What’s New in MS Research – March 2025

Reviewed by MSAA Chief Medical Officer Barry A. Hendin, MD

The annual meeting of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) is one of the premier occasions for the release of new studies on the nature and treatment of MS, and this year’s session continued that trailblazing tradition. The researchers and clinicians who gathered in late February in West Palm Beach, Florida, for the 2025 ACTRIMS Forum shared data and insights on a range of promising investigational therapies, such as Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.

Synopses of clinical trials evaluating those therapies are included in this edition of “What’s New in MS Research.” Also included are summaries of research examining the role of infectious mononucleosis in the development of MS, managing fatigue, an association between the level of fish consumption and degree of MS-related disability, colon cancer screening rates in people with MS, race- and ethnicity-based disparities in the overall health of people newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and other topics.

Taken as a whole, these diverse topics form a mosaic depicting the steady, broad progress being made in the field of MS.

 

Encouraging results from Phase II trials of two Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors

The search for new ways to target the biological processes that drive MS has focused in recent years on Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK). This protein plays a role in the maturation and activity of B cells, which are immune cells implicated in the development of MS. BTK also helps govern the activation of microglia, cells that regulate brain development, the neuronal network, and injury repairs. Research findings presented at the 2025 ACTRIMS meeting included encouraging results from Phase II studies of two investigational therapies that inhibit BTK. The first study found that people with relapsing forms of MS who received the BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib for one year had almost complete suppression of acute inflammatory disease activity.¹

The study involved 99 people. Sixty-five of the study participants had received 200 mg of fenebrutinib daily in the 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled FENopta trial. The other 34 people had been randomly assigned to receive placebo during that 12-week study. In the open-label extension (OLE) of FENopta, all 99 people received fenebrutinib. Ninety-six percent of the OLE participants were relapse-free. Through 48 weeks of treatment, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) found that 99% were free of new lesions that were enhanced by the contrast agent gadolinium, which is an indication of active inflammation. Further, 89.6% had no evidence of disease activity, meaning they had no relapses, no disability progression, and no new or active lesions on MRI.

One study participant experienced two serious adverse events during the OLE, developing a urinary tract infection and a kidney stone. Another person had an increase in liver enzymes above normal levels at 16 weeks of treatment, but the levels fell after the patient stopped the medication.

Three Phase III clinical trials are under way to evaluate the impact of fenebrutinib on relapsing and primary-progressive MS.

The oral BTK inhibitor orelabrutinib was the focus of the second Phase II trial.² The study enrolled 158 people with relapsing-remitting MS and randomly assigned them to one of four study groups:

• orelabrutinib 50 mg daily
• orelabrutinib 80 mg daily
• orelabrutinib 50 mg twice daily
• placebo

The study’s primary endpoint was the cumulative number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions seen on T1 MRI at 12 weeks. All three groups of people receiving orelabrutinib had statistically significant reductions in the number of new gadolinium-enhancing T1 lesions compared to the placebo group.

Researchers then followed the study subjects further but had everyone in the placebo group start taking 50 mg of orelabrutinib daily at Week 13. At Week 24, the orelabrutinib 80 mg group had a 92.3% reduction in cumulative number of lesions relative to the people who had started on placebo and then switched to 50 mg of orelabrutinib.

Investigators reported that the incidence of side effects was similar in the three orelabrutinib groups and was slightly higher than in the placebo group at Week 12. They added that most adverse events were mild or moderate in nature, with no serious adverse events reported in the orelabrutinib 80-mg group. Based on those findings, they added, the 80-mg dose of orelabrutinib will be further evaluated in Phase III studies.

Fenebrutinib and orelabrutinib are just two of several BTK inhibitors being studied in MS, and this class of therapy is, in turn, only one of many being investigated as researchers draw on their growing understanding of the biology of MS to explore new ways to manage the disease and mitigate its effects.

