21st January 2026
Research Network Funded by International Progressive MS Alliance Identifies Histamine Receptor H3 Antagonists as Potential Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis.
Alliance is providing the network additional funding for two years to continue studying the potential of histamine receptor H3 antagonists for progressive MS treatment.
A Drug Discovery Collaborative Research Network established and funded by the International Progressive MS Alliance has found that the histamine receptor H3 antagonist bavisant, a treatment originally developed for sleep and wake disorders, shows the ability to protect neurons and promote myelin repair in experimental models of progressive MS. Published today in Science Translational Medicine, the research demonstrates that the molecule can target two critical aspects of the disease: degeneration of nerve fiber and failure of remyelination.
The BRAVEinMS research network is led by Professor Gianvito Martino, Vice-Rector for Research and Third Mission at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and Scientific Director at IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy, and involves 13 investigators from Europe, Canada and the U.S. – including the Paris Brain Institute – Institut du Cerveau, (ICM), University of California, San Francisco and University Hospital Münster. The network is funded by the International Progressive MS Alliance, with generous support from the Foundation For a Better World.
Professor Martino and the network team focused on investigating drugs that have already been approved for other treatments. The team developed an innovative drug screening platform that combines computer analysis with lab-grown human cells, brain tissue samples, and animal models to identify molecules that may protect nerve cells and/or promote myelin repair. Instead of evaluating each molecule individually, investigators were able to screen thousands of compounds at a time, speeding up the process and leading to potential solutions more quickly and cost-effectively.
After reviewing hundreds of molecules already approved for other indications, the team identified bavisant, a selective histamine H3 receptor antagonist, as a promising candidate for treating progressive MS.
“People with progressive MS are waiting for solutions, and the Alliance is working to find them as quickly as possible. The work of this Collaborative Research Network is a great example of how the Alliance works – bringing together the best global talent and fueling innovative research to help them find answers as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Robert Fox, Chair of the Alliance’s Scientific Steering Committee and MS neurologist at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Cleveland Clinic. “In this case, by targeting repurposed drugs and developing an innovative process for screening thousands of compounds at a time, the BRAVEinMS project was able to quickly narrow its focus on a class of molecules which shows promise for identifying new therapies for treating progressive MS.”
The International Progressive MS Alliance has recently agreed to fund the BRAVEinMS project for an additional €700,000 to extend the study of H3 receptor antagonists, further defining their role in remyelination and neuroprotection in the central nervous system.
“Three main things have come of this collaborative network, and we are excited to move them all forward,” said Prof. Gianvito Martino. “First, the platform we developed can help move research more quickly in the future; second, with the Alliance’s support, we can now move forward with additional testing to better understand how the molecules work in the hopes of bringing it to patients as soon as possible; and third, there are numerous additional compounds we identified as having potential in treating progressive MS and we can begin looking at those, too.”