Over-the-counter drug may reverse chronic vision damage caused by multiple sclerosis

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-04/aaon-odm040816.php

Public Release: 12-Apr-2016
Over-the-counter drug may reverse chronic vision damage caused by multiple sclerosis
American Academy of Neurology

A common antihistamine used to treat symptoms of allergies and the common cold, called clemastine fumarate, partially reversed damage to the visual system in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a preliminary study released today that will be presented today at the American Academy of Neurology's 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to 21, 2016.

The study involved people with MS and optic neuropathy, which is damage to the nerve that sends information from the eye to the brain. In people with MS, the immune system destroys myelin, the protective coating around the nerves, which then leads to damage along the nerves, slowing signals to and from the brain. Optic nerve damage is a common consequence of the disease.

"This study is exciting because it is the first to demonstrate possible repair of that protective coating in people with chronic demyelination from MS," said study author Ari Green, MD, of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at UC San Francisco, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "This was done using a drug that was identified at UCSF only two-and-a-half years ago as an agent with the potential to help with brain repair."

•••••

"While the improvement in vision appears modest, this study is promising because it is the first time a drug has been shown to possibly reverse the damage done by MS," said Green. "Findings are preliminary, but this study provides a framework for future MS repair studies and will hopefully herald discoveries that will enhance the brain's innate capacity for repair."

Study participants did report a modest increase in fatigue while taking the drug.

Green cautioned that more research with larger numbers of people is needed before doctors can recommend clemastine fumarate for people with MS, and that newer medications capable of even more powerful effects are in development, including efforts intended to improve the targeting and reduce side effects from these drugs.