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17th Annual Race to Erase MS raises $2 million!

May 10, 2010

Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Show and Musical Performances from Heart and
Avril Lavigne Entertain the Crowd

Los Angeles, CA – May 8, 2010 – On Friday, May 7, Co-Chairs Nancy Davis and Tommy Hilfiger welcomed guests to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza for the 17th Annual of Race to Erase MS. The event raised $2 million to benefit the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis.

Celebrity guests as this year’s event included host, MS survivor and advocate Nancy Davis, host Tommy Hilfiger along with Buzz Aldrin, Loni Anderson, Tom Arnold, Drake Bell, Mayim Bialik, Brooke Burke, Sophia Bush, Kaley Cuoco, Taylor Dayne, Tony Dovolani, Erik Estrada, David Faustino, Jenny Fletcher, Debbie Gibson, Ashlan Gorse, Heart, Anne Heche, Chelsie Hightower, Nicky Hilton, Paris Hilton, Dr. Hollywood, Kelly Hu, Stephanie Jacobsen, Brody Jenner, Kym Johnson, Robert Knepper, Ali Landry, Jessica Lowndes, Avril Lavigne, Gilles Marini, James Maslow, Chris Massey, Kyle Massey, Dr. Phil & Robin McGraw, Rickey Minor, Nancy O’Dell, Apolo Anton Ohno, Masi Oka, Megyn Price, Kelly Rutherford, Melissa Rycroft, Jennifer Taylor, Alessandra Torresani, James Tupper, Aiden Turner, Louis Van Amstel, Lindsey Vonn, Damian Whitewood, Austin Winkler, Dr. Lisa Masterson, Dr. Andrew Ordon, Dr. Jim Sears, and many more.

The 17th Annual Race to Erase MS opened with a star-studded Tommy Hilfiger fashion show, highlighting the designers Spring 2010 collection. The evening also included a live auction with Tom Arnold and Nancy O’Dell. Brooke Burke helped auction off an adorable maltese puppy, and with a winning bid of $210,000 one lucky guest walked away with a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560–4. Presenters at this year’s gala included Olympic gold medalists Apolo Anton Ohno and Lindsey Vonn, as well as Dr. Phil & Robin McGraw and Christopher & Kyle Massey.

Led by musical director Rickey Minor of American Idol, Race to Erase MS once again hosted a variety of musical performances throughout the evening. Heart entertained the crowd as they sang fan favorites “Barracuda,” “Alone,” “Red Velvet Car” and “Crazy on You” while Dr. Hollywood surprised the audience by performing their hit “We Run L.A.” Avril Lavigne, who recently joined the Board of Directors for Race to Erase MS and the Nancy Davis Foundation for MS, closed out the evening with an exciting five song set including her hit songs “Girlfriend,” “Complicated,” “Happy Ending,” “I’m With You” and “Sk8r Boi” while guests like Paris Hilton sang along from their seats.

In Race to Erase MS tradition, the night ended with a performance of “Lean On Me” featuring Heart, Avril Lavigne, the Davis Family and their special guests for the evening. Guests couldn’t leave without picking up the coveted Race to Erase MS gift bag, enjoying delicious cupcakes from CRUMBS Bake Shop while they waited.

The evening was sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger, American Airlines, EMD Serono, Lamborghini, Hyatt Regency Century Plaza and Associated Television International.

The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure for MS. Funding research is the core focus of the Foundation and significant strides have been made to find the cause and cure of this devastating disease. All funds raised through The Race to Erase MS event support “The Nancy Davis Center Without Walls” program, a selected network of the nation’s top seven MS research centers representing UC San Francisco, Brigham & Women’s Harvard Hospital, Yale, The Cleveland Clinic, Oregon Health Science University, Johns Hopkins and University of Southern California. This nationwide collaboration of physicians, scientists and clinicians are on the cutting-edge of innovative research programs and therapeutic approaches to eradicate MS. It is the hope of the Foundation that in addition to combating MS through research in a clinical environment, awareness will be created by educating the public about this mysterious disease.

For more information or photos from this event please contact Andy Gelb or Stephanie Samson of Slate PR at (323) 556–0444.

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Contacts:
Andy Gelb/Stephanie Samson
Slate PR
(323) 556–0444
andy@slate-pr.com / stephanie@slate-pr.com

"The Doctors" TV show May 5th with Nancy Davis

May 3, 2010

Wednesday, May 5th – Watch Nancy Davis discuss Multiple Sclerosis and the Month of May Campaign on “The Doctors” TV Show.

Check your local listings here

Watch Paris & Kathy Hilton on the ELLEN SHOW talk about MS!

April 30, 2010

Paris Hilton and her mother Kathy talked to Ellen today about their Race to Erase MS campaign. They’ve partnered with the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, and are dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of MS.

Paris specially designed a t-shirt Be My BFF & Erase MS (pictured on Paris below) that you can buy with all the proceeds going to the charity. We’re also giving you a chance to win it, along with the Peace & Love charm bracelet. You can find out more about the Nancy Davis Foundation and check out their online store at their website. For your chance to win the t-shirt designed by Paris and the charm bracelet, enter here

Dr. Hollywood confirmed to perform at 17th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala

April 27, 2010

We are so excited to announce that Dr. Hollywood has confirmed that they will be performing at the 17th Annual Race to Erase MS Event!

For tickets and information call (310) 440 4842

Shop to ERASE MS at Kitson!

April 20, 2010

Hosted by the Nancy Davis Foundation’s Junior Committee. Help Kickoff the Month of May Campaign!

Contacts: Andy Gelb/ Stephanie Samson
Slate PR
(323) 556–0444
andy@slate-pr.com / stephanie@slate-pr.com

*************** MEDIA ALERT ***************

RACE TO ERASE MS KICKS OFF MAY AS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AWARENESS MONTH WITH A FUNDRAISER AT KITSON BOUTIQUE

View Invitation Here

SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2010

WHAT: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Survivor and advocate Nancy Davis will kick off May’s MS Awareness month with a party at the Kitson Melrose Boutique with the help of a newly formed Junior Committee devoted to the cause.

Inspired by Nancy’s dedication to finding a cure, and with the early desire to make a difference, a group of Los Angeles high school students have formed a Junior Committee to raise funds and awareness for Race to Erase MS and the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis. The junior committee, including Paris Sanders (Marlborough ’14), Owen Thiele (Crossroads ’14), Katie Kaplan (Marlborough ’14) and Caroline Catherine Bell (Harvard-Westlake ’14), has been involved in all the planning details and will host the event, inviting nearly 300 of their friends, LA community members and supporters of Nancy Davis out to participate. Committee member and student Owen Thiele will be performing at the event which will include a raffle and the sale of many “orange” items to benefit the cause, with orange being the vibrant color chosen to represent hope in the fight against Multiple Sclerosis.

