#Kesimpta

[cleoselene]

woke up with thrush. now that's something that hasn't happened in like five years! the first couple years I was on Kesimpta it was an all-the-time thing but then my immune system settled, then it was cold sore outbreaks all the time and now that has finally settled but apparently the thrush is back >_<

boy do I love life on a disease-modifying drug therapy >_<

[lefkosahaberleri]

Novartis'in Dördüncü Çeyrek Performansı ve Başarıları

New Post has been published on https://lefkosa.com.tr/novartisin-dorduncu-ceyrek-performansi-ve-basarilari-39037/

Novartis'in Dördüncü Çeyrek Performansı ve Başarıları

Novartis’in dördüncü çeyrek performansı ve başarıları üzerine kapsamlı bir analiz. Şirketin finansal sonuçları, stratejik gelişmeleri ve geleceğe dair hedefleri hakkında detaylı bilgiler.

https://lefkosa.com.tr/novartisin-dorduncu-ceyrek-performansi-ve-basarilari-39037/ --------

[drferox]

Monoclonal Antibodies

So I listened to a talk from a drug rep the other day who came into the clinic to promote Cytopoint, the anti-allergy injection for dogs.

It’s a great drug, overall. Super useful for many, literally life changing for a few, and now a mainstay of the allergy treatments we offer. But I had to laugh at something the rep said:

“It’s not really a drug. It’s a bio-mimicry molecule! It’s replicating normal molecules that would be found in the body and just providing more of them!”

And I’m sitting here thinking: that is still totally a drug. A drug is any substance which when given to a living organism produces a physiological effect. 10mg of lokivetmab is most definitely a drug.

But if you are going to argue that Cytopoint is not a drug because it mimics a natural molecule found in the body, then by that logic neither are insulin, thyroxine, cortisone or just about every single hormone.

For goodness sake. I have to wonder what planet marketers live on some days.

We also had a bit of a debate because we’re widely told that Cytopoint shouldn’t have any side effects. Partly this is because monoclonal antibodies aren’t well known in veterinary medicine and they haven’t been around that long.

They’re certainly much safer than the equivalent drugs in other classes, but they’re not ‘side effect free’. They’re a protein, so it’s theoretically possible to be allergic to it. Like the Kesimpta I take it seems likely that some dogs will be ‘off colour’ for a day or so. The most common side effect is being quiet the next say, so it is pretty mild for a typical dog and still worth it. But it’s not zero.

Having a headache for a day is much milder than having acute kidney failure, but I wonder if we’ll get more reports in the future of extremely sporadic weird side effects as we gain more experience with this class of medication.

Medical advancements are wonderful and exciting. But don’t let marketers do all the talking!

And remember to report side effects to the manufacturer.

[theritualofourexistence]

Year 1

It’s been a year since I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

My last update was shared in March of this year so I will pick up where I left off. It’s wild to reflect on that time, on how frustrated I felt, on how hard it was to keep pushing forward.

My neurologist chose to pursue medication number two (Gilenya), despite my misgivings about potential side effects. I had to have my heart evaluated and I had to have a thorough appointment with an ophthalmologist. I learned that I would need regular checks for both my heart and eyes in the months after starting the medication. With those preliminary boxes checked, I waited to get word about scheduling my first dose.

Gilenya requires an 8- to 24-hour observation for the first dose. This is a daily pill and, assuming your heart tolerates everything during that first observation, you can move forward with the treatment on your own at home.

In March I began taking Cymbalta, an SNRI, to help with both my lingering nerve pain and my anxiety. Although I was starting on the lowest possible dose, adjusting was still a challenge. Fortunately, I only struggled for a week or two with side effects from starting the medication.

I learned that the hepatic hemangioma discovered during my MRIs in the fall had grown--and that if that trend continued, I would likely be referred to a specialty surgeon. I did what I could to prevent this awareness from weighing heavily on my every moment while I waited for follow-up imaging in September.

I was surprised by how much time had passed without any word about my Gilenya observation. I checked in with my neurologist’s office to learn that the local options for this observation were no longer options—and that my neurologist was instead moving on to a third medication—Zeposia. Zeposia is a similar medication to Gilenya and is also a daily pill. There are concerns, however, about combining Zeposia and SNRIs… and I had only just gotten accustomed to an SNRI when I was handed this news.

