What the reviews say, against what the trials show
For each approach and aim, whether meta-analyses and the trial verdicts on this site agree.
disagree
| Approach | Aim | Confirmed | Failed | Reviews | Benefit | No benefit | Mixed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell therapies and tolerisation | Slow progression | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fatigue / wakefulness | Ease symptoms | 0 | 2 | 60 | 42 | 4 | 5 |
| FcRn / IgG reduction, IVIG, plasma exchange | Stop relapses | 0 | 1 | 15 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| Microglia / innate immunity in the CNS | Protect nerves | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Pain, mood, cognition and other symptoms | Ease symptoms | 0 | 1 | 70 | 45 | 4 | 7 |
| Remyelination / oligodendrocyte repair | Repair myelin | 0 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| T-cell co-stimulation / cytokine targeting | Slow progression | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
reviews ahead of trials
| Approach | Aim | Confirmed | Failed | Reviews | Benefit | No benefit | Mixed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-cell depletion (anti-CD20) | Slow progression | 0 | 0 | 30 | 19 | 2 | 5 |
| B-cell depletion (anti-CD20) | Prevent or delay MS | 0 | 0 | 43 | 33 | 1 | 3 |
| Broad immunosuppression / cytotoxics | Slow progression | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Broad immunosuppression / cytotoxics | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 4 |
| BTK inhibition (B cells and microglia) | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Cell therapies and tolerisation | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 17 | 9 | 1 | 3 |
| Cell therapies and tolerisation | Lasting remission | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Cell therapies and tolerisation | Repair myelin | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Cell therapies and tolerisation | Protect nerves | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Corticosteroids (relapse treatment) | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| DHODH inhibition (pyrimidine synthesis) | Slow progression | 0 | 0 | 27 | 19 | 2 | 3 |
| FcRn / IgG reduction, IVIG, plasma exchange | Prevent or delay MS | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Glatiramer acetate | Slow progression | 0 | 0 | 29 | 18 | 2 | 3 |
| Immune reconstitution (cladribine, alemtuzumab, aHSCT) | Repair myelin | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Integrin blockade (lymphocyte trafficking) | Prevent or delay MS | 0 | 0 | 19 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
| Microglia / innate immunity in the CNS | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mitochondrial / oxidative stress | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cell therapy or transplant | Lasting remission | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Cell therapy or transplant | Repair myelin | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Cell therapy or transplant | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Cognitive and psychological therapy | Ease symptoms | 0 | 0 | 86 | 53 | 0 | 13 |
| Assistive and other devices | Ease symptoms | 0 | 0 | 44 | 19 | 3 | 8 |
| Diet | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Digital health | Ease symptoms | 0 | 0 | 65 | 43 | 3 | 8 |
| Exercise and rehabilitation | Ease symptoms | 0 | 0 | 248 | 149 | 11 | 43 |
| Brain or nerve stimulation | Ease symptoms | 0 | 0 | 51 | 28 | 0 | 11 |
| Fumarates / NRF2 | Slow progression | 0 | 0 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Other B-cell / plasma-cell targeting | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Remyelination / oligodendrocyte repair | Stop relapses | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Lipid / vascular (statins etc.) | Protect nerves | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Walking (potassium-channel blockade) | Ease symptoms | 0 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
agree: works
| Approach | Aim | Confirmed | Failed | Reviews | Benefit | No benefit | Mixed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-cell depletion (anti-CD20) | Stop relapses | 2 | 0 | 86 | 46 | 2 | 11 |
| Bladder | Ease symptoms | 1 | 0 | 26 | 18 | 0 | 2 |
| BTK inhibition (B cells and microglia) | Slow progression | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| DHODH inhibition (pyrimidine synthesis) | Prevent or delay MS | 1 | 0 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 3 |
| DHODH inhibition (pyrimidine synthesis) | Stop relapses | 2 | 0 | 49 | 25 | 2 | 6 |
| Glatiramer acetate | Stop relapses | 1 | 0 | 50 | 23 | 3 | 6 |
| Glatiramer acetate | Prevent or delay MS | 1 | 0 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 4 |
| Immune reconstitution (cladribine, alemtuzumab, aHSCT) | Prevent or delay MS | 1 | 0 | 21 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| Immune reconstitution (cladribine, alemtuzumab, aHSCT) | Stop relapses | 2 | 0 | 55 | 33 | 1 | 4 |
| Immune reconstitution (cladribine, alemtuzumab, aHSCT) | Slow progression | 2 | 0 | 27 | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| Immune reconstitution (cladribine, alemtuzumab, aHSCT) | Lasting remission | 2 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Integrin blockade (lymphocyte trafficking) | Stop relapses | 1 | 0 | 55 | 28 | 2 | 6 |
| Integrin blockade (lymphocyte trafficking) | Slow progression | 1 | 1 | 27 | 19 | 1 | 2 |
| Interferon beta | Slow progression | 1 | 1 | 35 | 24 | 1 | 5 |
| Interferon beta | Prevent or delay MS | 1 | 0 | 21 | 13 | 2 | 4 |
| Interferon beta | Stop relapses | 2 | 0 | 55 | 27 | 2 | 9 |
| Microglia / innate immunity in the CNS | Slow progression | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fumarates / NRF2 | Stop relapses | 1 | 0 | 31 | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| Vitamin D and nutritional supplements | Stop relapses | 1 | 1 | 31 | 9 | 6 | 4 |
| S1P receptor modulation (lymphocyte trafficking) | Stop relapses | 2 | 0 | 58 | 30 | 2 | 6 |
| S1P receptor modulation (lymphocyte trafficking) | Slow progression | 1 | 1 | 25 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| Spasticity | Ease symptoms | 2 | 2 | 42 | 26 | 0 | 7 |
| T-cell co-stimulation / cytokine targeting | Stop relapses | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
agree: does not work
| Approach | Aim | Confirmed | Failed | Reviews | Benefit | No benefit | Mixed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antiviral / EBV-targeting | Stop relapses | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Axonal protection / ion channels / excitotoxicity | Slow progression | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Axonal protection / ion channels / excitotoxicity | Stop relapses | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Axonal protection / ion channels / excitotoxicity | Protect nerves | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sex hormones / hormonal | Stop relapses | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mitochondrial / oxidative stress | Slow progression | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Vitamin D and nutritional supplements | Protect nerves | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Vitamin D and nutritional supplements | Slow progression | 0 | 1 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
| Lipid / vascular (statins etc.) | Stop relapses | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Lipid / vascular (statins etc.) | Slow progression | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Lipid / vascular (statins etc.) | Prevent or delay MS | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
unclear
| Approach | Aim | Confirmed | Failed | Reviews | Benefit | No benefit | Mixed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-cell depletion (anti-CD20) | Protect nerves | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Axonal protection / ion channels / excitotoxicity | Prevent or delay MS | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Axonal protection / ion channels / excitotoxicity | Repair myelin | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DHODH inhibition (pyrimidine synthesis) | Protect nerves | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Glatiramer acetate | Protect nerves | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mitochondrial / oxidative stress | Protect nerves | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cell therapy or transplant | Slow progression | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Diet | Slow progression | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Diet | Protect nerves | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Diet | Prevent or delay MS | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| S1P receptor modulation (lymphocyte trafficking) | Protect nerves | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Assembled by software from public sources.