b'Medicine & Researchexpressing the CD20 receptor. A major rolewere also completed by participants. Physical of B-cells is the production of antibodiesand neurological evaluations and the EDSS through the humoral immune response. Itwere also evaluated. The data show HCQ has should be noted there is a second part of thepromise to reduce the worsening of disability vaccine response that is mediated throughin PPMS and was generally well tolerated. T-cells. This part of the immune responseThe research was published in the Annals of should not be affected by B-cell therapies.Neurology. This study conrms that people with MS onDr. ThrowerPrimary-progressive MS is the B-cell therapies tend to not make an antibodyleast common type of MS and has always response to the COVID-19 vaccination, evenpresented a challenge in terms of slowing or after a third vaccination. This study did not lookstopping progression. Ocrevus is currently at the T-cell response after vaccination. Talkour only FDA-approved disease-modifying to your healthcare team if youre on a B-celltherapy for this form of MS. Medical researchers therapy about your individual situation. Thingsacrossmanyspecialtiesarelookinginto to consider are whether the dose or timing ofwhether medications designed to treat one your drug need to be altered and whether ahealth issue might be repurposed for another prophylactic dose of a COVID monoclonalcondition. Along those lines, this study looked antibody like Evusheld is warranted. Evusheldat using hydroxychloroquine to treat PPMS. is an FDA-authorized monoclonal antibodyHCQ got quite a bit of attention during the that can be administered to people who areCOVID-19 pandemic as a controversial, off-potentially immunocompromised and maylabel therapy for COVID-19. HCQ was originally not make an adequate antibody response todesigned to help prevent malaria and is now COVID-19 vaccines. also commonly used to treat rheumatologic Study: Hydroxychloroquine may helpconditionslikerheumatoidarthritis.This with progressive MSPPMS trial was set up a bit differently in that Sixty-eight people with primary-progressivethere was no placebo group or a group on an MS in Canada from 2016 to 2021 were screenedalternative therapy. The control group was for inclusion in a hydroxychloroquine study.the expected disease progression based upon After the screening, 49 people received treatmentnatural history. The people with PPMS treated with hydroxychloroquine. However, only 40with HCQ had slower disability progression than expected based upon natural history. people nished the trial and 35 were includedWhilethisispromising,weneedalarger in the analysis. Study participants visited thestudy.Onebigadvantageofstudieswith clinic for monitoring and received 200mgdrugs such as HCQ is they are already FDA-HCQ tablets at baseline, one, six, and 12 monthsapproved for another condition. That means of the trial period. Telephone visits were madewe have safety data and the drug is already in months three, nine, and 15 with a finalout there on the market. safety monitoring in person visit at 18 months.Researchers: Epstein-Barr, genetic Researchers used the T25FW, Nine Hole Peginteractions may lead to MS Test, and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test at all study visits. The Modied Fatigue ImpactResearchers at Stanford School of Medicine Scale and MS Quality of Life 54 questionnairessought to identify a link between MS and the msfocusmagazine.org 54'