperintense lesions at one year (70%; 79%); and in the reduction in the proportion of patients who relapsed (55%; 51%). DAC HYP also showed a trend toward improvement in quality of life measures at one year.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech announced in a press release that the phase III BRAVO study, in which the experimental oral drug laquinimod was tested against inactive placebo in a study involving over 1300 people with relapsing-remitting MS, did not reach its primary goal of reducing the average number of relapses in a year. However, when the investigators adjusted the data to correct for differences in magnetic resonance imaging characteristics at the start of the study, a significant reduction in average annual relapse rate was observed in the group receiving the laquinimod.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Biogen Idec and Abbott Pharmaceuticals announced in a press release that DAC HYP - a liquid formulation of the monoclonal antibody daclizumab delivered via monthly injection under the skin - reduced the average annual relapse rate significantly in a study of 600 people with relapsing-remitting MS over a one-year trial. Full data from the "SELECT Study" are to be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.

Edwards, Colo. - Can Do MS CAN DO Program will be held Oct. 26 - 29, 2011 in Vail, Colo. at The Lodge at Vail. Apply by August 17, 2011 and receive one night free lodging at The Lodge at Vail.

Edwards, Colo. - Can Do MS invites everyone to celebrate their possibilities for Can Do Day held Sept. 22, 2011.

In honor of founder Jimmie Heuga's birthday, Sept. 22, Can Do MS invites you to make a pledge to focus on what you can do and do it.

Edwards, Colo.  – Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s free one-day JUMPSTART Program, held Saturday, September 10, 2011 in Grand Junction, CO at the Doubletree Hotel  is  an educational and interactive program where people with MS and support partners learn the knowledge, skills and tools to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors and actively co-manage their MS. This JUMPSTART Program, held in collaboration with the National MS Society Colorado-Wyoming chapter, provides presentations, workshops and interactive sessions so participants can see themselves beyond the challenges of their MS.

Read Can Do MS's July Enewsletter

Highlights include:

• New MS program offerings
• Links to MS articles
• MS book discount offer
• Fun event info
• Ways to get involved
• And more

Edwards, Colo. - Bocce for MS will be held Sat., Sept. 10, 2011 at Multipurpose Fields, Breckenridge Recreation Center. This is a new fundraising event benefiting Can Do MS's lifestyle empowerment programs.

"We're excited to offer a summer sports fundraising event to our supporters and community," said Maren Lantzy, Can Do MS's Special Events Manager. "This is a great way to promote our can do philosophy, and show how physical activity and community involvement is so important to everyone's overall health and well-being."

Edwards, Colo. - Can Do MS announced the 2011 schedule for Live Fully, Live Well in-person programs and webinar series.

This is part of a new initiative, Live Fully, Live Well, in collaboration with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, that combines the strengths of both organizations to bring a comprehensive wellness program to people with MS and their support partners.

News from Stanford Hospital and Clinics
(Mary-Lynne Blazzard is a Can Do MS CAN DO Program Alumni and JUMPSTART Program participant. Read her story written by Stanford Hospital and Clinics.)

In a matter of years, Mary-Lynne Blazzard went from high-tech marketing executive--and in control of every detail in her life--to a woman struggling with the depression and isolation that often comes with a chronic condition. She had experienced her first symptoms in her 20s, but she wasn't diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a debilitating autoimmune disease, until another bout of vision loss occurred over a decade later.

June 14, 2011   Edwards, Colo. - Can Do MS announces a new program being presented in collaboration with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This new initiative, Live Fully, Live Well, combines the strengths of both organizations to bring a comprehensive wellness program to people with MS and their support partners.

Edwards, Colo. • June 7, 2011 – The Can Do Multiple Sclerosis Jimmie Heuga Memorial Golf Tournament, presented by US Bank, was a huge success and raised funds for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their support partners. 

Sixty-two countries celebrated World MS Day yesterday. More than 10,000 individuals worldwide signed the World MS Day 2011 Campaign for Access to Appropriate Work  online petition to ask worldwide leaders to unite with employers and others and remove the barriers preventing people with chronic fluctuating diseases like MS from accessing appropriate work. 

News from Disability Blog

The No Boundaries Photo Project will profile and professionally photograph four employees with disabilities at their place of employment. Disability.gov will use these personal stories to educate employers and others about the diverse skills and talents of people with disabilities.

