Investigational drug therapies of treatment of multiple sclerosis

The licensing of interferon beta-1b dramatically changed the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States. Although it was the first therapeutic agent shown to affect the natural course of the disease, interferon beta-1b is not appropriate for all patients and is far from being a cure. Several other promising therapies now under study include immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs to limit inflammation; oral administration of myelin to induce tolerance; monoclonal antibodies designed to deliver targeted immunotherapy; potassium channel blockers to facilitate conduction along demyelinated axons; and glial growth factors to promote remyelination. Clinical trials of potential therapeutic agents have proliferated in the past decade in conjunction with rapid advances in our understanding of the immunologic basis of MS. Some investigational therapies are associated with problematic toxicities, others benefit only a minority of patients, and many are still in the early stages of development. Nevertheless, because current therapeutic options are limited, and because the history of MS therapy is one of disappointment and frustration, it is essential that legitimate, scientifically based advances be widely disseminated to the neurologic community. This article reviews some of the most promising current and investigational therapies for MS.