Throughout the month of May, Kitson will sell a variety of orange products in their stores including Peace & Love by Nancy Davis products, Celebrity Designed T-Shirts and Jewelry, Donni Charm scarf, Simon G jewelry and more, with 100% of the sales going to benefit the foundation. In addition, Kitson will donate 1% of all Kitson store sales for the month of May to the Nancy Davis Foundation in their Race to Erase MS.

WHEN: Saturday, May 1, 2010
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Media Check-in: 1:00 PM

WHERE: Kitson Melrose
8590 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90069

RSVP: To request media credentials to cover this event, contact Andy Gelb or Stephanie Samson of Slate PR at (323) 556–0444 or stephanie@slate-pr.com.

Rockefeller Plaza hosts “Orange You Happy to Erase MS” Campaign

April 1, 2010

EHE International and the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis Celebrate the “Orange You Happy to Erase MS” Campaign at Rockefeller Plaza

(Los Angeles, CA – March 2010) – For the month of April 2010, the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis and Race to Erase MS will take over the window at 10 Rockefeller Plaza as they promote their “Orange You Happy to Erase MS” campaign which raises funds and awareness for multiple sclerosis. The window, generously donated by EHE International, will be on display from March 31 – April 30.

Tommy Hilfiger, long time supporter of the Race to Erase MS, will design and install the window. Orange, the color that has come to symbolize hope in the fight against MS, is the dominant color in the design of the window, which features the well-known Race to Erase MS logo and a photo of musician Avril Lavigne. Avril Lavigne, who recently joined the Board of Directors of the Nancy Davis Foundation, wears a t-shirt designed by Nancy Davis to benefit the Foundation as part of her Peace & Love collection. The window will also give passersby a way to make a difference, by providing them with the EraseMS.org website and a list of participating retailers like Kitson, Peace and Love Jewelry, and Lisa Hoffman Beauty who are selling merchandise during the month of May to benefit the organization.

A video featuring information about MS, the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, and the Center Without Walls will be on a constant loop as part of the display so that viewers will get a chance to learn more about the cause. The video also features highlights from Nancy Davis’s annual celebrity charity event, the Race to Erase MS, now in its 17th year. To date, the annual Race to Erase MS charity event has raised over $30 million dollars for MS research. Also displayed in the video are items for sale to benefit the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis. Speaking about the window Deborah McKeever, President of EHE International said “We hope to educate people about Multiple Sclerosis, and the work The Nancy Davis Foundation is doing to raise public awareness. We encourage everyone to recognize and act on any warning signs or symptoms they might discover.”

The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure for MS. Funding research is the core focus of the Foundation and significant strides have been made to find the cause and cure of this debilitating disease. All funds raised support “The Nancy Davis Center Without Walls” program, a unique collaboration of the world’s leading MS research scientists currently representing UC San Francisco, Brigham & Women’s Harvard Hospital, Yale, The Cleveland Clinic, Oregon Health Science University, Johns Hopkins and University of Southern California. This nationwide collaboration of physicians, scientists and clinicians are on the cutting-edge of innovative research and therapeutic approaches to treat MS. It is the hope of the Foundation that in addition to combating MS through research in a clinical environment, awareness will be created by educating the public about this mysterious disease.

Each year, MS Survivor and advocate Nancy Davis raises awareness and funds for the cause by hosting a star-studded event. This year, the 17th Annual Race to Erase MS event will take place at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on May 7, 2010.

ABOUT EHE INTERNATIONAL
Since 1913, EHE has been the recognized leader in preventive medicine. Its clinical protocols are specifically designed for the early detection of preventable disease and its associated risk factors. The company is well-known for its patient-centered approach to preventive care management. In addition to the physician’s assessment, each personalized program includes clinical team management of health findings; appointment coordination with other physician/healthcare specialists; personal coaching, and a patient-accessible electronic medical record. Nationally available, EHE’s programs are designed for integration into self-funded employer-sponsored medical plans, and are available to individuals seeking alternatives to traditional preventive care access and options.

For more information, contact EHE International, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10020; 212.332.3702; www.EHEINTL.com.

CONTACT:
Andy Gelb/Stephanie Samson
323–556-0444
andy@slate-pr.com / stephanie@slate-pr.com

Nick Danielides
nick@danielides.net
212–319-7566

Nancy Davis Speaks at the Rocky Mountain MS Center-November 7

October 16, 2009

Nancy Davis Speaks at the Rocky Mountain MS Center-November 7

Century City News- Nancy Davis, A Century City Woman of Achievement

October 5, 2009

Honoree Nancy Davis is founder of the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis and The Nancy Davis Center Without Walls. She’s a Philanthropist, Book Author, and an accomplished Jewelry Designer. Davis was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 33 and ever since has devoted her time and resources to finding a cure. The “Nancy Davis Center Without Walls” has brought together an international medical community of Doctors in exploring research to help better understand and find a cure for MS. Davis is also the author of, “Lean on Me: 10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis and Taking Back Your Life,” published in 2006.

To read entire article please visit:

http://www.centurycitynews.com/SubSection/AROUND_CENTURY_CITY/Century_City_Chamber/391

THE 16TH ANNUAL RACE TO ERASE MS THEMED “ROCK TO ERASE MS” RAISES $2 MILLION

July 13, 2009

Contacts: Andy Gelb/Stephanie Samson Slate PR
323.556.0444

• * * * MEDIA ALERT * * * * *

THE 16TH ANNUAL RACE TO ERASE MS THEMED “ROCK TO ERASE MS” RAISES $2 MILLION

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES BY LEGENDARY RECORDING ARTISTS
THE EAGLES & MICHELLE BRANCH

Mario Lopez Emceed the Evening, Nancy O’Dell Live Auctioneer

WHO: Nancy Davis and Tommy Hilfiger along with Dustin Hoffman, Jeremy Piven, Blair Underwood, Anne Heche & James Tupper, Kim Kardashian & Reggie Bush, Penny Marshall, Jewel, Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, Angie Harmon & Jason Sehorn, Jon Lovitz, Sela Ward, Bill Maher, Nia Vardalos, Amanda Bynes, Drew Lachey, Daisy Fuentes, Shemar Moore, Kristin Cavallari, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Kelly Lynch & Mitch Glazer, Melissa George, Mario Lopez, Nancy O’Dell, Giuliana & Bill Rancic, Taylor Dayne, Teri Garr, Jessica Lowndes, David Osmond, Don Henley, Rickey Minor, Joe Walsh, Byron Allen, Rick & Kathy Hilton, Wolfgang Puck, David Faustino, Ioan Gruffudd, Alice Evans, Barbara Davis, Alexander Davis, Brandon Davis, Jason Davis, Nick Chavez, Courtney Semel, Alexandra Leighton, Alexis Georgoulis, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit, Vanessa Thanos, Caitlin Crosby, Steven Cojocaru, Casey Johnson, Robert Knepper, Elke Sommer, Lady Victoria Hervey, Cheyenne Tozzi, Thomas Gottschalk, Dr. Lisa Masterson, Dr. Andrew Ordon, Dr. Jim Sears, the “Deal or No Deal” girls, and the “Dancing with the Stars” cast: Louis Van Amstel, Jonathan Roberts, Anya Trebunskaya, Elena Grinenko, Dimitri Chaplin, Alioni Vilani.

