PHILADELPHIA – September 8, 2020 – Health Union has been accepted to present research, in the form of two poster presentations, around progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and disease-modifying therapies (DMT) at MSVirtual2020: 8th Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting. The poster presentations will be available throughout the conference, starting at 8 a.m. on Sept. 11 until the end of events on Sept. 13.

In both poster presentations, Health Union focused on the treatment landscape, specifically DMTs, for people living with progressive forms of MS, including both primary-progressive MS and secondary-progressive MS. While there are currently 17 approved DMTs for patients with relapsing forms of MS, there are limited options for progressive forms of MS.

The first poster presentation is titled, “Use of disease modifying therapies for improved quality of life among progressive MS patients.” This research aimed to understand how progressive MS patients are responding to DMTs – when prescribed off-label – and how their use affects quality of life. The survey results demonstrated positive outcomes – for both MS symptoms and quality of life – for respondents with progressive MS currently using a DMT, as compared to their counterparts who do not use a DMT or report their MS uncontrolled.

The research focus of the second poster presentation, “‘Don’t give up on us!’: Findings from progressive MS patients on disease-modifying therapy,” was to examine progressive MS patients’ interests in treatment and clinical trials, as well as the perceptions of their interactions with health care professionals (HCPs). The research found that although progressive MS respondents were hopeful and engaged in finding a treatment for controlling their symptoms and progression, some felt like they have been overlooked by their HCP.

Both presentations leveraged data from Health Union’s Multiple Sclerosis In America 2019,  a syndicated research study of people living with MS. They also offered insight for how HCPs can work with progressive MS patients to find effective treatment options. 

The authors for both poster presentations are Health Union’s Alina Ahsan, senior manager of community development; Shelby Comito, associate director of community development; Brian M. Green, MS, vice president of community development; Lauren Lawhon, chief operating officer; and Leslie Beth Herbert, Ph.D., vice president of insights operations.

These and other poster presentations will be available on-demand throughout MSVirtual2020. Participants will be able to engage in conversation with the presenting authors through an online chat feature.

MSVirtual2020: the 8th Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting, the largest international conference focused on MS research, will feature presentations from world-class scientists, neurologists, clinicians and researchers on the latest research, clinical trial outcomes and technology and diagnostic advances in MS. It will be held virtually Sept. 11-13, with a special encore session on Sept. 26.

About Health Union, LLC

Since 2010, Health Union has encouraged social interactions that evolve into valuable online health conversations, helping people with chronic conditions find the information, connection, and validation they seek. The company creates condition-specific online communities – publishing original, daily content and continuously cultivating social conversation – to support, educate and connect millions of people with challenging, chronic health concerns. Today, the Health Union family of brands includes 29 online health communities, including LungCancer.net, ParkinsonsDisease.net, MultipleSclerosis.net and Migraine.com.