The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the public that a packaging problem may have occurred with eight narcotic-type drugs (such as Opana®, Percocet®, and Endocet®), where a stray pill may have gone into another’s packaging.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation has informed the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) that a patient with multiple sclerosis (MS), who had been given one dose of Gilenya® (fingolimod), died on the following day. The individual’s death occurred on November 23, 2011.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that they have launched a new website (www.fda.gov/safesharpsdisposal) devoted to information and instruction for the safe disposal of needles and other “sharps” used by individuals at home, work, and while traveling. In addition to standard needles and syringes, other dangerous medical supplies for disposal include items such as lancets or finger-stick devices for blood testing; needle and tubing systems, plus connection needles for hemodialysis at home.

Many questions still surround the possible connection between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and multiple sclerosis (MS). CCSVI is a complex condition involving changes in blood flow from the brain back to the heart, which some researchers theorize could possibly lead to activation of the immune system, excess iron deposits, loss of myelin, and other nervous system damage.

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.

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is pleased to announce awards for two of its publications.

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) and National Disability Institute (NDI) are collaborating on a series of four free webinars designed to assist the MS community in learning about strategies to protect and improve their financial well-being.

On August 24, 2011, Allergan, Inc. announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Botox® (onabotulinumtoxinA) injection for the treatment of urinary incontinence. Specifically, the approval is for adults who experience “detrusor over-activity” resulting from a neurological condition, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and who either do not respond adequately or are intolerant of anticholinergic medications.

Overview: Much attention has been focused on an article appearing in the July 26 issue of Neurology (vol. 77, pages 355-363) titled, “Cost-effectiveness of disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis.” This article presents the results of a study that looks at several factors in an effort to estimate the overall 10-year expense versus benefit associated with the long-term treatments for MS, in combination with other costs and lost wages.

An informative article on primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) appears in the summer 2011 issue of the International Journal of MS Care. “Meeting the Needs of People with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, Their Families, and the Health-Care Community” is part of a collaborative project between the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) to recognize the needs of this specific population and to create programs to help answer these needs.