WHAT: Co-Chairs Nancy Davis and Tommy Hilfiger welcomed celebrity guests to the 16th Anniversary of Race to Erase MS, themed “Rock to Erase MS.” The event raised $2 million to benefit the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis.

Mario Lopez emceed the event which included a live auction with Nancy O’Dell. Angie Harmon purchased a two week trip to Tommy Hilfiger’s home in Mustique Island for $45,000 and the 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo 560–4 Spyder went for $270,000. The night featured a special opening number by the cast of “Dancing with the Stars”, as well as speeches from Nancy Davis and family, Teri Garr, Blair Underwood, Jewel and more. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also presented Nancy Davis and Tommy Hilfiger with a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles for their work and dedication.

The evening featured a live musical performance by Grammy-Award Winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists the Eagles, who performed “Waiting in the Weeds”, “No More Cloudy Days”, “Love Will Keep Us Alive”, and “Take It To The Limit”. The group ended their performance by having Michelle Branch join them onstage for a rendition of “Lean On Me”, a Race to Erase MS tradition. Grammy-Award Winning artist Michelle Branch also performed her own set including her hit “All You Wanted”. David Osmond, who suffers from MS, also performed his recent single “Last Day”. The evening’s musical director was Rickey Minor.

The event was sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger Group, American Airlines, Lamborghini, Serono, Associated Television International and Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

WHEN: Friday, May 8, 2009

WHERE: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Century City, CA

MORE: The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure for MS. Funding research is the core focus of the Foundation and significant strides have been made to find the cause and cure of this devastating disease. All funds raised through The Race to Erase MS event support “The Nancy Davis Center Without Walls” program, a selected network of the nation’s top seven MS research centers representing UC San Francisco, Brigham & Women’s Harvard Hospital, Yale, The Cleveland Clinic, Oregon Health Science University, Johns Hopkins and University of Southern California. This nationwide collaboration of physicians, scientists and clinicians are on the cutting-edge of innovative research programs and therapeutic approaches to eradicate MS. It is the hope of the Foundation that in addition to combating MS through research in a clinical environment, awareness will be created by educating the public about this mysterious disease.

MEDIA: Photos are available at www.wireimage.com. For more information please contact Andy Gelb or Stephanie Samson of PMK/HBH at (310) 289–6200 or stephanie.samson@pmkhbh.com.

Nancy Davis Honored on the 2009 Hero Award Show

July 2, 2009

A primetime television event honoring everyday people who do extraordinary things.

The “2009 Hero Awards” http://heroawards.org/
Airing on MyNetworkTV
July 7th, 2009 at 8pm

Please check your local listing for time and station.

MyNetworkTV http://www.mynetworktv.com/schedule.php

Hosted by Dean Cain, with musical performances by: Brian McKnight and his sons Brian Jr. and Nikolas, American Idol’s LaKisha Jones, and Lee Greenwood and the Greater Los Angeles Choir.

Presenters include:Tatyana Ali, Anthony Anderson, Daniel Baldwin, Kelly Hu, Jason London, Christopher Massey, Kyle Massey, Judd Nelson, Lou Diamond Phillips, Efren Ramirez, Kevin Sorbo, Olympic figure skating medalist Sasha Cohen, Erik Estrada, boxer “Sugar” Shane Mosley and 3 time Super Bowl Champion Willie McGinest.

The show is produced and distributed by Associated Television International, and will benefit the international, nonprofit charitable organization Feed The Children.

Nancy Davis Devotes Her Life to Battling MS

April 30, 2009

Nancy Davis devotes her life to battling MS, for herself and others
By Sandra Barrera
Updated: 04/29/2009 05:12:40 PM PDT

Nancy Davis, diagnosed with MS 17 years ago will stage her annual event to treat and ultimately cure MS on May 8th. (David Crane/Staff Photographer)
LOOKING FOR A CURE—Nancy Davis, diagnosed with MS 17 years ago will stage her annual event to treat and ultimately cure MS on May 8th. Here, Nancy with her daughters Isabella and Mariella. (David Crane/Staff Photographer)

When Nancy Davis first was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis almost 18 years ago, she was told by the neurologist to go home and go to bed.

“For how long?”

Forever, he told her.

But the then 33-year-old daughter of billionaire Marvin Davis wasn’t about to accept the prognosis without a fight. She created the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis and its Center Without Walls, a network of the nation’s top seven research centers whose singular goal is to advance and never repeat studies in the search for a cure.

These experts will be in Los Angeles at 10:30 a.m. May 9 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza alongside Davis and actress Teri Garr to discuss the latest findings in the cure for MS, answer questions and meet privately with people during a free event that’s open to the public. It follows the 16th Annual RACE to Erase MS, a ticketed fundraising event that kicks off National MS Month May 8.

The gala that features performances by the Eagles and Michelle Branch as well as an appearance by Scarlett Johansson is called a “RACE” for a reason.

“I want a cure fast,” Davis says.

MS is a chronic neurological disease that affects three times more women than men. It lays dormant in the body until something stressful kicks off an attack. But symptoms manifest differently depending on the areas of the central nervous system that have been scarred by the overactive immune cells, which damage the fatty protective layer around nerve
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fibers.

The scarring disrupts nerve impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body leading to any number of symptoms, from overwhelming fatigue to an inability to walk.

Looking at Davis you’d never know she has the disease.

At 52, she’s got enough energy to head up her foundation and keep up with her kindergarten-bound twins, Isabella and Mariella, with second husband Ken Rickel. She also has three adult children from a previous marriage. As the blond, blue-eyed girls bounce in and out of the traditional-style living room of the Bel Air mansion where Davis has raised all her children, she embraces them with hugs, kisses and whispers.

Although she experiences flare-ups from time to time, Davis has managed to control the symptoms of her disease and continue with a normal life despite the early prognosis.

Some 18 years ago, Davis was diagnosed with the chronic neurological disease three weeks after tearing her knee ligament on the slopes of Aspen. She woke up one morning without any feeling in the tips of her three middle fingers on her right hand, but she thought nothing of it.

Three days later the fingers of her left hand fell numb, and then she lost the feeling in both hands.

When she walked into the neurologist’s office, she had no sensation in her stomach, and her vision began to blur.

An MRI that followed revealed large spots on her brain and spine.

She remembers the neurologist saying, “You’re really lucky you don’t have a brain tumor, but you do have a disease called multiple sclerosis.”

“From what I knew of multiple sclerosis, it didn’t sound like I was very lucky,” she says. “I pictured a person in a wheelchair for the rest of their life incapable of doing anything. I thought, my life is never going to be the same, and it wasn’t.”

Davis did what the majority of people refuse to do. She challenged the doctor – the inspiration behind her book, “Lean on Me: 10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis and Taking Back Your Life” – by seeking a number of second opinions, from UCLA to the National Institutes of Health to Harvard.

