#176: Progressive MS Research: Milestones, Setbacks and Hope with Tim Coetzee

Progressive MS research has made important advances, but many questions about disability progression, biomarkers, treatment, and quality of life remain unanswered.

In this episode, I speak with Tim Coetzee, President and CEO of the National MS Society in the United States and Chair of the Executive Committee of the International Progressive MS Alliance.

Tim explains why the Alliance was created and how MS organizations, scientists, clinicians, industry partners, and people affected by MS are working together instead of conducting research in isolation.

We talk about the changing understanding of multiple sclerosis as a continuum, the biological mechanisms behind progression, and the search for reliable biomarkers. Tim also shares examples of new clinical-trial approaches and explains why studies need to include people who better represent the real-world MS community.

You will also learn how medication, rehabilitation, symptom management, lifestyle, and social support can contribute to quality of life while researchers continue working toward treatments that slow, prevent, or reverse progression.

Despite setbacks, Tim's message is encouraging: progress is happening every day, and the global MS community remains committed to finding effective solutions for people living with progressive MS.

In This Episode, We Discuss

• Why the International Progressive MS Alliance was founded
• The difference between relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, and primary progressive MS
• Why MS is increasingly understood as a biological continuum
• Important milestones in progressive MS research
• The Alliance's collaborative research networks
• The search for biomarkers that can predict progression
• How clinical trials for progressive MS are changing
• The influence of comorbidities on progression and research
• The importance of rehabilitation and symptom management
• Current research into fatigue, pain, cognition, and mobility
• What people living with progressive MS can realistically hope for today
• The Alliance's priorities for the coming years

About Tim Coetzee

Tim Coetzee is President and CEO of the National MS Society in the United States and Chair of the Executive Committee of the International Progressive MS Alliance. His work focuses on accelerating research, improving access to treatment and support, and helping people affected by MS live their best possible lives.

Resources

• Blog article with the written interview: https://ms-perspektive.com/176-progressive-ms/
• International Progressive MS Alliance
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society
• International Progressive MS Alliance on LinkedIn
• International Progressive MS Alliance Newsletter
• Tim Coetzee on LinkedIn
• Tim Coetzee on PubMed

What would you like to leave our listeners with — especially those living with progressive MS or fearing progression?

Tim Coetzee: There is progress happening every day, and there are researchers and organizations and people all over the world working hard to find treatments and therapies. We know this work is important and we are not finished until we have solved progressive MS.

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See you soon and try to make the best out of your life,
Nele

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