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Towards treating progressive multiple sclerosis

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Following extensive progress in the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis, the major challenge in the field is now to develop effective therapies for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. As the first signs of success emerge, now is the time to consider the research needed to move the field forward.

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Fig. 1: Agents that are currently being studied for treatment of progressive MS.

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Correspondence to Alan Thompson.

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Competing interests

A.J.T. has served on scientific advisory boards and received honoraria from Eisai and Abbvie; has received support for travel from the International Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Alliance as chair of their Scientific Steering Committee, and from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as a member of their Research Programs Advisory Committee; receives an honorarium from SAGE Publishers as Editor-in-Chief of Multiple Sclerosis Journal; is an editorial board member for Lancet Neurology; and receives research support from NIHR and the NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre. O.C. has served on scientific advisory boards and has received honoraria and support for travel from Merck, Novartis and Roche; is Deputy Editor for Neurology; serves on the editorial board for Multiple Sclerosis Journal; receives research support from EPSRC, MS Society of GB and NI, National MS Society, NIHR, the NIHR UCLH/UCL Biomedical Research Centre and the Rosetrees Trust.

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Thompson, A., Ciccarelli, O. Towards treating progressive multiple sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol 16, 589–590 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-020-00421-4

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