Modern multiple sclerosis treatment – what is approved, what is on the horizon

In the mid-1990s, the implementation of the immunomodulatory drugs interferon-β and glatiramer acetate offered the first evidence-based treatment option for multiple sclerosis (MS). These new drugs were beneficial in a huge number of MS patients worldwide, leading to a delay in disease-related disability. Moreover, MS was suddenly the focus not only of patients and their physicians but also of pharmaceutical companies, with a tremendous increase in interest by scientists. As a result of these efforts the first monoclonal antibody treatment has recently been implemented in MS. It will presumably be followed by several other more specific, more effective and more comfortable therapies within the next few years. Here, we will show the current MS treatment options as well as recent progress in the field, and we will introduce the potential new treatment options for future MS therapy.