 

Phase I study evaluates CAR T-cell therapy for treatment of progressive MS

An emerging form of immunotherapy that is having a major impact on the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and other cancers now is being evaluated in multiple sclerosis. Known as chimeric antigen receptor T cell – or CAR T-cell – therapy, the treatment involves obtaining a patient’s T cells through blood collection, genetically modifying those immune cells so that they are able to target a specific disease-causing substance and then re-introducing them into the patient’s body.

Several clinical trials are assessing the role that CAR T-cell therapy might play in MS, particularly in terms of progressive forms of the disease or cases that have not responded well to standard disease-modifying therapies. One such study presented at the 2025 ACTRIMS meeting is an ongoing Phase I trial evaluating the CAR T-cell therapy KYV-101 Hu19-CD828Z, which is being developed by Kyverna Therapeutics.

Twelve adults with progressive MS are participating in the study.³ They first received chemotherapy to deplete the number of other immune cells in their bodies and to create a more favorable environment for the genetically modified T cells upon re-introduction to the body.

Study participants then underwent apheresis, a process in which blood is taken from the body via an intravenous (IV) line, with the T cells then separated out and the other blood components reinfused into the person’s circulatory system. The T cells then were genetically modified and their numbers expanded in a laboratory.

Next, the modified T cells were reintroduced to the patients by IV infusion at an initial dose of 33 million cells. During an eight-day hospital stay for safety and observation purposes, subsequent doses were increased to a single dose of 100 million cells, with different dose-escalation schedules being tested and patients closely monitored to see how they were tolerating the treatment.

Researchers reported that, to date, none of the study participants have experienced seizures or two types of significant adverse events that sometimes occur with CAR 
T-cell therapy: cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell associated neurotoxicity syndrome. All other adverse events reported have been classified as Grade 1, indicating that they are mild in nature.

Meanwhile, the researchers noted that, “Infused CAR T cells have shown robust expansion [in the body]” with analysis of cerebrospinal fluid showing that high numbers of the cells have accessed the central nervous system.

Phase I studies are conducted to identify the optimal dose of a medication and assess its safety. The Phase II and Phase III studies that follow focus on efficacy as well as safety. While there is a long road ahead for KYV-101 Hu19-CD828Z and other CAR 
T-cell therapies targeting MS, the initial findings from this ongoing trial are encouraging.

 

MSAA initiatives identify needs and priorities of the Hispanic and Latinx MS community

Two recent initiatives of the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) generated new insights into the unmet needs and priorities of Hispanic and Latinx people living with MS and clinicians treating MS.

The first initiative was an October 2024 meeting of MSAA’s Hispanic and Latinx Advisory Board, which works to ensure the cultural competency of the organization’s activities and resources, to guide the design of health literacy programs, and to help shape MSAA’s research and advocacy priorities.⁴ 


Seven MS neurologists and four community advocates participated in the meeting. Key themes discussed at the gathering included increasing MS visibility and awareness in Hispanic and Latinx communities, with an emphasis on self-advocacy and shared decision-making. Council members stressed leveraging social media to expand outreach and community engagement.

Specific recommendations included creating short educational videos on wellness, mental health, brain health, aging with MS, and exercise. The advisors discussed the importance of incorporating patient stories and expert insights into MSAA resources.

Additional priorities included promoting mental health and emotional well-being, improving self-advocacy and patient education, and addressing barriers to care, particularly in underserved areas. The Council also highlighted the need for culturally relevant outreach tailored for Hispanic/Latinx communities and increasing visibility through events, conferences, and research updates, including Hispanic Heritage Month 2025.

A presentation on the session at the 2025 ACTRIMS meeting noted that, based on those recommendations, “Foundational work to envision strategies with a focus on community engagement and potentially incorporating additional community-based research practices are under discussion.”



The second initiative was a health-literacy event in McAllen, Texas, a community in which 87% of residents are Hispanic and 74% speak Spanish.⁵ The community faces significant health coverage challenges, with 20% of residents being uninsured, another 17% being underinsured, and 20% of community residents with disabilities living in poverty.

