What’s New in MS Research – March 2026

Identifying the factors involved in minority underrepresentation in MS research

What factors contribute to the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic individuals in multiple sclerosis research?

A team of investigators from the University of Pennsylvania explored that question by analyzing data on 198 people with MS who received care at the university’s Division of MS and Related Disorders between December 2022 and May 2024.¹

All study participants were undergoing lumbar puncture (also known as a spinal tap) to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as part of their medically indicated assessment and care. They were asked if they would be willing to donate a minimal amount of additional CSF for research purposes. Because this was a one-time request directed to people who already were scheduled to have a lumbar puncture as a component of their care, the investigators deemed their research a minimal-risk, minimal-ask study.

Thirty-four percent of Black and/or Hispanic patients declined to participate, as compared with 14% of White non-Hispanic patients. Beyond race and ethnicity, investigators examined whether willingness to contribute a small amount of additional CSF for research purposes varied based on participants’ sex, age, and insurance coverage by Medicaid versus other insurers. After employing a sophisticated analytical technique called multivariable logistic regression, only self-identification as Black, Hispanic, or both, was significantly associated with declining to participate in the research.

The researchers concluded, “These findings suggest that factors beyond socioeconomic/access constraints, such as mistrust or cultural attitudes, may play a critical role in research engagement. Improving recruitment strategies for underrepresented groups by addressing these factors is essential for increasing health equity.”

 

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Findings from New Hampshire and Illinois show how an MSAA initiative bridges health literacy gaps

Multiple sclerosis can pose significant challenges, but those challenges can be increased exponentially for people with MS who live in medically underserved communities. Provider shortages, transportation limitations, financial constraints, language barriers, and limited health literacy can combine to preclude people living in underserved communities from accessing quality healthcare. The consequences can be dire, including delayed diagnosis, suboptimal treatment, and poorer outcomes relative to those in well-served communities.

To combat these disparities, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) has developed targeted educational programs to bridge gaps in MS care and empower individuals to manage their condition effectively. In 2025, MSAA conducted in-person patient educational programs in two communities – Nashua, New Hampshire and Champaign, Illinois – each selected for their underserved populations.²

At the sessions, experts with extensive MS experience delivered patient-centered education, highlighting research advances, strategies for comprehensive care teams, and practical resources to improve access, symptom management, relapse prevention, and holistic wellness. Each session included a question-and-answer segment to enable attendees to receive personalized guidance.

More than 60 people who participated in the programs completed post-meeting surveys, sharing their perspectives on the sessions’ content, relevance, and impact, as well as on the challenges they have faced in accessing MS care. Key survey findings, which were highlighted in a presentation at the ACTRIMS Forum 2026, include:

• 100% of respondents reported that the program was helpful and improved their understanding of MS research and management
• 100% expressed interest in sharing insights with healthcare providers and enhancing personal wellness strategies
• 23% of participants in Nashau and 11% of those in Champaign reported experiencing diagnostic delay
• 20% in Nashua and 11% in Champaign said they had experienced challenges in accessing MS care

Beyond those differences in obtaining diagnoses and care, the two groups varied in terms of their demographics. Eighty-eight percent of people attending the Nashua meeting were White, while 6% were Black, and the remaining 6% represented multiple races. By contrast, 51% of those participating in the Champaign meeting were Black, while 42% were White, 3% Latinx, and 3% Asian. 



The MSAA study author making the presentation at ACTRIMS noted, “These results underscore both the universal value of MSAA’s programs and the importance of addressing local disparities in MS care.” Additionally, the findings “support the value of targeted, patient-centered education to reduce regional gaps in MS care and promote informed self-management.”

 

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Understanding the support needed in making treatment-related decisions among adults with RMS

When choosing among the various B-cell depleting therapies, people with MS and their clinicians both place emphasis on a medication’s administration, but patients tend to focus on how often and in what way a treatment is given, while clinicians’ concerns relate to who administers the therapy and in what setting.³

Researchers identified those trends in 60-minute interviews with 10 adults with relapsing-remitting or secondary-progressive MS and eight healthcare professionals (HCPs) with experience treating MS and prescribing anti-CD20 therapy, a major type of B-cell depleting therapy.

