New Drug Combination Shows Promise for Multiple Sclerosis Myelin Repair
New Drug Combination Shows Promise for Multiple Sclerosis Myelin Repair
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“Exciting” early clinical results suggest that a new class of therapies may soon be available for multiple sclerosis (MS), offering hope that nerve damage caused by the degenerative disease could be reversed, according to The Guardian.
The CCMR Two trial at the University of Cambridge tested a combination of metformin, a common diabetes drug, and clemastine, an antihistamine, on 70 people with relapsing MS. Scientists measured how quickly electrical signals traveled between the eyes and the brain to assess the drugs’ effect on remyelination—the repair of the protective myelin sheaths around nerve fibers.
Although the effect was too small for patients to notice any clinical improvement after six months, tests revealed a measurable boost in nerve function. Dr. Nick Cunniffe, the trial’s lead neurologist, called the finding a “positive proof of concept,” suggesting the drugs have a biological effect that promotes myelin repair.
Experts stress that finding drugs to remyelinate nerves is crucial, as the progressive loss of the myelin sheath drives long-term disability for the nearly 3 million people globally living with MS. Researchers cautioned that the drugs should not be taken outside of clinical trials due to ongoing safety assessments and side effects.
