Octopus Clinical Trial Biorepository

A biorepository of samples from individuals recruited to the OCTOPUS clinical trial for progressive-MS. Samples (serum, plasma, DNA) were collected longitudinally every 6 months (W0, W26, W52, W78), alongside MRI and measurements of disability progression. Biomarkers that are predictive of a) long-term disability in MS and b) responses to medication/ therapy (whether a broad therapy response or a response to a specific medication) are needed for people with MS. While new data suggest that several potential biomarkers may portend a worse long-term prognosis for MS, the interpretation of these results may be limited by the fact that the data were generated from either observational, non-randomised cohorts or from clinical trials, in which people with MS were chosen based on a certain degree of recent disease activity. Hence, there is a need to evaluate such novel biomarkers in a prospective, less biased study to assess its true clinical applicability and generalisability. The OCTOPUS trial presents a unique opportunity for collection of biospecimens.