The Handoff: Your Week in Neurology News – 10/6/16

The Handoff is a weekly roundup of neurology news covering various developments in subspecialties, the pharmaceutical industry, and the overall state of health care as it affects neurologists. Keep your finger on the pulse of neurology with The Handoff.

– The US Drug Enforcement Agency has announced a major cut in manufacturing of nearly every Schedule II opiate and opioid medication, amounting to an approximate 25% reduction in 2017. 

– Amgen announced promising results from the ARISE study, saying that its experimental migraine treatment AMG 334 significantly reduced the number of migraine days in patients with episodic migraine.

– The US FDA has approved a new spinal cord stimulation device for patients with chronic pain.

– A Swiss biotech company is planning to launch a study to examine an all-oral combination therapy for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis.

– The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi for his research on autophagy and its role in neurological disorders.

– Caring for fake baby dolls is catching on as a calming and joy-inducing method of dementia management; however critics have something else to say about this adult “play time.”

– The US DEA has delayed its expected ban on kratom as supporters in the research community voice their support for the compound, saying it acts on opioid receptors differently than current opioid drugs on the market.

– Georgetown researchers have been awarded grant support to study the utility of nilotinib, a cancer drug, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

– In a bid to bolster veterans mental health care, the Department of Veterans Affairs has announced an education repayment program for psychiatrists who commit to servicing the VA health system for a period of time.

– A wearable ultrasound device for stroke detection is gaining momentum as it prepares for clinical trials later this year.

– The national health authority for England and Wales has reportedly failed to recommend the approval of Zinbryta for the treatment of MS. The decision, which counters that of the European Union and US, is now open for comment.

– Forbes takes an in-depth look at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, its charitable forays, and why name recognition can be a powerful tool inside the lab.

– An app developed by Google can help healthy individuals visualize what it’s like to go about life with Alzheimer’s disease. Watch the video below to get a feel for how we think patients with dementia see the world.