ECTRIMS 2022 | Genetic contributions to MS severity to guide development of novel drugs

Over the last decade, studies have consistently shown that drug targets with supportive genetic evidence are twice as likely to reach regulatory approval than those without genetic evidence. Adil Harroud, MD, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, outlines the implications of genetic associations linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) severity for novel potential therapeutic targets. Although the value of having drug targets validated by human genetics is known, the challenge is that most data is currently coming from case-control studies informing us about disease susceptibility. However, susceptibility variants cannot be assumed to affect severity, and in MS, these two are distinct. Therefore, it is critical to explore datasets looking at severity to inform the development of drugs for progressive MS. This interview took place at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress 2022 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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