- Ehrhardt H, et al. Ibudilast slows retinal atrophy in progressive multiple sclerosis: post-hoc analyses of the SPRINT-MS Phase II randomized controlled trial. OP151, ECTRIMS 2021 Virtual Congress, 13—15 October
The phase 2, randomised, placebo-controlled SPRINT-MS trial (NCT01982942) demonstrated retinal conserving qualities of ibudilast in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS). The current post-hoc analysis aimed to compare the thickness of several retinal layers between ibudilast receivers and placebo receivers, measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Retinal layers included were GCIPL, the inner nuclear layer (INL), and the outer nuclear layer (ONL).
Subgroup analysis were performed to differentiate between primary and secondary PMS patients. Analyses were adjusted for differences in baseline characteristics. Results were compared to MRI brain measures. Findings were presented by Dr Henrik Ehrhardt (John Hopkins University, MD, USA). GCIPL atrophy rates were significantly higher in placebo subjects (-0.272 μm/year) versus ibudilast subjects (-0.20, P<0.003). Subgroup analysis revealed that this declined atrophy rate was present in primary PMS patients (ibudilast -0.081 vs. placebo -0.598, P<0.001), but not in secondary PMS patients (ibudilast -0.196 vs. placebo -0.119).
No significant association were found between INL or ONL atrophy rates and the treatment arms. Finally, results of OCT scans of retinal layer atrophy and MRI measures (brain parenchymal fraction, grey matter fraction, white matter fraction) correlated significantly in this population. This may provide information on the relation between damage in various parts of the central nervous system.