Octopus

Octopus is a revolutionary trial that will transform the way we test treatments for progressive MS. A smarter way of testing potential treatments, it could deliver life-changing new treatments up to three times faster.

How can I take part?

Octopus is recruiting people with primary or secondary progressive MS who are aged between 25 and 70 years old. 

You can register your interest in taking part in Octopus through the UK MS Register

When you register, you’ll be asked to choose your preferred hospital site. You can explore which Octopus sites are open at the Octopus Sites page.

There will eventually be up to 30 sites around the UK, including in:

• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland
• Yorkshire
• the West Midlands
• the South of England. 

You can read updates about the trial on the Octopus trial website and UK MS Register website.

How does Octopus work?

Octopus uses what’s called a multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS) design – the first time this has even been done in MS.

MAMS trials make it possible to test new treatments up to three times faster by:

• Testing multiple drugs at once – and comparing them with a single control group.
• Using MRI to get an idea of whether a drug looks like it has potential, many months before we’d be able to see an effect of the drug on disability progression. Promising-looking drugs stay in the trial, with hundreds more people joining the existing participants. So what would normally be two consecutive trials are delivered in one.
• Adding the flexibility to drop drugs that don’t look promising, and slot in new drugs as they’re discovered.

Merging separate trials may sound obvious. But launching a MAMS trial for MS needs so many things to line up perfectly. From hospitals around the country equipped to be trial sites, to the incredibly complicated statistics that underpin the design.

How can you support Octopus?

Your support could help us find treatments for everyone with MS.

Will you donate to support vital MS research?

Donate now