Revamp of a slide deck about innovations in medicine.

1. Research Update
Presented by
James Salzer, MD, PhD
Professor of Neuroscience, Physiology and Neurology
at NYU School of Medicine

2. Your Society’s Vision: A World Free of MS
• The largest private funder of MS research in
the world
• Society investments have accelerated research
progress leading to effective treatments
• We forge global collaborations and leverage
investments with others to answer the most
pressing questions
• Recent progress is offering pathways to a cure
and solutions people can use now to live their
best lives
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3. Pathways to a Cure – to Stop MS, Restore Function, End MS
• Researchers around the globe are focusing on:
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Why do some people get MS
and others don’t?
What is the cause of MS?
How do we stop MS progression? How do we repair the damage
caused by MS?
How do we reverse symptoms
and promote wellness?

4. MS Research is Growing on a Global Scale
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718
1,315
2,611
4,446
1988 1998 2008 2018
291
177
151
399
281
245
Relapsing Progressive Wellness/Symptoms
2016 2018
Growth in
Published Papers About MS
Growth in
Clinical Trials

5. Recent Progress: Stopping MS
• Updated diagnostic criteria: faster, more accurate
– Faster diagnosis can lead to earlier therapy to reduce future disability
• New lab studies offer clues to mechanisms underlying MS
– Network of brain drainage tubes likely participates in immune attacks:
new leads to treatment
– Researchers uncover pathway whereby immune B cells may activate MS:
clue to stopping disease
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For more info, visit: NationalMSSociety.org

6. Recent Progress: Stopping MS (cont’d)
• FDA expanded the use of Gilenya:
first approved therapy for pediatric MS
• Positive results from bone marrow-derived stem cell studies in aggressive,
relapsing MS
– Ongoing research asks who might benefit and how to reduce risks
• Diet, drugs, other factors influence gut bacteria
– Gut (intestines) involved in immune system activity
– Society-funded MS Microbiome Consortium to identify “good” and “bad” gut bacteria in
MS, search for potential probiotic therapies
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For more info, visit: NationalMSSociety.org

7. Recent Progress: Stopping MS (cont’d)
• New therapies in development
– Siponimod under review by FDA for secondary progressive MS
– Cladribine under review by FDA for relapsing MS
– Ibudilast, lipoic acid, statins reduced brain atrophy (shrinkage) in progressive MS
• Identifying steps leading to nervous system damage
– Every step is an opportunity to block damage
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For more info, visit: NationalMSSociety.org

8. Recent Progress: Restoring Function
• Elezanumab promoted repair of axons and myelin in mice;
first test in people well-tolerated
• Several myelin repair trials underway
• Research on cell-based therapies: potential for nervous system
repair/protection
• What inhibits natural brain repair process?
Discoveries have already led to clinical trials for myelin repair
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9. Driving Future Breakthroughs
• 2018: Society invested $36M, managing 340 projects with multi-year
commitments of $80M
• Training/building research workforce
• Forging global collaborations to speed solutions & a cure
• Example: Founding leader of the International Progressive MS Alliance,
with initiatives to:
– Speed clinical trials
– Find therapies to stop progression and promote repair
– Identify “biomarkers” to track progression and response to therapies
– Support research on rehabilitation and symptoms
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For more info, visit: ProgressiveMSAlliance.org

10. Driving Future Breakthroughs (cont’d)
• Clinical trials underway that may lead to new solutions for people living
with MS
– Dietary approaches to symptoms like fatigue
– Statins in secondary progressive MS
– Lipoic acid, Biotin, Vitamin D supplements
– Stem cells – ongoing and planned
– Myelin repair and nerve protection strategies
– Exercise and rehabilitation
– Probiotic approaches to alter gut bacteria
– Novel approaches to reducing immune activity
– Comparative effectiveness of therapies and rehab
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For more info, visit: ProgressiveMSAlliance.org

11. Solutions That Can Change Lives NOW
• Research is showing:
– Exercise can help MS symptoms
and rebuild brain connections
– Addressing other medical
conditions (“comorbidities”),
stopping smoking, reducing
obesity may slow MS progression
– Resilience can be learned, and it
can improve quality of life
– Society funded studies: can diet
help improve symptoms and
quality of life?
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to explore things you can do to live well with MS.
Visit: NationalMSSociety.org/Wellness

12. Questions?