The MRC Clinical Trials Unit and Queen Square MS Centre at University College London has launched a clinical trial to repurpose drugs for people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The multi-arm, multicentre, multi-stage blinded and randomised Octopus trial has three arms: immediate-release metformin + standard of care; R/S alpha lipoic lipoic acid + standard of care; and placebo + standard of care, and compares times to progression of disability.
Jeremy Chataway (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) is chief investigator and Mahesh (Max) Parmar (MRC Clinical Trials Unit) is the Programme Lead. Professor Amanda Adler sits on the trial management committee; she brings experience with metformin, and of having assessed treatments for progressive MS as chair of a NICE technology appraisal committee.