Tag Archives: Multiple Sclerosis

A PARTEEN scientist is leading a new €2.39 million research programme at Queen’s University Belfast to investigate reversing the damage caused by Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Dr Denise Fitzgerald from the Centre for Experimental Medicine at Queen’s is working with a team of international scientists on the ground-breaking MS research project to develop a new class of treatment for MS, which could restore lost functions in patients and significantly improve their quality of life. The research programme, which is funded by the Wellcome Trust and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), aims to understand how myelin, the insulating layer that surrounds nerves in the central nervous system, can be repaired. Thousands of people in Ireland are affected by MS, with Northern Ireland having the second-highest incidence of MS in the world. Dr Fitzgerald was paralysed by a condition similar to MS when she was 21 but has fully recovered. Dr Fitzgerald, who graduated from UCD, has been in the Queen’s …

THE HSE has been accused of “pulling the carpet from under the feet” of a Doonbeg Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferer, following the withdrawal of a free drug. Angela Fitzpatrick has also questioned why the HSE didn’t make the necessary arrangements to pay for an alternative drug before it decided to withdraw the reimbursement of Fampridine from her husband, Nick, under the GMS and other schemes from July 1 next. Nick, who was  diagnosed with MS 12 years ago, at the age of 48, has been taking Fampridine, otherwise known as Famprya, for the last 18 months. “It was a huge shock to us when our pharmacist informed us the drug would be withdrawn and, if we wanted it, we would have to pay between €300 and €500 a month, which isn’t viable for us and other MS sufferers who are on a limited income. “It is scary because his body has got used to this drug now. It would have …

Shannon Airport staff got on their bikes at the weekend to undertake a gruelling 175km charity cycle. The cyclists braved the worst of the May weather, as driving wind and rain throughout the 10-hour cycle added to the challenging circuit. In all, they raised €14,000 for the neonatal unit at the Regional Maternity Hospital, the Samaritans and the Clare branch of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society of Ireland. The group set off at 8am from King John’s Castle, Limerick, on Saturday, for a route that took them all the way to the Cliffs of Moher, before concluding at the airport. Speaking after the cycle, Shannon Airport’s operations director, Niall Maloney, said the effort was more than worth it. “It was a tough cycle for all involved, not least a number of people who are new enough to the sport, so they deserve great credit as we had a very tough route and very challenging weather. “We raised around €14,000 for …