from the industry: collaboration in ms research is the key to hope

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multiple sclerosis needs tailored treatment strategies, which is a challenge in a country often criticized for being inefficient and slow when it comes to implementing health innovations.

by erin keith & dr. paul giacomini

published may 02, 2022

last updated feb 20, 2025

4 minute read

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4 minute read

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from the industry: collaboration in ms research is the key to hope

for people with ms, partnerships have opened doors to solutions and resources that may not have been within reach if they were to operate individually. getty

there are more than 90,000 canadians living with multiple sclerosis (ms), and the last two years have made them feel more isolated than ever before. our collective attention has been squarely on covid, but we cannot ignore the impact this has had on patients living with chronic diseases, like ms. while we reflect on this reality, we can find some comfort in the way the pandemic has forced a disruption in health care that has been long overdue, driving key stakeholders together to solve for canada’s most pressing health-care challenges in new ways.

ms is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. it is also an unpredictable disease, and people living with it may find it difficult to know what the future holds. the severity and duration of symptoms vary from individual to individual and evolve as the disease progresses — meaning no two individual ms journeys are the same.

the complexity of this condition requires tailored, personalized and adaptive treatment strategies based on individual needs and the rate of disease evolution. this presents unique challenges to neurologists and researchers and demands upon everyone in the field an unrelenting commitment to innovation to find answers. this is especially pressing in canada, which has often been criticized for a lack of efficient and timely adoption and implementation of new solutions when it comes to health innovation.

over the past 20 years, the global ms space has observed a therapeutic revolution. we’ve seen many new treatments come to market, meaning more options for the ms community and new disease management tools. as a result of this evolution, ms has become a manageable, chronic condition for the vast majority of patients. however, for decades, people living with ms have relied heavily on clinic visits that may only occur a handful of times each year to measure their disease evolution, often leading neurologists to react only once relapses and progression have already occurred. and while having more options strengthens overall ms care, the missing puzzle piece has been determining how and when to best deploy those treatments to people living with the disease and their symptom realities at any given moment along their ever-evolving journey.

linked by a shared, long-term commitment to solve that puzzle, novartis pharmaceuticals canada inc. and innodem neurosciences, joined forces with the aim to accelerate the path to solutions.

eye movement biomarkers may help spot ms progression

together, we are studying how eye movement biomarkers (embs) and gaze mapping biomarkers (gmbs) may support clinicians in analyzing highly sensitive data to monitor and detect subtle changes in disease progression. emb and gmb tests are simple, non-invasive and can be completed remotely, helping to alleviate wait times for appointments, and support people with ms living in rural areas, who may not have easy access to a neurologist or sophisticated brain imaging. clinical trials are currently underway, and, with this data, we are aiming to provide people living with ms the best chance for meaningful, comprehensive and personalized disease management.

our ambition is to support people living with ms, and their medical teams, with a viable way to sensitively track clinical disease progression in-between clinical appointments to facilitate real-time optimization in treatment strategies along each patient’s unique experience with ms.

our partnership has opened doors to solutions and resources that may not have been within reach if we were to operate individually. from the beginning, we have been able to bring key stakeholders to the brainstorming table. these important discussions among top experts support integration and ensure we don’t become siloed or build solutions based on internal assumptions and biases.

we strongly believe in, and continue to witness firsthand, the power collaboration and knowledge-sharing can have on meaningful and lasting change. we are confident and optimistic that the ability to tap into a national ecosystem of talent will continue to lead to advancements that redefine how we provide care and our understanding of what ideal patient outcomes look like — now, and in the future.

collaboration can get us closer to ideal patient outcomes

canadian health leaders must keep pushing the boundaries of innovation and remember that the insights and expertise needed to help solve such complex puzzles are often found when we focus on encouraging and fostering the best that canada has to offer. to strengthen these efforts even further, we must find connections that enable such important collaborative partnerships.