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The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine is \u201ca promising treatment candidate\u201d for slowing the progression of a rare form of multiple sclerosis (MS). In a small trial, patients who received the drug were less likely to significantly worsen over a period of 18 months<\/a>.<\/p>\n MS is a lifelong condition that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body is attacked by its own immune system. Patients with MS often experience problems with vision, balance and co-ordination, and walking can become difficult. The cause of MS is unknown, and there is no cure for MS. For the most common type, there are treatments that can slow the progression of the disease. In this case, the therapies can slow the worsening of disability.<\/p>\n However, 1 in 10 patients has a form called \u2018primary progressive MS\u2019. Unlike the most common type, there are no periods of remission and instead the symptoms gradually worsen and accumulate over time.<\/p>\n \u201cWith primary progressive MS, there is no good treatment to stop or reverse the progression of disease. The disability progressively worsens through time,\u201d said Dr Marcus Koch, of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary, who led the study with Dr Wee Yong.<\/p>\n \u201cDr Yong\u2019s research team, with whom we closely collaborate, has been screening a large number of generic drugs over several years and the results with hydroxychloroquine show some promise. Our trial is a preliminary success that needs further research. We hope sharing these results will help inspire that work, specifically larger scale clinical trials into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n