Every hospital already stocks it: a cheap drug that helps MS brains reconnect

The most hopeful multiple sclerosis result this week involves no new drug at all. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University added N-acetylcysteine — an inexpensive, off-patent compound every hospital already keeps for treating paracetamol overdoses — to patients' existing MS treatment, and scanned their brains. The study, published in IBRO Neuroscience Reports, found improved functional connectivity: different parts of the brain working together more effectively. The compound tops up glutathione, the body's own defence against the oxidative stress that damages nerves in MS. Earlier pilot work saw most patients report better thinking, less fatigue and lower anxiety. 'Every hospital has it,' notes lead researcher Daniel Monti. Larger trials are needed to confirm the effect and settle dosing — but a treatment this cheap and familiar would travel anywhere.

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