Each one confirmed the initial diagnosis but offered a different prognosis, including “you can live an OK life” and “exercise can help.”

But there were no magic pills to take. In fact, research into cures for MS were grossly underfunded at the time.

The researchers had unknowingly been duplicating the same studies for 40 years due to lack of communication. And that’s when Davis decided to get involved.

“My sister’s a juvenile diabetic; so my family had a reputation of working on children’s diabetes,” she says. “I thought, if I could get the best and the brightest to work as a team we might find a cure for MS.”

After two attempts at putting something together, the Center Without Walls was born.

Money is channeled in all different areas of MS, from stem cell to genetics to addressing the problem of depression.

“The leading cause of death for people with MS is suicide, which I didn’t know, and that was a really important thing that we were not addressing with all the other research we were doing,” Davis says.

“So, some of the medications that are now available help certain people.”

One of the newer classes of drug is Rituxin, which is FDA approved to treat cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

It has been found to reduce inflammatory brain lesions inherent in MS, although it hasn’t yet been approved for treating the disease. Still, doctors have been giving it to patients.

One of the benefits of the drug is it requires no daily injections.

Patients are given one intravenous four-hour infusion followed by another two weeks later and not again for a year. The only option given to Davis at the time of her diagnosis was to take steroids for various symptoms.

“Having diabetes running in my family, there was a high propensity also to become diabetic from taking steroids,” she says. “I didn’t want to take steroids anyway.”

She chose instead to go the homeopathic and life-changing route against her doctor’s wishes.

“My traditional doctors to this day don’t agree with it,” Davis says, adding she’s never been on any of the MS medications. “But, ultimately, you have to do what’s right for you.”

Sandra Barrera 818–713-3728 sandra.barrera@dailynews.com

MS slowed in test with cancer drug

February 14, 2008

A cancer drug greatly reduces brain lesions and relapses in patients with the most common form of the disabling disease.

An experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis that targets a portion of the immune system not previously subjected to therapy reduced damaging lesions of the nervous system by 91% and relapses of the disease by 58%, researchers report today.

A single course of the drug, called rituximab, helped patients for the full 48 weeks of the trial and suggests a new way to treat relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form of the disabling disease.

Researchers said they were still concerned about potential long-term side effects of the drug, which is used under the brand name Rituxan to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis, like MS an autoimmune disease.

If its safety and efficacy can be confirmed in a larger study, rituximab “looks like it will be a strong addition to our armamentarium for treating MS,” said Dr. John Rickert, executive vice president of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, who was not involved in the study. “We are all excited about this.”

The findings also provide “important insights into the biology of the disease,” wrote Dr. Henry F. McFarland of the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke in an editorial accompanying the study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The results revealed an unexpected role for white blood cells called B cells in causing the damage produced by MS, opening the door to a number of potential new therapeutic strategies, he said.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the protective layer of myelin around nerve fibers, producing short circuits.

Symptoms include visual disturbances, difficulty walking, fatigue, and loss of coordination, sensation, and bowel and bladder control.

About 85% of the 400,000 Americans with the disease have relapsing-remitting MS, in which attacks are typically followed by periods of remission – although each relapse typically leaves the body more damaged.

Six drugs are approved for treating relapsing-remitting MS, but their effectiveness is limited. All target the immune system’s T cells, which attack and destroy viruses, abnormal cells and other foreign organisms.

But recent research has suggested that B cells, which produce antibodies, also play a role in MS attacks.

Dr. Stephen L. Hauser of UC San Francisco and colleagues at 31 other centers around the country decided to test rituximab because it targets B cells, particularly those with a receptor called CD20 on their surface.

The researchers gave infusions of rituximab to 69 patients at the beginning of the study and again two weeks later, while 35 patients received a placebo. None were using other treatments for MS.

Periodic MRI scans of study participants showed fewer new lesions in the brain.

Improvements were noted within four weeks. By the end of 24 weeks, 14.5% of the patients receiving rituximab had suffered relapses, compared with 34.3% of those receiving placebo. By 48 weeks, the corresponding figures were 20.3% and 40%.

The findings “tell us that B-cell-directed therapies are enormously promising for future treatment,” Hauser said. “Equally exciting, it tells us that B cells need to be front and center in our thinking about what makes MS happen in the first place.”

But experts said a longer study involving more patients was needed before the treatment was adopted.

“This is simply a snapshot in the course of a chronic, degenerative disease,” said Dr. Peter Calabresi, director of the Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Center.

“Whether a patient ultimately becomes disabled determines whether a drug is useful or not,” said Calabresi, who treated some of the patients in the study but was not an author of the paper.

Researchers are also concerned about the possibility of subjecting patients to serious infections by defanging their immune systems.

Another MS drug, sold under the trade name Tysabri, was withdrawn temporarily from the market after two patients receiving it developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a viral infection of the brain.

A handful of patients receiving rituximab for other diseases have developed the same disorder, but researchers now think it only occurs when the drug is combined with other powerful immune system suppressors.

A second trial is underway to test against primary progressive MS, in which deterioration is continuous. Results are expected later this year.

The study was designed and funded by Genentech Inc. and Biogen Idec Inc., which sell Rituxan. Most of the authors have received funding from the companies.

thomas.maugh@latimes.com

New Wallet-Size Card an Essential Life-Saving Device

November 9, 2006

A simple card that fits easily in any wallet, purse or lunchbox is poised to be a formidable safeguard against the approximately 98,000 deaths and 400,000 injuries that occur each year as the result of preventable medical mistakes, as well as an efficient and practical storage and back-up apparatus for all medical and personal information vital to cardholders and their loved ones. Created by Nancy Davis—founder of the Nancy Davis Foundation for M.S. (Multiple Sclerosis) and author of the self- help book Lean On Me—and backed by a 24-hour-a-day, user-friendly service, the My Very Necessary Medical I.D. Card is the very first of its kind and promises to be a personal safety asset that no one—from children to adults to senior citizens—should live without.

The face of the card is imprinted with vital information that is practical for the cardholder to have on-hand at all times, and of critical importance to an emergency care provider in severe instances when the cardholder is incapacitated or unable to communicate. Current medical condition, blood type, allergies, history of surgery and illnesses, as well as insurance carrier and physician’s contact information are all items included in the at-a-glance profile. Additionally, the card is linked to a secure central database that houses the cardholder’s healthcare history and any personal medical and legal records—MRIs, X-rays, birth certificate, passport, power of attorney and living will—he or she chooses to store along with those of family members.

A subscription-based service, the cardholder can update and manage document inventory at will. Documents that the cardholder selects to file in the Emergency Medical Records area of the Web-site will be viewable to any care provider by means of an I.D. code that is imprinted on the card and key tag that’s issued to the holder. Documents stored in the Member’s Account area of the site are accessible only to the cardholder and those the holder designates as privileged access-holders. For those cardholders without computers, documents can be mailed into the customer center. A toll-free customer service hotline is active at all times for support, and an email service alerts cardholders when important dates (i.e. appointments, updates to medication regimens) are approaching.

