April 16, 2008

Rates of progression vary widely in PPMS. This study aimed to identify predictors of progression over 10 years. A total of 101 patients who had been imaged at baseline and 2 years were scored on the EDSS after 10 years. The study identified the following things that predicted progression: male sex, shorter disease duration, and slower timed walk test at baseline (best overall predictor), and deterioration in EDSS score and reduction in brain volume over 2 years.

We reported on a proposed trial for MS involving worm eggs a few weeks ago. This story is on the same trial, but has a few more details such as its name (ASP1002) and that it is a helminth ova (worm egg) technology currently being developed for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and immunological disorders by Asphelia Pharmaceuticals.