We would just like to thank you for your help in getting a new trial for progressive MS funded. This is the frequent lumbar puncture study we have been lobbying for. The study will test a neuroprotective compound in MSers with SPMS. The study is being supported by the NMSS (USA) and represents follow-on funding from our work done as part of Promise 2010.
Without your help we never have got it funded; you provide the necessary data to convince the reviewers’ that MSers are prepared to have multiple lumbar punctures as part of a clinical trial. This study will involve a London-based consortium and will be done under the umbrella of UCL Partners; essentially the MS Teams of Barts and The London, Queen Square and the Royal Free Hospital.
For those of you wanting to know more about the study design please look at the following YouTube video:
THANK YOU!
Congrats to Prof G and the team! And thanks to everyone who participated! 🙂
Well done.What trial will this be – Phase I?Any ideas about timings e.g. when it will start? Does it looks promising (in your view)?
Hooray!
Good news, well done all those people who said they'd have multiple LPs… 🙂 yikes, did I say that?!Brilliant if this helps to reduce the time taken by some of these trials, and the knock on effect of getting closer to an understanding of MS, and potential therapies.
Wonderful news Prof G & Team! Have been keeping my fingers crossed for you all the way through (and MD his legs :-)) Also thanks to my fellow bloggers who participated (myself included).Team G – will you keep us informed about the trial progress? Would be great, if possible.
Good news Team GB (Giovannoni / Baker).Go for gold on this won. Failure is not an option.
Good news! And thank you for initiating this. Hope it starts a trend for all neuroprotection trials
What trial will this be – Phase I?No the drug we plan to use is already used in humans, we are looking for efficacyAny ideas about timings e.g. when it will start?Prof G can tell you more but there is alot of paperwork that needs to put in place first.Does it looks promising (in your view)? We are always optimistic otherwise we would not want to do it.
Prof Mouse,Is the trial to test a treatment or to test whether this approach (spinal tap) can be used to monitor progression (and other treatments can be tested)?I've had alemtuzumab, so could I get a spinal tap (using this trail methodology) to test if my disease is progresing i.e. on-going damage?On the issue of optimism – raised – I suppose some of us remember the Lamotirigen and Cannaboids studies – the researchers were optimistic, but the drugs didn't deliver for patients.
Regarding the Lamotrigene and particularly the Cannabinoid studies the trial design left something to be desired (I'm being diplomatic here). This shouldn't be the case with this study so let's try to keep a little optimism! You can also learn a lot from a failed trial too to ensure the next one is done better.
I have some questions similar to the last comment- 1. Can this approach be used for RRMS trials too, instead of counting relapses and lesions? 2. Can it replace MRIs to check if a treatment is working?
What is the name of the neuroprotective agent?
Re: "Can this approach be used for RRMS trials too, instead of counting relapses and lesions?"Possibly! The approach is designed for targeting the progressive component of the disease. Re: "Can it replace MRIs to check if a treatment is working?"Possibly. It is being used for this in clinical practice in Sweden. The Swedes have done most of the work on this and are early adopters of new innovations.