MinoCIS

Treatment tested

• Minocycline

Placebo or sham

• Placebo

Other measures (4)

Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 18 and 60 years. * First focal clinical episode suggestive of demyelinating disease within the previous 180 days (measured from onset of the first symptom to treatment start), based on the appearance of a neurological abnormality, present for at least 24 hours. * Objective clinical evidence must be present or documented. Patients will be included irrespective of whether the first clinical demyelinating episode was monosymptomatic (i.e. clinical evidence of a single lesion) or polysymptomatic (i.e. clinical evidence of more than one lesion). * At least two lesions on the T2-weighted brain MRI* scan at least one of which is ovoid or periventricular or infratentorial. MRI eligibility will be determined centrally by the UBC MS/MRI Research Group.*One lesion on spinal MRI may substitute for one brain lesion as per the 2005 McDonald Criteria. * Sexually active women of child-bearing potential must agree to use adequate contraception. * Written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Any disease other than MS that could better explain the patient's signs and symptoms. * Any previous clinical event reasonably attributable to acute demyelination, regardless of whether medical attention was obtained. * Complete transverse myelitis or bilateral optic neuritis. A waiver can be obtained for bilateral optic neuritis but must be obtained prior to randomization. Waivers must be approved by 3 neurologists including a member of the Clinical Eligibility / Endpoint Committee, a member of the DSMC, and by an experienced MS neurophthalmologist.

The aim of the trial is to demonstrate that 100 mg of oral minocycline twice daily reduces the conversion of CIS to McDonald Criteria MS (McDMS) by an absolute 25% as compared to placebo, over a 6 month follow-up period (primary outcome). A key secondary outcome is to confirm that this early treatment benefit is maintained at two years.