World MS Day 2025: Top Innovations in Diagnosis and Treatment

Every five minutes, someone in the world is told they have multiple sclerosis (MS).

On May 30, we mark World MS Day 2025 under the unified theme, “My MS Diagnosis: Navigating MS Together.” Running from 2024 to 2026, the initiative highlights the need for earlier, more accurate MS diagnosis, calling for better tools, improved clinical training and equitable access to care worldwide.

MS is a chronic autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks myelin, the protective covering around nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. This disrupts nerve signals and can lead to fatigue, mobility challenges, pain and cognitive changes.

MS is also the most common cause of acquired non-traumatic neurological disability in young adults.

Disease progression can begin at onset — even when symptoms appear stable — underscoring the importance of early intervention.

For those with progressive forms like primary progressive MS (PPMS) and non-active secondary progressive MS (na-SPMS), symptoms tend to worsen over time without distinct relapses. These cases remain some of the most difficult to diagnose and manage.

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Frontiers in MS Diagnosis and Disease Monitoring

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed an 8-minute MRI protocol that could replace the need for spinal taps in MS diagnosis. Using a T2*-weighted MRI scan — a specialized imaging technique that highlights blood vessel-centered lesions by detecting magnetic field variations — the team identified hallmark signs of MS with greater precision.

They introduced a “rule of six”: diagnosis could be confirmed when six such lesions were present. Validated across three UK sites, the method may offer a faster, safer diagnostic option that also eases system-level burden.

Meanwhile, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed a 4D-brain mapping technique that detects tissue changes weeks before lesions appear. This method combines serial MRI scans with gene expression analysis in nonhuman primates to identify inflammatory “microenvironments” associated with early MS activity.

Though still experimental, it could support earlier and more targeted treatment planning.

Innovations in Progressive MS Treatment

For patients with PPMS, new evidence from Immunic’s Phase II CALLIPER trial showed some promise. The company’s oral therapy, vidofludimus calcium, activates the neuroprotective transcription factor Nurr1 and reduced confirmed disability progression by 30% over 24 weeks in PPMS patients. Notably, even those without visible inflammation on MRI benefited, suggesting potential to slow neurodegeneration beyond relapse activity.

A second approach comes from Tiziana Life Sciences, which is investigating intranasal foralumab, a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody. In early studies, this therapy stabilized disease progression and reduced brain inflammation in na-SPMS. Delivered via the nasal route, it activates regulatory immune responses while avoiding systemic immunosuppression. A Phase II trial is currently underway.

Personalizing MS Care with AI

In the US, Biostate AI has partnered with the Accelerated Cure Project to bring AI into MS care. By analyzing RNA expression data from one of the world’s largest MS biosample repositories, the team is developing transformer-based AI models to predict disease progression and personalize treatment. This could help shift MS management away from trial-and-error approaches toward data-driven precision care.

Still Falling Short: Knowledge and Access Gaps in MS

Despite recent progress, key gaps in both knowledge and care persist.

A 2021 study of 222 US neurologists found that only 14.4% correctly identified MRI features critical to MS diagnosis, and 28.4% relied solely on radiology reports instead of reviewing images themselves.

Misdiagnosis remains a serious concern, even in well-resourced settings, highlighting the need for improved training in applying diagnostic criteria like dissemination in space and time.

Globally, disparities in treatment access are even more pronounced. According to the Atlas of MS, licensed disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are unavailable in 14% of countries worldwide, with 60% of African countries lacking either data or sufficient evidence on MS prevalence — suggesting widespread gaps in diagnosis and treatment infrastructure. Even where DMTs exist, access is often limited by drug supply interruptions, reimbursement delays and knowledge gaps among providers.

While countries like Sweden (219 per 100,000) and Canada (182 per 100,000) report high MS prevalence alongside access to imaging and advanced therapies, regions such as sub-Saharan Africa continue to struggle with delayed diagnosis and inadequate neurological infrastructure.

For all the scientific momentum, World MS Day 2025 is a reminder that progress must be measured by whom it reaches — and how soon.

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