Diabetes drug and antihistamine could together repair multiple sclerosis damage, trial finds

Medical Xpress / U of Cambridge / Euro Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis ^ | Sept 29, 2025 | Dr. Nick Cunniffe et al

[ConservativeMind]

A combination of metformin, a common diabetes drug, and clemastine, an antihistamine, can help repair myelin—the protective coating around nerves, which gets damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS) causing symptoms like fatigue, pain, spasms and problems with walking.

This is according to early findings from the phase two clinical trial, CCMR-Two.

Previous evidence from animal studies showed that metformin enhances the effect of clemastine on myelin repair, but until now the two drugs had never been tested together in people.

"I am increasingly sure that remyelination is part of the solution to stopping progressive disability in MS," said Dr. Nick Cunniffe.

"We still need to research the long-term benefits and side effects before people with MS consider taking these drugs. But my instinct is that we are on the brink of a new class of treatments to stop MS progression, and within the next decade we could see the first licensed treatment that repairs myelin and improves the lives of people living with MS."

Some 70 people with relapsing MS took part in the trials for six months, half of whom took the drug combination and half took a placebo. The primary outcome used to gauge the effectiveness of the drug was a "visual evoked potential" test, which measures how quickly signals travel between the eyes and the brain. The speed of signals slowed down in the placebo group over the course of six months, but remained constant in the drug group.

While the primary outcome was positive, scientists point out that people did not feel better on the drugs. The benefit from myelin repair is to insulate and protect damaged nerves, preventing them from degenerating over years.

[ConservativeMind]

Clemastine (Tavist) with metformin appeared to stop patients’ natural progression toward loss of visual signal speed, but it did not help patients feel any different or better.

It helps with myelin repair, which is a foundational problem with MS.

[ConservativeMind]

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I have a friend with MS. This might be of great interest to her.

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