Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Subscribe
`;
document.body.appendChild(modal);
modal.addEventListener(‘click’, () => {
document.cookie=”mos-plan-select=; Max-Age=0; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC;”;
});
modal.querySelector(‘.subscribe-link’)?.addEventListener(‘click’, (e) => {
e.preventDefault();
document.cookie=”mos-plan-select=; Max-Age=0; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC;”;
setTimeout(() => {
window.location.href=”https://www.independent.co.uk/subscribe/app”;
}, 500);
});
});
An existing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory medicine may slow down progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), a world-first trial has found.
The MS Society, which is funding the trial, said the findings showed that ”treatments to slow or stop MS progression have never been more within our reach”.
Researchers said alpha-lipoic acid, also known as ALA, has moved to the second stage of the Octopus trial after showing early promise as a potential treatment to slow progression.
Another drug, diabetes medicine metformin, meanwhile, has been removed after it failed to demonstrate positive findings.
More than 850 people have been recruited at hospitals across the UK and Australia for the study, with more patients being urged to sign up.
Researchers from the Queen Square MS Centre and the innovative clinical trials unit at University College London (UCL) are running the trial.
They believe high-dose ALA could have the potential to become the first neuroprotective treatment in MS.
However, they said people should not attempt to acquire the drug outside of a clinical trial, as further research is needed to fully understand its safety and dosage.
UCL neurologist, Professor Jeremy Chataway, who is leading the study, said: “This is very exciting and proves not only that the Octopus trial design works, but that a new way of protecting nerves could be on the horizon.
“Of course, learning that metformin will be discontinued is disappointing. But finding treatments for progressive MS is extremely difficult, and we’re so pleased to be taking alpha-lipoic acid into the second stage of the trial.
“We’re now looking forward not only to seeing what the final results are, but also to adding in new ‘arms’ to Octopus next year.
“In the meantime, we do need to remind people with MS to not try to source unproven drugs outside the safety of a clinical trial.”
MS symptoms range from chronic fatigue and bladder and bowel problems to issues with mobility.
There are over a dozen treatments for people living with relapsing MS (where symptoms can come and go), but people with the progressive form need new treatments to slow or stop the nerve damage that causes disability.
Dr Emma Gray, director of research at the MS Society, said: “We are so proud to be funding the first ever multi-arm multi-stage (MAMs) trial for people with progressive MS.
“MS can be debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable but today’s results are a huge step forward and show treatments to slow or stop MS progression have never been more within our reach.
“Octopus was made possible entirely by public donations and our Stop MS Appeal. We’re continuing to seek funding from our generous supporters for the future delivery of the trial to build a future where no-one needs to worry about MS getting worse.”
Symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)
NHS
Some of the most common symptoms include:
- feeling extremely tired (fatigue)
- problems with your eyes or your vision, such as blurred vision or eye pain
- numbness or a tingling feeling in different parts of the body
- feeling off balance, dizzy or clumsy (uncoordinated)
- muscle cramps, spasms and stiffness
- needing to pee more often or not being able to control when you pee
- problems with memory or concentration
- sexual problems, including a dry vagina or erection problems
Ailsa Guidi, 50, from Surrey, was one of the first participants on the Octopus trial.
She was diagnosed with relapsing MS in 1999 when she was 24 but in 2023 was told her MS had progressed to secondary progressive MS.
She said: “Being on the trial has been such a positive experience because you’re thinking about MS in positive terms.
“Often I have to talk to medical professionals about getting help to deal with the challenges of MS, but this is different – it’s about working with researchers to find something that can really help thousands of people living with progressive MS.”
Professor Max Parmar, from UCL, said the trial design, also used for prostate cancer, works to accelerate “the evaluation of promising therapies” and deliver benefits to patients “years, and in some cases decades, sooner than would have been possible with conventional approaches”.
He added: “The potential to evaluate treatments more efficiently and accelerate progress for people living with MS is incredibly exciting.”
More than 150,000 people live with MS in the UK.
Anyone who has primary or secondary progressive MS and is aged between 25 to 70 in the UK can register their interest in the trial via the UK MS Register.
They can visit www.ukmsregister.org/octopus