The effects of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) can be devastating, but could a common diabetes treatment and a health supplement offer new hope?
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A $4 million trial - the first of its kind in Australia, will commence in January, seeking to reverse neurological damage caused by the progressive form of the disease through the use of several medications simultaneously.
Progressive MS is a clinical form of the condition, characterised by a progressive worsening of symptoms and disability without periods of recovery.
The complex autoimmune and neurodegenerative condition manifests differently in people over time, but without treatment, disability steadily accumulates.
Working with a national and international group of clinicians, the trial, known as PLATYPUS, will test two repurposed drugs alongside each other.
MSWA is the leading funder of the trial, having contributed $3 million.
Chief executive Melanie Kiely said the organisation is proud to fund the ambitious research project.
"PLATYPUS has the potential to deliver a significant breakthrough, as we aim to provide real-life outcomes which positively impact the lives of people living with progressive MS," Ms Kiely said.
MS Australia contributed $1 million to the study. Chief executive Rohan Greenland, said there is currently no treatment that repairs damage in progressive MS.
Mr Greenland said an estimated 40 per cent of people living with MS in Australia were living with the progressive form of the condition - equating to about 13,000 people.
"This will ensure a treatment opportunity for people with progressive MS, the greatest unmet need in the MS landscape," he said.
PLATYPUS is an extension of the OCTOPUS clinical trial, funded by the UK MS Society and launched in April.
Chief investigator Simon Broadley said researchers would trial the drugs metformin, which is typically used to treat type 2 diabetes, and alpha-lipoic acid, which is a health food supplement.
Professor Broadley said the treatments had shown "promise" in providing neuroprotection and or repairing myelin - an insulating layer that forms around nerves.
The trial will be rolled out across Australia through a collaboration of 20 academic and healthcare institutions. Researchers aim to recruit more than 250 participants in Australia.
"These multi-arm, multi-stage trials will require less time and fewer participants to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of metformin and alpha-lipoic acid," Professor Broadley said.
The research team includes leading neurologists, neuroscientists, statisticians and health economists, covering five states across Australia, as well as people with progressive MS.
To be eligible, participants must have been diagnosed with SPMS or PPMS, be aged 25-70 years, have an expanded disability status scale between 4.0 and 8.0 and meet certain other inclusion and exclusion criteria around co-existing conditions, pregnancy, medications and treatments. More details will be provided when regulatory approvals are in place.
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To watch a video that explains multiple sclerosis, often known as the 'invisible' disease, click here.
