Australia Joins Revolutionary MS Treatment Trial

People living with progressive multiple sclerosis may finally have hope for treatments that can slow their disease, thanks to a revolutionary trial now expanding across Australia.

The Octopus trial, the world's first adaptive design study for progressive MS, just released its first results. Alpha lipoic acid showed enough promise to continue testing, while metformin was quickly stopped after showing insufficient early signs of working.

This is exactly how the trial was designed to work. Instead of testing one treatment at a time over many years, Octopus tests several simultaneously and uses early measures to decide which ones deserve further study.

Australia's extension of the trial, called PLATYPUS, is now recruiting patients across the country. The trial opened at Gold Coast University Hospital in October 2025, with Perth and Hobart sites launching next.

Professor Simon Broadley from Griffith University leads the Australian arm of the research. He explains that people with progressive MS face an inevitable downhill slope with their disease, making treatments that slow progression truly life-changing.

For the next three years, Stage 2 will test whether alpha lipoic acid can actually slow disability progression. New treatment arms will be added as other promising therapies emerge.

The Ripple Effect

The adaptive trial design means researchers can pivot faster when treatments don't work, focusing resources where they matter most. This approach could transform how all medical research operates, not just for MS.

Janine Watson, a Paralympian living with progressive MS, puts it simply: "It's about giving back time to people with progressive MS, and unfortunately with progressive MS, time is not our friend at all."

MS Australia CEO Rohan Greenland sees the results as proof that the international research collaboration is working. Australians are contributing directly to a world-first trial addressing one of the most significant unmet needs in MS care.

The trial is funded by MSWA and the UK MS Society, with no pharmaceutical company influence. That means the focus stays purely on finding what works for patients.

Every person who enrolls helps accelerate answers for the entire progressive MS community worldwide.