UK launches ‘revolutionary’ trial for progressive MS patients

Recruitment has started for a ‘revolutionary’ UK trial, which is assessing whether existing drugs can be repurposed to help slow the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).

MS is a disabling, unpredictable neurological disease in which the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath that covers the nerves and disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body.

It is estimated that there are over 130,000 people living with the condition in the UK alone, with around 7,000 people newly diagnosed each year.

There is no cure for MS, with treatments focusing on helping speed the recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.

Octopus, which is backed by £13m in funding from the UK's MS Society, is the first multi-arm, multi-stage trial for the disease.

The flexible design means that multiple drugs can be tested at the same time, and more can be introduced or dropped as results emerge.

The trial will also use MRI to get an idea of whether a drug looks like it has potential, many months before researchers would be able to see an effect of the drug on disability progression.

The trial is currently testing two drugs which have shown the potential to help protect nerves: metformin, which is approved for diabetes in the UK, and alpha lipoic acid, which is approved in Germany for neuropathy – a type of nerve damage that can cause pain, numbness or weakness.

The team is hoping to recruit at least 1,200 patients with progressive MS to take part in Octopus, with people joining gradually over the next six years.

University College London Hospital is currently the only site open, but there will eventually be up to 30 sites around the UK including in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the South of England.

Professor Jeremy Chataway, from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery UCLH in London, who is leading the trial, said: “The multi-arm, multi-stage approach to trialing emerging medications has been utterly transformative in other conditions. So I’m thrilled we’re now able to apply it to progressive MS.

“Ultimately, Octopus will lead to more treatments for progression becoming available to people living with MS sooner. ”