Climate change has the potential to intensify multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, reveals review published in Lancet Neurology. ()

This evidence aligns with GlobalData’s MS epidemiology and market forecast, which anticipates an increase in both the prevalence and severity of MS. As a result, the need for newer, more effective treatments will drive market growth over the next decade, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The primary treatments for MS, known as disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), focus on slowing the disease’s progression. GlobalData’s forecast projects that sales for MS DMTs will grow to $30.1 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7% from 2020 to 2030.

Jos Opdenakker, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Climate change-related exacerbations of MS will necessitate the development of novel, more effective DMTs as disease flare-ups become more frequent with fluctuating temperatures.”

Phase III Trials Compare New MS Treatments to Existing Standards

GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Center database indicates that there are currently two Phase III clinical trials comparing new treatments to existing DMTs. The REMODEL-1 trial is evaluating Novartis’s remibrutinib, and the FENhance trial is assessing Genentech’s fenebrutinib. Both global trials aim to compare the efficacy and safety of these treatments against the current standard of care, Sanofi’s Aubagio (teriflunomide), in patients with relapsing MS.

Opdenakker continues: “These trials demonstrate pharmaceutical companies’ commitment to developing more effective DMTs, as the severity of MS symptoms is being magnified by climate change, a potential driver of growth in the MS market.”

Evidence suggests that the health impacts of climate change are even more pronounced in cities equipped to handle extreme temperatures, underscoring the urgent need for research and policy development. As new health policies are formulated and research continues, more effective DMTs could serve as the primary defense for MS patients against climate change.

Opdenakker concludes: “The review by Sisodya and colleagues calls for prospective, systematic, and disease-focused models to understand how climate change will affect the central nervous system. However, these models must be coupled with new, more effective therapeutic interventions to form a comprehensive strategy for managing MS in the context of climate change.”

Reference:

1. Climate change to drive growth in multiple sclerosis market – (https://www.globaldata.com/media/pharma/climate-change-drive-growth-multiple-sclerosis-market-says-globaldata/)

Source-Medindia