New UCalgary Drug Study Shows Promising Treatment Option for MS Patients | The Canadian News

a new study from the University of Calgary could offer hope to those suffering from a debilitating form of multiple sclerosis.

The researchers say the generic drug hydroxychloroquine shows promise in slowing disability in the less treatable form of autoimmune disease.

Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug that is most commonly used to control symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases such as lupus. It was chosen because it is widely used in rheumatologic diseases and is generally well tolerated.

The experimental study followed 35 people between November 2016 and June 2021, with each participant followed up at six and 18 months. The researchers expected to see at least 40 percent experience a significant worsening of their walking function.

But at the end of the trial, only eight participants had worsened.

“With primary progressive MS, there is no good treatment to stop or reverse the progression of the disease. The disability gets progressively worse over time,” said study co-director Dr. Marcus Koch.

“Our trial is a preliminary success that needs further investigation. We hope that sharing these results will help inspire that work, specifically larger-scale clinical trials in the future.”

MS affects an estimated 90,000 Canadians, with around 15 per cent of those diagnosed with primary progressive MS, one of the highest rates in the world.

It is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and is usually long-lasting, often affecting the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves of the eyes. It can cause problems with vision, balance, and muscle control, although the effects are different for each person with the disease.

The cause is unknown.

The research was published in annals of neurology.