In multiple sclerosis, a drug called teriflunomide can delay the onset of early symptoms in patients whose disease has been documented on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), even if they do not yet have symptoms. It is the result of a preliminary study, which will be presented at the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, in Boston and live online from April 22 to 27, 2023.
There are people who, despite the absence of multiple sclerosis symptoms, have abnormalities in the brain or spinal cord, called lesions, similar to those found in autoimmune disease, in which, that is, the body’s immune system attacks myelin, the substance white that insulates and protects the nerves. Symptoms of the disease may include fatigue, numbness, tingling or difficulty walking.
“As more and more people undergo brain scans for various reasons, such as headaches or traumatic brain injury, more and more of these cases are discovered, and many of these people develop the disease,” says the author of the paper. study Christine Lebrun Frenay of the University Hospital of Nice in France. “The earlier a person can be treated for multiple sclerosis, the greater the chance of delaying damage to myelin, thereby reducing the risk of permanent neurological damage and debilitating symptoms.”
The study involved 89 people with signs of brain injury but no symptoms. Half of the people took 14 milligrams (mg) of teriflunomide daily and the other half a placebo. They were followed up for up to two years. During the study, eight people who took the drug developed MS symptoms, compared with 20 who took the placebo.
Researchers estimated that people taking teriflunomide had a 72 percent lower risk of experiencing early symptoms than those taking the placebo.
“Our findings suggest that early intervention with teriflunomide may be beneficial for those diagnosed with radiologically isolated syndrome, the presymptomatic stage of MS,” says Lebrun Frenay. “However, more research on larger groups of people is needed to confirm our findings.”