A breakthrough treatment for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is set to begin clinical trials simultaneously in Greece and Australia in the coming months – a message of hope to millions of MS sufferers.

Dr Steven Petratos, the Australian neuroscientist, has dedicated 30 years researching a potential cure for this debilitating disease which has seen a more than 30 per cent rise in recent years. MS is also increasingly affecting younger people.

With his team at the Department of Neuroscience Medicine at Alfred Hospital, Dr Petratos is studying and developing a repurposed drug that, in studies conducted on mice, halted the progression of MS and reversed damage. Paralysed mice regained their ability to walk after receiving this new treatment.

There is no cure for MS, which impacts the central nervous system and interferes with nerve impulses in the brain. The severity of the condition varies, with symptoms including fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, and difficulty maintaining balance.

“I am very optimistic. All the pre-clinical trials have been very successful, and we’ve secured an international patent as well,” Dr. Petratos told Neos Kosmos.

MS Patients in Greece and Australia will take part in Phase II of the clinical studies to determine the effectiveness of this new drug, before trials take-off globally.

“We’re on the verge of starting these trials,” Dr Petratos said, and he anticipates trials will begin before the end of this year.

Working closely with Dr Nikolaos Grigoriadis, Head of the Multiple Sclerosis Centre at the AHEPA University Hospital in Thessaloniki, 14 clinical sites across Greece have been allocated to begin these trials simultaneously with sites in Australia.

“What we’re trying to do is ensure that the trial sites are up and running to recruit patients effectively, and have the drug ready for them.”

The drug being trialed is an older medication, already used for a rare genetic condition, so it has it has a proven safety record in humans.

“We’re looking to recruit anywhere up to 200 patients. It’s going to be an add-on therapy—not a monotherapy—allowing patients to continue their standard of care therapies in addition to the drug being trialed,” Dr. Petratos said. This simplifies the process significantly.

This significant phase of the new treatment is particularly meaningful for Dr Petratos.

His grandfather in Greece was debilitated by this disease for the vast majority of his life. Lived experience of the devastation MS had on the family, is a reason that the Greek Australian scientist has dedicated so many years researching a cure.

Dr Petratos points to the prevalence of MS in Greece.

“We didn’t expect that, over 21,000 individuals, are living with MS in Greece. In terms of the cost to the community and the burden of health it’s significant.

“A drug that potentially stops neurological decline will be a huge benefit not only to the patients but also to the community.”

While there are many theories about why MS is on the rise, none have been substantially proven.

“One critical aspect is the massive change in the human diet. This is particularly evident in Greece, when you look at the Mediterranean diet being considered the panacea of best dietary practice. Convenience often takes precedence, affecting our ability to maintain a balanced diet essential for sustaining health without disease,” he says.

What researches are trying to establish, is why MS manifests at specific times in patients’ lives, and why it affects primarily women.

“Two thirds of the people affected are females it usually strikes them at the prime of their lives,” Dr. Petratos notes.

The goal is to halt disease progression in patients.

“This is the concept of the drug that we’re currently utilising. It’s the only drug currently being tested, that’s capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, allowing it to reach and protect brain cells, preventing further damage and permanent neurological impairment,” he said.

MS is an inflammatory disease which damages the myelin layer on nerve cells. Myelin is the protective coating around nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. In MS, the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin.

This damage hinders the nerve impulses travelling down the nerve fibres, and leaves the cells vulnerable to degeneration. This nerve degeneration is thought to be a large contributor to progressive MS. The drug set to be trialled in Greece and Australia -a tablet that patients will hopefully be able to take daily- aims to stop and potentially reverse the loss of myelin in the brain even repairing the damage to the myelin protecting nerve cells.

The collaboration between the Greek Australian scientist and his team with Professor of Neurology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center AHEPA, Nikolaos Grigoriadis began a few years ago.

Once this phase of clinical trials is completed successfully, trials will continue globally before the drug can finally reach the market.