In his paper, Prof. Muccioli emphasises the huge cost of developing new drugs and analysing not only their positive effects but also their potential toxicity. The process is also a lengthy one and takes at least ten years. There are therefore considerable advantages to repositioning or repurposing a pharmaceutical agent that is already in use, since as a rule its dosage and toxicity are well-known and the risks involved, both medical and financial, are considerably lower. He also supplies several instances of common used drugs that have recently been tested on MS due to their anti-inflammatory or remyelinating properties.

During neurology appointments, it is often difficult to measure the ultimately irreversible progress of MS symptoms. The development of remote measuring devices will improve the detection of this slow progression, which may even have escaped the patient’s notice. Often, they are applications that are downloaded onto mobile phones. They can measure distances walked, balance and hand function, and can also serve during remote neurology appointments and for home rehabilitation exercises. They can also store large amounts of quantitative data that can be used in AI research and efficiency measurements.

I would therefore like to thank the authors of these papers, whose work has also been financially supported in the past by the Foundation, which of course would not have been possible without your faithful support.

Happy reading!