My neurologist is a good doctor. I believe he knows what he’s doing, and I trust him to make recommendations about my care. He does not, however, know my entire medical history. He doesn’t really know me as a person either. We’ve spent maybe a half hour together total, and I know he is too busy to read my entire **extensive** chart. I reached out to express concern about the Zeposia given the other medications I am currently taking and some research my mom and I had done on our own. The nurse I spoke with seemed frustrated but agreed to pass on my concerns. Within a few hours, I got a call from my neurologist—which surprised me, since I had previously navigated the majority of my care with the nursing staff at the office. He unleashed what I can only describe as a condescending tirade that lasted minutes before I was even able to get in a word edgewise. I have done my research, I am smart, I am informed, I am a good advocate for myself—and still this man made me feel like an idiot. The fact that I was able to respond at all without bursting into tears still feels like one of the springs most significant triumphs. I told him I wasn’t comfortable with Zeposia and would prefer to try a different medication instead. The medication I named as an alternative option is called Kesimpta. It's a similar type of drug to the Ocrevus (February infusion reaction) but it is a monthly injection that can be done at home with no hospital trips or observation required. He pushed back, expressing concerns about the Kesimpta being rejected by my insurance. I politely reminded him that I had dealt with that issue already and was more than willing to do so again if necessary. He curtly ended the call by agreeing to submit the prescription.

I did not land on the decision to try Kesimpta lightly and had significant anxiety about having a reaction to it given how my first Ocrevus infusion went. That said, it is a medication that plays well with my other meds and, blessedly, doesn’t require any intimidating observation or regular heart and eye evaluations.

The Kesimpta was approved by my insurance without issue, and I began the treatments in May. I am still successfully taking it. It does suppress my immune system so I am being as careful as I can be about illness and infection risk.

The Cymbalta is doing its job. I have less nerve pain, more mobility in my left hand, and I have had single-digit panic attacks in the last 6 months which I consider a significant accomplishment.

I won’t know if the Kesimpta is doing its job until I get my annual MRIs done… which will probably happen sometime in November after having to reschedule my summer neurology appointment not once but twice. If the scans indicate disease progression, I may wind up going to war with my neurologist again—since I am in no hurry to go back to the treatment drawing board and I have only successfully been taking this medication regularly for 6 months. But we will cross that bridge if it comes, and I will continue to do the work necessary to advocate for myself.

I don’t like that I had to go through four treatments before finding one my body can tolerate. I am anxious about being sent back into that godawful machine for my annual scans. I am anxious about the results of those scans. I am anxious about potentially having to return to the treatment drawing board. I am anxious about the election and the state of the world—but that’s a blog post for another time.

I deal with daily fatigue. I have to be really careful about physically over-exerting myself or spending too much energy. If my anxiety spikes, my arms go numb. I am learning to live with MS and what that looks like day to day for me. I will remain persistent in advocating for myself in a system that is broken in so many ways. I continue to be so, so grateful for my expansive support network. And I am glad to report that the optimism has resurfaced.

Since March of this year, I went to Toronto with the bestie to see Dom Monaghan and Billy Boyd in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” saw “Kimberly Akimbo” on Broadway with my dad, helped host a successful Out of the Darkness walk at Juniata College with my colleagues, participated in a beautiful staged reading of V Ensler’s “The Good Body,” played birthday mini-golf, started and finished a massive organizing project in the basement, learned my brother and his wife are growing their family, spent a day at the lake with my best friends and their babies, scored below par on my favorite mini golf course in my favorite place on earth, saw Bruce Springsteen, saw the Indigo Girls, met my childhood best friend’s little boy, learned that *for now* my hepatic hemangioma is stable (but will still need to be monitored), got a very fun and very dumb tattoo, ate a lot of great food, read so many good books, watched a lot of great football and soccer, and spent a lot of time in my favorite spot on the couch next to my mom with a cat in my lap.

There will always be things to be anxious about. But even as the horrors persist, so do I. And I have so, so much to look forward to.

[ofdetonation]

hello! let me quickly run through some updates that have happened but i've neglected to mention. even if i ain't here, i may as well keep you informed - because once the bnha manga starts picking up again, i wanna be here.

putting it under a read more, bc it's all irl stuff. nonetheless, hope you all are holding up! it's been a real tough year jfc.

ms progression: so, six months on kesimpta (ofatumumab), still getting lesions popping up. from an mri on sept 4, had 3 new ones on the brain. hooray. progress seems to have slowed though, and sensory stuff hasn't been affected, so it's just brain stuff. makes sense, right?

family stuff: a close relative of mine is dipping in and out of hospital with treatment for something that's likely going to kill them before they're "cured". it's been pretty rough on the family, me included. it's been a long time coming but it still kinda sucks. another one's also jumping around doctors for issues, but that's less of the severe impending doom nature and more of the "oh well that's not good" nature.

trying to stay positive has been one hell of a task, but that's kind of why i've been deep diving into bg3 while not really interacting with people (see: maybe 2-3 people in a day). it's also why i haven't been on! keeping as sane as i can.

if you're still sticking around while i have all this going on, thank you! i haven't been active for ages, so i really appreciate it!

i really hope the bnha manga picks up (aka: bring back b.kg already i'm getting so sick of him being aliven't in this goddamn house), because i'd love to get really involved in the fandom and all! when i'm doing better, anyway. i'll hopefully come in with another update on my health in... a few weeks? recovery from lesions take way too goddamn long.

in the meantime: take a couple of screenshots from my current hyperfixation. deadass. i am (almost completely) unapologetic about how obsessed i am with this game, and i'll literally talk about it 24/7 365 rn.

oh, and a couple of my guardian in this playthrough. just bc i'm proud of her too.