Having encountered numerous medical emergencies in her lifetime, My Very Necessary Medical I.D. Card creator Nancy Davis, herself a mother of five, hopes that the public will take heed of the necessity of such a service and be more proactive in terms of ensuring their own personal safety and that of their loved ones.

“I hear so many stories from colleagues in the medical field about accidents and fatalities involving people of all ages that could have been preventable had they the most basic personal medical information readily available,” remarks Nancy Davis, creator of My Very Necessary Medical I.D. Card. “It’s my hope that this simple product acts as not only as a preventative measure, but a tool that heightens awareness of the importance of knowing one’s own medical profile and having the information accessible at all times.”

An annual fee of $30 is required for a single membership, $50 for a couple, and an additional $20 per child or family member who are the ward of the subscriber. Parties who wish to register for the My Very Necessary Medical I.D. Card and service can log onto the service Web-site, www.verynecessaryid.com.

My Very Necessary Medical I.D. Card is not defined as a “Covered Entity” and is not bound by HIPAA guidelines for privacy compliance.

My Very Necessary Medical ID Card contains essential medical information in case of an emergency when the cardholder can’t speak for himself. The service allows cardholders to store and retrieve medical and legal records and will assist in reducing healthcare inefficiencies, limit the possibility of medical errors and ensure one’s legal wishes. It will empower members by making them more active partners in the managing and maintenance of their own healthcare records. My Very Necessary Medical ID Card ensures a safe and secure method to organize, store and immediately access one’s important medical information and legal wishes from anywhere in the world by using the Internet or calling a customer service operator 24/7.

Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis fourteen years ago, Nancy Davis has since been tirelessly committed to the advancement of research and treatments in the fight against M.S. Having created the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis and The Center Without Walls—a network of top M.S. researchers dedicated to developing therapeutic approaches to eradicating M.S.—Davis’ efforts, which include the annual RACE to Erase M.S., have raised tens of millions of dollars for the cause. Davis has also authored the inspirational book, Lean On Me: 10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis and Taking Back Your Life and created the Peace & Love jewelry line, a portion of the proceeds of which are donated back to The Center Without Walls. Wife and mother of five, Davis resides in Los Angeles and remains active as a black-belt in karate and an avid skier and tennis player. Her family is the reason she was so determined to fight to regain her health and stay healthy.

Genentech and Biogen Idec Announce Positive Results...

August 28, 2006

…from a Phase II Trial of Rituxan in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

South San Francisco, Calif. and Cambridge, Mass. – August 28, 2006 – Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) and Biogen Idec, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) announced today that a Phase II study of Rituxan® (Rituximab) for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) met its primary endpoint. The study of 104 patients showed a statistically significant reduction in the total number of gadolinium enhancing T1 lesions observed on serial MRI scans of the brain at weeks 12, 16, 20 and 24 in the Rituxan-treated group compared to placebo. Genentech and Biogen Idec will continue to analyze the study results and will submit the data for presentation at an upcoming medical meeting.

“These initial results exceeded our expectations,” said Hal Barron, M.D., Genentech senior vice president, development and chief medical officer. “Showing a significant benefit at 24 weeks in this small Phase II trial supports our hypothesis that selective B-cell targeted therapy may play an important role in the treatment of MS.”

“Biogen Idec is committed to offering multiple options for people living with MS, a devastating disease. We are very encouraged by these data and look forward to learning more about the potential of Rituxan as a therapy to treat MS,” said Alfred Sandrock, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president, neurology research and development, Biogen Idec.

Rates of overall adverse events and serious adverse events were comparable between the two treatment groups. Serious infectious adverse events occurring in Rituxan-treated patients included gastroenteritis and bronchitis. The overall rates of infection were comparable among the two treatment groups with an increase in the rates of nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections and sinusitis in the Rituxan-treated patients. There were more first infusion-related reactions with Rituxan, the majority of which were mild to moderate and were generally reversible with medical intervention. The companies continue to monitor the long-term safety of Rituxan treatment.

About the Study

This Phase II randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, multi-center study was designed to evaluate safety and efficacy of Rituxan in adults with RRMS. A total of 104 patients at 48 sites in the U.S. and Canada were randomized to receive either a single treatment course of Rituxan or placebo. Gadolinium-enhancing lesions visible by MRI scans were assessed at 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks. Patients will continue to be followed for 48 weeks.

About MS and RRMS

MS is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system is thought to attack the body’s own myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers of the brain, optic nerves and spinal cord. There are four types of MS with a wide variety of symptoms and different courses of disease progression.

MS is the leading cause of neurological disability in young adults. Neurological disability typically accumulates over time and includes muscle weakness and spasticity, balance and coordination problems, as well as memory impairment and depression. Other symptoms include numbness, pain, slurred speech and blurred vision. Many patients experience fatigue and problems with bladder, bowel or sexual function.

RRMS is the most common form of MS and accounts for approximately 65 percent of all MS cases. RRMS is characterized by acute exacerbations with full or partial recovery between attacks. The disease does not progress between attacks.

Rituxan Safety Profile in Oncology and Autoimmune Diseases
The safety profile of Rituxan has been established in more than 960,000 patient exposures over a period of eight years.

In general, the adverse events observed in patients with RA, an autoimmune disease, were similar in type to those seen in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). The most common adverse events observed in patients treated with Rituxan for RA in clinical trials were infusion reactions and infections. No significant change in average immunoglobulin levels was observed in Rituxan-treated patients in clinical trials. There was no increase in hematologic malignancies, demyelinating events or risk of opportunistic infections (including tuberculosis) in Rituxan-treated patients over 24 weeks of treatment. Although 5 percent of Rituxan-treated patients developed human anti-chimeric antibodies (HACA), this was not associated with loss of clinical response or additional safety observations.

The majority of patients experience infusion-related symptoms with their first Rituxan infusion. These symptoms include but are not limited to: flu-like illness, fever, chills/rigors, nausea, urticaria, headache, bronchospasm, angioedema, hypotension and hypoxia. These symptoms vary in severity and generally are reversible with medical intervention.

Severe infusion reactions have been reported in patients treated with Rituxan, some with fatal outcomes in patients with NHL. These severe reactions typically occur during the first infusion. The most severe manifestations and sequelae include pulmonary infiltrates, acute respiratory distress syndrome, myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation, cardiogenic shock, and anaphylactic and anaphylactoid events. Patients who develop clinically significant infusion reactions should have their Rituxan infusion discontinued and receive medical treatment. Acute renal failure requiring dialysis with instances of fatal outcome has been reported in the setting of tumor lysis syndrome following treatment with Rituxan. Severe mucocutaneous skin reactions, some with fatal outcome, have been reported in association with Rituxan treatment. Patients experiencing a severe mucocutaneous reaction should not receive any further infusions and seek prompt medical evaluation. Abdominal pain, bowel obstruction and perforation, in some cases leading to death, were observed in patients receiving Rituxan in combination with chemotherapy for diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL), CD20-positive, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Other serious or potentially life-threatening adverse reactions that have been reported following Rituxan therapy include Hepatitis B reactivation with fulminant hepatitis, other viral infections, hypersensitivity reactions, and cardiac arrhythmias.

