rHIgM22 is a remyelinating antibody being studied for the potential treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Acorda is currently conducting a Phase 1 clinical trial to assess the safety and tolerability of a single dose of rHIgM22 in people with MS. The study also includes several exploratory efficacy measures.

MS is a chronic, usually progressive disease in which a person’s own immune system attacks and degrades the function of nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord by destroying myelin (a process known as demyelination) and eventually the nerve fibers themselves. Myelin is a fatty layer of membranes that insulates nerves, facilitating the transmission of electrical impulses through nerve pathways that control neurological function.

The cells that make myelin, called oligodendrocytes, can initially repair myelin, but as MS progresses, there is little spontaneous repair. Currently, there are no therapies that stimulate the repair or regrowth of myelin once it has been damaged in demyelinating diseases such as MS. If myelin is able to be repaired, it could restore electrical conduction and may serve to protect the exposed nerve fiber from further damage.

Preclinical studies have found that rHIgM22 promoted remyelination by stimulating oligodendrocytes to repair areas of demyelination. Preclinical studies with rHIgM22 also resulted in sustained improvements in motor activity.