A remyelinating agent remains a distant hope

Keenly awaited early data from Atara that many hoped would show convincing evidence that ATA188 was driving the remyelination of nerves damaged by multiple sclerosis ultimately disappointed. Not that the project is being written off, but signals remain weak and hard to interpret; phase 2 data due next year will hopefully provide a clearer picture.

Remyelination is the next frontier for MS treatment, and Atara is one of a handful of companies with novel clinical projects, trying to prove that this is possible. Very varied mechanisms are being employed to achieve this end, from Abbvie’s antibody elezanumab to Clene’s nanotechnology; several academic groups are also exploring repurposed drugs.