RealTalk MS Jon Strum

It's hard to imagine any area of our lives that hasn't been transformed by digital technology. That's certainly true for healthcare in general and MS diagnosis and treatment in particular.

Dr. Riley Bove joins me to discuss the role that digital technology already plays in the diagnosis and treatment of MS and to share a preview of what's coming next.
The National MS Society has named its new President and CEO. We're sharing the details! 
We'll tell you about some of the benefits that are being observed in the Phase 2 clinical trial and extension study of Frexalimab, an experimental antibody that may be on the path to becoming a highly effective disease-modifying therapy.
We'll share the details behind the FTC's planned lawsuit against the three largest Pharmacy Benefit Managers (and we'll tell you why that matters to anyone taking a prescription medication).
Stressing out about an upcoming MRI exam? We're sharing info about Happy MRI, a website that's been designed to relieve MRI-related anxiety.
And we're reminding you that Crush MS, the Napa Valley wine-tasting fundraising event, is happening this Saturday, July 27th. We'll let you know where to get your ticket!
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: The impact of digital technology  :22
Dr. Tim Coetzee named the President and CEO of the National MS Society  1:50
Frexalimab shows significant benefits in Phase 2 clinical trial  4:08
FTC to file suit against three largest Pharmacy Benefit Managers  6:08
Happy MRI is designed to relieve MRI-related anxiety  8:03
We're just days away from Crush MS  9:47
Dr. Riley Bove discusses how digital technology is changing MS diagnosis and treatment  11:21
Share this episode  28:54
Next week: Newly named President and CEO of the National MS Society, Dr. Tim Coetzee, talks about his vision for the MS Society and shares his immediate priorities  29:14
Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  29:32

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/360
ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION
I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!
Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283
And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS
If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com
RealTalk MS Episode 359: The Unraveling with Dr. Nara Michaelson
https://realtalkms.com/359
Happy MRI
https://happymri.com
CRUSH MS
https://crushms.org
Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200
Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk
Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 360
Guests: Dr. Riley Bove
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As Harvard Fellow Dr. Nara Michaelson treated women who had been recently diagnosed with MS, she recognized they shared characteristics that she had observed in victims of violent domestic abuse. Dr. Michaelson's observation led her to write The Unraveling, an essay that highlights the fear that can accompany the uncertainty of living with MS. 

Dr. Michaelson joins me to discuss the experiences that led to her award-winning essay and to share resources that can help maintain your emotional health and well-being in a good place when you're living with MS.
We're also sharing the details about BEAT-MS, a clinical trial that will compare autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) with high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies when it comes to reducing or eliminating MS relapse activity. And we'll let you know how to find out if you could be a potential participant in this important clinical trial. 
We'll tell you about the FDA approval granted to Abata Therapeutics to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial of ABA-101, their experimental therapy for progressive MS.
We're sharing news about the Federal Trade Commission's newly released report on Pharmacy Benefit Managers. (And we'll tell you why this matters to every person in the United States who takes a prescription medication)
And we'll tell you about Take Charge, a new virtual program from Can Do MS that you can participate in at no cost!
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: The Unraveling  :22
BEAT-MS clinical trial compares AHSCT with high-efficacy DMTs  1:58
FDA clears ABA-101 for Phase 1 clinical trial  5:17
FTC is turning its focus to Pharmacy Benefit Managers  6:55
Can Do MS offers new Take Charge virtual program  11:47
Dr. Nara Michaelson discusses her award-winning essay, The Unraveling  13:23
Share this episode  29:15
Next week: Dr. Riley Bove discusses how digital technology has become a game-changer in diagnosing, treating, and managing MS  29:35
Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  29:55

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/359
ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION
I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!
Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283
And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS
If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com
The Unraveling
https://neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209492
BEAT-MS Clinical Trial
https://beat-ms.org
RealTalk MS Episode 205: A Potentially Transformational Therapy for Progressive MS with Samantha Singer and Dr. Richard Ransohoff
https://realtalkms.com/205
FTC Report -- Pharmacy Benefit Managers: The Powerful Middlemen Inflating Drug Costs and Squeezing Main Street Pharmacies
https://ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf
REGISTER for Take Charge
https://cando-ms.org/event/take-charge-young-and-newly-diagnosed
Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200
Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk
Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 359
Guests: Dr. Nara Michaelson
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The inequities associated with gaining access to quality healthcare are often discussed, and my guest this week has taken steps to address them. Dr. Jaime Imitola and his team at UCONN Health have created a tool called VISIBL-MS, a bilingual framework designed to increase doctors' and patients' awareness of the early signs of MS.

We'll also share the results of a study that clearly illustrate progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA).
We'll tell you about a small study that showed a positive outcome for people with progressive MS who received neural stem cell therapy.
We'll share details of a study that identified a panel of 20 blood-based proteins that have been shown to be predictive of MS disease activity. (And we'll tell you why that's a good thing for patients and researchers!)
And we're reminding you that we're just over 2 weeks away from CRUSH MS!
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: VISIBL-MS  :22
Study results provide evidence of PIRA  1:41
Stem cell therapy for progressive MS?  4:28
Researchers identify a panel of 20 proteins that are predictive of MS disease activity 7:19
We're just over 2 weeks away from CRUSH MS!  10:07
Dr. Jaime Imitola discusses how VISIBL-MS will increase doctors' and patients'  awareness of the early signs of MS.  11:35
Share this episode  31:33
Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  31:53

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/358
ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION
I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!
Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283
And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS
If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com
VISIBL-MS: A Bilingual Educational Framework To Increase Awareness of Early Multiple Sclerosis
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585241228739
STUDY: Acute Clinical Events Identified as Relapses with Stable Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38949816
STUDY: Phase I Clinical Trial of Intracerebroventricular Transplantation of Allogeneic Neural Stem Cells in People with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1934590923003934
STUDY:  Inflammatory and Neurodegenerative Serum Protein Biomarkers Increase Sensitivity to Detect Clinical and Radiographic Disease Activity in Multiple Sclerosis
https://nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48602-9
CRUSH MS: Tickets and Info
https://crushms.org
Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200
Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk
Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 358
Guests: Dr. Jaime Imitola
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When it comes to living your best life when you're living with MS, the first step is to make smart lifestyle choices. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle doesn't require pills, injections, or infusions. And making smart lifestyle choices can make a real, measurable difference in your quality of life.

