Drug therapies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis

The name multiple sclerosis (MS) refers to 2 features of the disease: multiple describes the number of central nervous system lesions and sclerosis refers to the demyelinated nature of the lesions. Today, these lesions are usually called plaques rather than scleroses. Multiple sclerosis is a complex inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that is variable in terms of symptoms and presentation. The objectives of this article are to review briefly the epidemiology and pathophysiology of MS and to focus on the major categories of therapies currently in use to treat MS. Research is progressing at a rapid pace. The article also discusses some of the most promising new compounds in clinical trials.