The initiative, which was designed to engage people in geographically isolated, rural, and/or medically underserved communities, encompassed two presentations tailored for clinicians, people living with MS, community advocates, and care partners. A post-program survey collected information on participants’ health needs and on their assessment of the presentations. Twelve participants completed the survey. All of them identified as Hispanic or Latinx and 58.33% reported being diagnosed with MS.

MS-related challenges reported by the participants included:

• Delayed diagnosis: 46%
• Affording treatment: 19%
• Access to healthcare: 9%
• Access to an MS specialist: 9%
• Lack of understanding and social support: 9%
• Emotional and mental health challenges: 9%
  

Meanwhile, all participants found the program helpful and 92% reported an improved understanding of best practices for MS management. Further, 58% planned to improve their wellness habits, such as diet and exercise, while 25% said that they intended to adhere more closely to their treatment regimens.

The meeting’s organizers noted, “The positive feedback and commitment to better health behaviors demonstrate the potential of such initiatives to significantly impact health outcomes in medically underserved populations.”

 

Taking an individualized approach to a common MS symptom: Fatigue

Fatigue affects roughly 75% of people with MS, but that high prevalence does not mean that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to this symptom is in order, according to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.⁶

Rather, those investigators say, it is time to develop individualized strategies that address the factors responsible for a person’s fatigue. That conclusion is based on their analysis of data on 1,200 adults with MS. Those people had an average age of 43.5 years. More than two-thirds were women, and their median time from diagnosis was 6.5 years. To identify potential contributors to fatigue, the researchers analyzed factors including age, sex, disease course (e.g., relapsing or progressive), body mass index (BMI), and scores on validated questionnaires that assess fatigue, physical disability, sleep disturbance, and depression.

A statistical technique called regression analysis showed that higher degrees of physical disability, depression, and sleep problems were independent contributors to fatigue, as were higher BMI, and a greater number of females.

The researchers also compared the study participants with 235 controls who do not have MS, matching people from the two groups by age and sex. Not surprisingly, the people with MS had higher fatigue scores than did the controls. Greater degrees of physical disability, depression, and sleep disturbance explained 63.9% of the difference in fatigue between the groups.

The study’s authors noted that their findings “highlight the secondary modifiable causes of fatigue that should be assessed clinically to better tailor treatment for specific patients.”

 

Study finds that EBV-positive infectious mononucleosis increases risk for MS later in life

The long-suspected but ill-defined link between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and MS may be EBV-positive infectious mononucleosis (IM). That’s the intriguing possibility that emerges from a recent study involving more than 4,700 people with EBV-positive IM.⁷

Based on biological clues, researchers have considered a connection between the virus and MS for many years. However, more than 90% of the world’s population has been infected with EBV⁸ – usually early in life and without symptoms – but only a very small fraction of those people subsequently develops MS. So why do some people who are EBV-positive go on to have MS while the vast majority do not?

In exploring that question, researchers from the Mayo Clinic and a biopharmaceutical company drew on the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) to identify 4,721 people who had been diagnosed with EBV-positive IM between 1998 and 2022. They then matched those people with 14,163 controls who did not have EBV infection. The matching was based on age and sex, and each person with EBV-positive IM was matched to three similar people without the infection.

After a median follow-up of six years for the EBV-positive IM group and eight years for the controls, the researchers found that people with EBV-positive IM were three times more likely than the comparison group to have been diagnosed with MS. The incidence of MS was 2.25 cases per 10,000 person-years in the EBV-positive IM group and 0.77 per 10,000 person-years in the EBV-negative group. Other people who had EBV-positive IM were diagnosed with conditions that, like MS, are driven by demyelination of nerve sheaths.

The findings are consistent with the results of a Danish study presented last year. In that study, researchers analyzed data on 37,533 people with EBV-positive IM. They found that those people had a subsequent rate of MS almost three times higher than matched healthy control-group members.⁹

The authors of this United States study note that their findings “provide strong evidence for the role of EBV in the pathogenesis of MS and suggest that EBV preventive strategies could reduce the burden of MS and related neurological conditions.”