About Rituxan

Rituxan is a therapeutic antibody that targets and selectively depletes CD20-positive B-cells without targeting stem cells or existing plasma cells. In addition to RRMS, Rituxan is being studied in primary progressive MS, for which there is currently no FDA-approved therapy. Rituxan is being studied in other autoimmune diseases with significant unmet medical needs, including systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis and ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Rituxan, discovered by Biogen Idec, first received FDA approval in November 1997 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was also approved in the European Union under the trade name MabThera® in June 1998. In addition, Rituxan received FDA approval in February 2006 for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in combination with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) or other anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens in previously untreated patients, as well as in combination with methotrexate to reduce signs and symptoms in adult patients with moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor antagonist therapies.

Genentech and Biogen Idec co-market Rituxan in the United States, and Roche markets MabThera in the rest of the world, except Japan, where Rituxan is co-marketed by Chugai and Zenyaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. Rituxan has more than 960,000 patient exposures worldwide. For a copy of the Rituxan full prescribing information, including Boxed Warning, please call 1–800-821–8590 or visit http://www.gene.com.

About Genentech

Founded 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs. A considerable number of the currently approved biotechnology products originated from or are based on Genentech science. Genentech manufactures and commercializes multiple biotechnology products and licenses several additional products to other companies. The company has headquarters in South San Francisco, California and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.

About Biogen Idec

Biogen Idec creates new standards of care in oncology, neurology and immunology. As a global leader in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of novel therapies, Biogen Idec transforms scientific discoveries into advances in human healthcare. For product labeling, press releases and additional information about the company, please visit http://www.biogenidec.com.

European Journal of Neurology Publishes MBP8298 Phase ll and Long-Term Follow-up Data

June 13, 2006

Long-term efficacy and safety shown in multiple sclerosis patients-.

Edmonton, Alberta, June 13, 2006 – BioMS Medical Corp (TSX: MS), a leading developer in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), today announced that results of the phase II and long-term follow-up treatment of MS patients with MBP8298 have been published in the European Journal of Neurology (EJN). The publication highlights long-term efficacy, safety and mechanism of action data in respect of MBP8298. The journal also features an editorial entitled “The coming of age for antigen-specific therapy of multiple sclerosis.” The data was published in the EJN online early issue and is expected to appear in the August 2006 printed issue.

The results show that MBP8298 safely delayed disease progression for five years in progressive MS patients with HLA-DR2 or HLA-DR4 immune response genes. Treatment and follow-up of patients demonstrated that patients in this DR2 and DR4 responder group, who comprise up to 75% of MS patients, had a median time to disease progression of 78 months as compared to 18 months for patients who received placebo.

“Our data suggest that we can safely delay progression of MS in an identified responder group of patients for extended periods of time,” said Ingrid Catz, co-inventor of MBP8298 and co-author of the phase II study. “Recognizing the high variability of the disease in MS patients, the clinical and mechanistic evidence gathered to date supports the rationale of targeting patients with the HLA-DR2 or HLA-DR4 immune response gene. The identification of this responder group will improve efficiency toward the achievement of objectives in future clinical trials with MBP8298, while the potential for clinical responses in patients with other HLA haplotypes is further explored.”

“While this is phase II data and needs to be confirmed in the on-going phase III trial, it is very hopeful information for MS patients,” said Dr. Mark Freedman, Professor of Neurology at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Research Clinic at the Ottawa Hospital. “To delay disease progression for five years in progressive MS patients is a big step – there are currently very limited options available to treat this form of multiple sclerosis.”

“The MS Society is pleased to hear about the positive results from this clinical trial and will watch closely the Phase III clinical trials,” adds Dr. William J. McIlroy, national medical advisor for the MS Society of Canada. “Having a drug that treats progressive MS would be very well received.”

Phase II and Long Term Study Results

The Phase II study followed 32 patients with clinically diagnosed, MRI-confirmed progressive MS for 24 months, comparing safety and efficacy between MBP8298 and placebo administered intravenously every six months. Patients with the HLA-DR2 and/or HLA-DR4 immune response genes were identified as the key responder group, with no HLA-DR2 and/or DR4 patients on MBP8298 demonstrating progression during the initial 24 months, as compared to over 50% of the patients on placebo (p=0.01). After 5 years of open label follow-up treatment, comparison of disease progression in the HLA-DR2 or DR4 patients receiving MBP8298 with those in the original placebo group showed that the median time to first confirmed progression on EDSS was 78 months compared to 18 months for patients who had received placebo (Kaplan-Meier analysis, p = 0.004, relative rate of progression = 0.23). Patients were entered into the trial as matched pairs, had comparable baseline characteristics, and were randomized on a 1:1 basis between drug and placebo. Measurements of progression on EDSS followed the standard scoring method of one full point change for those patients with a starting EDSS score of 5.0 or less, and one half point change for those patients with a starting score of 5.5 or higher.

No serious adverse events were reported during the trial and follow up period, with MBP8298 appearing to be well tolerated. The most common side effect reported was occasional injection site redness and burning that was not seen to be evident of increased hypersensitivity or allergic reaction, and with as many placebo patients in the double blind trial reporting this side effect as patients receiving drug. To date, there are more than 300 patient years of treatment experience with the longest individual patient treatment period now at more than 12 years.

Novel Mechanism of Action

In MS patients the body’s immune system inappropriately attacks the myelin coating around the nerves in the brain and spinal column, whereas healthy people are otherwise “tolerant” of such common body components. The proposed mechanism of action of MBP8298 is, by design, to re-introduce such a state of “tolerance” to a critical portion of the nerve’s Myelin Basic Protein that is an immunological site of attack in many MS patients. This is accomplished by the IV injection of a large dose of a soluble antigen, as represented by MBP8298, into MS patients. The phase II results published in the EJN demonstrated significant evidence of this “tolerance” effect, as HLA-DR2 and HLA-DR4 patients not only responded clinically to MBP8298, but they also had their antibodies to Myelin Basic Protein suppressed during the course of their treatment. This effect was achieved through the treatment regimen of one intravenous injection two times per year.

Pivotal Phase II/III Multiple Sclerosis Trial

BioMS Medical is currently enrolling patients across Canada, the U.K., Sweden and Denmark in its pivotal phase II/III clinical trial evaluating MBP8298 for the treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The trial is a randomized, double-blind study enrolling approximately 553 patients who will be administered either MBP8298 or placebo intravenously every six months for a period of two years. The primary clinical endpoint for the trial is defined as a statistically and clinically significant increase in the time to progression of the disease as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), in patients with HLA-DR2 and/or HLA-DR4 immune response genes. Time to disease progression in patients with other HLA-DR types will be assessed separately as an exploratory arm of the same study. To date the trial has successfully passed four safety reviews by its independent Data Safety Monitoring Board.

