RealTalk MS

RealTalk MS

Jon Strum cuts through all the jargon and breaks down the latest multiple sclerosis news. You’ll meet the scientists who are creating tomorrow’s MS treatments today. You’ll hear from the experts discussing how the latest tweaks and changes to our healthcare laws will impact your MS treatment. And we’ll be talking to the courageous MS warriors who are out there advocating on behalf of the MS community every day, as well as the men and women who are committed to living their best lives with MS and living their best lives as MS caregivers. If you're dealing with multiple sclerosis in your life -- as a patient, caregiver, family member, or friend -- join us each week for RealTalk MS.

Episodes

July 14, 2025 31 mins

Back in Episode #401, we reported promising results from a Phase 2 clinical trial for vidofludimus calcium and its impact on progressive MS. This therapy is being developed by Immunic Therapeutics, and this week, Jason Tardio, Immunic's President and Chief Operating Officer, joins me to share some of the specifics of that clinical trial. 

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Over the past few months, we've shared news about an algorithm that can accurately predict whether someone living with MS will experience worsening symptoms or a relapse in the weeks ahead.

You've heard about a three-quarter-of-a-million-dollar investment by the International Progressive MS Alliance to support the development of an AI-based tool that will predict future disability as well as how someone with MS wil...

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Last week, I was in Philadelphia, attending the Digital Tools Workshop hosted by the International Progressive MS Alliance. Welcome to Part One of our coverage!

PMSA Digital Tools Workshop 

As we look around us, it's hard to imagine a single aspect ...

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Have you experienced those familiar feelings of frustration when the people closest to you don't seem to get your MS? Do you find yourself explaining and re-explaining things to well-meaning friends, co-workers, and even family members?

Kris Inman 

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Getting a good night's sleep is something that benefits everyone. And if you're someone who's living with MS, it's perhaps even more important. But research suggests that more than half the people living with MS experience poor sleep. 

Dr. Katie Siengsukon 

...

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Welcome to Part Two of our coverage of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers annual meeting!

Consortium of MS Centers 2025 Annual Meeting 

In this week's episode, Dr. John DeLuca shares...

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Last week in Phoenix, Arizona, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) held its annual meeting, and we had a chance to talk with some of the top MS experts in the world. Welcome to Part One of our coverage!

Consortium of MS Centers 2025 Annual ...</p></p></p></p></p><p></div> <button class= Read more

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Every five minutes, someone somewhere in the world is diagnosed with MS. But getting that diagnosis can be challenging. And the evidence is clear that early intervention makes a difference. The sooner someone can begin a disease-modifying therapy, the better their outcome is going to be.

World MS Day is May 30th, and this year, World MS Day is focused on eliminating the obstacles that get in the way of a timely and accurate diagnos...

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Last week, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis convened a meeting in Dublin, Ireland, to dive deeper into what a new framework for describing MS might look like.
 
There's still a tremendous amount of work to be done here...

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If you're living with MS, you might experience days when it feels like you're losing your sense of who you are, as your sense of self gets redefined by your symptoms. Reasserting your personal style can be a powerful way to rediscover joy in who you are while reclaiming your identity. 

 

Jeri Zink Denz li...

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Most people living with MS don't see their neurologist often. For many, it might be only once or twice a year. A lot of important things take place during that appointment. Symptoms are assessed. Decisions about disease-modifying therapies are made or, sometimes, changed. Questions get asked and, hopefully, answered.

Dr Barbara Gies...</p></p></p></p><p><strong></div> <button class= Read more

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Welcome to the 400th episode of RealTalk MS! Over the past nearly eight years, it's been my absolute honor to bring you insights from leading experts, researchers, advocates, and, perhaps most importantly, from people living with MS themselves. And we have no intention of stopping here! We're excited to continue bringing you the information and conversations that matter most to the MS community.

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Research shows that spirituality can benefit mental health and improve overall well-being. And it can play a meaningful role in helping people cope with life’s challenges, like living with MS. This week, Dr. Mana Ali Carter, a rehabilitation psychologist at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington D.C., joins me to discuss the positive effects that spirituality can have on the mind and body, and how it's been shown to...

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Last week, at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, Dr. Amit Bar-Or received the John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research for his multiple achievements that have advanced our knowledge of neuroimmunology, precision medicine, and biomarkers in MS. We talked with Dr. Bar-Or about how some of the latest discoveries in MS research would impact patient care.

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For many people, it can be difficult to talk about the feelings of loss that can accompany MS. For some, it's the loss of the way they imagined their life would turn out. For others, it's the more specific loss of function. Perhaps the loss of their mobility. Or a decline in their cognitive skills. It's painful to imagine any of these scenarios, let alone experience them in real life. 

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Managing MS means staying focused not only on your MS but also on your overall health. That includes getting routine health screenings to stay ahead of potential complications. Recent research has shown that, compared to healthy people, people with MS are more likely to develop some cancers. 

Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie

When you look at a list of the typical symptoms associated with perimenopause, you'd think you were looking at a list of MS symptoms. And, for women living with MS, that's where the confusion begins. With an estimated 30% of the current MS population now in peri- or post-menopause, researchers are beginning to focus on how menopause and MS interact and the best ways to treat symptoms.

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Next week, a couple of hundred MS activists will gather in Washington, D.C. for the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. As we're seeing devastating cuts in funding for MS research, layoffs in every major governmental agency that impacts our healthcare, including the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, CDC, Health and Human Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and even Medicaid funding is at serious risk...

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Just a couple of weeks ago, 1,800 scientists, clinicians, postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents gathered in West Palm Beach, Florida, for the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis annual meeting, better known as the ACTRIMS Forum.

ACTRIMS Forum 2025

Kristine Werner Ozug l...

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Just a couple of weeks ago, 1,800 scientists, clinicians, postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents gathered in West Palm Beach, Florida, for the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis annual meeting, better known as the ACTRIMS Forum.

ACTRIMS Forum 2025

Dr. Emanuelle Waubant ...


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