[adventureswithmultiplesclerosis]

May 29th

It’s been an awesome month. I’m excited for June but I also don’t want to let May go.

The past 4 days have been less than ideal diet wise. Not a lot of nutrients and plenty of over indulgence. I have been moving a lot though. We did the MS Walk yesterday for the first time. I got a little sun burn. Got home and mowed the lawn, too. I have had no sign of fatigue since taking my Kesimpta 4 days ago, too. Pretty stoked on that! Only took a year to get used to it I guess lol

As much as I want to have some stunning life upgrade and achieve all kinds of goals just for the sake of success, the past few months have felt like a full out tidal wave of pushing myself. Everything got harder after April. Productivity is at maximum output. Relaxation is always just out of reach.

So instead of demanding more of myself this coming month, I’m just going to coast it. Take on a chill, hippy zen vibe of go with the flow instead of the A-type, list making over achiever attitude. Do what you want instead of what you believe needs to be done. Stop preparing for everything. Applaud your success and bask in it.

[babyletsgethigher]

I think it'll be okay. My fingers have mire feelings and less numbness and I haven't any new pain or funny feelings. I feel better eith more mental clarity. Especially days after Mt Kesimpta injections. I think it'll be okay for now.

[carcharadroid]

Fatigue, fever? I expected that from the first Kesimpta shot.

Was less prepared for the muscle spasms (which weren't that bad and didn't last long) and especially not the agonizing pain in my legs all the way up to the small of my back (that was Much Worse and lasted Much Longer).

[screenshots123]

📅 Apr 2021 📰 New links between B cells and EBV infections in women with MS

Recent MS treatments have focused on depleting a type of white blood cell (called B cells), to halt MS relapses and disease progression. These new therapies, such as ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) and ofatumumab (Kesimpta) have directly improved outcomes for people living with MS. These therapies are able to reduce MS relapses by decreasing B cell numbers in the body. Even though we know that B cells are critical to the development of MS, the exact mechanisms by which they do this are not clearly understood.

When a pathogen (such as a virus or bacteria) enters the body, it is “presented” to naïve B cells, which are B cells before they have met an antigen (the pathogen). This stimulates the production of antibodies to defend the individual from the infection. But in MS, where the immune system inappropriately attacks the brain and spinal cord, deposits of antibodies are found in and around areas of damage in the brain. Exactly how these antibodies are produced, their association with B cells, and how they contribute to the damage in the brain in MS is not yet known.

The molecular mechanisms linking EBV and MS are not fully understood; however we do know that EBV chronically infects B cells and causes them to both multiply and be resistant to the natural cell death that would normally occur. B cells are very powerful cells in the immune system and are normally kept under tight control by the body. However, EBV infected B cells might be more resistant to these normal control measures. One theory of how MS develops suggests that if autoimmune B cells (B cells targeting the brain) are infected by EBV, they become resistant to the body’s control systems, and continue to multiply and attack the brain, leading to the development of MS.

Dr Stephanie Trend from The University of Western Australia in Perth, led a research team to investigate B cells, antibodies and signs of EBV infection in the blood. She compared people with MS experiencing a relapse, and people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS; the first neurological symptoms before a MS diagnosis) to people without MS or “healthy controls”.

In particular, the research team measured levels of a receptor molecule on the surface of B cells called CD32b. Receptor CD32b senses the presence of antibodies, prompting the B cells to reduce their response. It is thought that this acts as a feedback loop to stop B cells from responding excessively after an immune response has been successfully established. In laboratory models, CD32b is also important in shutting down autoimmune responses, preventing B cells from targeting the individual.

The research revealed, for the first time, that levels of CD32b are lower on particular types of B cells in people with MS and CIS when compared to healthy controls, but this was only in women. Thus, it is possible that B cells in women with MS are less able to switch off excessive responses, and/or less able to switch off autoimmune responses.

The team also found that this phenomenon in women with MS was associated with higher levels of a special B cell activating factor in the blood, with tests suggesting that the previously inactive EBV in the body was reactivated. This was particularly evident in the people with CIS. This points to a possible relationship between these particular B cells and control of an EBV infection in women with MS. These new discoveries were recently published in the prestigious journal (Frontiers in Immunology).

