International Progressive MS Alliance awards €6.9 million to three studies researching therapies to address common symptoms of progressive MS

Well-Being Phase II Awards fund efficacy studies that test specific intervention and rehabilitation strategies, and begin looking at global implementation

2026-02-19

(Press-News.org) The International Progressive MS Alliance has awarded €6.9 million to three global studies aimed at finding solutions for the most common symptoms experienced by people living with progressive MS, including fatigue, cognitive impairment, pain and mobility.

The Well-Being Phase II Efficacy Awards are part of the Alliance’s overall Well-being Research Pipeline, a large, multi-stage initiative to design, test and implement innovative approaches to solve some of the most difficult aspects of living with progressive MS.

The three projects include:

Comparison of Self-Guided, Coached and Therapist-Delivered Pain Self-Management in Adults with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Led by Dawn Ehde, PhD, at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the United States, this study will compare a telehealth-focused therapy and wellness program that provides pain self-management strategies with a similar online program that can be completed independently or with support from a coach. From the study, investigators will create and share several key resources, including data to support adaptation in different settings, workbooks, global implementation plans, and more.

Can Priming Enhance Rehabilitation Success in Progressive MS? The Can-PRIME MS Trial

Co-led by Lara Pilutti, PhD, at the University of Ottawa and Sarah Donkers, PhD, at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, this study aims to test whether priming the brain using transcranial direct current stimulation, aerobic exercise, or a combination of both, prior to task-specific training for cognitive and mobility skills can improve outcomes. The study is expected to inform which combination of priming and rehabilitation provides the best functional improvements in mobility and cognition for people living with progressive MS.

A multi-modal, tailored and adaptive exercise program to improve walking capacity in persons with progressive MS and abnormal fatigability

Led by Peter Feys, PhD at Hasselt University in Belgium, this study will examine whether a tailored, specially designed exercise program can help people with progressive MS walk farther and more safely in their daily lives by reducing symptoms of fatigability – the decrease in function the longer they walk. Participants in the study will include those with moderate-to-severe disability, a group that is often overlooked, and they will undergo a personalized exercise program tailored to their specific walking problem that increases in intensity over time. If proven effective, the intervention could become a new, evidence-based approach used in clinical practice to improve mobility in real-world settings.

“Part of the Alliance’s charge is to act with urgency by bringing real, meaningful solutions to people living with progressive forms of the disease, and do that as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Robert Fox, Chair of the Alliance’s Scientific Steering Committee and MS neurologist at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Cleveland Clinic. “These projects were chosen for their scientific merit and ability to achieve a broad impact for people with progressive MS, and they notably also have the potential to be implemented very quickly once the interventions are validated.”

As with all research funded by the Alliance, these studies require involvement of people affected by progressive MS in the process from ideation to completion of the study. Each of the research teams consulted an advisory board or engagement team of people with progressive MS to provide input on the study design and requirements, and the researchers incorporated feedback into their proposals. In addition, the Alliance’s People Affected by MS Engagement Coordination Team participated in reviewing the proposals to help decide which would be selected for funding.

“We review each proposal and determine the ease of participation for people living with progressive MS to be a part of the study, and how it will be implemented in the healthcare system if the treatments are successful, ” said Marie Vaillant, member of the Alliance’s People Affected by MS Engagement Coordination Team and Scientific Steering Committee. "I’m excited about these studies because they address issues that affect the wellbeing of people living with progressive MS, and may provide treatment options that are so needed.”

Awards were selected from among the nine projects that received development awards in the first phase of the Alliance’s Well-Being Research Pipeline in 2023. “All of the phase one projects showed good promise in making strides toward future treatments. While we couldn’t fund all of them, we do hope to see those solutions continue to make progress,” said Fox.

The three efficacy studies are expected to be implemented take place over the next few years, with final reports in four to five years.

About the International Progressive MS Alliance

The International Progressive MS Alliance is an unprecedented global collaboration of MS organizations, researchers, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, foundations, donors and people affected by progressive MS – all working together to accelerate the development of life-changing treatments for people with progressive MS. Our promise is more than hope – it is progress.

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