Episode 359: The Unraveling with Dr. Nara Michaelson

As Harvard Fellow Dr. Nara Michaelson treated women who had been recently diagnosed with MS, she recognized they shared characteristics that she had observed in victims of violent domestic abuse. Dr. Michaelson's observation led her to write The Unraveling, an essay that highlights the fear that can accompany the uncertainty of living with MS.  Dr. Michaelson joins me to discuss the experiences that led to her award-winning essay and to share resources that can help maintain your emotional health and well-being in a good place when you're living with MS. We're also sharing the details about BEAT-MS, a clinical trial that will compare autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) with high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies when it comes to reducing or eliminating MS relapse activity. And we'll let you know how to find out if you could be a potential participant in this important clinical trial.  We'll tell you about the FDA approval granted to Abata Therapeutics to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial of ABA-101, their experimental therapy for progressive MS. We're sharing news about the Federal Trade Commission's newly released report on Pharmacy Benefit Managers. (And we'll tell you why this matters to every person in the United States who takes a prescription medication) And we'll tell you about Take Charge, a new virtual program from Can Do MS that you can participate in at no cost! We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: The Unraveling  :22 BEAT-MS clinical trial compares AHSCT with high-efficacy DMTs  1:58 FDA clears ABA-101 for Phase 1 clinical trial  5:17 FTC is turning its focus to Pharmacy Benefit Managers  6:55 Can Do MS offers new Take Charge virtual program  11:47 Dr. Nara Michaelson discusses her award-winning essay, The Unraveling  13:23 Share this episode  29:15 Next week: Dr. Riley Bove discusses how digital technology has become a game-changer in diagnosing, treating, and managing MS  29:35 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  29:55 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/359 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com The Unraveling https://neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209492 BEAT-MS Clinical Trial https://beat-ms.org RealTalk MS Episode 205: A Potentially Transformational Therapy for Progressive MS with Samantha Singer and Dr. Richard Ransohoff https://realtalkms.com/205 FTC Report -- Pharmacy Benefit Managers: The Powerful Middlemen Inflating Drug Costs and Squeezing Main Street Pharmacies https://ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf REGISTER for Take Charge https://cando-ms.org/event/take-charge-young-and-newly-diagnosed Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 359 Guests: Dr. Nara Michaelson Privacy Policy