Interviews with the patients, who were an average age of 54.3 years, explored perceptions of the features that characterize and differentiate therapies, factors influencing treatment decisions, and decision-support needs. The people with MS expressed a need for more information about the average time for B cells to return to normal levels after receiving treatment and questioned why dosing frequency varies across available therapies.

Meanwhile, interviews with the MS providers – who included three neurologists, two licensed physician assistants, and three licensed nurse practitioners – revealed a need to provide clinicians with more information about B cells and anti-CD20 therapies. The interviews also found that the HCPs considered the various anti-CD20 medications to be similar in safety and efficacy.

Patients and clinicians both saw value in creating a resource that would help people with MS assess key features of the different therapies and engage in shared decision-making with their providers.

The study’s authors, who include the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Barry Hendin, as well as other clinicians, patient advocates, and industry representatives, will draw on those findings in developing a patient decision aid focused on anti-CD20 therapies.

 

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Study with Mavenclad^® shows long-term cognitive benefit

Three quarters of people with relapsing MS who took the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) Mavenclad^® (cladribine) saw improvement or stability in a key measure of cognitive processing speed after four years of treatment.

That finding emerged from an analysis involving 499 people with MS who received Mavenclad in the CLARIFY-MS and MAGNIFY-MS trials and who continued taking the DMT in those trials’ longer-term extension studies.⁴

Researchers analyzed changes over time in study participants’ scores on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, or SDMT. The test is a validated measure of cognitive processing speed, which can be negatively affected by MS. The investigators defined improvement, stability, or worsening by looking at changes from a person’s baseline test score to the person’s SDMT score at 48 months. They used clinically meaningful ≥8- and ≥4-point changes from baseline to define whether cognitive processing speed had improved, remained the same, or declined over time.

Based on the ≥4-point threshold, 74.4% of study participants either improved or had stable cognitive processing speed (CPS), as measured by the SDMT, while 25.2% had worsened CPS. Applying the ≥8-point threshold, which is indicative of more pronounced changes, 86.6% of participants were improved or stable, while 12.9% had demonstrated worsening.

Interestingly, a higher proportion of participants who were aged 49 years or younger showed improved or stable cognitive processing speed compared to those who were 50 or older at the start of the study. People with lower baseline SDMT scores also showed more improvement or stability over time than those who had higher scores from the outset.

The researchers said that their findings “suggest long-term benefits of [Mavenclad] beyond its effects on conventional disability indices [measures], especially when initiated earlier in the disease course.”

 

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Study demonstrates reduction in disability progression risk with fenebrutinib in PPMS vs. Ocrevus^®

In a study involving 985 people with primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), the investigational disease-modifying therapy (DMT) fenebrutinib showed a 12% reduction in risk of disability progression compared to Ocrevus^® (ocrelizumab), the only DMT currently approved for PPMS.^5,6

The reduction in risk was determined by the amount of time that passed before a participant reached a point of 12-week composite confirmed disability progression, which was the primary endpoint of the Phase III FENtrepid trial. The endpoint was defined as a 12-week confirmed increase in one or more of three measures – Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, Timed 25-Foot Walk Test, and 9-Hole Peg Test.

Conducted at 189 sites in the United States and other countries, FENtrepid enrolled people with PPMS who were 18 to 65 years old and who had an EDSS score of 3.0 to 6.5. Participants had an average age of 48.9 years at the start of the trial and a median score of 5.0 on the 10-point EDSS scale. On average, they had experienced symptoms for 9.0 years before entering FENtrepid and had been diagnosed 4.7 years before starting the study.

The study participants were assigned in random fashion to receive either oral fenebrutinib 200 mg twice daily or intravenous ocrelizumab 600 mg every 24 weeks. They remained on treatment for at least 120 weeks.⁷ The study was a double-blind trial, meaning that neither the study participants nor their physician knew which of the two medications the patient was receiving.

Genentech, which manufactures Ocrevus and is developing fenebrutinib, reported that a difference in the two medications’ impact on disability progression first became apparent at 24 weeks. The Company added that a consistent treatment effect on the disability progression endpoint was observed across patient subgroups and for the entire duration of treatment.

