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ATL1102 is a therapy that's been tested in phase 2 trials for relapsing MS by Antisense Therapeutics. It's also been shown to protect nerves from damage. Further phase 2 trials are being planned.

Current phase of trial:
Phase 2 completed
Type of MS:
Relapsing MS and Secondary progressive MS

Find out more about ATL1102

How does ATL1102 work?

ATL1102 targets a protein on the outside of certain immune cells, preventing it from being produced. Without this protein, the immune cells cannot leave the blood stream and enter the brain and spinal cord where, in MS, they can cause inflammation and damage.

The protein that ATL1102 affects is also targeted by natalizumab. The two therapies target it in different ways, but the effect on the immune cells is the same.

How is ATL1102 taken?

ATL1102 is injected under the skin once a week.

Latest ATL1102 research

Phase 2b trial

Antisense Therapeutics, the company behind ATL1102, announced in 2017 that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have permitted recruitment for the phase 2b clinical trial. Researchers are aiming to recruit 195 people with relapsing and secondary progressive MS.

Phase 2a trial

A phase 2 trial looked at the safety and effectiveness of ATL1102 in 77 patients with relapsing MS. Researchers tested how effective ATL1102 was at reducing the number of new active lesions during the 8 weeks of treatment, and the four weeks following treatment.

The trial results were published in a peer-review journal in 2014. ATL1102 was generally well-tolerated and significantly reduced the number of new active lesions by 54% compared to the placebo treatment.

In 2017 further analysis of the trial data was presented at a scientific conference, showing that ATL1102 could potentially protect nerves from damage.

Read the full journal article on the phase 2a trial

What are the side effects of ATL1102?

The phase 2 trial completed in 2014 reported that ATL1102 treatment was generally well tolerated, with some people experiencing mild to moderate redness of the skin surrounding the injection site.

Some people also had a decrease in number of platelets (the part of our blood that helps it clot). But this returned to normal after the treatment.

Unlike natalizumab, ATL1102 treatment does not increase the risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

How does ATL1102 compare with current therapies?

ATL1102 hasn’t yet been directly compared with other therapies for relapsing MS.

When is ATL1102 likely to become available?

In 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration permitted Antisense Therapeutics to begin recruiting for a phase 2b clinical trial. Whilst this is an exciting development, no date has been set for the start of phase 2b clinical trials.

Following phase 2b trials, ATL1102 would need to go through phase 3 trials. So it's likely to be several years before we know the effectiveness of ATL1102 in treating relapsing and secondary progressive MS.