The 13th Annual Race To Erase MS Themed “Disco Fever To Erase MS”

May 12, 2006

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES BY KOOL & THE GANG, SISTER SLEDGE AND NATALIE COLE

Tony Danza, Tom Arnold & Bill Maher to Emcee the Live Auction

(Los Angeles, CA – March 2006) – Co-Chairs Nancy Davis and Tommy Hilfiger welcome celebrity friends and guests to the 13th Annual Race to Erase MS event, themed “Disco Fever to Erase MS” on Friday, May 12th, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. The event will feature live performances by disco legends Kool & The Gang, Sister Sledge and Grammy Award winning artist Natalie Cole, in addition to other surprise guests. The evening will benefit The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis and is sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, American Airlines, Serono and Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

Tom Arnold, Tony Danza, and Bill Maher return as this year’s celebrity auctioneers at the night’s exciting live auction. The high-energy auction will feature an extraordinary list of unique luxury and entertainment items including a dance lesson with “Dancing with the Stars” champion Drew Lachey and his partner Cheryl Burke, a Yorkie puppy to take home and the chance to attend and cover an event with Tom Arnold for his hit show “Best Damn Sports Show Period” among other items to be announced.

The event will be highlighted by an exclusive celebrity fashion show featuring one-of-a-kind disco inspired designs by Tommy Hilfiger. Celebrities expected to attend include Marcia Cross, Sela Ward, Randy Jackson, Lisa Rinna, Harry Hamlin, Kristin Cavalleri, Daisy Fuentes, Brian Austin Green, Leeza Gibbons, Eva LaRue with many others to be announced. The event is produced by Suzanne de Passe, with David Foster as the musical director. Last year’s event raised $2.7 million for The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, which was founded by Davis in 1993.

This year Nancy Davis will also further her mission to eradicate MS, spread awareness and help others battling their diagnosis with the release of her first book LEAN ON ME: 10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis and Taking Back Your Life (Fireside/Simon & Schuster, Inc; April 2006). The book is a powerful tool to help guide anyone who has been given a life threatening diagnosis to making good choices, finding the right healthcare and taking back their life. It is not just the story of Nancy’s personal diagnosis, but a “how to” guide where she imparts her hard earned wisdom to others to help them face their disease and move on with their life. All guests of the Race to Erase MS will receive a copy of the book.

The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure for MS. Funding research is the core focus of the Foundation and significant strides have been made to find the cause and cure of this devastating disease. All funds raised through The Race to Erase MS event support “The Nancy Davis Center Without Walls” program, a selected network of the nation’s top seven MS research centers representing UC San Francisco, Brigham & Women’s Harvard Hospital, Yale, The Cleveland Clinic, Oregon Health Science University, Johns Hopkins and University of Southern California. This nationwide collaboration of physicians, scientists and clinicians are on the cutting-edge of innovative research programs and therapeutic approaches to eradicate MS. It is the hope of the Foundation that in addition to combating MS through research in a clinical environment, an increased awareness will be created by educating the public about this mystifying disease.

Tickets to the 13th annual Race to Erase MS start at $1,000. To purchase tickets for the event, please call (310) 440–4842. For additional information or to request media credentials to cover this event, please call Andy Gelb or Kelly Stephens of PMK/HBH at (310) 289–6200.

Tackle MS with Positive Thought

March 31, 2006

Health Activist Nancy Davis Takes On Multiple Sclerosis

Fourteen years ago, a highly regarded doctor told Nancy Davis that she was lucky she could operate a remote control and that she didn’t have a brain tumor.

What she had was multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive and degenerative neurological condition, and she didn’t feel that lucky. At the time, she was a 33-year-old mother of three trapped in a rapidly deteriorating marriage and recovering from a painful ski injury.

But that was then. Now, Davis, 47, the founder of The Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, remains an avid skier and tennis player, is a black belt in karate, an author, and just gave birth to twin girls. “I am not living up to a negative prognosis and I feel amazingly fortunate,” she tells WebMD.

Her secret? Positive thinking, education, and a steadfast determination to live her life to the fullest. This can-do philosophy is now the basis of Davis’ new book Lean on Me: 10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis and Taking Back Your Life. The book provides an easy-to-follow 10-step roadmap to accepting illness, facing fears, and thriving in the face of chronic disease.

From Concern to Courage

The Los Angeles-based jewelry designer’s diagnosis came shortly after she sustained a knee injury during a ski trip in Aspen, Colo. Days later, she felt numbness that spread from her fingers and hands to her abdomen. Her orthopaedist said these symptoms were not related to her knee and that she should consult a neurologist. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed plaques on her brain and spinal cord, which are the hallmarks of MS.

Though exactly what causes it is unknown, MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS), which comprises the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, including the optic nerves. A fatty tissue called myelin surrounds and protects the nerve fibers of the CNS, helping them conduct electrical impulses.

In MS, however, the myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving scar tissue called sclerosis. These damaged areas are also known as plaques or lesions. Symptoms vary from person to person, but they can include abnormal fatigue, vision problems, loss of balance and muscle coordination, slurred speech, tremors, stiffness, or bladder problems.

Like Davis, most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. Worldwide, MS may affect 2.5 million individuals, according to statistics from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

What sets Davis, the daughter of the late oilman-turned-Hollywood-mogul Marvin Davis, apart from the fray is her attitude.

Sure, “my first reaction was to hide under my covers, cry, and feel sorry for myself,” she admits. But “people who do that don’t do well. The people who do well get really educated and don’t have time to be sick.”

Davis is definitely on to something with her philosophy, says Judith Orloff, MD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles and author of Positive Energy.

“As a psychiatrist and a physician, one of the most important factors in whether a person heals is their positive energy and sense of empowerment,” she tells WebMD. “Positive thinking primes our biochemistry so we are ready to heal.”

Start by letting it all out, she says. “Just scream wildly, cry, wail, and let every emotion out because it’s not realistic to be too Pollyannaish from the start,” she says. “The patients that do the best are the ones that are fighting for themselves with a positive attitude.”

And that is Davis. “You can always make a choice to make it better,” Davis says. “It’s easy to get depressed, and I am not saying you don’t have the right to feel sorry for yourself, but at the end of the day that’s not going to help you. If there are things you can do today to make the quality of your life better, there is no reason not to do them.”

Make Your Health Your Job

Making your health your job involves owning your diagnosis, becoming an expert on your disease, and finding the best doctor for you. Whether MS, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, or AIDS, “it’s about making the effort to really do your homework and learn every detail you can about your disease,” she says. “If you walk away, your fear level will go up, but if you deal with things head-on, have conversations with family members, friends, other patients, and make lists, you are going to feel a lot better. Get educated, ask questions, write everything down, and just sit down and take inventory of your life and realize that everything bad can have a good side.”

Education can be tricky, she says. “You need to stay up in the latest, but there is some strange information out there so you have to go to respectable sources.” In her book, she highlights reliable web sites for health information.

“Listen, learn, and don’t give into the negativity,” she says. “Look for the light at end of the tunnel and know you know their body better than anyone else and you have a right to a great life.”

