Hackensack University Medical Center is Advancing Multiple Sclerosis Care through Research
Researchers are participating in two MS clinical trials investigating new therapies
Neurologist-researchers at Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center’s Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases are offering two clinical trials to patients living with multiple sclerosis.
The Center is accepting new patient referrals to evaluate for both clinical trials. To learn more about ongoing research and clinical trials, contact us at: (551) 996-8175.
BTK Inhibitor Trial for Primary Progressive MS
The first study—a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind study sponsored by Sanofi—is investigating the safety and efficacy of an oral medication, a Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) Inhibitor in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).
BTK inhibitors are showing promise in the treatment of PPMS due to their ability to cross the blood/brain barrier, impact local communication of immune cells within the central nervous system—both of which can work to preserve the integrity of the brain and spinal cord. The study aims to determine whether the medication can slow or stop inflammation and demyelination that cause PPMS symptoms by working on immune cells within the brain and spinal cord.
“We are the only center in New Jersey and one of only a few centers in the region that is currently participating in this clinical trial,” said Krupa Pandey, M.D., principal investigator, neurologist and director of the MS Comprehensive Care Center and the research division of the Department of Neurology at Hackensack University Medical Center and associate professor of neurology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “There aren’t many clinical trials for patients with PPMS, and having nearby access to this trial is extremely important for our patients.”
The study is recruiting up to 10 patients under age 50 who have been diagnosed with PPMS and meet all other study inclusion criteria.
Exploring CAR T-Cell Therapy in MS Care
The second study, which is sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb, is investigating the potential of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in the treatment of patients with relapse-remitting MS, PPMS and secondary-progressive MS.
CAR T-cell therapy involves extracting the patient’s own T-cells and reprogramming them in the lab to target cells responsible for causing degeneration that leads to MS symptoms. Patients will then undergo chemotherapy to reboot their immune system before the reprogrammed T-cells are reintroduced in their body.
“CAR T-cell therapy is currently being used as a cancer treatment for blood cancers including leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma,” said Dr. Pandey, who is serving as principal investigator of the study. “Through this trial, we are leveraging the power of the patient’s own immune system to deliver personalized therapy that has the potential to slow MS activity.”
In addition to Dr. Pandey, Florian P. Thomas, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Neuroscience Institute & Department of Neurology at Hackensack University Medical Center and professor and chair of Neurology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Dr. Anuradha Singh, neuroimmunologist, and Dr. Kiandokht Keyhanian, M.D., neuro-ophthalmologist and neuroimmunologist, both at the Neuroscience Institute and assistant professors of Neurology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, will be working collaboratively with stem cell transplantation expert Michele L. Donato, M.D., chief of the Adult Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program at the Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center and professor of Oncology, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, to oversee treatment for enrolled patients. The team is hoping to enroll four current MS Center patients who meet all other study inclusion criteria.
Leading the Way in MS Research
Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center is committed to advancing the future of MS care through research. And for patients at the MS Center, that commitment means receiving access to novel treatment options years before they are available to the public.
“As one of the state’s leading academic and research centers, we have the infrastructure required to partner with pharmaceutical and technology innovators to offer all types of clinical trials to our patients—including trials that require multidisciplinary collaboration,” said Dr. Thomas. “When patients choose our team for their MS care, we work as a team to connect them with treatment options that may not be available elsewhere.”
Learn more about neurological innovations at Hackensack University Medical Center.
