Could this female hormone become a new MS therapy?

Research is beginning to investigate the potential use of segesterone acetate as a multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy.

Pharmaceutical company Médunik Canada is teaming up with nonprofit research organisation Population Council to test the compound, which is a lab-made version of the female sex hormone progesterone. Previous research has suggested that progesterone is neuroprotective and may play a role in repairing myelin.

The preclinical research will begin immediately, with early results due by late 2025 or early 2026. Providing these are positive, the companies will look to launch clinical trials in patients not long afterwards, they said.

Segesterone acetate has been shown in mouse studies to promote remyelination as well as reduce neuroinflammation. Researchers said they hope it could be a promising MS therapy when combined with disease-modifying treatments.