Joining me to talk about the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and share some tips and strategies for living your best life when you're living with MS is Dr. Lisa Doggett, a family and lifestyle medicine physician at the MS and Neuroimmunology Center at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Doggett was diagnosed with MS in 2009, and she’s the author of the memoir, ‘Up the Down Escalator: Medicine, Motherhood, and Multiple Sclerosis’.
We'll also tell you about a research team that's looking to improve the way that stem cells are transplanted -- and why that's a good thing for people with MS.
We'll share the details behind the European Union's approval of a new Ocrevus formulation that makes the DMT much more patient-friendly.
You'll hear about the blood test for measuring a biomarker that can predict future MS disease worsening that has just gained approval in the European Union.
And we'll tell you where to find the video replay of Mobility Challenges in Progressive MS, the most recent webcast hosted by the International Progressive MS Alliance.
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: Lifestyle changes that will improve your quality of life  :22
Researchers receive a grant to develop a better way to transplant stem cells  1:30
Subcutaneous Ocrevus has been approved in the European Union  3:50
Blood test to measure a biomarker that can predict future MS disease worsening receives approval in the European Union 5:35
Catch the video replay of the latest Progressive MS Alliance webcast  7:13
Dr. Lisa Doggett offers strategies for making lifestyle choices that will make a difference in your quality of life  8:20
Share this episode  26:50
Next Week: Dr. Jaime Imitola introduces us to VISIBL-MS  27:10
Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  27:39

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/357
ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION
I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!
Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283
And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS
If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com
VIDEO REPLAY of the International Progressive MS Alliance Global Webcast: Mobility Challenges in Progressive MS
https://youtube.com/watch?v=YGA-2k9JCLg&t=14s
Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200
Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk
Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 357
Guests: Dr. Lisa Doggett
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Over the course of her 39-year career with the National MS Society, including the past 13 years as its President and CEO, Cyndi Zagieboylo has been a driving force behind major initiatives that have fundamentally changed the MS treatment and research landscape. Creating a world where cures for MS are now within reach, Cyndi has led the work to make living with MS better today than it's ever been.

On July 1, Cyndi is retiring from her remarkable career at the National MS Society. I had an opportunity to talk with Cyndi about the progress she's witnessed and the progress she has driven in leading the MS Society. It's been a career filled with so many moments that are worthy of celebration, I am devoting this entire episode of RealTalk MS to one last conversation with Cyndi Zagieboylo.
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: A final conversation with the National MS Society's President and CEO, Cyndi Zagieboylo  :22
A look back at some of the most impactful initiatives that were led by Cyndi  1:43
Share this episode  30:39
Next Week: Lifestyle medicine physician Dr. Linda Doggett shares tips and strategies for making healthy lifestyle choices that will improve your quality of life   31:00
Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  31:50

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/356
ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION
I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!
Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283
And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS
If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com
Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200
Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk
Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 356
Guest: Cyndi Zagieboylo
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Research is the engine that drives the future. And participating in MS research is not only vital to improving scientists' understanding of multiple sclerosis, it's also empowering. And the really good news is that you can participate in MS research from the comfort of your own home.

My guest this week is the Managing Director of the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis, Dr. Robert Fox. And we're taking a deep dive into the NARCOMS patient registry.
We'll also tell you about the latest version of AlphaFold, a highly advanced artificial intelligence model designed to help scientists design new drugs and target disease more effectively.
Evidence shows that the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) triggers MS. We're reviewing the results of a study that may help scientists better understand the relationship between EBV and MS. 
The International Progressive MS Alliance upcoming webcast, Mobility Challenges in Progressive MS, takes place this Thursday, June 20th. Find out where you can register and why you won't want to miss this!
And we're just 6 weeks away from Crush MS, a fundraising event in Napa Valley, California that raises money to support MS research. I'll be there, and I hope you can join me! We're sharing all the details.
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week: The NARCOMS Patient Registry  :22
The most advanced AI on earth is focused on discovering new medications  1:40
Researchers learn that Epstein-Barr Virus re-activates and drives inflammation during an MS relapse  4:00
The Progressive MS Alliance hosts a live global webcast this Thursday, June 20th!  7:17
Crush MS is just 6 weeks away  8:39
Dr. Robert Fox takes us on a deep dive into the NARCOMS patient registry  10:08
Share this episode  26:12
Next Week: A special conversation with National MS Society President and CEO, Cyndi Zagieboylo  26:33
Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  27:17

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/355
ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION
I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!
Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283
And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!

LINKS
If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com
The NARCOMS Patient Registry
https://www.narcoms.org

STUDY: Multiple Sclerosis Patient-Derived Spontaneous B Cells Have Distinct EBV and Host Gene Expression Profiles In Active Disease
https://nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01699-6

REGISTER for the International Progressive MS Alliance Global Webcast: Mobility Challenges in Progressive MS
https://msif.org/webcast-mobility
Get Tickets for Crush MS
https://www.crushms.org
Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200
Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk
Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 355
Guests: Dr. Robert Fox
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