Simvastatin shows promise in treating progressive multiple sclerosis, study finds

High doses of the cholesterol lowering drug simvastatin over two years led to reduced brain shrinkage in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis when compared with placebo, a study has found, and the researchers have called for trials to investigate the drug’s effect on disability. Ten years ago clinical studies of 80 mg simvastatin in people with early multiple sclerosis showed significant reductions in brain lesions, but more recent studies of simvastatin and atorvastatin have produced mixed results. To investigate the potential of simvastatin in treating multiple sclerosis, researchers from University College London Hospitals and University College London randomly assigned …