 

Welcome news on MS care for people receiving Medicaid

Do people with MS who have health coverage through Medicaid – the joint federal and state program for individuals and families with low incomes – receive care comparable to that of people with commercial insurance?

Yes, at least at one center and in terms of one key measure, according to a study involving 425 people newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS who were treated at the Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis.¹⁰

Twenty-six percent of the study participants were enrolled in Medicaid, while the remainder had private insurance. Individuals in this study who received Medicaid were more likely to be female and to identify as Black than their counterparts with private insurance, but the two groups did not differ in terms of time from symptom onset to diagnosis or age at diagnosis.



A researcher assessed what percentage of people in each group was managed with the early highly effective treatment (EHT) approach. EHT is one of two broad strategies for managing MS. The other is the escalation approach.

EHT involves starting people with MS on a higher-efficacy disease-modifying therapy (DMT) that is more likely than other DMTs to achieve disease control. The downside to the approach is that higher-efficacy DMTs have greater potential for significant side effects than lower-efficacy or moderate-efficacy DMTs. The escalation approach involves starting with a lower- or moderate-efficacy medication and seeing if it is sufficient to control a person’s MS, with the option to escalate to a higher-efficacy DMT if needed.

Several studies published in recent years have shown long-term advantages to pursuing the EHT approach, although it can entail not only a greater risk for side effects but also higher initial costs, because higher-efficacy therapies tend to be more expensive than other DMTs. However, their ability to achieve disease control may lead to lower overall costs over time.

The study found that 74% of Medicaid program participants and 77% of those with private insurance were managed with an EHT approach. Further, there was not a significant difference between groups in the time from MS diagnosis to initiation of a DMT.

As noted, this research looked at one measure of MS care at one of the nation’s premier multiple sclerosis centers. For those reasons, it is important to not assume that the findings reflect the state of care nationwide. Nonetheless, its findings are encouraging.

  

Lower colon cancer screening rates in people with MS vs. general population

People with MS receiving care at an upstate New York medical center were significantly less likely than the state’s general population to have received screening for colon cancer, researchers reported.¹¹

The researchers examined data for 928 people with MS who were age 40 years or older and who were patients at SUNY Upstate Medical University’s MS clinic. These individuals had an average age of 58.9 years. Two-thirds were female. Fifty-four percent had health insurance through Medicaid or Medicare, while 45% had private insurance and 1% were uninsured.

Analysis showed that 53.8% of those people with MS had undergone some form of colon cancer screening, such as colonoscopy, stool DNA testing, sigmoidoscopy, or other method. By comparison, data from the government’s 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) showed that 69% of New York State residents aged 40 years or older had received such screening.

Not surprisingly, people with MS were more likely to have undergone screening if they had inflammatory bowel disease or a family history of colorectal cancer.

Managing one’s MS can be a full-time job, making it challenging to attend to other, less-immediate health needs. Further, MS-related disability can be a significant obstacle to preparing for and undergoing screening tests such as colonoscopy. At the same, the study’s authors note that cancer is one of the top three causes of death in people with MS. That fact makes preventive measures such as colonoscopy, mammography, and full-body skin (dermatology) examinations well worth the effort.

 

Examining how age affects risk of MS activity after stopping a DMT

Younger age was associated with increased risk of MS activity following discontinuation of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in a study of more than 1,100 people with multiple sclerosis (MS).¹²

The study employed machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to identify risk factors for experiencing a relapse, developing a new lesion identified on T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or having a gadolinium-enhancing lesion (signifying disease activity) on imaging. Study participants, who were seen at a single MS center between January 2015 and July 2023, had an average age of 54.2 years. Roughly three-quarters were female and 85% were white. Just over half (53%) were on low-efficacy DMTs, while 32% were taking moderate-efficacy therapies, and 15% were receiving high-efficacy medications. The 1,104 participants included 184 people who had stopped taking their DMT (“discontinuers”) and, for purposes of comparison, 920 people who continued to receive a DMT medication (“continuers”).

