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The Maryland Center for Multiple Sclerosis

Maryland Center for Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical Trials Open for Enrollment

Patient is helped by a staff

Opportunities are available for individuals with Multiple Sclerosis to participate in several new clinical trials at the University of Maryland Center for Multiple Sclerosis. These studies are either currently enrolling or will be enrolling shortly.  The studies vary in design, duration, criteria for eligibility, number of MRI scans, and other details.  The following is a very brief summary of each study. You may obtain further information by calling Kerry Naunton, R.N., 410-328-1885 or Elizabeth Wheeler, R.N., 410-328-7602 at the MS Center. 

 

  1. The ITN trial is a trial using an investigational medication named Abatacept. Abatacept is a medication that interacts with your immune system and makes the cells less active. Slowing the action of these cells appears to lower your immune system’s ability to attack healthy tissues in your brain. A total of 123 participants will be randomly assigned to either abatacept or placebo. This is a 24-week trial with an extension period of 24 weeks where the participants will switch to the other arm of treatment that they did not have in the original 24 weeks.

    Investigator: Walter Royal, M.D.
    Eligibility: This trial is designed for people 18-65 years of age who have relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and who have had at least 1 relapse in the past year. Subjects who are interested must not have injectable medications to treat their MS for the 4 weeks prior to the trial.

  2. The Sanofi-Aventis trial is a clinical trial of the medication teriflunomide. The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of teriflunomide in comparison to placebo (substance which contains no active medication), on the frequency of MS relapses in subjects with relapsing forms of MS who are being treated with interferon beta (IFN-β). Subjects enrolled in this study will receive teriflunomide at one of two doses, or placebo, to be taken in addition to their prescribed IFN-β treatment. Depending on when you join the study, your participation may last from 68 weeks (about 16 months) to approximately 172 weeks (about 3.3 years), and will include at least 14 study visits to the study center.

    Investigator: Christopher Bever, M.D.
    Eligibility: Patients must be 18 to 56 years of age and been diagnosed with a relapsing form of MS. Must be on a stable dose of Interferon-beta for at least the last 6 months and have had a relapse in the past year. Must be able to ambulate without any walking aides.

  3. This study is sponsored by Biogen Idec and is looking at the effectiveness of natalizumab (Tysabri®) in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.  Natalizumab is approved as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) in over 50 countries, and also for Crohn’s disease (CD) in the United States. The main purpose of this research study is to see if natalizumab is effective in slowing the progression of disability independently of relapse in SPMS. This is a 27-month study where patients will receive either natalizumab or placebo by IV infusion monthly.

    Principal Investigator: Robert Shin, M.D.
    Eligibility: Patients must have secondary progressive MS for at least two years and be 18 to 58 years old. They must have documented disease progression over the last year, able to ambulate with at least a walker, and not currently be on any of the injectable therapies for MS within the past four weeks.

Currently recruiting clinical trial opportunities are constantly changing. Please keep in touch if you are interested in trials!


This page was last updated on: March 26, 2012.

For more information about the Maryland Center for Multiple Sclerosis,
please call 410-328-5605.