May 2015 Press Release

The Scientific Committee of the Charcot Foundation wishes to express reservations in reaction to Professor Saint-Remy's interview with the newspaper “L'Echo” entitled: “Multiple sclerosis: on the eve of the miracle”.

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We think it is extremely premature to announce in such an optimistic manner the result of a clinical study that has not yet begun, and to spread a clear message of hope and success in the treatment of a disease as complex and diverse as multiple sclerosis.

The new immunotherapy in question, although interesting, has so far only proven itself on laboratory animals, in an artificial experimental model that does not completely reproduce the characteristics of the disease observed in humans. Some effective treatments in this animal model have been ineffective, or even deleterious, in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. The causes and mechanisms of human disease are still too poorly known to deduce the certain effectiveness of any new treatment.
New therapeutic approaches must be tested rigorously and carefully, without the effect of inappropriate announcements, by disseminating responsible and nuanced information, without arousing false hope or feelings of abandonment in the patients who suffer from them.

For the Charcot Foundation,
Prof. Christian Sindic, President

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