Clinical trial finds drug slows MS brain shrinkage in progressive multiple sclerosis

A promising drug slowed brain shrinkage in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) by nearly half, according to new research led by Cleveland Clinic. Currently, very limited therapies are available for this disabling form of the disease. The definitive results of the phase 2 trial €“ published in the New England Journal of Medicine €“ showed that the drug ibudilast decreased progression of brain atrophy in progressive MS patients by 48% versus placebo. The two-year SPRINT-MS study was conducted at 28 sites with 255 patients. Robert Fox, MD, the study’s principal investigator and vice-chair for research in Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute, said: