Active clinical trials for "Sclerosis"

The hypothesis is that Polyphenon E can protect brain cells in patients with Multiple Sclerosis. To test this hypothesis we are going to compare the changes in n-Acetyl-Aspartate (a chemical that reflects the number of neurons and their metabolism) over one year between people with MS treated with Polyphenon E at a dose of 400mg twice a day and people with MS treated with a matching sugar pill.

This is an open label safety and tolerability continuation study of intracerebroventricular administration of sNN0029, containing the growth factor VEGF165, in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that have previously participated in study sNN0029-001. The intention of the study is to investigate safety and tolerability of intracerebroventricular administration of sNN0029 and whether it can improve motor function and prolong survival in patients with ALS.

The management of MS-patients requires treatment with immune-modifying or immune-suppressive agents to prevent new relapses and progression of disability. Several studies have evaluated the effect of steroid treatment on clinical recovery after an acute relapse. An important unanswered clinical question is, whether or not an oral tapering dose of corticosteroids offers any additional advantage over intravenous methylprednisolone alone in improving neurologic recovery as well as safety and tolerability after a relapse. This study aims to compare the efficacy, tolerability and safety of tapering doses of oral prednisone and placebo after short-term high-dose i.v. methylprednisolone on the recovery from an acute relapse in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) and primary (PP-MS) or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SP-MS) with superimposed relapses. Patients will be treated during 25 days with de-escaling doses of prednisone or placebo. The primary analysis will test whether placebo is equivalent to oral prednisone taper on the recovery status as measured by EDSS change from baseline to 3 months after baseline.

A Phase I, single center, prospective, non-randomized, open label, safety/efficacy study of the infusion of autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells, in 6 patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis according to established criteria (1), (2) with a moderate to severe diagnosis of ALS according to the World Federation of Neurology El Escorial criteria. The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate safety of the infusion procedure, as assessed by absence of complications at the site of infusion or the appearance of new neurologic deficit not attributed to the natural progression of the disease. Secondary outcomes will include a)neurological evidence of trends toward a slowing down of the decline of the forced vital capacity (FVC) (3) and of the functional rating scale (ALS-FRS) scores, as assessed at 3-month intervals, b)evidence of a decline of the maximum voluntary isometric contraction-arm (MVIC-arm) and MVIC-grip Z (4) scores and c)patient evaluation that the treatment was effective and consider the possibility of a new cell product stem cell infusion. Subjects who fulfill inclusion/exclusion criteria and sign informed consent will undergo an aspiration of bone marrow from the iliac crest for preparation of the cellular product. The day of infusion, the investigational product will be injected into the patient's intrathecal space. After cell infusion patients will be followed at WK 2, MN 1, MN 2, MN 6 and a long-term followup at MN 12 in the clinic and/or office. Electromyographic (EMG) studies, Forced vital capacity (FVC), functional rating scale (FRS) and maximum voluntary isometric contraction-arm (MVIC-arm) and MVIC-grip Z scores will have been used to assess the status of the disease before (historical record acceptable if done within three months of Screening Visit) and during the 12-month study period after cell infusion.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether FTY720 is effective in delaying MS disability progression compared to placebo in patients with PPMS. This was an open-label, single-arm extension study to a double-blind, randomized multicenter, placebo-controlled, parallel-group core study. The core study completed and eligible patients enrolled into the extension study at the next scheduled or unscheduled core study visit. All patients, regardless of their treatment in the core study, received fingolimod 0.5 mg in the extension study. The extension study was terminated early after the results of the core study became available showing that the study did not meet its primary endpoint which was defined as confirmed disability progression in this population

This study compared the efficacy of different dosages of long-term iloprost treatment on Raynaud's phenomenon, ulcer healing, skin thickening, and progression of internal organ sclerosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods. 50 SSc patients were 1:1 randomised either for maximally tolerated dose up to 2 ng/kg body weight [bw] per minute or low dose (0.5 ng/kg bw per minute) intravenous iloprost administration, for six hours daily over 21 days. The effect on RP, ulcer healing, skin thickness, oesophagus function, lung involvement as assessed by lung function parameters FVC and DLCO, and side effects were measured. Conclusions. The efficacy of prolonged administration of iloprost is also achieved with low dose iloprost by long term treatment. The effects suggest a disease-modifying capability of iloprost, but further studies are needed to proof this hypothesis.

The purpose of this study is to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of Tovaxin in the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.

Several investigations have suggested that polyunsaturated fatty acids may promote therapeutic effects in MS. This pilot study will determine whether omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs),in the form of linoleic acid,can reduce disease activity and prevent disability progression in patients with relapsing MS.This study will seek to measure disease activity as seen on MRI scans in addition to measuring relapse rates.

The Immunological system is showing a diurnal rhythmicity. The Mediators that enhances inflammation are at highest level during the night. At the same time the endogenous production of cortisol is at its lowest. We want to study if there is a better effect of treatment with Methylprednisolone for acute MS-attacks if given at nighttime. The effect will be measured in relation to neurological deficits and function with Kurtzkes Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) and Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC). We want to see if the mean improvement in EDSS is greater in the group receiving treatment at night opposed to the group that get treatment during the daytime.

Multiple Sclerosis is often associated with severe functional deficits resulting in a range of progressive impairments. Approximately 80% of patients have bladder symptoms at the time of diagnosis and up to 97% will have bladder symptoms during the course of the disease. To date, the vast majority of treatment has been centered on the use of medications to control "bladder spasms" and the use of catheters to help patients empty the bladder. There have been very few studies looking at medications like Alfuzosin that may help in controlling bladder symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis. Alfuzosin has been shown to significantly improve voiding symptoms and bladder emptying in patients with prostatic enlargement. There have been no controlled studies yet to determine whether this treatment helps patients with Multiple Sclerosis. The purpose of this study is to determine if Alfuzosin improves bladder symptoms and quality of life in patients with Multiple Sclerosis.