Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41450528›Full record

ArticleBMJ neurology open2025

Study protocol for a multicentre, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multi-arm, multi-stage, trial of SpironolacTone and famciclOovir in the treatment of Progressive Multiple Sclerosis to prevent disability progression: the STOP-MS trial.

Kayla Ward, Vivien Li, Sudarshini Ramanathan, Lesley-Ann Hall, Katherine Buzzard, Kaylene Young, Fiona Mckay, Vanessa Vigar, Sabrina Oishi, Lidia Madrid San Martin and 20 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ neurology open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

30 authors.

Kayla WardSchool of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University - Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1926-0529
Vivien LiThe Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Sudarshini RamanathanTranslational Neuroimmunology Group, Kids Neuroscience Centre and ANZAC Research Institute, The University of Sydney Sydney Medical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Lesley-Ann HallFlinders Medical Centre, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2266-7465
Katherine BuzzardEastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia.
Kaylene YoungMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Fiona MckayMultiple Sclerosis Australia, Multiple Sclerosis Australia, Summer Hill, New South Wales, Australia.
Vanessa VigarSchool of Medicine, Griffith University - Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8023-2992
Sabrina OishiSchool of Medicine, Griffith University - Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia.
Lidia Madrid San MartinSchool of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University - Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1358-4546
Belinda KaskowPerron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Grant ParnellCentre for Immunology and Allergy Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2898-0253
Julie A CampbellUniversity of Tasmania Menzies Institute for Medical Research, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1820-6758
Jing SunSchool of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University - Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0097-2438
Corey SmithQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
Vilija JokubaitisDepartment of Neuroscience, Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3942-4340
Tomas KalincikCORe, The University of Melbourne Department of Medicine RMH, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3778-1376
David TscharkeImmunology and Infectious Diseases, Australian National University The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6825-9172
Andrew PotterMultiple Sclerosis Australia, Summer Hill, New South Wales, Australia.
Erin BradyMultiple Sclerosis Australia, Summer Hill, New South Wales, Australia.
Jeannette Lechner-ScottDepartment of Neurology, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia.
Lawrence SteinmanDepartments of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Mahesh ParmarACORD at MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0166-1700
Jeremy ChatawayACORD at MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7286-6901
Todd HardyDepartment of Neurology, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4145-3172
William M CarrollPerron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5088-548X
Michael H BarnettThe University of Sydney Brain and Mind Centre, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2156-8864
Bruce V TaylorUniversity of Tasmania Menzies Institute for Medical Research, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2807-0070
Simon A BroadleySchool of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University - Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9429-4307
Australian Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trials Consortium

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Targeting progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) addresses the current single biggest unmet need in the MS therapeutic landscape and anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) therapy potentially strikes at the root cause. The SpironolacTone and famciclOvir in the treatment of Progressive MS to prevent disability progression (STOP-MS) trial has been developed to assess anti-EBV therapies in the treatment of progressive MS. Methods and analysis: STOP-MS is a multi-arm, multi-stage, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial testing spironolactone and famciclovir to prevent disability progression in MS. Australians with progressive forms of MS, aged 25 to 70 years with established disability, are eligible. Recruitment commenced in March 2025 and the first participant was enrolled on 15 April 2025. The sample size for STOP-MS is 150 in stage 1 and 300 in stage 2. In stage 1, the composite primary outcome measures will be reduction of EBV DNA in saliva and serum EBV nuclear antigen-1 antibody titres. Minimum criteria for consideration of progression to stage 2 will be a 10% reduction in the composite outcome measure. In stage 2, the primary outcome measure will be 6-month confirmed disability progression analysed using Cox-proportional hazards. Trial registration number: The STOP-MS trial has been acknowledged by the Therapeutics Goods Administration under the Clinical Trial Notification scheme (CT-2023-CTN-03 505-1) and is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12623000849695).

Indexed as

MULTIPLE SCLEROSISRANDOMISED TRIALSVIROLOGY

Identifiers

PMID41450528
PMCPMC12730750

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.