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Hidden potential: How existing drugs could transform MS treatment
Last updated: 5th November 2025
Wednesday, 19 November 2025 at 11:00 am EST, 4:00 pm GMT, 5:00 pm CET
Join us for a dynamic panel discussion exploring innovative approaches to treating progressive MS through three research projects being funded by the International Progressive MS Alliance. This webcast brings together leading researchers who are investigating how existing medications might unlock new therapeutic possibilities for MS.
- Ellen Mowry will share insights into her research on targeting agonists of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor, a promising avenue for modulating immune responses and neuroprotection in MS.
- Wee Yong will discuss his development project testing salbutamol, a common asthma medication, both alone and in combination with ibudilast, for their potential to slow progression in MS.
- Laura Airas will describe her clinical trial examining hydroxychloroquine and its ability to reduce glial activation, a key contributor to neurodegeneration in progressive MS.
This conversation will highlight the potential of repurposed drugs to accelerate treatment options, reduce development timelines, and offer new hope to those living with progressive MS.
The International Progressive MS Alliance Webcasts are sponsored by Sanofi and Genentech.
MSIF’s work to promote the activities of the International Progressive MS Alliance is made possible by grants from Merck, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi.
November 2025 webcast - Register now to join the discussion!
Registration will ensure access to the webcast post-event if you are unable to join live.
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The webcast will be streamed on 19 November from:
- the MS International Federation Facebook page and YouTube channel
- the National MS Society (USA) Facebook page and YouTube channel
- the MS Society UK Facebook page
Webcast Panel
Professor Laura Airas is a clinician-scientist based in Turku, Finland. She is an MS specialist who consults at the Turku University Hospital Neurology clinic.
Dr. Ellen Mowry is a clinician-scientist based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States at Johns Hopkins University. Her work focuses primarily on epidemiologic investigations of multiple sclerosis (MS) risk and prognostic factors, and she is interested in both genetic and environmental contributors.
Dr. Wee Yong is a Professor at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Departments of Clinical Neurosciences and Oncology at the University of Calgary, Canada, who specializes in neuroimmunology.
HOST
Mark Offord is the Brand Strategic Lead for the MS Society in the UK. He lives with Secondary Progressive MS and has participated in a clinical trial aimed at testing an existing drug for treatment of progressive MS.
About the International Progressive MS Alliance
The International Progressive MS Alliance is a first-of-its-kind global research network aimed at accelerating the development of new, effective treatments for progressive MS. We are rallying the world through an unprecedented collaboration of MS organisations, researchers, healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical companies, foundations, donors and people affected by MS. Our promise is more than hope; it is progress.