No differences seen in mobility, other clinical, or patient-reported outcomes compared with placebo<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), the antioxidant lipoic acid (LA) does not slow the decline in walking speed or have other clinical effects compared with placebo, according to a study published online Dec. 15 in Neurology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Rebecca I. Spain, M.D., from the VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon, and colleagues examined the effects of LA in progressive MS in a phase 2, 24-month randomized trial conducted from 2018 to 2023 in 10 U.S. sites and one Canadian site. Participants were block-randomized by site to receive 1,200 mg daily oral LA or placebo (54 and 61 participants, respectively).<\/p>\n The researchers found that LA did not slow the reduction in walking speed (\u22120.39 feet\/second versus \u22120.30 feet\/second), nor were there differences in mobility, other clinical, or patient-reported outcomes compared with placebo. LA participants had stable whole-brain volume, while a trend toward a decrease was seen with placebo, even after accounting for increased total T2-weighted lesion volume, which was greater in the LA group. LA participants had stable deep gray matter volume, while a decrease was seen for placebo participants. More proteinuria and fewer suicidal ideation events were seen in the LA group than the placebo group.<\/p>\n “It didn’t work clinically in progressive multiple sclerosis the way we hoped,” Spain said in a statement. “However, the slowing of brain atrophy that we saw in MRI images suggests that we may yet be on the right track, especially if we can find a better way to deliver the beneficial effects of an antioxidant like lipoic acid.”<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n