While admitting this can be easier said than done, Davis says it’s important to be honest with yourself. “It’s about admitting you have a disease and not putting off going to a doctor,” she says.

“One doctor may not be as thoroughly educated on your disease as you think he is,” she says. “Medicine is so finite and specialized in different areas. It’s your job when you get diagnosed to become the expert on your disease.”

Always get a second opinion, she stresses. Also, she says, always bring someone to the doctor’s visits and the hospital with you. “It’s really important to have someone there for you because when you are sick you don’t hear things correctly. Sometimes, you always hear the best and sometimes you always hear the worst.”

For Davis, her support team comprises a variety of people. “Sometimes it’s my husband and sometimes it’s my few best friends who are always there for me,” she says.

Another helpful strategy about living with chronic illness is to always carry a medical identification card. “Every time I would go out at night, I would take my credit card, driver’s license, AAA card, and my insurance card, but I never had a card that said ‘I am allergic to this,’ ‘I have this,’ and/or ‘If I die I want to be an organ donor,’” she says.

“You can’t speak for yourself in a medical crisis,” she says. “I think everyone should have one so that the emergency medical services know who to contact in case of an emergency.” Options include bracelets, pendants, and ID cards that can be customized with your specific health information.

Diagnosis as a Wake-Up Call

Another way to move forward after receiving a diagnosis of a chronic illness is to embrace change and face fear, she says. “Life before disease is a different story,” she says. “The things that mattered before don’t matter anymore. Nothing matters when you don’t have your health.”

Davis says her diagnosis made her turn her life inside out and upside down. She divorced her husband because he was “incredibly negative” and her deteriorating marriage was one of the biggest stressors in her life. Stress can exacerbate MS and other chronic diseases.

But she has now been remarried for 12 years to an extremely supportive man and recently gave birth to twin girls, Isabella and Miranda. Her oldest three sons, now ages 21, 23, and 25, are also extremely supportive.

“I didn’t set out to have MS. No one picks a disease, it picks you,” she says. But “MS gave me a very different level of appreciation. I took a lot of things for granted before MS; I didn’t realize how full my glass was.” Now, “when I get out of bed and put my feet on the ground and can feel them, I think, ‘this is unbelievable. I am really lucky at least for today.’”
Meeting Flares Head-On

MS tends to involve periods of low to no disease activity known as remissions and periods of exacerbations of disease called flares.

“The second I feel things coming on, I take charge very quickly,” Davis says. “I don’t kid myself and think things will just go away. You have to know your body. No doctor knows you as well as you know yourself, so you must take action as soon as something happened. Sometimes I sail along with no attacks for years and when I have one I am insulted, but it is a wake-up call, and it makes me realize if I am not good to myself, I am not good to anyone else.”

She says being good to herself involves leading a semi-puritan lifestyle.

“I believe the best thing that I do for myself is that I never drink or smoke; I don’t drink caffeine; I take lots of vitamins, exercise, and lead a healthy lifestyle,” she says. “I can’t afford to get a flu or a fever because it kicks off an attack that can last for five months. I get the proper amount of rest and try not to take on things I can’t handle.”

Luckily, she can handle a lot as Davis’ charitable work has raised $22 million for MS research. As the director of the The Nancy Davis Foundation for MS, Davis holds an annual Race to Erase MS gala, which raises more than $2.7 million in a single evening.

“Charity work is the most gratifying thing that I can do,” she says. “Giving people the ability to help find cures, educative themselves, [and] put them with the right doctor is the final step in making health come full circle.”

The ‘Aha’ Moment

Davis also spearheads the Center Without Walls, a selected network of the nation’s top seven MS research centers, which supports collaboration on the cutting-edge of innovative research programs and therapeutic approaches to eradicate MS.

“When I was first diagnosed, I got many second opinions and I found that all these doctors were doing similar research, yet they thought they were the only ones doing it,” she says. “That’s when a lightbulb went off in my head.”

Her brainchild was the Center Without Walls. “We never spent money on mortar and bricks,” she says. “It’s all about doctors collaborating via a database so they never duplicate each other’s research.”

They also learn from what is going on in each other’s lab. For example, “maybe a drug is being given in doses that are too high or too low or has a terrible side effect if it’s given with something else,” she says. Such collaboration can nip such issues in the bud.

Work such as Davis’ has helped changed the landscape of treatment for MS. When she was first diagnosed, there were no treatments for MS. Now, there are five drugs to help reduce future disease activity. The FDA is currently considering reintroducing a sixth drug, Tysabri. The drug was pulled last year after it was linked to a rare brain disease that caused the death of two patients.

“For the person being diagnosed today, it is such a different landscape,” she says. “So much is happening and there are things to do to treat various symptoms. There has got to be a cure in my lifetime. I really feel it coming.”

BioMS Medical’s MBP8298 Shows Five-Year Delay...

March 7, 2006

BioMS Medical’s MBP8298 Shows Five-Year Delay of Disease Progression in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis – Results to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology April 4, 2006 -

Edmonton, Alberta, March 7, 2006 – BioMS Medical Corp (TSX: MS), a leading developer in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), today announced that its proprietary drug candidate MBP8298 delayed disease progression for five years in progressive MS patients with HLA-DR2 or HLA-DR4 immune response genes. Treatment and follow-up of patients from a phase II clinical study demonstrated that patients in this DR2 and DR4 responder group, who comprise up to 75% of MS patients, had a median time to disease progression (worsening) of 78 months compared to 18 months for patients who received placebo.

“These results show an unprecedented 5-year improvement in time to disease progression in the majority of progressive MS patients,” said Kevin Giese, President and CEO of BioMS Medical. “Pending confirmation of these results in our ongoing international pivotal trial in secondary progressive MS, we anticipate that MBP8298 will represent a novel first in class treatment for MS patients.”

The findings are based on a two-year treatment and five-year follow-on study conducted and analyzed by the University of Alberta and BioMS Medical. The primary objective of the trial was to assess the clinical efficacy of 500mg of MBP8298 administrated intravenously every six months, as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Long-term follow-up treatment and assessment of 20 progressive MS patients with the HLA-DR2 or HLA-DR4 immune response genes demonstrated a median time to progression of 78 months (6.5 years) for MBP8298 treated patients compared to 18 months (1.5 years) for patients treated with placebo in the initial study (Kaplan-Meier analysis, p=0.004).

Details of the study and its findings will be presented at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology on April 4, 2006 in San Diego, CA.

Phase II/III Pivotal Multiple Sclerosis Trial
BioMS Medical is currently enrolling patients across Canada, the U.K. and Sweden in its pivotal phase II/III clinical trial evaluating MBP8298 for the treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The trial is a randomized, double-blind study enrolling approximately 553 patients who will be administered either MBP8298 or placebo intravenously every six months for a period of two years. The primary clinical endpoint for the trial is defined as a statistically and clinically significant increase in the time to progression of the disease as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). To date the trial has successfully completed three safety reviews by its independent Data Safety Monitoring Board.