International Collaborative for Progressive MS

Fox RJ et al. Setting a research agenda for progressive multiple sclerosis: The International Collaborative on Progressive MS. MS Journal August 23, 2012, doi:10.1177/1352458512458169 [Epub ahead of print]

Despite significant progress in the development of therapies for relapsing MS, progressive MS remains comparatively disappointing. Our objective, in this paper, is to review the current challenges in developing therapies for progressive MS and identify key priority areas for research. A collaborative was convened by volunteer and staff leaders from several MS societies with the mission to expedite the development of effective disease-modifying and symptom management therapies for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. Through a series of scientific and strategic planning meetings, the collaborative identified and developed new perspectives on five key priority areas for research: experimental models, identification and validation of targets and repurposing opportunities, proof-of-concept clinical trial strategies, clinical outcome measures, and symptom management and rehabilitation. Our conclusions, tackling the impediments in developing therapies for progressive MS will require an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to enable effective translation of research into therapies for progressive MS. Engagement of the MS research community through an international effort is needed to address and fund these research priorities with the ultimate goal of expediting the development of disease-modifying and symptom-relief treatments for progressive MS.

Despite great progress in relapsing MS, much work is needed to achieve similar successes for progressive MS. There are a number of key areas of unmet need which are blocking treatment development in progressive MS. Although the international scientific community has made progress in some of these areas, there have not been commensurate gains in progressive MS treatments.

Clinical trials, including Phase II and Phase III trials
-MS phenotypic project
(NMSS/ECTRIMS Clinical Trials Committee)
- Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite Study Group
- Risk Factors for MS Progression Project
- Pathobiology of MS:
(MS Scientific Research Foundation Multi-Center Grant)
- UK MS Clinical Trials Network
- Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite Task Force
(National MS Society

Tackling these issues will require an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to enable effective translation of research into therapies. To this end, the International Progressive MS Collaborative is committed to engaging the MS research community through an international effort to fund a spectrum of research activities relevant to progressive MS with the ultimate goal of expediting the development of disease-modifying and symptom-relief treatments for progressive MS.

To address these five challenging areas, which currently impede the treatment of progressive MS, the International Progressive MS Collaborative commissioned five working groups, comprised of international experts, to identify specific strategies and potential lines of research that would overcome the barriers and realize the opportunities within each area. Following an international meeting in early 2013, we anticipate that a call will be issued to address these opportunities. Potential sources of funding for this call include the existing research funding mechanisms of the member organizations of the International Progressive MS Collaborative as well as other partners (e.g., government, industry). In addition, there will be an international fundraising effort led by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation and financial support will be solicited from diverse channels around the world, including foundations, government, corporate, and private funding organizations. Fostering global collaboration by the MS research community is a bold ambition, and potentially fraught with many challenges. Fortunately, the opportunities have never been as favorable as they are today, with unprecedented data on disease aetiology, pathophysiology, and disease course. Furthermore, we can look to other diseases for inspiration.

Collaborative efforts like the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research, the Alzheimer’s Disease, Neuroimaging Initiative, and the Innovative Medicines Initiative, provide powerful examples of how collaboration can accelerate research among a diverse group of stakeholders. While the collaborative efforts in progressive MS will almost certainly differ from those in other fields, the time is right for concerted action.

International Collaborative on Progressive Multiple Sclerosis was initiated by the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (FISM), MS Society of Canada, MS International Federation, MS Research Foundation (The Netherlands), UK MS Society, and the National MS Society (USA).

CoI:  MouseDoctor is co-author of this publication

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