Initial results from a phase III clinical trial show that simvastatin does not slow down progression in secondary progressive MS (SPMS).
The phase III trial, known as MS-STAT2, recruited 964 people with non-active SPMS. Half of them took simvastatin and the other half took placebo (a dummy drug). The study assessed whether simvastatin had any effect on slowing disability progression. This was measured by recording incidences where participants had an increase in disability (measured using the EDSS) which lasted 6 months or longer.
Disappointingly, the study found that simvastatin had no effect on reducing progression rate when compared to placebo. Simvastatin was found to be safe and well tolerated throughout the trial.
What is simvastatin?
Simvastatin belongs to a group of drugs called statins. They’re widely prescribed to lower the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood and reduce the risk of diseases affecting the heart and circulation.
It was thought that simvastatin may be able to reduce loss of brain tissue and slow down progression in SPMS following positive results from a phase II study called MS-STAT1. However, the considerably larger and more extensive phase III trial has found this not to be the case.