After analyzing data on study participants, the machine learning model predicted that the average risk for recurrent MS activity was 12.2% for DMT continuers and 13.4% for discontinuers. However, that estimated risk varied considerably by age among both groups, as shown below.





Predicted risk of recurrent MS inflammatory disease activity

Age Group	Continuers	Discontinuers
<45 years	19.3%	21.2%
45-54 years	11.7%	13.7%
55-64 years	10.3%	10.5%
75+ years	8.7%	10.1%

While risk declined with increasing age for both those who stopped and those who continued their medication, that risk was higher across all age groups for the “discontinuers.” In addition to age, the study found that other factors predictive of risk for recurrent MS activity included duration of disease-modifying therapy and time since last inflammatory disease activity.

Noting that, “There is currently no consensus evidence-based approach to discontinuation of disease modifying therapies,” the study’s authors concluded that their model “has the potential to generate individualized risk calculations facilitating a personalized medicine approach to DMT discontinuation.”

A second abstract at the 2025 ACTRIMS Forum summarized findings from studies that examined the impact of stopping DMTs in older people who have been stable on their MS medications.¹³

The first of the studies reviewed, known as DISCOMS, was a randomized, multi-center trial involving 259 people with MS who were age 55 years or older who had not had a relapse in the past five years or a new MRI lesion in the past three years. Study participants were randomly assigned on a 1:1 basis to continue or stop their DMT.

The primary outcome measure was the percentage of people with a new disease event, defined as a relapse or a new or expanding T2 brain lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in two years. Over an average follow-up of 22 months, new disease events occurred in 12.2% of people who stopped their DMT and in 4.7% of people who continued on therapy. Based on statistical rules that the investigators had specified at the start of the study, this difference was not sufficient to demonstrate any disadvantages between stopping a DMT versus continuing treatment. The abstract also noted that the DOT-MS study, which had a design similar to DISCOMS, was a planned two-year trial that was stopped early. In DOT-MS, 89 people with stable MS were randomly assigned to either stop or continue their first-line DMT. While the study was open to adults with relapse-onset MS who were aged 18 years or older, the average age of participants was 55 years in the continuation group and 54 years in the discontinuation group.¹⁴

The primary outcome was significant inflammatory disease activity, defined as relapse and/or three or more new T2 lesions or two or more contrast-enhancing lesions on MRI of the brain. DOT-MS was halted sooner than planned because 17.8% of people in the discontinuation group had recurrent inflammatory disease activity exceeding pre-defined limits, while no people in the treatment continuation group had such activity. The abstracts’ author noted that those studies and a French observational study also reviewed, generated data that “should help inform aging MS patients as they consider treatment options.”

 

Prevalence of comorbid conditions at MS diagnosis differs significantly by race, ethnicity

Why is the prognosis for Black and Hispanic people with multiple sclerosis worse than that for their non-Hispanic white counterparts? Several factors no doubt are involved, but a recent study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and University of Southern California suggests that one reason may be the other health conditions that people have at the time of their MS diagnosis.

Other health conditions, which clinicians term “comorbidities,” are known to have an adverse impact on MS outcomes, with ample literature documenting the negative effects of cardiometabolic and psychiatric conditions.

To better understand how the prevalence of such conditions differs by racial and ethnic background, the researchers analyzed data on 184 adults diagnosed with MS, radiologically isolated syndrome, or clinically isolated syndrome at a multiple sclerosis specialty clinic between January 2020 and September 2023.¹⁵ The study included 86 white, non-Hispanic people, 59 Hispanic people, and 39 Black people.