“Fenebrutinib showed a consistent clinical benefit as early as week 24, notably in upper limb function, which is essential for preserving independence and daily functioning,” said Professor Amit Bar-Or, Director of the Center for Neuroinflammation and Neurotherapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. “With only one disease-modifying therapy available for people with PPMS, fenebrutinib has the potential to be a high-efficacy, oral treatment option that acts directly in the brain, targeting progressive biology, and may slow disability.”

Adverse events seen in the two treatment groups included:

• infections – reported in 67.0% of people receiving fenebrutinib and 70.9% of those receiving Ocrevus
• nausea – 12.0% in the fenebrutinib group and 7.0% in the Ocrevus group
• transient and reversible liver enzyme elevations – 13.2% and 2.9%, respectively

Serious adverse events were reported in 19.1% of participants receiving fenebrutinib and in 18.9% of their counterparts treated with Ocrevus. Those serious side effects prompted 4.3% of patients in the fenebrutinib group and 3.0% of Ocrevus patients to withdraw from treatment. The rate of fatal cases was 1.4% in the fenebrutinib group versus 0.2% in the Ocrevus group; all of those fatalities were investigated and assessed to be unrelated to the study treatment. Further, no pattern was observed in the timing or causes of those deaths.

Fenebrutinib belongs to a class of medications known as Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or BTKis. These medications modulate both B-cells and myeloid cells – such as microglia and macrophages – which play important roles in immune function and can contribute to the development of MS.

Fenebrutinib and other BTKi medications cross the blood-brain barrier, enabling them to impact chronic inflammation in the central nervous system. By contrast, Ocrevus acts by binding to the CD20 receptor on the surface of B cells, causing those cells to break down and thus depleting the number of B cells circulating throughout the body.

In announcing the results of the FENtrepid study, Genentech said that it planned to request regulatory approval for use of fenebrutinib in the treatment of both PPMS and relapsing MS following release of findings from the Phase III FENhance 1 study in relapsing MS, which is expected to occur in the first half of 2026.

 

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Researchers report “near-complete suppression” of key brain lesions after eight weeks of obexelimab

People with MS who received weekly injections of the investigational medication obexelimab had “near-complete suppression” of new brain lesions associated with MS disease activity after eight weeks, researchers reported.⁸

Those findings emerged from the Phase II MoonStone study, which involved 116 people with relapsing-remitting MS or active secondary-progressive MS. Study participants were randomly assigned on a 2:1 basis to receive either 250 mg of obexelimab via subcutaneous injection or placebo.

The study’s primary endpoint was the cumulative number of new gadolinium-enhancing T1-weighted hyperintense lesions (GdE T1 lesions) over weeks 8 and 12, as measured by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gadolinium is a contrast agent injected intravenously prior to an MRI. It accumulates in lesions marked by recent inflammation or blood-brain barrier penetration, making them appear brighter or “enhanced” compared to other areas. This enhancement serves as an indicator of disease activity.

Relative to the placebo group, study participants who received obexelimab had a 95% reduction in the cumulative number of new GdE T1 lesions over week 8 and week 12. Researchers reported that the adjusted average number of new GdE T1 hyperintense lesions per scan in the obexelimab group was 0.01, compared to 0.23 in the placebo group, with that difference being statistically significant. The researchers added that obexelimab also significantly reduced the cumulative number of new and/or enlarging T2 weighted hyperintense lesions compared to placebo. Meanwhile, they reported that the safety profile of obexelimab in MoonStone was consistent with that observed in prior completed trials. They said that adverse events included infections and hypersensitivity, with the latter mostly involving mild injection site reactions.


Zenas BioPharma, which is developing obexelimab, explains that the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) is a monoclonal antibody engineered to inhibit the activity of B cells, which are immune system cells involved in the development of MS and disease activity.⁹

The MoonStone investigators said, “These results provide the first clinical evidence of activity for obexelimab in [relapsing] MS and support further investigation of this molecule as a novel B-cell inhibitor for the treatment of MS.”

 

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Assessing the impact of Ocrevus^® on MS progression, employment, and cognition

Progression independent of relapse (PIRA) is a serious concern to people living with MS. Unlike relapses, which often present in dramatic fashion, PIRA unfolds gradually, proceeding unrecognized until a person eventually notices a marked reduction in manual dexterity, walking stamina, or other physical ability. 



While the challenges posed by PIRA are serious, a study presented at the ACTRIMS Forum 2026 meeting found that two years of treatment with the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) Ocrevus^® (ocrelizumab) resulted in a roughly one-half reduction in the incidence of PIRA relative to treatment with an interferon-based DMT.¹⁰

Researchers reached that conclusion after reviewing data from two Phase III trials that led to Food and Drug Administration approval of Ocrevus for use in relapsing forms of MS. Those studies compared efficacy and safety outcomes of Ocrevus and interferon β-1a. In the research presented at ACTRIMS, investigators focused on a composite measure of PIRA that included changes in scores on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), which assesses overall physical ability; the Timed 25-Foot Walk Test (T25FWT); and the 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT), which evaluates manual dexterity.

They found that after 96 weeks of treatment, 10.8% of interferon-treated patients and 5.8% of those receiving Ocrevus met the composite definition for PIRA. That difference represented a statistically significant 45% reduction in risk. Further, relative to interferon β-1a, Ocrevus led to the following reductions in risk for individual measures of PIRA:

• a 52%-less risk of PIRA as shown on EDSS
• a 50%-less risk of PIRA as shown on T25FWT
• a 56%-less risk of PIRA as shown on 9HPT-PIRA

Because there is not widespread consensus among clinicians and researchers on all the details of a composite measure of PIRA, the study’s authors also applied a second definition for composite PIRA and obtained similar results. Using the second standard, 10.7% of those receiving interferon and 5.8% of the people treated with ocrelizumab met the composite definition, which also translates into a 45% reduction in relative risk.

Meanwhile, another study presented at ACTRIMS Forum 2026 demonstrated that long-term, first-line use of Ocrevus in people with early relapsing-remitting MS was associated with increased employment, enhanced work productivity, and improved or stable cognitive function.¹¹

ENSEMBLE-LIBERTO was a six-year, open-label, single-arm, Phase IIIb study that evaluated Ocrevus in treatment-naive patients [those who have not taken a DMT previously] with early active RRMS. Study participants had been diagnosed for less than three years; had an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 3.5 or less, indicating mild or modest disability; and had either no clinically reported relapses or no signs of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease activity in the past 12 months, or had only a single relapse or MRI finding of activity in that period.

The study enrolled 616 people. The participants’ median age was 32 years, and 62% were female. Their median disease duration was 0.91 years (just less than one year) and their median EDSS score was 2.0.


Participants completed two tests at the start of the study and every 24 weeks thereafter. The first was the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) measure. The second was the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), which assesses cognitive function. An eight-point increase or decrease in SDMT score was used to identify improvement or worsening in cognition.

After six years of treatment with Ocrevus:

• the proportion of participants who were employed increased from 63.9% at baseline to 79.2%
• participants’ overall work impairment declined from 26.4% to 16.3%
• absenteeism dropped from 19.8% to 3.9%
• presenteeism – coming to work while ill, injured, or affected by an impairment – was cut from 17.9% to 14.1%
• activity impairment decreased from 23.1% to 18.3%

Further, 33.9% of participants had improved cognitive performance over the six-year course of the study, as measured by a gain of eight points or greater on the SDMT, while 59.2% remained stable.

The study’s authors concluded, “These findings suggest that early intervention with high-efficacy therapy can mitigate the broader impact of MS on patients’ lives.”

 

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Study evaluating Kesimpta^® in early RMS is marked by low disease activity

Nine out of 10 people with relapsing MS who had little disease activity at diagnosis and who took Kesimpta^® (ofatumumab) as their first disease-modifying therapy (DMT) had no evidence of disease activity after two years of treatment.¹²

Researchers reported that encouraging finding after analyzing data on 261 people who participated in the ASCEPLIOS I and ASCEPLIOS II Phase III trials. Those studies compared Kesimpta with another DMT, Aubagio^® (teriflunomide). Kesimpta is a monoclonal antibody, meaning that it is a laboratory-produced molecule designed to act as a human antibody, binding to specific cells to block harmful activity.

