A new pill for multiple sclerosis cut relapses by a third in two large trials

Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the protective coating on nerves, causing sudden flare-ups called relapses that can steadily steal movement and function. In two matching Phase 3 trials, REMODEL-1 and REMODEL-2, more than 2,000 adults with relapsing MS took either remibrutinib — an experimental pill taken twice a day — or teriflunomide, a standard treatment. People on the new pill had about a third fewer relapses per year (rates of 0.073 and 0.080, versus 0.112 and 0.116 on the standard drug), a pace the researchers translate to roughly one relapse every 13 years. Brain scans agreed: new or growing lesions fell by 65% and 70%. Fewer people stopped the new pill because of side effects (3.1% versus 5.8%), and there were no cases of the serious liver injury doctors had watched for with this family of drugs. The results were published in The Lancet. Remibrutinib is not an approved medicine yet — regulators must still decide — but a strong new option for people with relapsing MS is now in the making.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation