CLAIMS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system. It currently affects around 3 million people worldwide. Symptoms vary from patient to patient but can include fatigue, mobility problems, pain and vision problems, among other things. There is no cure, although there are treatments that can slow the progress of the disease.

Diagnosing MS and selecting the best treatment for each patient is extremely challenging. In part, this is because different patients experience different symptoms, and a treatment that works well for one patient might not work at all in another patient, or may result in severe side-effects. Furthermore, studies suggest that at the time of diagnosis, around a third of MS patients have other physical health problems (such as high blood pressure or lung disease) and just under a fifth have mental health problems (such as depression or anxiety). These additional diseases and their associated treatments can make it even harder to select the right treatment for the patient’s MS.

The aim of the CLAIMS project is to develop a diagnostic platform that would offer clinicians a holistic overview of the MS patient. Drawing on diverse information on each MS patient, including the results of different tests as well as information on any other diseases or health problems they may have, the platform would predict how the patient’s MS would likely progress with different treatments. To do this, the platform would apply artificial intelligence (AI) models which would be developed and optimised based on both clinical trial and real world data.

Ultimately, the project hopes to validate the platform and submit it to medicines regulators for approval. Today, finding the right treatment for each MS patient is based in large part on a trial-and-error approach. CLAIMS hopes to prompt a switch to a personalised medicine approach which would see patients receive a treatment that works for them much sooner. This in turn will slow down the progression of the disease (and associated disabilities) and so significantly boost patients’ quality of life.