Carrie Hersh, DO, MSc: Addressing Progressive Disease in MS

“While we have demonstrated that early highly effective therapies in MS are key to forestalling early inflammatory disease activity that later prevents progression and disability accumulation later on, there is still quite a knowledge gap in terms of how we treat non-lesional activity.”

Many specialists in multiple sclerosis (MS), including Carrie Hersh, DO, MSc, assistant professor of neurology, Lerner College of Medicine, and neurologist, Luo Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Cleveland Clinic, have expressed their excitement about the modern landscape of MS treatment. With multiple options available and a solid base of understanding for treatment plans, physicians have never been better positioned to treat their patients.

Although, there remain challenges in care, with a major hurdle being the treatment of progressive disease, where inflammation is no longer the underlying driver of the disease. At America’s Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) forum, February 27-29, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Florida, a number of suggestions were presented for antigenic targets for the treatment of these patients.

NeurologyLive sat down with Hersh to find out what the meeting had to offer and what is currently being discussed as a potential method of preventing or slowing that progression in later disease.

For more coverage of ACTRIMS 2020, click here.