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Dr Antonio Scalfari awarded funding from Multiple Sclerosis Society

Dr Antonio Scalfari has been awarded funding by the for a programme of research entitled ‘The onset of the secondary progressive phase and the extremes of outcome in multiple sclerosis’.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) prognosis remains largely unpredictable. Currently available disease modifying treatment (DMTs), although able to suppress inflammatory attacks, have little impact on disease progression. Relapse number is commonly used as primary clinical endpoint in randomized controlled trials (RCTs); however, it has never been validated as surrogate marker for late disability. The onset of the secondary progressive (SP) phase is the key determinant of long term outcome and its prevention or delay should be the target of future treatment with neuroprotective effect.

The research will focus primarily on validating the onset of the SP phase as clinical endpoint in RCTs. This will be done by analysing the London Ontario database, one of the largest collections of MS data currently available. The analysis of the database will also allow us to assess in detail the benign and aggressive forms of the disease, with the ultimate goal of optimizing the use of DMTs and identifying more precisely those patients requiring more aggressive treatment.

Finally, information on patients with benign and severe disease course, currently attending the MS clinic at the College, will be collected in order to create a database. This will allow us to improve our understanding of what type of treatment and care is provided to these types of patients and the real impact of DMTs on the aggressive form of the disease.