BBC News: 'Major moment in MS research' as new Octopus trial starts

Two years later, in 1999, her vision went fuzzy again. This time, her GP was concerned that it might indicate something more serious.

On a Friday evening, Ailsa went alone for her first MRI brain scan with the neurologist who would give her a life-changing diagnosis.

"He told me: 'you've got very mild multiple sclerosis'. At the time I knew some people who had MS and needed to use a wheelchair. My eyes filled up with tears and the neurologist asked me 'why are you crying? I've just told you it's very mild'," Ailsa remembers.

MS is a neurodegenerative disease, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the fatty myelin sheath that protects the nerves in a similar way to insulation around electric wires. As that protection is gnawed away, the nerves can eventually stop being able to send the signals that help us to walk, talk, think clearly or use our hands normally.

Why the immune system goes rogue in this way for about three million people worldwide has long been debated. A Harvard University study in 2022 showed compelling evidence that the Epstein-Barr virus that causes glandular fever triggers the process. More research is taking place in the hope that one day, MS can be prevented.

Ailsa, now 47, is taking part in a groundbreaking new trial, which is looking into whether existing drugs can be repurposed to help slow MS progression.

The way it is designed means several drugs can be tried at the same time, and more can be added or dropped as results emerge.

The Octopus trial - so-called because it is a multi-arm, multi-stage trial - is being run by Prof Jeremy Chataway, from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery UCLH in London, with £13m in funding from the UK's MS Society.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65135637

 

(sarcasm) Clearly a doctor with lots of empathy and a winning personality who has a deep understanding of how people tick.

 

Nothing like break old ground with re-purposing then.

The neurologists could have worked out what was going on in MS years ago but the same old memes kept going round and round. At least now people seem to understand that it might have something to do with B cells. (There was a clue - oligoclonal antibody bands in CSF - but researchers are often a bit sniffy about clues.)

Why is this news? Presumably it is a PR exercise to get some volunteers.

 

13 million pounds to test metformin and alpha-lipoic acid seems excessive tbh—doesn’t really seems like a “major moment”.

 

It’s impressive that this guy convinced a charity to give him 13 million pounds for this nonsense.

 

they will be adding more treatments as the trial goes on I think - it's a thing called a MAMS trial https://ms-octopus.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/participants/about-mams-trials/. Supposed to be more efficient? I expect statisticians get very excited.

I tried to find out what patient involvement there was in the design (as I am trying to get funding to develop a systematic way of involving patients before trials get funding). I found this https://ms-octopus.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-stories/2023/february/toronto-meeting/. I will try and find out more about how they involved patients. From the look of this news article there were only two! But I may be being unfair....I think they also had a patient survey to choose the acronym OCTOPUS - crucial input!