The researchers found that at diagnosis of MS:

• Black study participants were 7 times more likely than non-Hispanic white people and 2.9 times more likely than Hispanic people to have high blood pressure.
• Black people were 5.4 times more likely than non-Hispanic white people and Hispanic people to have diabetes.
• Hispanic people were 5.4 times more likely than non-Hispanic white people and 3 times more likely than Black people to have a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight range.
• Black people were 6.8 times more likely than non-Hispanic white people to have a BMI in the obesity range, while Hispanic people were 2.6 times more likely than non-Hispanic white people to meet the BMI criterion for obesity.
• Black people were 3.5 times more likely than non-Hispanic white people to be current smokers.

All of those differences were statistically significant.

The prevalence of psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression was not significantly different between groups.

The study’s authors concluded that because “cardiometabolic comorbidities portend more severe disability progression in MS, these could contribute to racial and ethnic disparities seen in MS care. Thus, early screening for and treatment of these comorbidities could represent a critical interdisciplinary goal for newly diagnosed individuals with MS.”

 

Quantifying the burden imposed by primary-progressive MS

Primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) accounts for 10% to 15% of all cases of MS and traditionally has been the focus of less research than the more-common relapsing-remitting form of the disease. To help offset that imbalance, a team of researchers from the pharmaceutical company Sanofi and a consulting firm drew on insurance claims data to compare the health status of 3,587 people with PPMS with that of 3,587 controls who did not have MS.¹⁶

Each person with PPMS was matched with a control based on factors including age, gender, insurance type and region. People in the PPMS group had an average age of 57.5 years, and 75.9% were female. The insurance claims evaluated were filed from January 2018 through June 2023.

The analysis identified the following differences between the two groups:

Characteristic	% of People with PPMS	% of Controls
Clinical conditions
Infections	81.8%	49.3%
Abnormal gait	66.7%	3.4%
Malaise/fatigue	56.9%	15.7%
Depression	36.5%	11.3%
Muscle weakness	34.4%	2.8%
Urinary incontinence	30.1%	3.0%
Elevated liver enzymes (transaminase)	1.1%	0.5%
Healthcare resource utilization
Occupational therapy	75.4%	19.4%
Ambulatory device	74.3%	9.8%
Physical therapy	67.5%	16.1%
Emergency department visit	45.4%	18.3%
Hospital admission	33.3%	11.0%
Speech therapy	3.2%	0.2%

The differences in the clinical conditions listed above all were statistically significant.

People with PPMS also had a higher average number of physician visits – 40.0 vs. 13.4 for the controls – during the study’s two-year observation period and greater average healthcare costs during that time: $147,443 vs. $21,842.

The study’s overall findings may not be surprising in some respects. After all, clinical conditions such as gait abnormalities, muscle weakness, and fatigue are common symptoms of MS and drive the need for services such as physical and occupational therapy. At the same time, the prevalence of those and other conditions in PPMS, and the extent to which they exceed their occurrence in age- and gender-matched controls, speaks to the burden of PPMS and the need for increased attention to the condition.

 

Study ties eating fish to more-favorable MS course

Eating “oily” fish weekly is associated with less disability in multiple sclerosis, according to a study involving more than 6,300 people with MS.¹⁷ 
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, analyzed data on 1,473 people who they characterized as having “benign” MS, meaning multiple sclerosis marked by minimal disability despite long duration, and 4,850 people with MS who had a more-aggressive disease course.

In assessing differences between the two groups, the researchers found that consumption of “oily” fish – such as salmon, trout, sardines, swordfish, anchovies, tuna, and other fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids – had a significant impact. People who ate such fish at least once a week were 1.4 times more likely than others to have minimal MS disability over time.

By contrast, people who never or seldom consumed oily fish were about one-quarter less likely to have minimal disability than people with MS who ate fish one to three times a month. The trend toward reduced disability with increased consumption was statistically significant.

The researchers also found that being overweight or obese in adolescence and having a history of infectious mononucleosis (see related item, “Study finds that EBV-positive infectious mononucleosis increases risk for MS later in life” in this edition of “What’s New in MS Research”) reduced the likelihood that someone would have minimal MS disability. The researchers noted that their findings regarding fish consumption, adolescent weight, and past infectious mononucleosis remained consistent regardless of what type of MS disease-modifying therapy a person was taking.

