The effects of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) could one day be significantly reduced for thousands of patients, according to the results of a clinical trial led by a Cleveland Clinic neurologist.

The drug ibudilast, a pill previously used to treat asthma and some neurologic symptoms in Japan, was found to slow the progression of brain atrophy in progressive MS patients by nearly half (48%). That compares to a reduction in brain atrophy of 18% by the only currently approved treatment for progressive MS, which is a form of chemotherapy.

“These results are very encouraging,” said Dr. Robert Fox, Vice Chairman for Research at the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute and the study’s principal investigator. “Our hope is that the benefit of ibudilast in slowing shrinkage of the brain, will also translate to a slowed progression of associated physical disabilities, as well.”

Dr. Fox presented the findings from the study in Paris on October 28, at the MSParis2017 ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS meeting. The two-year trial—which included 255 subjects at 28 trial sites in the U.S.—also confirmed that performing an advanced MRI technique on patients is an effective way to measure the impact of therapies on brain health, which should help researchers further monitor the impact of MS treatments.

About half of MS patients have the progressive form of MS, an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks normal tissues. Ibudilast, the first non-anti-inflammatory drug to show promise, is also proving to be relatively safe and well tolerated, per the trial’s findings.

While emphasizing that additional and more comprehensive studies of ibudilast are needed before it could be considered for approval for general use, this drug may meet a significant unmet need for people living with MS.

Dr. Fox noted that the drug has received fast-track designation from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

“This paves the way for us to develop therapies for MS faster than we could before.”