Why is progressive MS difficult to treat?
Progressive MS has been challenging to treat because it involves different disease processes than relapsing forms. While relapsing MS is driven primarily by active inflammation that can be targeted with medications, progressive MS involves ongoing nerve damage and disability that Show Full Answer
Why is progressive MS difficult to treat?
Progressive MS has been challenging to treat because it involves different disease processes than relapsing forms. While relapsing MS is driven primarily by active inflammation that can be targeted with medications, progressive MS involves ongoing nerve damage and disability that worsens gradually over time.
Scientists are now recognizing that active inflammation and progression can occur together, which has changed how they approach treatment. The traditional disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that work well for relapsing MS haven't been as effective for progressive forms because they mainly target inflammation rather than the underlying progression.
However, there's good news. Progressive MS is no longer untreated - new medications are being developed and approved. Ocrelizumab became the first medication to show significant effectiveness in slowing disability progression in primary progressive MS.
Researchers are actively investigating multiple promising treatments, including:
- Stem cell therapies to promote repair of damaged myelin
- Medications that stimulate the brain's natural repair systems
- Treatments targeting specific immune cells involved in progression
There's renewed focus and energy in the research community around progressive MS, with 27 agents currently under development specifically for this form of the disease.
April 2
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