[u2hearts]

Kesimpta was denied

My neurologist and I decided we were going to switch to Kesimpta by my next infusion date. https://multipleexperiences.org/2021/04/26/possibly-switching-to-kesimpta/. My doctor wanted to start the process in July although my next infusion date isn’t until September. We entered the prescription into the pharmacy to start the process. It was less than 24 hours later that I received the denial from…

[joseywritesng]

How does B cell therapy for multiple sclerosis work?

How does B cell therapy for multiple sclerosis work?

After Cherie Binn’s breakthrough symptoms of multiple sclerosis developed while being treated with an interferon drug, she weighed her options carefully. Finally, her neurologist prescribed rituximab. It’s a type of B cell therapy, which gets its name because it targets the B cells that cause nerve damage when you have MS. Binns, a 69-year-old nurse who works with MS patients in Wakefield, RI,…

[cleoselene]

fascinating to go to my health insurance website, click "my conditions," see a bunch of shit that I definitely do not have but are a side effect of my B-cell depleting drug therapy I take for Multiple Sclerosis, which, amazingly? NOT listed among my conditions lol

like nah United HealthCare, I do not have a rare condition that means I do not make enough B-cells, though it's fascinating that I get diagnosed by them with this shit when it's just the Kesimpta, again

[atomsokc]

Good information on Kesimpta, one of the newest medications approved for treating MS.

[drferox]

The ✨Joys✨ of Kesimpta

(With a medium amount of sarcasm).

Kesimpta is a monoclonal antibody named Ofatumumab which targets the B cells of my immune system to discourage them from demyelinating my spine and brain. It’s a very targeted therapy, these artificial antibodies only target one protein, and yet the side effect profile continues to be an interesting and unpredictable experience.

But firstly: does it work? Yeah, pretty well so far. Minimal progression, actually some improvement across most symptoms, and I will willingly trade the one day a month or so of side effects I have to endure for the medication that will hopefully keep me functional as long as possible. I will probably never go back to performing surgery, and there are bad days here and there, but the burning arm pain doesn’t happen anymore and the numbness is generally restricted to just hands, not the whole limb.

The side effects though, they have been… interesting. They’ve certainly lessened over time as I adjust to the medication, but it’s such a random grab bag of effects.

You get warned when you start this medication that it will cause a bit of a headache, so to take some Panadol. But what happened for me:

First two hours after the injection - nothing happened at all

Then the migraine came, plus heavy fatigue.

Then the shivering started, I had chills so bad that I was filling hot water bottles with boiling water to hug in my bed, because it was the only way I wouldn’t tremble constantly.

Then came the gastro signs, while I still had the chills.

Unrelenting insomnia approximately 12 hours after the dose.

The chills dissipated overnight but the nausea continued the next day, plus dizziness and exhaustion.

And I got to do that once a week for the first few doses, so I was pretty much non functional other than keeping myself alive at that point.

Over time, the side effects have been steadily less and less though. If I’m a little bit unwell in some way before a dose, the Kesimpta will exaggerate the symptoms, and I try and time the dose so I can sleep through most of the nausea and headache. I’m usually a bit off balance for most of the day, not enough to be a fall risk but aware enough that I am not right enough to drive and definitely shouldn’t climb a ladder.

But I still get these completely bizarre mood swings. I can go from being okay to crying over a sad thought in about 20 minutes, over no meaningful stimulus. I’m watching myself react this way and just have to ride it out, but there’s no way I could go to work on a medication day. People will think I’m insane or on a recreational drug.

So I have to take the day as a scheduled maintenance day.

Being on this medication has made me very glad for the Medicare system we have in Australia, and the pharmaceutical benefits scheme which subsidises the cost of a lot of medications through the government.

Without these systems, Kesimpta would be costing me about $2.5k per month. As it is now, it costs me about $60 a month, delivered, and I get a handy little ap that reminds me when my dose is due, and will send me an email or text message if it thinks I’ve missed a dose, steadily getting more frequent so that I will get a text message every hour as a reminder if it thinks I’ve forgotten.

[californialifehd]

NEW MEDICINE APPROVED: FIRST AND ONLY SELF-ADMINISTERED, TARGETED B-CELL THERAPY FOR ADULT PATIENTS WITH RELAPSING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

[adventureswithmultiplesclerosis]

August 23, 2024

Fresh caught coho salmon and beans from our garden. Been eating like a queen. Been working out almost every day this past month. Really hoping to increase the time and consistency over the next month but struggling with a head cold and due for my Kesimpta shot in a couple of days. September is a new month though!