Kesimpta targets CD20, a protein on the surface of B cells, which are immune system cells that play a role in the development of MS. By contrast, Aubagio blocks a key enzyme to reduce the number of activated B cells and T cells, the latter being another group of immune system cells involved with the MS disease process. Among newly diagnosed study participants who had not received a prior DMT and who were not experiencing frequent relapses or showing other signs of disease activity at baseline:

• 89.9% of those taking Kesimpta met the standard for NEDA-3 (no evidence of disease activity – NEDA – as defined by the three measures of no relapses, no confirmed disability progression over a six-month period, and no new or enlarged lesions on two forms of magnetic resonance imaging) after two years of treatment. By comparison, 34.4% of participants randomly assigned to receive Aubagio in the trial met the NEDA-3 mark at two years.

• 43.9% of those receiving Kesimpta and 28.9% of their counterparts taking Aubagio had achieved NEDA-3 after one year of treatment. 

• 86.7% of those in the Kesimpta group and 88.7% of those in the Aubagio group experienced adverse events, with serious adverse events occurring in 5.8% and 7.1% of group members, respectively.

In assessing those and other findings, the researchers concluded that their analysis supported first-line use of Kesimpta in people with relapsing MS who have low disease activity and “reinforce the benefit of early [Kesimpta] initiation in this population.”

With more than 20 disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) approved for use in relapsing forms of MS in adults, it can be challenging for clinicians to determine which therapy is best suited for a person newly diagnosed with the condition. That challenge is heightened when the person is not experiencing frequent relapses or other disease activity that might incline the clinician to initiate treatment with a higher-efficacy DMT.

While many neurologists favor starting all or almost all of their newly diagnosed patients on a higher-efficacy medication in hopes of achieving an early and enduring favorable impact on the disease process, others prefer to start with a less-powerful DMT when a person does not have significant disease activity. This approach typically reflects the clinician’s concerns about the greater potential for side effects associated with higher-efficacy medications. This analysis provides important data for MS providers to consider as they weigh which treatment strategy to pursue.

 

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Study demonstrates cognitive gains and stability with Zeposia^® in people with early relapsing MS

Three measures of cognitive function improved or remained stable over three years in a group of 188 people who received Zeposia^® (ozanimod) early in the course of relapsing MS.¹³

These individuals were participants in the Phase IIIb, open-label ENLIGHTMENT trial, which assessed the safety and efficacy of Zeposia, a disease-modifying therapy (DMT). All study participants had early relapsing MS, defined as having been diagnosed in the past five years, having received either no prior or only one prior DMT, having an Expanded Disability Status Scale score of 3.5 or less, and having 10 or fewer gadolinium-enhancing lesions on magnetic resonance imaging.

Study participants were an average age of 39.5 years. Seventy-nine percent were women, 86% were White, and 71% had not taken a DMT prior to starting Zeposia.

Researchers evaluated those individual’s cognitive function by having them take three tests at the start of the study and annually thereafter. The tests were the:

• Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)
• California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II)
• Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, Revised (BVMT-R)

Study participants’ average scores on each test over time are as follows:

 

	Baseline	Year 2	Year 3
SDMT	53.4	56.7	59.4
CVLT-II	52.9	58.9	59.4
BVMT-R	24.3	24.1	24.1

 

Scores on the SDMT, which researchers noted is the preferred measure of cognitive functioning, improved or remained stable at year 3 in 87.5% of patients, while 12.5% of participants saw their scores decline, indicating worsening.

 

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New study to assess Briumvi^® in children and adolescents with MS

Eight years after Gilenya^® (fingolimod) became the first disease-modifying therapy (DMT) approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat pediatric MS, it remains the only DMT indicated for use in children and adolescents.

In an effort to expand treatment options for young people, TG Therapeutics has launched a Phase II study of its DMT Briumvi^® (ublituximab) in people aged 10 to 17 years old.¹⁴ Briumvi was approved for the treatment of relapsing MS in adults in December 2022. After receiving a starting dose, adults receive twice-yearly infusions of Briumvi, with each infusion lasting approximately one hour.

