Multiple Sclerosis - Secondary Progressive Multi-Arm Randomisation Trial

April 2014 Update
Preparations to open the trial continue....

Thank you to everyone who has been in touch to find out more about MS-SMART. We will be in contact when the trial is closer to opening. 


When MS-SMART opens a detailed screening process will start.  This is very important to make sure that the trial is suitable for those people who wish to take part.  The screening process is made up of several of stages. Listed below is the MAIN criteria for taking part in the trial:
  • Secondary Progressive MS
  • Not on DMT (disease modifying treatment)
  • Still able to walk at least 20 metres (with the support of 2 crutches) or up to 500 metres without help
  • Aged 25-65 (inclusive)

When screening starts people will be asked if they are still interested in finding out about trial and being screened to see if they can take part in the trial. Screening will take over a 1 year period.


Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling and progressive neurological disease that affects approximately 100,000 people in the UK.  The secondary progressive (SPMS) stage of disease results not in individual attacks but slow, cumulative and irreversible disability affecting walking, balance, vision, cognition, pain control and bladder and bowel function.

Critically, and unlike early disease, there is no proven treatment for the late stage of MS.  This is therefore an urgent and major unmet health need.  MS-SMART will evaluate three drugs (ibudilast, riluzole, amiloride) all of which have shown some promise in MS and in particular in SPMS against placebo (dummy drug).  The assessments will take place over two years and will include clinical and MRI evaluations.

The MS-SMART trial is independent research awarded by the NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme (EME) and funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS Society) and managed by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) on behalf of the MRC-NIHR partnership.  The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not those of the MRC, NHS, NIHR, MS Society or the Department of Health.

Interested in finding out if the trial might be suitable for you?

If you're interested in finding out more about the trial, and whether it might be suitable for you, why not let us know? 

The team co-ordinating this research (University College London and the University of Edinburgh) will update you in general about the progress of this trial. Research staff at trial centres will also be in contact you to discuss the trial in more detail but this might not be for a while yet.

Progress will be updated on this website.

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We're making on-going modifications to this website.   Last updated: 11-04-2014