Currently Active Clinical Trials
There is a great deal of interest in developing new and better treatments for MS, and a lot of current research ongoing. The group at UT is very active in working on new treatments, and always has several studies in progress. We don't have any trials open for enrollment as of 7/20/2023, but we have 3 very interesting studies in the startup phase that should be open for enrollment soon. They are described below.
If you are interested in participating in any of these studies, please call James Jemelka at 713 500-7045 for more information.
Ocrelizumab short treatment studyInvestigator: J. William Lindsey, MDTreatment being tested: testing the duration of treatment needed with ocrevusPurpose: Phase III study to determine if Ocrevus given early in MS has a long lasting benefit or if it needs to be given continuously. We currently keep people on Ocrevus for years, but there is evidence that is not necessary. The benefit from a year of treatment on ocrevus may be long lasting, and continued treatment may not be necessary. Key inclusion criteria: relapsing MS with recent onset of disease, not yet treated with ocrevus. Age 18 to 65. Status: startup
PIPE-307
Investigator: Jia Lin, MD
Purpose: This is a phase I study of a brand new agent which is supposed to improve recovery after demyelination. It will be an add-on treatment to whatever disease modifying treatment the patient is taking. This is an interesting project and treatments which can help in repair and recovery are desperately needed.
anti-CD40L, Sanofi
Investigator: J. Lincoln, MD PhDTreatment being tested: an antibody that blocks the action of CD40L, an important molecule that functions in immune system activationPurpose: This is a phase III study in non-relapsing secondary progressive MS. The study is placebo controlled with 2 patients on active treatment for every one placebo patient. As there are currently no effective treatments for this form of MS, this is an important study. The agent is novel, and had promising results in phase II studies.
Status: enrolling
Epstein-Barr Virus & MSInvestigator: J. William Lindsey, M.D.EBV is a common virus which has been linked to MS in several different studies. Some people think that EBV may be one of the causes of MS. Dr. Lindsey is investigating the connection between EBV and MS. Our current interest is obtaining spinal fluid and blood from people with new onset of MS. We study these samples with RNA sequencing and hope to determine the target of the autoimmune attack in the brain.