The pediatric study, ULTIMATE KIDS I, will be a 24-week, open-label trial to assess the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of a 300-mg dose of Briumvi in young people with MS who weigh between 25 and 40 kilograms (roughly 55 to 88 pounds). The dose being evaluated in the pediatric study is two-thirds that of the 450 mg dose administered to adults after they receive a lower initial dose. 


Study organizers are seeking to enroll six to 12 patients with relapsing MS who meet the aforementioned age and weight requirements and other criteria, including an Expanded Disability Status Scale score of 5.5 or less.

After receiving an initial 150-mg dose of ublituximab in a four-hour infusion at their initial visit, participants will receive a one-hour infusion of 300 mg of ublituximab two weeks later. They then will be monitored and have blood drawn periodically until Week 24, at which point they will be eligible to enter a 168-week open-label extension study or safety follow-up study.

Initial trial recruitment will take place in the United States and Poland, with expansion to other countries thereafter.

Information on the trial is available from the National Library of Medicine’s clinicaltrials.gov website at https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?term=NCT07220252

 

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Study highlights worrisome trends in younger adults with MS

A significant portion of young adults with relapsing MS or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) do not take their disease-modifying therapy (DMT) on a continuous basis, follow-up with their clinician as planned, or have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on a timely basis, according to a small study.¹⁵

Researchers from the University of Utah conducted a retrospective analysis involving 53 people aged 18 to 25 years who received care at their institution between 2017 and 2025. Three-quarters of the people were female and 62% were white. Forty-nine had relapsing MS while four had CIS (three of the four later met the diagnostic criteria for MS).

The researchers reported that:

• median time from diagnosis to DMT initiation was 51 days
• 92.5% of study participants began a DMT, with roughly three quarters of that group receiving either B-cell depleting agents or dimethyl fumarate, which is marketed as Tecfidera^® or in a generic formulation
• 44.9% switched from their initial medication to a higher-efficacy DMT, with roughly half doing so because of disease progression on the first DMT

In addition to those findings, the researchers noted several other, concerning statistics:

• 38.3% reported gaps in use of their DMT, with the median gap being 105 days
• 42.9% of those who experienced medication gaps cited poor adherence as the cause, while another
• 28.6% said that insurance and cost issues were the main factors involved
• 48.7% did not follow up with their provider as planned in a 12-month period
• 41% did not have timely surveillance imaging in a 12-month period
  

The last statistics that the researchers reported are perhaps the most disturbing: Half of the people studied had either experienced relapses or had new lesions identified on MRI following diagnosis. Further, 39.1% of the relapses or new lesions occurred during a gap in DMT use.

“Future targeted interventions in this age group may help with improved consistent care,” the researchers wrote in highlighting the pressing need that their analysis revealed.

 

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Examining what near-term MRI changes may signal about long-term outcomes

To what degree, if any, are changes in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings over two years relevant to long-term clinical outcomes in people with progressive MS?

Perhaps not all that much, according to early findings from a study involving 139 people with primary-progressive or secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis.¹⁶ Those people originally participated in the SPRINT-MS trial, which was conducted from 2013 to 2017 to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the investigational medication ibudilast in progressive forms of MS.

The SPRINT-MS trial’s protocol included participants having periodic MRI studies over two years. With findings from those imaging studies still available and several years having passed since the conclusion of SPRINT-MS, investigators decided to examine whether changes seen on MRI over the two-year study period correlated with participants’ subsequent clinical course. 



The researchers reached out to all 255 people who participated in SPRINT-MS, and of these 255 individuals, 139 people who were enrolled in the original study – 54% of the total – agreed to take part in the follow-up assessment. With those who did not take part in the follow-up assessment, 91 could not be found or declined to return for a one-time follow-up visit, and 25 had died in the intervening years.

Those agreeing to take part had an average age of 65.5 years and a median Expanded Disability Status Scale score of 6.5, indicating the need for two walking aids. Just over one-half were female and 93.5% were Caucasian. On average, the follow-up visit occurred 10 years after a person had entered the SPRINT-MS trial.



The investigators applied sophisticated statistical techniques to evaluate the degree to which factors such as MS characteristics at the start of SPRINT-MS and changes in various MRI measures during the study predicted a person’s subsequent disease course. The assessment included a focus on change in scores on the Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT), which assesses cognitive function.



After analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that a person’s baseline (or starting) score on the SDMT (a test measuring cognitive function) was the predominant factor contributing to long-term change in performance on that test. Conversely, the “two-year change in MRI measures explained only a small proportion of variability in long-term change in SDMT.” While they also are examining MS outcomes involving disability, walking distance, and manual dexterity, the researchers wrote, “these preliminary results indicate that currently measured trial MRI measures may have minimal relationship to long-term disease evolution.”

 

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References

1. Yamashita LD, Thebault S, Breville G, et al. Racial and ethnic disparities in research participation: findings from a minimal-risk, minimal-ask study. P375. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
2. Rivera Bobadilla Y. Bridging health literacy gaps in multiple sclerosis through targeted patient education: insights from New Hampshire and Illinois. P442. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
3. Hendin B, Thakkar K, Brown B, et al. Understanding treatment-related decision support needs among adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis and health care providers who treat multiple sclerosis. P453. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
4. Brochet B, Havrdova EK, Selmaj K, et al. Cladribine tablets maintain or improve cognition over 4 years in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis: pooled analyses of the CLARIFY-MS and MAGNIFY-MS extension studies. P117. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
5. Genentech. Genentech’s fenebrutinib is the first investigational medicine in over a decade that reduces disability progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). February 7, 2026. Available at https://www.gene.com/media/press-releases/15098/2026-02-07/genentechs-fenebrutinib-is-the-first-inv. Accessed February 25, 2026.
6. Bar-Or A, Oh J, Giovannoni G. Efficacy and safety of fenebrutinib vs ocrelizumab in primary progressive multiple sclerosis: primary results of the Phase III FENtrepid study. LB1. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
7. National Library of Medicine. A study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fenebrutinib compared with ocrelizumab in adult participants with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (FENtrepid). (NCT04544449.) Available at https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04544449. Accessed March 21, 2026.
8. Okuda DT, Melanson M, Ciarlone S, et al. Week 12 results from MoonStone, a phase 2 study of obexelimab in relapsing multiple sclerosis. LB1. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
9. Zenas BioPharm, Inc. Obexelimab. https://zenasbio.com/our-science/obexelimab/. Accessed March 19, 2026.
10. Bermel RA, Lorscheider J, Butzkueven H, et al. Ocrelizumab reduces the risk of progression independent of relapses (PIRA): an analysis of the Phase III OPERA trials using multiple PIRA definitions. P085. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
11. Benedict RH, Berger T, Bermel RA, et al. Long-term impact on work productivity and cognition with first-line ocrelizumab treatment. P122. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California
12. Wiendl H, Pardo G, Nakahara J, et al. Efficacy and safety of ofatumumab in treatment-naive people with early RMS and low clinical disease activity. P134. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
13. DeLuca J, Zivadinov R, Gudesblatt M, et al. Changes in cognitive functioning in ozanimod-treated patients with early relapsing multiple sclerosis: Year 3 analysis of the ENLIGHTEN study. P119. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
14. Mok K, Miskin H, Santoro JD. Study design of a Phase 2 ublituximab dose-confirmation study in children and adolescents with relapsing MS: ULTIMATE KIDS I. PII5. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
15. Zhang Y, Wong Km Wilson J, et al. Falling through the cracks: the distinct challenges faced by young adults living with multiple sclerosis. P374. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.
16. Fox RJ, Goodman A, Klawiter E, et al. 2-year MRI change and long-term clinical outcome: exploring the relevance of MRI changes. P012. ACTRIMS Forum 2026. February 5-7, 2026. San Diego, California.

 

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For More Information

For general information or to speak with a trained Client Services Specialist, please call MSAA’s Helpline at (800) 532-7667, extension 154. Questions to MSAA’s Client Services department may also be emailed to MSquestions@mymsaa.org.

Written by Tom Garry, Medical Writer
Reviewed by Dr. Barry Hendin, MSAA Chief Medical Officer
Edited by Susan Wells Courtney, MSAA Senior Writer

Medical details and study results provided in MSAA’s published materials are for informational purposes only and are not to be considered as treatment advice or recommendations. Readers are encouraged to consult a healthcare professional before making any changes to their current treatment regimen.