Can Do MS will participate as an official Charity Partner with Colfax Marathon, taking place May 15, 2011 in Denver, Colo.

The Colfax Marathon is a nonprofit event with the goal of being the flagship nonprofit fundraising platform in the U.S. In 2010, more than 1,060 runners chose to run and raise pledges for a total of 41 charity partners.

Edwards, Colo. • April 20, 2011 – Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s free one-day JUMPSTART program, held Friday, May 6, 2011 in Coquitlam, BC Executive Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre  is  an educational and interactive program where people with MS and support partners learn the knowledge, skills and tools to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors and actively co-manage their MS.

News from the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation

People with MS may find it harder to learn, remember or process information on warmer days of the year, according to new information from a small study from the Kessler Foundation in West Orange, New Jersey.

Edwards, Colo. - Can Do MS flagship CAN DO Program's application deadline is Wednesday, April 6, 2011. CAN DO Programs are limited to the 24 participants and their support partners. These programs fill quickly, so please apply by the application deadline stated below.

Imagine a program dedicated exclusively to helping you live your best life with MS. A personal and powerful multiple sclerosis program that addresses your unique physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual needs and provides you with the knowledge, skills, support and confidence to transform challenges into possibilities.

Edwards, Colo. • March 30, 2011 – The annual Can Do Multiple Sclerosis Jimmie Heuga Memorial Golf Tournament, presented by US Bank, will be held June 5-6, 2011 at The Club at Cordillera in Edwards, CO.  All proceeds from the tournament will fund Can Do MS’s lifestyle empowerment programs across North America—programs that help people living with MS and their support partners transform challenges into possibilities.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Summary: Investigators in 18 states are conducting a trial to test the safety and effectiveness of abatacept, an experimental drug administered intravenously, in 123 people with relapsing-remitting MS, versus inactive placebo. The trial also is known as the ACCLAIM trial, and is being conducted by the Immune Tolerance Network and sponsored by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease.

We are proud to announce the launch of the Multiple Sclerosis Emerging
Therapies Collaborative. The Collaborative – which includes the members of the MS Coalition, the American Academy of Neurology, and the VA Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence East and West – has as its mission: To develop and disseminate timely, evidence-based resources to persons affected by multiple sclerosis and health care professionals, in order to promote optimal, individualized treatment of the disease by facilitating effective communication and medical decision-making.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
 
How Do you Put A Face on a Disease that Affects Each Person Differently? Find Out During MS Awareness Week March 14 - 20, 2011

New York, March 14 — Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a life altering disease that affects each person in a unique and different way. Therefore, to demonstrate the power and importance of the MS movement as a force by and for people living with MS,  people all over the nation are coming together during  Multiple  Sclerosis  Awareness Week March 14 – 20  to share, educate and build awareness about what multiple sclerosis means to them.

News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a “Complete Response Letter” to EMD Serono indicating that the company’s application to market oral Cladribine to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis is not ready for approval in its current form, and outlining requirements for additional information. At this point it is difficult to predict when the company might address the agency’s requirements.

Edwards, Colo. – Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s free one-day JUMPSTART® program, held Friday, May 6, 2011 in Vancouver, BC (venue TBD), is  an educational and interactive program where people with MS and support partners learn the knowledge, skills and tools to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors and actively co-manage their MS. This JUMPSTART program, held in collaboration with the MS Society of Canada, provides presentations, workshops and interactive sessions so participants can see themselves beyond the challenges of their MS.

Can Do MS today announces that CEO, Kim Sharkey, has accepted a position of Director of Development for Shaw Regional Cancer Center and will be leaving the organization as of March 11, 2011.

Can Do MS will participate as an official Charity Partner with Colfax Marathon, taking place May 15, 2011 in Denver, Colo.

The Colfax Marathon is a nonprofit event with the goal of being the flagship nonprofit fundraising platform in the U.S. In 2010, more than 1,060 runners chose to run and raise pledges for a total of 41 charity partners. With Can Do MS signed on as an official Charity Partner in 2011, this is your opportunity to raise money and help  people living with multiple sclerosis discover the power to be more than their MS.

News from Multiple Sclerosis Association of America
Supported by a charitable contribution from EMD Serono and Pfizer, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America's MRI Institute is a national program to assist individuals with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in acquiring one follow-up Cranial MRI per year. Patients and their physicians can use this information to evaluate disease progression and better manage the ever-changing course of MS.