CCMR One

The "CCMR One" clinical trial was a randomised double blind placebo controlled study. The purpose of this clinical research study was to assess whether bexarotene can promote remyelination.

Nerves within the brain and spinal cord are protected by a surrounding layer of substance called myelin. In multiple sclerosis (MS), the immune system of the body attacks this myelin, stripping it off the nerve fibres. This causes the nerves to malfunction, leading to multiple sclerosis symptoms. Studies have shown that a group of drugs can stimulate cells in the brain to repair damaged myelin. This process is called 'remyelination'. One of the drugs in this group is bexarotene, a capsule already used as an anti-cancer medication. We think that bexarotene may also promote remyelination in people with MS who are also taking disease-modifying drugs and also to assess whether it really can promote remyelination.

Participants in the trial took several capsules (which might be bexarotene or a placebo) a day for 6 months and remyelination was assessed by one MRI scan at the beginning of this six-month period and one at the end.

Unfortunately the trial's conclusions were that bexarotene would not be recommended to treat people with MS because it was poorly tolerated and did not show beneficial effects on remyelination. However some of the results suggested that it would be worthwhile to undertake further investigations using other similar substances.

More information

CCMR One on the EU Clinical Trials Register

Study participants need to live reasonably close to the Anne Rowling Clinic as frequent visiting (at times weekly) is required. Participants should have a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), need to be able to walk, and should be taking a first-line disease-modifying drug (beta-interferon, copaxone, Tecfidera etc). Other criteria also apply.