Launch of the Octopus MS Clinical Trial
May 2023: Revolutionary MS Clinical Trial for progressive MS is launched in Scotland.
The Anne Rowling Clinic is proud to announce that it will be the main recruitment site in Scotland for the Octopus MS Clinical Trial.
Launched in April 2023, Octopus is a revolutionary MS clinical trial that will transform the way we test treatments for progressive MS. The trial is devised to be smarter than the current standard style of clinical trial. Instead of testing one drug against a placebo, the Octopus trial will use a multi-arm, multi-stage approach, (this is called a MAMS trial design). The trial is designed to test multiple drugs at once, and compare them with a single control group (placebo).
It is hoped that by using this approach for the first time in MS research, it will speed up the testing of potential drugs than the design of standard clinical trials.
Funded by the MS Society, the trial is led by Professor Jeremy Chataway at University College London (UCL). Prof Chataway has worked closely with the Anne Rowling Clinic on previous MS trials such as MS-SMART and MS-STAT. Both of these trials were also for progressive MS. He is an honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh.
Earlier this year the UCL team were pleased to announce that the first participant had been randomised to the trial, and have now given the green light for the Anne Rowling Clinic to open for recruitment.
The Octopus MS clinical trial really is truly innovative, in that it will adapt to trial the very best emerging medications in progressive MS. Ultimately, it will lead to treatments for progression becoming available to people living with MS much sooner. This is a huge step-change compared to previous MS research.
Professor Jeremy Chataway, Lead Investigator, Octopus MS Clinical Trial, University College London
Currently there are huge gaps in the treatments available for people who have progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. We're excited to be part of this large clinical trial which we hope will change the way progressive MS is treated in the future.
Dr Peter Foley, Consultant Neurologist, Principal Investigator, Octopus MS Clinical Trial - Edinburgh
Further information and related links
You can find out more about the Octopus trial on our project page.
You can also read more about the trial's development and further information on both the UCL and the MS Society websites.
Funders
The MS Octopus trial is funded by the MS Society UK.