FLORIMS: Flupirtine as oral treatment of MS

Study Description:
In this study we investigated whether the daily intake of Flupirtine has a positive influence on various  MRT parameters in patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Other parameters for the damaging of nerve cells, the relapse rate and the progression of disability were also determined. Flupirtine is already approved as a medicine, has an analgesic effect and presumably has neuroprotective properties. This is a multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Participation was open to male and female patients who have been receiving MS treatment with Interferon-β1b (Betaferon®) for at least six months. The study medicine was taken as capsule twice a day for one year. Treatment with Interferon-β was continued during the study. The patients are seen and examined regularly in the study outpatient clinic.

Principle Investigator: Prof. Dr. Friedemann Paul (WG Clinical Neuroimmunology, NCRC, ECRC)

Registration: This study is registered in clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00623415).

Course of the study: 12/2007 - 11/2012

Publication:
Dörr J, Wernecke K-D, Würfel J, Bellmann-Strobl J, Siffrin V, Sättler MB, Simons M, Linsa A, Tumani H and Paul F (2018) Disease Modification in Multiple Sclerosis by Flupirtine—Results of a Randomized Placebo Controlled Phase II Trial. Front. Neurol. 9:842. http://dx.doi: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00842. Link