 

References

1. Bar-Or A, Oh J, Dufek M, et al. Fenebrutinib maintains low disease activity in relapsing multiple sclerosis: clinical, safety and biomarker results from the FENopta open-label extension. Abstract 091. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
2. Xu Y, Chen X, Tang W. Positive Phase 2 results of orelabrutinib in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Abstract 094. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
3. Dunn JE, Galetta K, Tomczak A, et al. A Phase 1 open-label, single center study of KYV-101, an autologous fully human anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CD19 CAR T) therapy, in subjects with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. Abstract 108. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
4. Rivera Bobadilla Y, Kline A. Together finding resilience – uncovering unmet needs and areas of priority interest for Hispanic and Latinx(o) members of the multiple sclerosis clinician and advocate community. P433. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
5. Rivera Y, Kline A. Evaluating community-centered health literacy and cultural humility in multiple sclerosis care: insights from McAllen, Texas. P430. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
6. Aoun R, Levy S, La Rosa F, et al. Fatigue in multiple sclerosis: time for an individualized approach to management and treatment. Abstract 464. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
7. Diaz-Decaro J, St. Sauver J, Jacobson RM, et al. Increased risk of multiple sclerosis and demyelinating diseases following Epstein-Barr Virus-positive infectious mononucleosis: a population-based cohort study. Abstract 465. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
8. Hoover K, Higginbotham K. Epstein-Barr Virus. StatPearls. August 8, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559285/. Accessed March 22, 2025.
9. Kopp T, Magyari M, Winther Torring C, et al. A Danish observational study on the risk of multiple sclerosis associated with infectious mononucleosis caused by Epstein-Barr virus over 40 years. Abstract P075/572. ECTRIMS 2024. Mult Scler J. 2024;30:(3S):181.

10. O’Mahony J. Medicaid coverage does not associate with treatment approach for MS.
Abstract 179. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
11. Ganapathy M, Gul S, Suresh Kumar V, et al. Age-appropriate colon cancer screening rates among patients with multiple sclerosis. Abstract 122. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
12. McGinley MP, Felix C, Lapin B, Corboy JR, Ontaneda D. Development of a machine learning model to predict disease activity after disease modifying therapy discontinuation in multiple sclerosis. Abstract 159. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
13. Corboy JR. Therapy discontinuation in older adults with MS. Abstract S2.4. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
14. Coerver EME, Fung W-H, de Beukelaar J, et al. Discontinuation of first-line disease-modifying therapy in patients with stable multiple sclerosis The DOT-MS randomized clinical trial. JAMA Neurol. 2025;823(2):123-131.
15. Gilmore S, Poole S, Henderson K, et al. Racial and ethnic disparities in comorbidities in the initial MS journey. Abstract 119. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
16. Greene N, Das A, Hemim I, Chang E, Tarbox M. Understanding the burden of illness in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in the United States: a matched-cohort study. Abstract 411. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL.
17. Alfredsson L, Guo J, Olsson T, Hillert J, Hedstrom A. Lifestyle factors associated with benign multiple sclerosis. Abstract 175. ACTRIMS Forum 2025. February 27-March 1, 2025. West Palm Beach, FL..

For More Information

For general information or to speak with a trained Client Services Specialist, please call MSAA’s Helpline at (800) 532-7667, extension 154. Questions to MSAA’s Client Services department may also be emailed to MSquestions@mymsaa.org.

Written by Tom Garry, Medical Writer
Reviewed by Dr. Barry Hendin, MSAA Chief Medical Officer
Edited by Susan Wells Courtney, MSAA Senior Writer

Medical details and study results provided in MSAA’s published materials are for informational purposes only and are not to be considered as treatment advice or recommendations. Readers are encouraged to consult a healthcare professional before making any changes to their current treatment regimen.