> While bexarotene will not go into phase 3 trials for MS, the finding that the nervous system can be stimulated to resheath damaged neurons has given scientists fresh hopes for another trial they hope to launch later this year. That trial will monitor the effects of the diabetes drug metformin along with clemastine, an antihistamine, a combination that Prof Robin Franklin at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute showed last year could drive remyelination in animals.

That would be an amazing find if it works in humans. My wife was on metformin for many years (not for diabetes) before being recently diagnosed with MS. Coincidentally she experienced her first MS symptoms shortly after stopping metformin. We suspect that use of prescription steroids along with metformin might have been masking the onset of her MS for years and in an indirect way even delayed it slightly.

She just got her first half-dose infusion of Ocrevus, other half scheduled for next week. Ocrevus is such an amazing disease-modifying drug. It's very expensive but our insurance covers it and after the initial dose, she only needs one 3-4 hour infusion every 6 months. No other medication needed on a daily basis! Ocrevus helps ensure no new flare-ups happen anytime soon but it leaves her immunocompromised and there is no remyelination. If metformin + antihistamine end up producing even a little bit of remyelination that would be a game changer because she's young and has enough time to regain everything if it just involves taking a couple of pills daily.

Unrelated but just putting this out there since it's fresh on my mind - if you or loved one ever gets diagnosed with MS or equivalent, you absolutely have to be your own advocate. Best thing you can do in the US is to get an online fax# (I use redfax) and the Dropbox app. Scan every single medical document you get with the Dropbox app, convert it to PDF, and then fax it over to 100 places as needed. Also sign up for every single patient portal including Quest/Labcorp. Be sure to get a DVD of every imaging test (CT/MRI) and upload them for free to postdicom.com to share with anyone or to just see it yourself if curious.

It is a LOT of work and very stressful. But if you're technically savvy, you can avoid a lot of driving back and forth between testing, doctor, hospital, medical centers. And above all reach out to anyone you trust for assistance, even if it's just to pick up groceries. People can surprise you with their generosity.