RealTalk MS

Experts estimate that about 50% of the people living with MS are impacted by depression. And left untreated, depression can darken your entire outlook on the world. We're going to explore MS and depression with my guest, Dr. Amy Sullivan, Director of Behavioral Medicine at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis at the Cleveland Clinic. We've got the latest news, views, interviews & breakthroughs that are important to you. So...are you ready for RealTalk MS?

This week's guests are Doctors Lee Hartswell and Katherine Heller, the co-principal investigators of the MS MOSAIC study from Duke University. More than just a study that will help us learn a lot about day-to-day living with MS, the MS MOSAIC study is a perfect example of how we're going to interact with our medical teams in the very near future. We'll also talk about the link between concussion and MS, the connection between diet and MS pain, and a great online resource for caregivers.

Last week, more than 9,000 MS research scientists, physicians, and pharmaceutical industry experts attended ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS, the largest annual international MS research conference in the world. And we're devoting this week's podcast episode to talking about what they were talking about! Welcome to the RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Round-Up! We've got the news, views, interviews & breakthroughs that are important to you. So...are you ready for RealTalk MS?

This week, we're talking about MS Activism with the former mayor of Sacramento, California and current MS Activist, Heather Fargo. In last week's podcast, we talked about the prescription drug price transparency bill that was recently signed into law in California. Heather played an important role in the passage of that law, and we'll be talking to her about why that law is so important to the MS community, and why activism plays a vital role in advocating on behalf of families living with MS.

This week, RealTalk MS is all about MS research. Jon's guest is Dr. Bruce Bebo, Executive Vice President of Research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Since its inception, the National MS Society has invested more than $900 million dollars in MS research. Jon and Bruce discuss the key research priorities that the MS Society has identified, and then take you on a step-by-step "behind the scenes" look at exactly how the National MS Society evaluates and funds MS research.

This week's episode focuses on some of the cutting edge research being done in the Progressive MS arena. Jon's guest, Dr. Tim Coetzee, Chief Advocacy, Services & Research Officer at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, takes us through the work of the International Progressive MS Alliance. Tim and Jon also talk about Ocrevus -- the very first drug to receive FDA approval for the treatment of Progressive MS, and what that means for future Progressive MS drug therapy. Are you ready for RealTalk MS?

MS news, interviews & breakthroughs. In this week's podcast, we're talking to Dr. Lilyana Amezcua, the lead investigator in a new research study that looks at how genetics and culture can impact the severity of MS among Hispanic-Americans. We'll also talk about how -- without much fanfare -- the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the RAISE Family Caregivers Act last week. And we'll talk about research that may point toward a treatment that will stop and even reverse progression in progressive MS.

Join host Jon Strum as he talks about the serious threat that the Cassidy-Graham healthcare bill poses to the MS community. Jon is joined by former Representative Donna Edwards, who worked to pass the Affordable Care Act in 2010, and then found herself diagnosed with MS in 2016. We'll also be talking about the passage of an important piece of legislation in California which may end up leading the way for other states to create greater transparency in prescription drug pricing. Plus...lots more real talk!

Jon Strum cuts through all the jargon, breaks down the latest multiple sclerosis news, and talks to the people in the MS community who are making the news.