Autologous Stem Cell Transplant with High-Dose Chemotherapy for MS

To evaluate multiple sclerosis (MS) progression after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with high-dose immunosuppressive therapy, researchers initiated a 5-year, multicenter, phase II, open-label study. They now report interim, 3-year results. The investigators recruited patients with active, early MS who had failed previous therapies. At baseline, the 24 participants typically had moderate disability, a median age of 38, had MS for 4.9 years, and had failed three previous MS medications. After mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells and before engraftment, participants received high-dose chemotherapy with carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan. The primary outcome was time to treatment failure (death, disabil…