Janek Pawlik, an industrial engineer from Franklin, Tennessee, has worked in the manufacturing industry since 1988. Outside of his profession, Janek Pawlik has interests that include multiple sclerosis (MS) research.

A May 2022 Medical News Today article reported researchers are now considering repurposing old drugs to treat MS. The disease is a central nervous system condition where the immune system targets the myelin sheath or the layer of cells that protects the nerves. MS symptoms include muscle weakness and spasms, bladder incontinence, dizziness, fatigue, loss of libido, tingling, and numbness, among other conditions.

While there is no cure for the condition, researchers have found various ways to treat the condition. In addition to traditional treatment methods, researchers are exploring medications that treat other conditions.

For instance, researchers at the UK-based MS Society conducted three clinical trials using drugs that treat other diseases/conditions. The first trial involved Metformin (used with diabetes) and clemastine (used with hay fever) to repair the myelin sheath in animals. This trial culminated in promising findings for myelin sheath repair in animals.

Another study looked at the drug cladribine, typically used to treat patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Researchers believe the drug might also have been used in treating patients with advanced MS.

Simvastatin was the other drug researchers tested to see if it was used to treat MS. The MS-STAT2 study investigates whether Simvastatin, usually used to treat cholesterol conditions, might be used to slow progressive secondary MS.

The wait time to determine whether these medications can be used for MS can be as long as four years. However, if the drugs prove successful, this might revolutionize treatment for the disease.