Progressive MS is (finally) starting to be a major focus of MS research – both in trying to understand what triggers the shift from the relapsing-remitting form and in the development of effective treatments for it. Recently, a small pilot study from a collaboration of teams in France was published in the journal “Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders” (produced by Elsevier). This study examined the effect of high-dose biotin (Vitamin B7) as a potential treatment for people with progressive MS.

In the pilot study of 23 people with progressive MS, approximately a quarter responded to the treatment (as measured by an improvement in their EDSS score). Although currently unpublished, the authors presented an update at the recent American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting in Washington DC. In a larger follow-up study of 154 people with progressive MS, approximately 12% of people that received the high-dose vitamin treatment showed significant improvement at 9 and 12 months compared to controls. It is thought that it may work by either increasing energy production or promoting repair of damaged myelin. Considering there are currently no effective treatments for progressive MS, these studies suggest a potential new option that may provide benefits in some cases.

This summary was prepared by Brett Drummond for MStranslate.

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